Their Forever Family: Her Family for Keeps / A Father for Poppy / His Little Christmas Miracle. Abigail Gordon

the lingering essence of coffee. Two of her favorite things, but right now she didn’t care as she gave herself over to the kiss that overwhelmed her senses.

      Duncan nearly forgot he was going to just kiss her to test the situation. As she moved closer, bringing her body against his, he realized how well she fitted him from nose to toes. The taste of her was shockingly sweet. As he cupped the back of her head and dove deep into her, he sensed a depth of passion she probably wasn’t aware of. Tremors shot through him, and he wanted to abandon the planned trip to take her down the hall to her bedroom instead.

      Not a good idea. Yet. He eased back and watched in delight as her eyelids fluttered and surprise covered her face. She was as turned on as he by the surprising power of the kiss. Her lips were red and plump, face flushed and breathing slightly erratic. He imagined he looked about the same. He’d love to see her all rumpled from making love all afternoon but had to grit his teeth and pull away.

      She was relieved when he moved back, but at the same thoroughly confused by the kiss. Then again, Duncan wasn’t going to be someone she’d date. They were just coworkers and friends.

      Who maybe kissed on occasion. That happened, didn’t it?

      “That was very nice, Rebel.” His eyes glittered.

      “Uh, very.” She cleared her throat and blew out a breath, trying to get herself under control.

      He placed a light kiss on her lips and reluctantly withdrew. He clasped her shoulder, then let his hand stroke down her arm and take her hand. “Let’s get going, shall we?” He straightened the tartan over her shoulders. “This looks perfect on you.”

      Despite her experience as a nurse, she was such a babe in some ways. He liked that. Not sure why, but he did. The innocence she exuded was really quite alluring. Her own siren song she didn’t know she sang.

      “Thanks.” With her senses still humming, she grabbed her handbag and locked the door. Duncan took her hand and escorted her to his vehicle. The pickup truck seemed totally Duncan. It was black and unassuming on the outside, but inside it had all the bells and whistles one could ask for. It looked like a small airplane. She wasn’t surprised when he put on aviator sunglasses.

      “We’ll be there in a few minutes.”

      “Where does he live? In a retirement home?” There were probably lots of them in Albuquerque. It was a retirement hot spot.

      Duncan snorted, then choked on a laugh. “Him? In a facility? Not on your life. He’d throw himself in front of a bus first.”

      “More self-sufficient than I imagined, then?” Some elderly lived independently well into their nineties.

      Duncan gave her a slant-eyed glance then turned his attention back to the road. “You have no idea.”

      In short order, they arrived not at a private home, as she’d expected, but at a private airfield.

      “He lives at an airport?” Now she was more confused than ever.

      “No, he lives in Hatch, like I said. It’s about three hours by car, but only about forty-five minutes by plane.”

      Her stomach churned. “This isn’t a good idea. Why don’t you just take me home, and we can forget it? Or we could drive.” Panic began to set in. How the hell was she going to get out of this? Get into an airplane with him after he’d just given her the kiss of a lifetime? How was she going to sit that close to him and not reach out?

      “You don’t get air-sick, do you?” He parked the truck and got out. She bailed out of her side and slammed the door.

      “N-no, I don’t think so, but I’ve never been in a plane that small before.” It looked like a toy. Seriously, where was the wind-up device?

      “Well, here’s your chance.” He began to remove the padded covers from the propeller. “You’re not afraid to go up with me, are you?” He moved closer to her. “You are. You’re uncertain about going up in a plane with a man you just met.”

      What a relief. He understood, and they could end this now.

      “No problem.” He resumed his preparations and anxiety resurfaced.

      “You’re a pilot?” That surprised her. Most people she knew were just what they appeared to be. A doctor or nurse or plumber. Duncan was starting to have more depth than she’d imagined, but that didn’t mean she wanted to get into a flying tin can with him.

      “I’ve been flying since I was fourteen. Got my junior license when I was sixteen, flew my grandfather back and forth from Hatch to Albuquerque I don’t know how many times, then got my full pilot’s license so I could fly day or night. Been flying for almost twenty years now.”

      “Uh…that’s nice.” He was still preparing the plane, like he thought she was getting into it.

      “Don’t worry, Rebel. I’ll get you there safely, and I’ll get you back safely.” He grinned and looked at her over his reflective sunglasses. “Trust me. I’m a doctor.”

      Now, that made her laugh, and she relaxed. “I think that’s the cheesiest line I’ve ever heard.”

      “Yeah, but it made you laugh and that’s a beautiful thing.”

      He approached her and took her hand gently in his. “It’s going to be okay. You said you wanted a field trip.” He led her to the small plane, opened the door and assisted her into the passenger seat, tucked the plaid around her and buckled her in. After securing her door, he rounded the plane and settled himself in the pilot’s chair.

      Duncan helped her to adjust the headphones so they could speak to each other over the headset and started the plane. The hum of the engine whined in her ears and the vibration pulsed through her. Excitement and eagerness fought with equal parts of anxiety and nausea inside her as Duncan got all serious and went through his preflight checks.

      “Any mishaps over the years?” Although it was wise to ask, it also felt impolite.

      “Only one. Daisy got sick every time.” Though he answered the question honestly, he didn’t elaborate and continued his preparations.

      “Oh, I see.” A sick, jealous feeling surged inside her, and she pushed it down. Though he’d kissed her, she didn’t have any right to be jealous. Knowing he’d flown another woman multiple times put a damper on the day. Another yoga breath to clear those thoughts. And she ignored the tremor in her hands. It was nothing.

      “She hated flying, but once she got her paws on the ground she was a whole new dog. Raced through the fields like a puppy.”

      “Paws?” That opened up a whole new dimension to the situation.

      “Yes, she was my dog. Chocolate lab. Never had another dog like her.” A wistful sigh escaped him. “She was a gift from my mother when I was twelve. Said I needed to learn how to take care of a four-legged female before I could ever consider taking care of a two-legged one.”

      Relief flowed through Rebel and a warm pulse in her chest followed. A dog.

      Someone spoke into the headset, and Duncan responded. Rebel remained quiet as they bumped out onto the runway and prepared to take off.

      Her heart raced and her mouth went dry. Clenching her hands on the seat didn’t relieve her anxiety, but she couldn’t help it, just as she couldn’t help the grin that exploded on her face when the tires left the pavement and they were airborne.

       CHAPTER SEVEN

      A TOTALLY GIRLISH squeal erupted from her throat. “Oh, my, this is incredible!” There were so many things to look at all at once out of every window of the plane, she felt as if her head were on a swivel. There was the river, the mountains, cars on the highway, and all kinds of buildings that were growing smaller and smaller.