Free Fighting for Flight by Jb Salsbury

mechanic. What the
hell?” He’s back to looking at Raven, and as his eyes dance up and
down her body, I thank God she’s still in her cover up. “Gives a
whole new meaning to the term body shop.” His eyes settle on her
legs. “Nice legs, what time do they open?”
    “Watch your fuckin’ mouth.” My jaw locks down. A
warm, familiar buzz stirs in my head. My hand squeezes Raven’s
shoulder on reflex.
    Silence hangs thick in the air as everyone stares
between Blake and me. Even the Stripper Sisters have ceased their
obnoxious babbling.
    Blake focuses on me, his eyebrows low and
questioning.
    A soft giggle breaks the silence. In unison, all
eyes move to Raven.
    “Thanks for the compliment, Blake.” Raven rolls her
lips between her teeth, her face red with withheld laughter.
    The buzz in my head retreats.
    “Jonah didn’t tell me you were so funny.” She loses
the battle, a burst of laughter escaping her lips. The melodic
sound further calms my temper.
    Small talk erupts all around me, but I don’t hear a
word. I’m stuck analyzing what the hell just came over me. I never
get possessive over girls. I was half a second away from giving my
best friend a beat down.
    Raven and Eve go back to the lounger, and I throw
Blake a chin lift. He responds in true Blake form, cocky smile and
the middle finger salute.
    The Stripper Sisters saunter to one of the lounging
areas and whisper back and forth to each other. I relax seeing
they’ve decided to sit on the opposite side of the pool from Raven
and Eve who are back to their loungers by the bar.
    Damn, I need a beer.
    I walk behind the bar where the guys are camped out
in front of the television.
    “What the hell was that about?” Blake shoves a
handful of popcorn in his mouth.
    I shake my head. “I don’t know.”
    “You almost flipped the switch on your boy for
spewing the kind of shit he says to every girl he meets.” Rex
laughs and rubs the back of his neck. “One more word and I’d have
been pulling your ass off him.”
    I nod and grab a beer. No doubt in my mind I would
have beaten Blake for disrespecting Raven.
    “Never thought I’d see it.” Owen’s back from
settling down his wife and caught up on recent events. “You got it
bad, my man.”
    Dress removed, I’m staring at a bikini-clad Raven.
She’s not covering or sucking in her stomach. No bashful body
language that would expose her insecurities. Her olive skin
glistens in the sun as she laughs and talks with Nikki and Eve. She
looks so natural and at ease in her own skin in my backyard,
hanging out with my friends, as if she’s been doing it for
years.
    “Hey, Jonah.” Owen calls my attention away from the
girls. “She’s one fine piece of a—”
    A growl rumbles deep in my chest.
    The guys explode into laughter.
    Owen smacks me on the back. “Yep, you’re hooked,
brother.”
    ~*~
    Raven
    The murmured voices and rhythmic thumping of rap
music lull me into semiconsciousness. I close my eyes and relax,
soaking up the last warmth from the sun before it drops behind the
mountains. Male laughter erupts. I turn and watch Jonah with his
friends, his dimples highlighting his bright smile. I slide my
sunglasses down my nose for a better look. He’s stopped laughing,
but still smiling as he engages Owen.
    I track his movements while he walks around the bar
to sit on a barstool. His back muscles flex powerfully, as he
brings his drink to his mouth. Brightly colored tattoos decorate
his arms from his wrists to his shoulders with one flowing over and
onto his chest. I want to get a closer look, run my hands along his
arms as I study his body art. I wonder if his skin is as soft as it
looks. If it tastes like he smells. Citrus and spice.
    “This place is sick, Rave.”
    I jump at the sound of Eve’s voice. Shoving my
sunglasses up my nose, I pat my cheeks to bring down the heat. Eve
is on the lounger with me, a gossip magazine resting against her
thighs.
    “Yeah.” I clear the lusty sound from my