Sweet Queen Read online

  The door creaked open behind them as Mina came in wearing athletic shorts and a t-shirt for underneath her flight suit. Her hair was a little mussed and she still looked sleepy, but her eyes were alight with excitement.

  “Cal, you’re finally here!” She bumped his shoulder with hers, acting like they’d been waiting on him for ages.

  “Hey, I was 30 minutes early, thank you very much. You should know better than to sass the person flying your plane.”

  “Leave the man alone, Mina. We’ve almost got our checklist ready, but we’ll still have about an hour before we need to take off as it is. You’re just going to have to find a way to be patient.” Victor’s stern look to Mina melted as soon as she gave him a chaste peck on the cheek. He smiled down at her adoringly and Cal couldn’t help but wonder if he’d missed his chance for a relationship like theirs, with the level of love and devotion, the closeness between the two of them.

  He finished checking the plane in record time. He and Victor had already done several preliminary checks the day before, and just as he was about to go looking for another chore to do, the hangar door opened again.

  “Oh, you came!” Mina squealed, flinging herself toward the door.

  “It’s not every day that you’re up at the crack of dawn with me. Once I finished my morning baking, I figured I could bring you guys some breakfast.” The voice at the door was so familiar that Cal felt like he should be able to immediately pick out who it was, but the breakfast bringer was evidently more petite than Mina because he couldn’t see a thing. “The burritos are still warm and I brought you a latte because I know you like the fancy stuff and Victor never has any.”

  He took a few steps forward only to hear a soft “oh shit” and see his Shelli peeking out at him over Mina’s shoulder. Her eyes were wide, her hair done up in a cute, messy bun on top of her head. She was dressed casually in yoga pants and a tank top, with little bits of flour scattered over it from her baking.

  She was absolutely adorable and just like that he was sucked back into a world where no one but the two of them existed, at least until he heard Mina speak up, mistaking Shelli’s gasp for unease.

  “Oh, Shelli I didn’t know if you’d met Victor’s pilot, Cal, yet or not. Most of the times he’s over hanging out with Victor, we’re out with the club. Cal, this is my best friend and Honeys VP, Shelli Sutton.”

  Shelli finally regained her composure enough to move, grabbing one of the coffees out of the drink carrier she was holding and stepping toward him. “Cal and I already met, Mina. Although I didn’t know he was Victor’s pilot.” She said over her shoulder as she held the coffee out for him to accept.

  “This is black, I wasn’t sure how you normally take your coffee.” She faced him fully, her spine straight but not overly tense. She looked equal parts happy to see him and a little terrified.

  “If you didn’t know he was the pilot, how did you two meet?” Mina pressed on, unaware of how uncomfortable she was making her friend. Victor watched, obliviously drinking his coffee and Cal relaxed, waiting to see what Shelli would say about him. He wasn’t ashamed of what they had done and upon seeing her again, he only wanted to see more of her, spend more time getting to know all of her cute little quirks. Like now, when she was anxiously tracing the tattoos down her arm and avoiding Mina’s gaze.

  “And he’s normally a guide at the lodge, so you wouldn’t… oh wait just a darn minute.” Mina’s eyes flew up to meet his. “You.” The word came out completely astonished. She prowled over to him and picked up his free hand holding it up for her to examine.

  “What the hell, Mina. Cut that out.” Victor was immediately on edge; he didn’t like any man getting attention from his woman but him.

  “Chill out, ol’ man.” She said with a smirk and then turned back to Cal, speaking low and still holding up his hand. “She was right, these are huge. But if they or any other part of your body treats my friend disrespectfully, they will be cut off, you understand?”

  He stood tall under her gaze, meeting her eyes as he said, “Perfectly.”

  “Ugh, Mina why do you always have to take it too far?” Shelli came closer, tugging her friend away by the hand and shoving a burrito at her to occupy her mouth. “Honestly, she could have done much worse.” Victor came up from behind them. “You got off easy, man. When she met me for the first time, she pulled a knife on me.” He gave an involuntary little shiver as if remembering but when he looked at Mina they each just smiled broadly at each other.

