Chapter 21
All her nervousness came roaring back when Dario drove through the airport’s private gate and parked on the tarmac beside her flight instructor’s helicopter.
Two service attendants stood in the pool of light around the sleek blue aircraft. Because Halcón used it for sightseeing flights, the helicopter had large glass panes on the sides, so the four leather bucket seats inside were clearly visible.
As Erica swiveled to climb out of the SUV, Raul laid his hand on her forearm. “You don’t have to do this.”
Seeing the familiar aircraft had settled her a bit, making it possible to inject confidence into her voice. “I’ve got this. No problem.”
He gave her arm a quick squeeze. “Then let’s get your skirt hemmed.”
She stepped out, and Raul followed, pulling the scary knife out of its sheath.
“I will be very, very careful with the blade,” he promised. “But don’t move.”
He picked up one side of the beautiful skirt that she’d spent so much money on. She sucked in a breath as his hand brushed her thigh, sending desire dancing over her skin.
She stood like a statue while he worked his way around the skirt, his fingers occasionally grazing her skin to send more waves of sensation through her. By the time he was done, her arms were wrapped around her waist like a vise.
He surveyed his work. “Al-Buya will probably think it’s fashion-forward, but I owe you a new dress.”
She looked down at the jagged edge and realized that he could have cut it much shorter. That he had chosen not to display more of her legs for the amir to ogle lifted her heart a little.
One of the attendants walked up to them and bowed. “ Su Alteza Real, Senorita Ortiz, the helicopter is fully fueled and ready to fly. The equipment Dario requested is already on board.”
“Muchas gracias,” Raul said. “We appreciate your assistance.”
And then they were all climbing into the aircraft.
While Erica ran through her preflight checklist, Raul got the yacht’s location coordinates from al-Buya.
When he hung up, he frowned. “He tried to put me off again. I hope he isn’t so freaked out that he throws the eggs overboard.
It worries me that he left Caleva earlier than he planned. ”
“I think that he always planned to leave during the party,” Erica said. “He figured that all the security would be focused on the palace and not on someone loading an extra crate or two on his yacht.”
“Let’s hope you’re right,” Raul said.
“Good news, Senor ,” Pascal said from the back. “We’ve got the construction plans for the Azzam . That will help us identify possible hiding places for the dragon and her eggs.”
Everyone aboard had flown in helicopters before, so Erica didn’t need to tell them to put on headsets and buckle their seat belts while she ran through the required safety briefing. She got the blades turning and checked in with the control tower to get her takeoff clearance.
Then they were lifting off from the tarmac and flying into the night.
Now that her hands and feet were on the controls, the joy of being in the sky flowed through her.
Looking down at the lights of San Ignacio glittering below them and the stars shining above them made her smile.
She glanced sideways to see if Raul shared her admiration of the view and found his gaze on her, the angles of his face unreadable in the glow of the helicopter’s instruments.
A shock of yearning hit her. To fight the unwelcome desire, she forced her focus back to flying.
Soon, the glow of civilization fell behind them, leaving only dark water below. The moon painted a streak of silver on the sea as they sped toward a point on her navigation display. She thanked the weather gods that the winds were light tonight.
Dario and Pascal had switched to a different radio channel to develop their plans for searching the yacht. Raul remained silent, probably to allow her to concentrate on flying.
She was surprised when he spoke suddenly. “There, at two o’clock. Those lights have to be the Azzam .”
She shifted the flight path so the lights lay directly in front of them.
Adrenaline surged through her when she saw how small the superyacht looked in the vast ocean.
She shoved the thought away and hailed the ship, telling the officer she would circle the vessel while he slowed and turned the bow into the wind.
While they were speaking, a blaze of light illuminated a back deck, where she could see the white H of the landing pad.
Raul leaned over to lay his hand on her thigh and give it a light squeeze. “You are sure you want to do this? There is no shame in returning to shore.”
“No way I’m stopping now,” she said. “This is going to be fun.”
“You are magnífica! ” He gave her thigh another squeeze before he straightened.
His words added an extra fizz to her excitement, but she meant what she said.
Now that her goal was in sight, she couldn’t wait to meet the challenge of setting her aircraft down in a minuscule circle painted on an unpredictably moving surface while nudged by sea winds.
A grin curled the corners of her mouth as she banked the helicopter in a tight circle around the yacht.
