Coffee and Cockpits by Jade Hart Page A

There was no one in the rear galley. Why did he want to talk to me alone? “Is this about my exam results?” Panic took hold. “I passed, didn’t I?”
    He didn’t answer, instead gave me a stern look and cocked his head in the direction of the back of the plane.
    Choking back my disappointment, I traipsed down the aisle and spun to face him the second we were obscured from the others. “I know I was terribly unorganised this morning and let everyone down, but I really want this job.” My eyes dropped. “Did I fail the exam? Am I fired?” Oh God, I sucked even before I started.
    Liam kept an unreadable look in his eyes. “It isn’t good.”
    I covered my face with my hands. How could I be so cocky and think I passed? I wanted to scream. Instead, a whimpering noise escaped my throat.
    Liam’s hand rested on my shoulder, blazing with heat.
    I froze.
    He laughed. “Nina, I’m sorry. That was cruel. You’re not fired. We’ve just found out you earned the highest results. Ms. Klein was very impressed. As am I.”
    I peeked through my fingers, rolling my shoulders to loosen his hold on me. “So—this was all a joke?”
    His lips curled. “No, I did want to talk to you, but you left yourself wide open on that one.”
    No wonder Joslyn gave him grief. What a horrid joke to pull! I slapped his chest. “That was low.” I struggled to stay mad, but his glowing grin was hard to ignore.
    He grunted, rubbing his shirt with a fake-wounded expression. “That’s what I get for hauling your butt out of bed this morning? Beaten up?”
    Images of him in bed turned my thoughts to goo. I blinked. “Um—” Then fear chilled me. I really didn’t want people to think there was something going on with us. Showing up to work together, late. Talking at the back of the plane, alone. The rumour mill would be rife with misleading information. My career would be ruined. “Look, Co-pilot Mikin.”
    Liam’s eyebrows shot up at the use of his last name.
    “I know I’m new, and you’re related to a good friend of mine, so the lines are slightly blurred, but I’m not new to the whole ‘being swept away by the pilot’s charms’. Whatever you’re doing,” I waved at his tempting physique, “it won’t work. Go flirt with Samantha…”
    Liam reclined against the trolleys. “I’m not trying to get you into bed, you know.”
    I crossed my arms. “Uh huh. I’ve heard the reputation you have.”
    He frowned. “You also heard Jos tell the truth. You even said it yourself—I’m not a man-slut.” His icy eyes glittered. “Don’t believe everything you hear. The reason I’m trying to be your friend is because I saw you around a lot in your training and wanted to say how happy I am you’re part of our crew.”
    Why did that sound like a big spiel?
    He leaned in, brushing a stand of hair that had come loose from my ponytail.
    “That’s hardly appropriate,” I whispered, even as my skin shivered under his touch. Dammit all to hell; he dripped delicious temptation. 
    He pulled back. Taking his hat off, he ran hands through his blue-black locks. “Look, I don’t want you getting the wrong idea... but I want to help you.”
    My mouth fell open. “Help me as in sleep with me?” I saw now where Joslyn got all her sexual banter from.
    Shaking his head, he gave me an exasperated look. “No. I don’t want to sleep with you. ”     
    A pang of hurt lanced me. Why didn’t he want to sleep with me? Was I not attractive enough? Holy crap, Nina. You don’t want to sleep with him. Who cares?
    Liam sighed and reclined further against the trolley, crossing his ankles. It was an undeniable sexy pose and drew my eyes down to his trousers. I looked straight back up again the minute I realised what I was looking at.
    “I guess I’ll come right out and say it,” he said.
    “Yes, please do as I have no clue what is going on here.” Heat flushed my cheeks from embarrassment as much as an unbearable awareness of him. The plane