  “Well, are we gonna get this show on the road soon? I’m about ready to roll the plane out.” Cal stepped into his flight suit, zipping it up over his shorts and t-shirt. “Shelli, are you jumping today?”

  “Oh no, I’m just here to deliver breakfast. I’m definitely not a jumper.” Mina snorted a little behind her and Shelli silenced her with a quelling glare. Apparently his girl didn’t often like to walk on the wild side. In fact, it was hard to picture her as a member of Mina’s rough and ready all-girl biker gang. Although he had to admit, the thought of her laid out on top of a bike all done up in black leather was a fantasy he’d be playing in his head on repeat.

  “Are you at least going to come up with us? You can sit up front with me and then ride out to the pick-up.”

  Shelli looked hesitant, but Mina was already excited about the prospect of going up with her best friend to watch and take photos from the plane, so she reluctantly agreed.

  Cal got her an extra set of gear and once she was ready, buckled her into the co-pilot’s seat, checking her lap belt at least half a dozen times. She gave him a small smile and when he leaned over to check her door handle, she spontaneously reached out to kiss him on the cheek, turning bright red after as if she weren’t intent on displaying affection.

  He gave her one last pat on her leg for encouragement as Victor and Mina climbed in the back of the Cessna and he prepared them for takeoff.

  7

  Shelli

  Shelli had never been more scared in her life than she was during takeoff and given the painful reality of some of her life experiences, that was really saying something. Cal calmed her through it, reassuring her quietly so she wouldn’t be embarrassed in front of the others.

  By the time they reached a steady height, her fears were dissipating in the light of a spectacular sunrise. Deep purples cast shadows against the red cliffs surrounding the valley and she could see the gentle curves of the river below. Mina was beside herself, nearly bouncing up and down in the back as Victor snapped her tightly to him, checking his gear one final time. Cal flew them around the drop in a circle to allow Mina to get the lay of the land and then readied the plane for the jump.

  Victor pulled the doors open just as the sun came over the horizon and Mina’s face was beautifully serene as he checked in with her one last time before they moved toward the door. And then they were out, with little fanfare and almost no screaming on Mina’s part. She was a much stronger woman than Shelli herself.

  Waiting anxiously until the parachute popped free, Shelli let out a sigh of relief as Cal pressed a button to shut the door and brought them back around to approach the airstrip.

  “Anywhere else you want to see while I’ve got you in the air?” He called out beside her.

  She thought about saying no, just to get on flat ground all the quicker, but she could think of one thing. “Can we fly over the compound once?”

  “Of course, that’s an easy one.” Cal guided them back the way they came, passing the airstrip to make a quick circle over the compound. She pointed out her little house and enjoyed the view of the courtyard and garden from the air before he brought the plane around to begin their descent.

  As they lowered toward the landing zone, she felt like the ground was coming up to meet them much too fast. The small Cessna bobbed a little in the wind, and there was a loud grinding as the landing gear released itself from the bottom of the plane. She gripped the armrests on her seat and squeezed her eyes tightly shut, preparing for he
r inevitable doom while whispering ‘shit, shit, shit.’ Over and over again.

  Just as suddenly as their descent began, it was over as Cal smoothly guided the plane toward the hangar, taxiing it inside. She was completely overwhelmed as he brought them to a stop and shut off the engine.

  “Well, how did you…?” His question was completely cut off as Shelli flung her seatbelt off and threw herself straight onto his lap. Her relief over not dying a terrible fiery death combined with his mastery of the plane had led her straight into horny hell.

  “Whoa now,” he said, shifting her legs to straddle him more comfortably and undoing his own lap belt. His hands were already softly kneading her ass, his breath blowing hot on her neck in the close quarters.