The ship was an impressive sight, the sleek blue hull and multidecked white superstructure brightly lit against the rippling darkness of the water. The fly around gave her a chance to gauge the strength of the winds around the ship.
She signaled Dario and Pascal to get on the main frequency in case she needed to communicate with them quickly in an emergency. Then she lowered the landing gear.
The flight officer confirmed that they were ready and gave her readings on wind speed, wave height, and direction. As she got closer to the ship, she saw someone on the landing pad signaling with lighted batons. Good to see that they appeared to know what they were doing.
She brought her speed and altitude lower, matching the ship before she sped up enough to overtake it. And then she stopped thinking and just felt what the helicopter needed her to do to hit the H.
She had it centered dead-on when a slight gust of wind pushed her sideways a couple of feet. She swore but followed the crewman’s baton signals to set the helicopter down like a feather.
It pissed her off that she hadn’t hit the bull’s-eye. She put on the rotor brake and shut down the engine.
“Fantastic landing!” Raul said, giving her a brilliant smile that held pride…and maybe relief. “I would never guess that you are newly licensed.”
A glow of pride swelled in her chest. “My instructor says I’m a natural.”
She took off the headphones while the crewmen tied down the rotors and helicopter to the deck. They wouldn’t be making a quick escape by air.
“Ready for this?” Raul asked, handing her the strappy sandals someone had brought along.
“I noticed when you spoke with al-Buya that you were pretending to be inebriated. Am I supposed to be drunk too?” she asked, toeing off the sneakers.
“No, I think you are a bit of a gold digger and clinging to your rich escort with all your might,” Raul said.
“Huh.” Clingy sex kitten wasn’t a role she was good at. When she bent to buckle on one sandal, she glanced down at the deck. “You’re going to have to lift me down once I put these things on.”
“That will be my pleasure.” His voice had gone deep and sensual.
“Already playing your part?” she asked, her insides heating up anyway.
“No need to pretend.” He gave her a heavy-lidded look. “Do you know how hot you are flying a helicopter in that outfit?”
She shook her head as desire poured through her to pool between her legs. When she bent to buckle on the other sandal, the movement pressed her thighs together, and she nearly moaned.
Straightening, she squared her shoulders. “Let’s go.”
As they unlatched the doors, a couple of crewmen sprang forward to hold them open.
Erica waited as Raul walked around the nose of the helicopter, the wind ruffling his hair and making his tuxedo jacket whip against his body.
Mierda, she should have brought a wrap. Except the more bare skin on display, the better.
Hopefully, al-Buya didn’t mind goose bumps.
When Raul arrived at her door, he gave a convincing little stagger as the ship pitched slightly. So she went into sex-kitten mode. “Ooh, you’re going to drop me!”
“Not if you hold on very tightly,” he said, placing her arms around his neck before grasping her around the waist.
She leaned onto his shoulders as he lifted her down, bringing her close so that she slid down his body every inch of the way.
Even though she knew it was an act, all the nerve endings in her body sparked. So she did what any good gold digger would do: She stood on her tiptoes to give him a long kiss of gratitude.
When she broke the kiss, he smiled down at her, his eyes blazing, and murmured, “I am going to enjoy this role-playing very much.”
“Raul, my friend, welcome to the Azzam, my home on the sea!” A short, plump young man in a long white robe and a flowing white head scarf secured by a black rope walked out of double doors. He threw his arms wide.
“As-salamu alaykum,” Raul said, wrapping his left arm around Erica’s waist and shaking al-Buya’s hand with his right. “May I present my gorgeous pilot, Erica Ortiz.”
Not sure how to greet an amir, Erica went with a curtsy within Raul’s embrace. “Your Highness, a pleasure.”
Al-Buya’s gaze traveled down and back up her body, and he licked his lips under his black mustache. “Gorgeous indeed, and a skilled pilot. What a magnificent woman!”
She attempted to simper, but she was grateful for Raul’s possessive arm making it clear she belonged to him. “ Muchas gracias, Your Highness.”
Raul waved a careless hand at Dario and Pascal, who stood on either side of them. “And my bodyguards.”
“Surely you do not need security on my yacht.” Al-Buya frowned.
“Pater insists,” Raul said before turning to Dario. “No need to stay with me. You can do a security sweep or something.”