Flying with Jonah today has been nothing short of tense, and an entirely different experience than the last time. I can’t tell if it’s because it feels riskier with the unstable conditions outside . . . or if it has more to do with the conditions brewing inside this cramped fuselage.

Even though I know it was a mistake, I can’t stop thinking about that kiss. The rain, the turbulence . . . all competing with thoughts of Jonah’s mouth on mine, and the way he was breathing when he pulled away.

And now we’re in this misty valley and he’s talking about us having sex. I mean, he didn’t say that exactly, but that’s what I heard, and I’m suddenly picturing the two of us stretched out naked on an air mattress with the door to our orange dome tent wide open to this great wilderness.

And it does sound insanely romantic.

“That might be okay.” My eyes are locked on the river. I sound almost shy. When have I ever been shy with a guy who’s so obviously flirting with me? Who I’m pretty sure has been flirting with me the last couple of days and I completely missed it. Who is making my nerve endings tingle and parts of me ache to be touched. Is he as turned on as I am?

Have his legs fallen apart that wide because he’s got a—

“Might be?”

I push the illicit thought away with a throat-clear. “Yeah. You’re a much bigger target for a bear, and I’m pretty sure I can run faster than you.”

The deep chuckle that carries through the headset sends shivers down my spine and makes me smile dumbly. I’m becoming addicted to making him laugh.

Unfortunately, the playful conversation dies down as the drizzle grows harder and the wind begins to pick up. Jonah grips the yoke more tightly, his furrowed gaze on darker clouds ahead.

“Those don’t look good.”

“No. They don’t,” he agrees. “That’s the thing about up here. The weather can turn on a dime. But we’re not far off our checkpoint. We’ll make it there.”

“Okay.” I realize that I trust him completely. It seems like a stupid time to ask, but, trust or not, I need a distraction from the constant jolting. “So . . . Marie. What’s going on there?”

“What do you mean?”

I turn to watch his profile for clues. Maybe Dolores is right and he’s too pretty now, because those full lips of his don’t belong on a man like him. Neither do those lashes, which might be as long as my fake ones. “You know exactly what I mean.”

Blue eyes flicker my way for a split second before returning to the sky. “Why do you want to know?”

“Just curious.” I echo his words from earlier, when he asked about Corey.

He smirks. “Marie and I are friends.”

“Even though she wants more?”

“Does she?”

I roll my eyes. “Stop playing dumb. You know she does.”

He flips a switch on the cockpit panel. “Why do you care?”

“I don’t.”

He shakes his head. “You’re such a Fletcher.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means just come out and ask me what you really want to know, Calla.” He sounds annoyed.

“Fine. Did you two ever date?”

“Nope.”

I hesitate. “Did you two hook up?”

“Define ‘hook up.’ ”

“I guess that answers that,” I mutter, more to myself, letting my gaze drift to the mountain ridge.

“She kissed me once.”

“And . . .”

“I can’t give her what she wants. I’m not at that place in my life.” He doesn’t seem at all bothered to be telling me.

“She’s really pretty,” I hazard.

“And smart, and caring. But I just want to be friends with her. She knows it. I’ve been clear all along.”

I can’t suppress my sigh of relief fast enough.

“I take it that’s the answer you wanted to hear?”

I turn away to hide my sheepish smile. He’s too damn observant. And blunt. And inherently decent, if he hasn’t taken advantage of the tall, blond, leggy veterinarian’s attraction to him, at least once, in a moment of male weakness.

“What else do you want to ask me?” he murmurs.

I hesitate for only a second. What’s the point of stopping now? “Why did you kiss me today?”

“Because I wanted to, and I knew you wanted me to.” Such a simple, straightforward answer. Exactly what I’ve come to expect from Jonah. He pauses. “Am I wrong?”

“No.” Unfortunately there are too many obstacles trailing it that I’m struggling to ignore. “Don’t you think it’s a bit risky? I mean, that it might complicate things, with everything else going on? Plus, I’m leaving in . . .” My voice drifts as realization dawns.

I’m leaving in a week. It’ll be a nice, clean, uncomplicated end to whatever is happening between us.

A soft “Oh . . . right,” slips from my lips. “Of course.” That’s exactly what he wants. And here I am, reading way too much into one kiss, especially from a guy I despised a week ago. This is why I don’t do hookups.

“Of course, what?”

An orange bush plane suddenly appears in the sky, traveling toward us. It grabs Jonah’s attention and splices our conversation. A moment later, the radio is crackling with a call-out from him, delivering an ominous warning about hellish headwinds and torrential rain around the ridge bend that he barely outran.