  She tipped her head up, looking into his warm gaze before parting her lips slightly and taking his in a gentle kiss. She wanted him badly, but she also knew what it was like to have intimacy forced upon you, and she wanted to give him the opportunity to back away. He didn’t.

  His lips absolutely owned hers, his kiss fiercer than ever before. He tasted like morning coffee and there was a slight hint of salt on his upper lip from his nerves landing the plane. He lightly gripped her throat, holding her head at the perfect angle for his assault on her mouth, their lips, teeth, and tongues clashing.

  He pulled back enough to unzip the top of her flight suit and unbutton the quick release snaps along the legs, flinging the offending piece of clothing away from them, bringing them one layer closer to skin to skin.

  “You were gorgeous even in that ratty old jumpsuit. How were you so pretty so early in the morning? I wanted to jump you as soon as you walked inside.” He kissed up her neck, his hands trailing his mouth as he made his way up to her ear. “How far are we taking this, baby girl?” He whispered quietly into her ear, his moist breath causing a chain reaction of southbound blood flow from her nipples to her core.

  “All the way.” She nipped his upper lip a little and breathed the words into his skin before she kissed his lips again. They were achingly sweet, warm and soft surrounded by a closely cut beard. It was absolute heaven on her skin.

  She felt his hand drift up the neckline of her hot pink racer back top and he yanked it roughly down, pinning her arms to her sides and thrusting her breasts upward toward him.

  “I didn’t give these beauties nearly enough attention last time, and I’ve been thinking about them constantly the last few days.” He circled one nipple delicately with his calloused first finger, his mouth reaching for the other. The sight of his pink tongue peeking out from behind his beard to wrap around her nipple was the most erotic thing Shelli had ever seen. When he made contact, she whimpered long and low. Her core flooding with moisture so quickly she wasn’t sure she hadn’t come.

  “Have you been thinking about me?” he asked, slowly making his way across to her second nipple, leaving a trail of soft kisses in his wake.

  She couldn’t lie, not when he was in control, when he was eliciting so much pleasure. “Yes.” Her voice was breathy and strange, foreign to her own ears.

  He smiled at her, his eyes lighting up with pleasure and joy, just knowing she thought of him, then he dropped his head to continue devouring her body.

  She rocked against his hard length, desperate for some relief. He pressed her closer with one arm around her back, his fingers splaying up her spine, and his mouth slid from her nipple with a wet pop. His free hand snaked its way into her yoga pants, slipping past the soft, stretchy thong she had donned earlier and delving deep into her core. She pressed up against his hand, riding out her pleasure as a release crested. Her head tipped back and her body arched close to his, her breasts scraping against the rough canvas of his flight suit. When she came back down, she dropped her head to his chest and snuggled up under his chin for a minute, just enjoying the heat of him, his lips in her hair. With a few deft tugs, she pulled the zipper of his suit back from his throat, coasting it all the way down.

  “You’ve been telling your girlfriends how big my hands are, Shelli?” She blushed profusely at his confident smile. His eyes were bold and proud as she reached into his suit, palming his length and bringing it out into the cool morning air. The head of his cock was angry and purple, with precum leaking out the tip.

  “I didn’t exaggerate about them either.” She smiled at him, running her hands along him, squeezing gently. “One of these days we’re going to have the time and space for me to show you all the things I want to do to this gorgeous cock.” She dragged one finger over the tip, swiping off the wetness and popping her finger in her mouth as she made eye contact with Cal. He closed his eyes and tipped his head back, groaning as she continued to pump him. Figuring she teased him enough, she slid her pants and underwear down her thighs, before leaning over to kick them off completely in an awkward tangle of arms and legs that left both her and Cal breathless and giggling. While Shelli relished in the heady happy feeling of their embrace, Cal’s rough laugh was cut short as soon as she straddled him once more and lifted up to take him inside.

