Lead Player - Alex Grayson Page 0,13

after this little skydiving adventure. What started out as a one-night stand turned into me wanting to see her again. So, her standing there across from James was perfect.

Until she told me she didn’t want to see me again. Not in the capacity I wanted anyway.

Friends.

That’s all she’s willing to be. Fuck that. I may not be in the market to give her something more meaningful than sex, but I damn sure don’t want to just be friends. Not after knowing how stunning she looks under her clothes. How her body felt against mine. How tight she gripped me. Or how she sounds when she finds her release. She may be able to fool herself for a while, but she’ll soon see that we could never just be friends.

I’ll make sure of it.

Her question on if I could potentially give her more gave me pause. I’ve never been tempted to want more. The women I’ve had sexual encounters with weren’t the long-lasting type. They wanted a good time, and I gave it. That was it. And the few who did want more, only wanted the money and fame I could give them. Alaina may not be out for my money, but it’s what I’m used to getting from women. I don’t know if I’m capable of giving more than casual sex.

I peel my eyes off her and glance at James, who’s tandem jumping with Leo. I chuckle at the disgruntled look on his face. It appears he doesn’t like being strapped to another guy either.

“Alright, folks!” Emerson yells over the plane’s engines. “Remember, when you approach the door, fold your arms across your chest or grab onto the top straps of your suit. Do not,” she stresses, “grab the handle at the door. When it’s time to jump, tip your head back. Once you’re in the air, arch your body into the freefall position and bend your arms ninety degrees.” She lifts her arms to demonstrate. “Bend your knees slightly and keep them between your instructor’s.”

She shuffles her and Juliet, who she’s jumping with, closer to the door. Juliet has a huge smile on her face, her cheeks scrunching up around the bottom of her safety glasses.

“It’ll be noisy, so your instructor won’t be able to speak with you while you’re in the air,” Emerson continues. “He may move your arms or tap your legs to adjust your position. Once you’ve descended to five thousand feet, your instructor will pull their rip cord. Keep an eye on your altimeter. If it reaches four thousand feet or less and your instructor has not pulled the cord, it’s your job to pull yours. When it’s time to land, keep your feet up and out of the instructor’s way. They’ll touch down first.”

I move my jaw from side to side, my ears popping from the climbing altitude. I glance at Alaina again and see her attention is on Emerson and Juliet. Beside her, Nikki appears to be seriously considering calling chicken. Her eyes are as wide as saucers behind her safety glasses and her hands are gripping the straps on her suit so tightly her knuckles are white.

The pilot yells that they’ve reached thirteen thousand feet and Emerson and Juliet move closer to the door. Juliet looks back at James, her smile still wide and her eyes shining. “Love you!” she yells, blowing him a kiss. “See you down there!”

“Love you back!” he responds loudly.

I chuckle. When James told me he was getting married to a woman he knew only for three months, I thought he had gone off the deep end. From our conversations about her it wasn’t long until I realized what they shared was special and rare. Watching them now solidifies that thought.

“You ready?” Emerson asks and Juliet nods.

As a group, we hold our breath as Emerson lets go of the bar by the door and her and Juliet disappear. James and Leo follow behind them. Nikki and her instructor are next. The girl looks like she’s barely holding onto her stomach, but when her instructor asks if she’s ready, she gives a nod and a thumbs up.

Alaina and Gary move to the door, and I have this sudden urge to yank her back. Skydiving has never been on my list of things to do, but not because I’m afraid to do it. It’s just never interested me. Now that I’m thirteen thousand feet in the air and about to jump from a plane, plunging one hundred and twenty miles