Ever. He wouldn’t have the first idea
of how to be a dad. So instead he circled back to his problem.
“I want to jump with Gia,” he repeated.
Jack turned his head toward him and
cracked an eye. “I know, but I’ve got a problem with that. The way you look at
her isn’t professional.”
He knew how he looked at her. Like
he wanted to eat her up. He didn’t particularly like feeling this way, but he
couldn’t not jump with her either. If
that was the only way he could get close to her, touch her, he’d take it. He
was almost as pathetic as Jack.
“I haven’t touched her.” Kissing,
he decided, didn’t count. Not really. He certainly hadn’t done everything he
wanted to, and it had been a one-time aberration due to too much tequila on her
part followed by slow dancing. “She’s my teammate, Jack. My jump partner.”
Jack looked pained. “Is that all she is? Tell me you don’t want to
get horizontal with her.”
Having a conversation about this
was not something he wanted to do. “She’s on the team. That makes her
off-limits. You don’t have to tell me that because I’m not five. I understand
the rules.”
“It’s harder for her. She’s jumping
with the guys. We all pretend she gets an honorary dick with her chute, but at
the end of the day she’s a girl. If you look at her and see breasts, what stops
the next guy on the team from doing the same?”
“Newsflash,” Rio growled. “Most
workplaces are co-ed these days and you don’t see the employees going at it
like bunnies. It doesn’t matter whether Gia’s male or female. She can jump and
she can do the job. When I go out the plane, I trust her to have my back. I
think she proved she can handle it. Change the list.”
Jack closed his eyes and let his
head thump against the floor. “This won’t end well.”
“You forgot to invite someone to
the party,” a throaty voice said from the door.
Hell. Gia .
Jack groaned. “When Gia sues for
sexual harassment, I want it duly noted that I had the best of intentions.”
“Me too,” Rio drawled.
She looked hot, and the fact he
knew that probably made him an equal candidate in that lawsuit. Today she’d
gone for urban waif or suburban homeowner on a DIY kick. Her ripped-up jeans were
faded almost white from washing, but she sported the usual pair of steel-toes.Now that he thought about it, last night
at the bar had been the first time he’d seen Gia wear anything other than work
boots or running shoes. He’d liked last night’s cowboy boots. Almost as much as
he liked the white tank top she rocked now. There had been a shower in her
recent past and her hair was slicked back wet. She was sun-bronzed, strong… and
he couldn’t tell what she was thinking. A small smile played around her lips as
she tucked her thumbs in her pocket and she leaned against the doorframe.
“I appreciate the vote of
confidence and the loaner penis, but everything else is nobody’s business.”
Jack didn’t hesitate, but Rio had
never made the mistake of underestimating his brother. “Got it.”
She eyed the pair of them calmly.
“We’re a team, right?”
Jack nodded, still clearly their
self-appointed spokesman. Which was fine, because Rio really had no idea what
to say.
“We are,” Jack said.
“Then no worries.” Gia smiled. “As
far as you’re concerned.”
###
“Come on,” Gia said, spinning on
her feet.
Rio should walk—run—the
other direction. She was team. She was one of them.
She was also his .
He had a primal need to mark her,
take her. Learn her from the inside out. He didn’t need a consult with Evan and
Jack to know that he had absolutely no business thinking this way.
Unfortunately, no part of his body—from his head to his
dick—appeared to be on board with the company policy.
Jack elbowed him. “She’s talking to
you. I’m off the hook.”
Rio had no idea why Jack got the
get-out-of-jail-free card here, but
of how to be a dad. So instead he circled back to his problem.
“I want to jump with Gia,” he repeated.
Jack turned his head toward him and
cracked an eye. “I know, but I’ve got a problem with that. The way you look at
her isn’t professional.”
He knew how he looked at her. Like
he wanted to eat her up. He didn’t particularly like feeling this way, but he
couldn’t not jump with her either. If
that was the only way he could get close to her, touch her, he’d take it. He
was almost as pathetic as Jack.
“I haven’t touched her.” Kissing,
he decided, didn’t count. Not really. He certainly hadn’t done everything he
wanted to, and it had been a one-time aberration due to too much tequila on her
part followed by slow dancing. “She’s my teammate, Jack. My jump partner.”
Jack looked pained. “Is that all she is? Tell me you don’t want to
get horizontal with her.”
Having a conversation about this
was not something he wanted to do. “She’s on the team. That makes her
off-limits. You don’t have to tell me that because I’m not five. I understand
the rules.”
“It’s harder for her. She’s jumping
with the guys. We all pretend she gets an honorary dick with her chute, but at
the end of the day she’s a girl. If you look at her and see breasts, what stops
the next guy on the team from doing the same?”
“Newsflash,” Rio growled. “Most
workplaces are co-ed these days and you don’t see the employees going at it
like bunnies. It doesn’t matter whether Gia’s male or female. She can jump and
she can do the job. When I go out the plane, I trust her to have my back. I
think she proved she can handle it. Change the list.”
Jack closed his eyes and let his
head thump against the floor. “This won’t end well.”
“You forgot to invite someone to
the party,” a throaty voice said from the door.
Hell. Gia .
Jack groaned. “When Gia sues for
sexual harassment, I want it duly noted that I had the best of intentions.”
“Me too,” Rio drawled.
She looked hot, and the fact he
knew that probably made him an equal candidate in that lawsuit. Today she’d
gone for urban waif or suburban homeowner on a DIY kick. Her ripped-up jeans were
faded almost white from washing, but she sported the usual pair of steel-toes.Now that he thought about it, last night
at the bar had been the first time he’d seen Gia wear anything other than work
boots or running shoes. He’d liked last night’s cowboy boots. Almost as much as
he liked the white tank top she rocked now. There had been a shower in her
recent past and her hair was slicked back wet. She was sun-bronzed, strong… and
he couldn’t tell what she was thinking. A small smile played around her lips as
she tucked her thumbs in her pocket and she leaned against the doorframe.
“I appreciate the vote of
confidence and the loaner penis, but everything else is nobody’s business.”
Jack didn’t hesitate, but Rio had
never made the mistake of underestimating his brother. “Got it.”
She eyed the pair of them calmly.
“We’re a team, right?”
Jack nodded, still clearly their
self-appointed spokesman. Which was fine, because Rio really had no idea what
to say.
“We are,” Jack said.
“Then no worries.” Gia smiled. “As
far as you’re concerned.”
###
“Come on,” Gia said, spinning on
her feet.
Rio should walk—run—the
other direction. She was team. She was one of them.
She was also his .
He had a primal need to mark her,
take her. Learn her from the inside out. He didn’t need a consult with Evan and
Jack to know that he had absolutely no business thinking this way.
Unfortunately, no part of his body—from his head to his
dick—appeared to be on board with the company policy.
Jack elbowed him. “She’s talking to
you. I’m off the hook.”
Rio had no idea why Jack got the
get-out-of-jail-free card here, but
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