  “Oh fuck. Shelli, yes.” He pumped his hips upward matching her rhythm, gripping her hips hard. She felt so free and in control, riding him as hard as she was able. Just as she felt herself nearing the edge and his thrusts gained a desperate edge, she remembered the hickey he’d left on her neck, outing her to Reina and Mina. She kissed her way up his throat, licking his Adam’s apple with the very tip of her tongue. His resounding grunt made her lips tick upward as she increased the pace of her thrusts, grinding her clit against him on every drive, her breasts bouncing heavily against him. As she felt her orgasm crashing down on her like a tidal wave, she sucked the tender skin of his throat tightly into her mouth. He went off like a rocket, flooding her with thick, slick wetness. She leaned back and surveyed her handiwork before he pressed her closer, burying his hands in her hair and whispering in her ear. With Cal, the sex was mind blowing. His cock was large and he paid careful attention to her pleasure. But, in the aftershocks of their coupling, his tender treatment of her and his gentle caresses were quickly becoming treats she didn’t want to live without.

  8

  Cal

  By the time Cal and Shelli cleaned up from their post-flight activities, settled the plane in the hangar and started up the mountain, they were noticeably behind schedule but very satisfied. Shelli sat beside him in the passenger seat, the breeze coming through the open window and teasing the tendrils of her hair. She was just as stunning in her worn yoga pants and a tank top as she was in nothing at all.

  For a moment, he wished things were different. That he didn’t have to go back to guiding in a few short days. He could just slowly but surely worm his way into Shelli’s bed, her life, eventually, her heart. They could do all the things they had both missed out on so far in life — have a house, a family, couple friends to hang out with on lazy weekends. But all of those things were a fantasy. He had almost nothing to his name — no property, no house, no business. Just himself, a duffle bag full of clothes and gear, a handful of firearms and his jeep. It wasn’t the kind of life that lent itself to happily ever after and so he was better off giving Shelli the most he could of himself over the next handful of days and then fading away, a distant memory.

  He wouldn’t forget her though; he could never forget his Shelli.

  When they pulled up at the top of the plateau where Mina and Victor landed, the parachute was still laying out flat on the ground and the happy couple was nowhere to be seen. They had almost an hour to repack and get ready for their pickup and yet they were missing.

  Just as Cal started to get worried enough to bail out of the truck and start making an emergency call, Victor tumbled out of a dense grove of trees to the west side of the road. His shirt was on inside out and his belt was still unbuckled, his flight suit discarded on top of the open parachute. Mina followed soon after, bumping into his back as she stumbled up behind him. Sticks and grass poked out of her hair and she still looked a little dazed.

  �
�Looks like we weren’t the only ones who felt a little desperate after that near-death experience.” Shelli whispered at him, her eyebrows wiggling seductively before she gave him a cute two-eyed wink. She couldn’t close just one eye, so when she winked it was just a quick blink with a scrunch of her delicate little nose.

  “Hey now, speak for yourself. There was nothing near-death about my flying or landing skills — that was all about your perception. Although, I can’t say I’m disappointed with where it led.”

  He hopped out of the truck, meeting Victor at the parachute to help him wrestle it down to a size that could comfortably fit in the bed of the pickup truck. They worked quickly together, making ends meet and checking for rips and snags as they went.

  “Everything go alright today? It was a nice day for a jump.” He looked over at Victor as they worked, the other man looking a million miles away.

  “What? Oh, yeah it was a good jump. Mina scared the hell out of me when we landed though. This will be our last one for a long time.”

  Cal turned to face him fully, surprised at the turn of events. “You’ve planned for this so long and now it was a one and done? I thought you’d at least have her try it a second time before you called it off.”

  “Oh no, Mina loved it it’s just…” Victor’s voice dropped off as squeals broke out across the clearing. Shelli was bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet, wrapping Mina in a giant hug. Tears streamed down both women’s faces as they laughed and broke apart, before wrapping each other tightly all over again. Cal turned back to Victor, one eyebrow raised. The other man broke his eyes away from where they rested softly on the women and he turned back to Cal, a broad smile on his face.