Valeria — Kaitlin R. Branch

An inventor and a pilot find love in the clouds, if they can avoid evil, in this steampunk romance short story from the author of the Cinereal series

Sometimes, ya just gotta let your hair down.

Mache Harcming is an airfoil pilot having a bad day. Forced to make an emergency landing on an unmarked dirigible, he discovers a genius inventor, Valeria. She is beautiful, fascinating, and unlike any woman he has ever known before. She is also dangerous. Mache is certain if the CEO of her company, Elthgo Inc., discovers his presence aboard her aircraft, he will die.

But Valeria begs him to stay. And stay he does, hiding in the vents of the airship whenever the CEO visits. How can he refuse such a beautiful woman? More importantly, how long will the ruse last before he's found out?

WARNING: Brief torture scene.