Chapter Twenty-Six
The morning sun gleamed in Danny's fiery hair, the breeze playfully plucking the bottom tendrils off her shoulders. She made the decision that morning that the best attire for a flight in Red Lion would be her racing suit. The black material stretched tightly over her form, allowing Lance to appreciate her assets for a moment before he was close enough to speak with her.
"Mornin' sunshine," he grinned at her, trying his best to appear charming. He had straightened his shoulders, his chest puffing up obnoxiously.
Danny rolled her eyes. "Hey, Lance. I hope you got the beer stains out of your pants."
Lance instantly deflated. His cheeky grin was replaced with a pouty frown at the detour she gave him. He mumbled something in response before raising his voice. "You ready or what?"
"Sure am," Danny pushed herself off of the wall she had been leaning against, her body coming within inches of his as she brushed by him, striding toward the lion. Lance shook his head and jogged to catch up with her.
"You know, I was going to offer you my arm in escort," he chided. She looked up at him, her pace slowing slightly.
"Ah, sorry," Danny looked at the ground for a moment. "I'm not really good at this type of thing."
"This type of thing?" Lance questioned.
"You know, like, being girly on a date. Being girly period," she gave a sigh. "I apologize, Lance. I have a rather large guard built up when it comes to men. Keep in mind, the majority of guys I hang around with are a bunch of egotistical racers."
"Ah, well, 'like attracts like," Lance quipped playfully, nudging her with his elbow. He grinned at her. "I believe that's what you said to me at the bar. Here, we'll take the lift up into the cockpit." He stepped off to her side and gestured for her to move onto the platform. She stood with her hands firmly set on her hips.
"Did you just call me egotistical?" she demanded. Her lip twitched with aggravation.
"Uh, well, um…"Lance stammered, rubbing the back of his neck. "Guess I'm not too good at this type of thing either. But I'm sure you'll give me a zinger later."
Danny's frown curved upward into a smirk. "Fine, I'll consider that an IOU." She stepped on to the platform and he joined her. As the elevator lifted, Danny turned to closely inspect the unique craft. Red Lion was covered in battle scars. Various dents and tears dotted along its exterior. She pressed her lips together as she recalled the constant attacks on Arus the past few decades.
"She's seen a lot of action, huh?" Danny turned back to Lance, shaking him from his trance as he had been taking her in.
"The understatement of the millennium," was his reply. The lift came to a halt at a small opening on the side of the lion's head. Lance opened the hatch and crawled inside. He held his hand out to offer Danny assistance. Instinctively she slid her hand into his. The energy of the simple contact made them both freeze. His breath catching in his chest, Lance gazed at her, a bit stunned. Danny returned the stare, her eyes darkening a bit. After an awkward silence, she cleared her throat and tore her eyes from his, climbing the rest of the way into the cockpit. She could hear him let out the breath of air he had been holding. "So, uh, this is the cockpit…" he said, voice quaking slightly.
Danny moved toward the pilot chair, running her fingers along its edges. Lance watched as her eyes eagerly dissected every switch of the control panel. She was truly enthralled in the craft. Nearly as much as Lance found himself enthralled with her. Letting out a forced cough, Lance slid himself into his chair. Closing his eyes for a moment, he relished in its comfort. He could swear he heard Big Red purr as he positioned himself. Slipping his helmet on, he turned to Danny.
"You ready?" She gave him a silent nod. "Sorry there's not a lot of room in here, or extra seating really, but you can hold the bar on the back of the seat. Big Red has a bit of spunk when it comes to taking off." He gave her a grin. Danny complied, moving behind the pilot's seat. She gathered her hair up in a ponytail in preparation for the flight. Lance swore to himself. God, she still looks amazing…
Shaking himself out of it, Lance reached out and inserted his key. His hands found the controls. "Okay, here we go..." The lion roared to life, its powerful spirit rocking Danny to the core. Her knuckles went white as she gripped the bar. She watched the screen as they raced across the landscape, and soon ascended into the sky. Lance heard Danny inhale sharply as they soared freely. He smiled to himself.
"Wanna have some fun?" His voice was filled with mischief. Danny grinned at him. "Alright, then. Hold on!"
