~Synopsis~
She's the one who got away. But I live for the chase…
I'm a thrill seeker. I fly the fastest jets in the world, and ride my motorcycle when I'm on the ground. The only thing that matters to me is speed. Why would I ever think about settling down?
Jenny Reeds, that's why. One look in those hazel eyes and I found a thrill no dogfight could match. For one wild, unforgettable night, she was mine. I wanted to keep her close but she disappeared without even telling me her last name.
I did my tour and flew combat missions in desert skies. But I never forgot her.
Now they have me pushing papers and training new pilots. I thought I'd be bored to tears. Guess who I run into my first night back?
It's her, my wild-eyed, fiery-haired beauty. Turns out she's the General's daughter. But that won't stop me. I'm persistent and it doesn't take too long before she's back in my arms.
Only one problem. She's kept one hell of a secret from me. She had a baby while I was overseas. My baby.
Now I want them both under my roof. Permanently. I've never failed a mission yet and I don't intend to start now.
Cockpit is a standalone novel with a guaranteed HEA and no cheating. This edition includes bonus materials and will end before 100%!
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Cover Designer: Mayhem Cover Creations
Photography: James Critchley
Cover Model: Andrew England
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~Book Review~
4.5 Stars
Derek Jagger has a reputation as “Sergeant Panty Dropper.” Jenny Reeds is looking to sow her oats during an impulsive wild streak. And their one night together before he ships out leaves Jenny in a completely new role.
Despite his old playboy ways, Jagger is all in once he meets Jenny. He can’t get her out of his mind during his time deployed, and he’d like very much to find her. If only he knew her last name. And then of all of the bars in the world, he walks into hers. And their second chance comes full swing.
“He was kind and gentle and sweet and passionate…and filthy. Very, very filthy.”
Jagger and Jenny have quite the chemistry and their encounters are pretty sizzling. There’s no shortage of heat in this story.
“He grunted like an animal as his tempo increased. I was still coming, still feeling the electricity that passed between us when we came together.”
It’s definitely a sexy story, largely light-hearted though there’s a bit of angst/drama around the middle. Jenny didn’t always make the best choices, and Jagger didn’t always react the best, but it was also clear they had good reasons for their mistakes and being told via their dual first person point of view helped with understanding their dilemma and actions. Overall though, I liked Jenny, especially so when she had no patience for old fashioned ideas.
“My father was an idiot. My fiancé was an idiot. Basically I was surrounded by idiots. Sweet, handsome idiots.”
I adored Jagger for the fact that he was so enamored of Jenny and the ways he went about winning her heart. It was clear that they had something he hadn’t had before and that she was special to him. While the virgin/manwhore and secret baby troupes are not typically my go-to reads, the story really pulled me in right from the start and characters made it work. I was engrossed and reading into the wee hours of the night. The fact that both of them were celibate during their time apart, and there was very minimal OM/OW drama really helped seal the deal on the romance, keeping the story sweet and focused on the issues solely between them. And Jenny’s father and fiends made humorous additions to the story.
~Excerpt~
I sat back and waited for her shift to end, enjoying the memory of the way her luscious body had melted against me. It was getting close to time when she asked me if I wanted anything else. I took my time, staring up and down her body.
"Oh yeah honey, I can think of a lot of things."
"I'm not a piece of meat, Jagger!"
"No, you're definitely not a piece of meat. But you do look tender."
She threw my check at me and turned tail to see to her other tables. I made my last beer count, sipping it slow as molasses until I was the last guy in the place. She started mopping up. She 'accidentally' mopped over my boots.
I smiled and stood up, throwing a fifty dollar tip on the table. Her eyes widened. She stared at me as I walked out of the bar.
'Course I was waiting out front for her when she came out fifteen minutes later.
She stared at me. I stared at her. Then she walked up to me and tossed that fifty dollar bill in my face.
"I'm not for sale, you sonofabitch!"
I looked right at her. She was angry. But she had mistaken my meaning.
"I didn't say you were."
"Then what are you doing tipping like that?"
"I took up a seat in your section all night. Seemed fair."
She stared at me belligerently.
"Well, I'm not taking it."
"How about a twenty?"
"What are you, a cash machine?"
She huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. Her glorious, perfect, mind bending chest. I pulled out a ten and a five.
"Fifteen?"
She yanked the money out of my hand so fast I got rug burn. Then she stomped off. The woman had a pair of legs on her. And she made good use of them.
I was whistling as I followed her home.
"Oh yeah honey, I can think of a lot of things."
"I'm not a piece of meat, Jagger!"
"No, you're definitely not a piece of meat. But you do look tender."
She threw my check at me and turned tail to see to her other tables. I made my last beer count, sipping it slow as molasses until I was the last guy in the place. She started mopping up. She 'accidentally' mopped over my boots.
I smiled and stood up, throwing a fifty dollar tip on the table. Her eyes widened. She stared at me as I walked out of the bar.
'Course I was waiting out front for her when she came out fifteen minutes later.
She stared at me. I stared at her. Then she walked up to me and tossed that fifty dollar bill in my face.
"I'm not for sale, you sonofabitch!"
I looked right at her. She was angry. But she had mistaken my meaning.
"I didn't say you were."
"Then what are you doing tipping like that?"
"I took up a seat in your section all night. Seemed fair."
She stared at me belligerently.
"Well, I'm not taking it."
"How about a twenty?"
"What are you, a cash machine?"
She huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. Her glorious, perfect, mind bending chest. I pulled out a ten and a five.
"Fifteen?"
She yanked the money out of my hand so fast I got rug burn. Then she stomped off. The woman had a pair of legs on her. And she made good use of them.
I was whistling as I followed her home.
Joanna Blake loves good old fashioned romance, men who open doors and work with their hands. Hot Blooded Heroes is a series of sizzling stories about True Blue American men and the women who love them. She's thrilled to be collaborating with Pincushion Press on her new series! Come along for the ride!
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