Page 39 of Soaring Sweethearts

“I’m glad it all worked out,” Jack said, glancing around and then winking at her when no one was looking.

Oh, good Lord, Constance was done for. Her cheeks and ears burned like a fireplace. Hopefully, no one would notice.

Jack turned to go, then paused and looked back over his shoulder. “Goodnight, Constance. I’m glad you’re home safe.” One smoldering glance, and he was gone, leaving her all wound up with nowhere to go.

“Thank you all for your concern, but I agree with Pop. It’s time for bed. Goodnight, everyone.” Without waiting for a response, she headed upstairs to her bedroom and shut and locked the door behind her.

Alone at last. Somehow, she’d fumbled her way through that, and none of her family were the wiser. She tore off her dress and undergarments, pulled on a light cotton nightgown, and climbed into bed.

Closing her eyes, she traced her lips in the dark, savoring the memory of Jack’s kiss, the taste of him still lingering on her tongue. She followed the trail of kisses along her jaw and neck with her fingertips, heat blossoming as if he was right there with her.

What would he do if he was here with her? Where would those kisses have led if Ernie hadn’t interrupted them? Was he wondering the same thing right next door?

Even knowing all the reasons why it was a bad idea to fall for Jack, she couldn’t help hoping he burned for her the way she burned for him. The thought of his touch consumed her. Now that she’d had a taste of him, she wanted his lips, tongue, and hands everywhere. He’d been respectful to a fault and avoided taking things beyond kissing, but she’d seen the cracks in his resolve. What would it take to break it wide open and unleash the pent-up desire she sensed beneath the surface?

She wanted his raw need to match the intensity of her own, heightened to a fever pitch by the searing heat of the kiss she’d dreamed about for so long. Running her hands up and down her body, she imagined him touching her, caressing every curve, driving her wild. She was tired of being a good girl, of putting everyone else’s needs before her own. To think she had almost married Doug and resigned herself to a life devoid of passion—all because she didn’t want to disappoint anyone.

Well, she was done with all that. It was time to live for herself and take what she wanted. And at that moment, she wanted Jack, needed him, craved him with every fiber of her being. If she could have gotten away with sneaking back out, she would have. They had unfinished business, and she wasn’t going to get a good night’s sleep until he gave her what she needed.

Though what exactly that might be, she wasn’t sure. Her mother had always been maddeningly vague about these matters. She might not be certain how to quench her thirst, but she would bet Jack knew. Would he teach her if she asked? After all, he’d kissed her when she asked. What more would he do?

She tried to imagine telling him.

I feel restless all over, and there’s this sweet ache that won’t go away, especially here.

Reaching between her legs, she pressed her hand over her knickers, and a bolt of pleasure shot through her. She’d never dared to do this before, but no one was here to see her in the dark. And there had to be some way to relieve the unbearable tension that made her twist and turn beneath the sheets.

Imagining her hands were Jack’s, she slid her knickers down and dropped them on the floor. Take me flying, Jack. Show me how to soar.

Sliding her finger between her dampened curls, she found a place where even the slightest touch sent lightning through her veins. What if Jack touched her there? What if he stroked her with expert fingers until she exploded into a million pieces? Because that was the only outcome she could imagine to this obliterating, mounting bliss.

Yes, Jack. Take me higher. Touch me until I dissolve into clouds, wind, and sunshine.

Quickening the stroking of her fingers, her legs began to tremble, and she almost cried out. Shoving her pillow over her mouth, she tipped over the edge as waves of pleasure made the world turn bright white.

Panting as the pleasure ebbed, leaving lethargy in its place, she tried to wrap her mind around what had just happened. She’d never experienced anything like this before, and she had Jack to thank for it. If not for him, she never would have dared.

This ecstasy was too wild and wonderful for good girls who played it safe. If she’d married Doug, she might never have discovered just how much she could feel. Somehow, she had to find a way to get Jack alone so that he could do for her what she’d just done for herself because she was thoroughly convinced that he could take her soaring to the stratosphere.

Let’s go flying together, Jack. Let’s take a risk. Let’s fall in love.

Her heart had been his for longer than she wanted to admit. This was her chance to have it all, and she wasn’t going to waste it.

15

When Constance woke up, sun was pouring through her bedroom window. She flopped over on her side to squint at her wind-up alarm clock. 11 a.m.! How had she slept so long?

Memories of the night before began to creep into her awareness—the disappointment of being thrown over by Doug, the exaltation of her kiss with Jack, the messy half-truths she’d told her family. In the bright morning light, yesterday’s certainty that she was a new woman faded, and the implications of it all began to sink in.

A day ago, she’d been so confident about what the future held, and now she had no idea. After all, Jack had only kissed her, not offered marriage. And even if he had, was that what she wanted? If all the family complications magically disappeared, he was still a pilot. Loving him meant risking getting a call like the one she got about Al Hoffman on her first day on the job. Did she have the fortitude to love a man she feared she would never see again every time he took flight? It was bad enough worrying about Ernie.

Dear Ernie. He was probably downstairs with Pop this very minute trying to come up with a misguided scheme to patch things up between her and Doug. She had better pull herself together and put a stop to that before they put their plan in action. She loved her brother, but sometimes he drove her completely nuts.

Slipping from the comfort of her bed, she dressed swiftly and combed her hair into some semblance of order. After a quick stop in the bathroom to brush her teeth, she headed downstairs to face the consequences of the night before.

“Can I use the microscope?” Verity’s voice carried up the stairwell.

“But Millie bought it for me,” Prudence protested. “I’m busy examining plant cells from different leaves.”