Hotshots (Wildfires Book 1) Read Online Free PDF Page B

he didn’t skirt part of the issue.
    “My concern is not with your flying ability, I have no doubt you can land that chopper on a tree top if that’s where you need to set it. My concern is how you do the job, not the stunt, not the fancy flying, not the heroic shit. Can you take orders and follow them, can you put your ego aside and actually work at being part of a team.” He stood, picking up his empty plate and mug to take to the sink, and finished his answer to her question.
    “To my way of thinking, the only way we will know for certain is by doing the job, it’s not personal, like I said before,” he let his eyes roam her now standing figure, then looked up again to catch her eyes with his. “I like you just fine and if we were anywhere but the job, I’d be more than happy to show you just how much I could like you.”
    What the hell? She watched as he rinsed his plate and cup before putting them in the dishwasher, and leaving the room. She shook her head and stomped back to the stove to finish cooking breakfast. The man had nerve, she’d give him credit for that. He was attracted to her physically, but he didn’t trust her to do her job for some strange reason, and that made her determined to prove to him that she could “do the job” as he put it. The arrogant ass . Knowing her panties needed to be changed before she left this morning pissed her off at her body’s response to that smoldering look and sexy smile.
    Keely did a fancy fist pump when she walked into the room and saw that Jez had breakfast under control. The gesture made the replacement cook laugh. “Don’t get to feeling too froggy, woman, I was up and I was hungry, you still have the rest of the week to get through. You’d better hope they are satisfied with just pancakes and coffee, because that is what’s cooked and ready.”
    Keely grinned, “Are you kidding me? The last crew I was with ate cereal for breakfast when it was my turn to cook. One guy even made this whacked out version of lumpy oatmeal with raisins and nuts in it. Pancakes are the bomb, and if they don’t like it, they can go without as far as I’m concerned.”
    Ten minutes later, the room was filling up with grunted “good mornings” and praises for her cooking efforts. She sat with Trystan and Grayson, and they kept her laughing throughout the meal. When she asked what happened to the woman with the broken fingernails, the entire side of the table burst into laughter.
    Trystan wiped his fingers on the paper napkin and admired his nails, holding his hand up for his companions to admire. “I think I need a sick day to get my nails done, yesterday was hell on my manicure.”
    There was more laughter from his clowning, and Jez happened to look up right into the eyes of the man that all but told her he didn’t trust her. She couldn’t help herself, “Uh oh, boys, he’s giving us that look again, I guess it’s time to roll.”

     
    He knew Trys would have a thing or two to say to him later, and Grayson was giving him dark looks, but he ignored them and turned to look for Jeb or Corbin. He needed to do something physical to work the mad out of his system. He’d felt like a real bastard this morning after he talked to Jez, but she asked him, and he wasn’t the kind of man to mollycoddle anyone. Even an attractive blonde who brought the sunshine to mind whenever she smiled.
    Jeb was standing by the conference room door when Nix finally saw him. He made his way to his mentor. “Good morning,” he grinned at the older man. “Did you get the privilege of taking Barbie to town last night or did Corbin get the honor?”
    Jeb was in a good mood and let the dig about Barbie go by for now. “Corbin got that chore, he had to get something from the lumber company this morning, so he stayed the night in town. I have today under control. Did you notice it started sprinkling a few minutes ago?” Now it was his turn to grin, and he enjoyed telling the team’s leader,