He didn’t have that luxury now.
“…that view.” Teague’s voice came through his headset, staticky and irritating.
“What?”
“Look at that view,” the blond repeated. “You seen anything like that before?”
Nate forced himself to crack his eyes open, because no way in hell would he admit his phobia to Teague.
Thump. Thump. Thumpthumpthump.
Yeah, his heart wasn’t happy at all, but Teague was right about one thing—that was a helluva view. From this vantage point, L.A. was a canvas of green interspersed with tiny boxes that, on the ground, were massive mansions and studio sets and theaters. Dark mountains loomed in the distance, their outlines sharp against the afternoon sky.
“It’s pretty cool,” Nate managed.
It was the truth. There was nothing like a bird's-eye view to make even the biggest earthly concerns seem like small, trivial matters. Here, it was just Nate and the sky and…a scrap of metal kept afloat by an engine that could fail any minute—
“I’m glad you and Kris are together,” Teague said.
“Is that so?” Nate’s suspicion overrode his phobia for a brief second.
“Yeah. She and I, we’ve been friends for a long time, but I’ve never seen her let anyone in. She doesn’t date often, much less date guys she’s only known for a month or two.” Teague flicked a glance at Nate. “Except for you.”
Nate’s smile was equal parts warning and satisfaction. “What can I say? Guess I’m special.”
“Guess you are.” Teague maneuvered the plane to the right. “I know what you’re thinking, but Kris and I aren’t like that. We kissed once—”
“What?”
Fuck crashing because of engine failure. Nate was about to toss the pilot out of the plane with his bare hands.
“A long time ago, and we were sloshed,” Teague added quickly. “Confirmed what we both knew, which is that we’re better off as friends, and—can you please stop growling?”
That was when Nate realized the low, threatening snarl reverberating through the cockpit was coming from his own throat.
He simmered down but continued glaring at the other man.
“All I’m saying is, I hope you can bring Kris out of her shell. She hasn’t had the easiest time, with her mom gone and her dad not around much.”
I can relate,Nate thought, his heart pinching at the thought of Kris experiencing the same dark emotions that kept him up late at night.
“Our relationship is our business,” he said gruffly. “But Kris…yeah. I’m gonna do my best. She’s worth it, though she doesn’t always make it easy.”
Teague laughed. “No, she doesn’t. That sharp tongue of hers can slice a man in half.”
“Try in quarters.”
Another laugh, then sudden, absolute silence. As in, no engine humming.
What the…
Nate’s head jerked around. He expected to see the earth hurtling toward him in the last moments of his life, but everything was still and quiet.
Concrete. Grass. Kris waving in the distance.
Holy shit, he’d survived. Not only that, he’d been so caught up in his conversation with Teague that he hadn’t noticed their descent.
Relief fizzled through Nate’s body in a rush, leaving him lightheaded and woozy. He took off his headset, mumbled his thanks to Teague, and clambered out of the plane. It took everything he had not to run to Kris, who watched him approach with a half-hopeful, half-wary expression.