Danny heard herself laugh as Lance guided the lion through a series of loops, corkscrews, and sharp freefalls. Red Lion let out a mighty roar, exuding pride. Lance grinned and patted the control panel affectionately. "I think she missed me."
Danny smiled. "You're definitely a match for each other."
Lance suddenly had an idea. He brought Red up to a level coast. "Hey, come around here."
"Alright…" Danny said cautiously. Lance wedged himself up in the seat.
"This will be a tight squeeze, but if you're gonna fly her, I need to be on the controls, too."
Danny's eyes widened. "Me? Fly her?"
"I know how much this lion means to you. I trust your racing skills, why not trust your piloting ones? And…well, I want you to have a nice time with me." Lance's face softened a bit as he spoke.
Danny felt herself blush a bit. A coy smile appeared on her face as she glanced down at the floor for a moment. "Okay, let's try it." She slid herself around the chair and positioned herself on the edge of the seat, one of Lance's legs on either side of her. The tight confines allowed her to feel the head radiating from his body. It had been a while since she had been that close to a man. Her heart began to race as her stomach fluttered with anxiety. Lance's strong arms came around her to adjust the controls, and she never felt more secure in her life.
The scent of Danny's hair filled Lance's nostrils. It was intoxicating. Her petite form fit perfectly in front of him. His eyes rested on the curve of her neck, and he resisted the urge to taste the smooth skin there. He wanted to wrap his arms around her and show her his feelings that were rapidly growing stronger. Lance swallowed hard and cleared his throat. He would control himself.
"Okay, um, go ahead and grip these handles and flip that red switch," Lance instructed, his voice slightly ragged. She complied, and soon the lion was accelerating higher into the stratosphere.
Danny's face was lit up in sheer splendor. Lance watched her as she piloted the lion through clouds and inner space.
"I can't believe how beautiful it is up here!" She exclaimed.
"Yeah, everything is beautiful up here…" Lance murmured, gazing at her. Danny turned to look back at him, giving him a soft smile.
"Lance has a sweet side, huh?" She grinned at him. Lance reached up a hand to her face, tracing a finger down her cheek, his expression serious. Her heart lurched. Her witty grin faded as her eyes lowered to his lips.
His expression suddenly changed. Shaking his head, he glanced back at the monitor. "Um, we better start heading back…"
Danny gave him a confused look. "Hey, don't cop out on me. What is that about?"
Lance let out a sigh. "You are one direct lady. Danny, we have to race each other tomorrow. I'm sure we both know what high competition can do to a relationship. You're the most intriguing woman I've ever met, and I know that with you, it won't just be a fling. I'm not sure if I'm ready to test that on the race track yet."
Danny had a shocked expression on her face as she absorbed his words. Lance's eyes showed a sorrowful regret. "Lance," she started. "I appreciate what you're saying. I wouldn't have agreed to this outing today if I didn't think we were both adult enough to handle a little competition. That being said, beat this." She turned her body around and pressed her lips against his. Lance's eyes went wide for a moment in surprise. Then he allowed them to close as his lips began hungrily possessing hers. His hand cupped the back of her neck, holding her close. Danny was jolted by the electric current that passed from their joined lips throughout her body. Pulse throbbing, Lance felt her body quiver. His head was spinning, threatening to lose control completely.
The lion suddenly dipped sharply. Pulling away from Danny, Lance lunged forward and grabbed at the control handles, leveling the craft. Once the lion was stable, Lance shifted his gaze back to her. Her cheeks were flushed with color, and her lips were slightly swollen. Her onyx eyes were darker than ever. Her ponytail was slightly disheveled, a few tendrils hanging loosely around her face. She's a damn siren…he thought.
"A very direct lady," Lance smirked at her. "We better land before that happens again."
"Good call," Danny replied. She turned around in the seat, facing the screen. She smoothed her hair a bit and relaxed against Lance. He took in a breath as her back rested against his chest. He gave the curve of her neck a light nuzzle, breathing in her scent. Big Red slowly descended back down to the surface, its passengers coming back down to Arus. A low, rumbling purr of content escaped from the nearly-smiling robot lion.