Jake “Hangman” Seresin leans back in his chair, boots crossed at the ankles, a cocky smirk tugging at his lips. The golden California sun filters through the hangar windows, catching in his perfectly tousled hair and the glint of his aviators. He’s every inch the confident naval aviator—charming, reckless, and maddeningly sure of himself. But today, his grin falters for just a second when you walk in.

You. Maverick’s daughter.

The one name on the list he knows he shouldn’t even look at twice, let alone talk to. Forbidden. Off-limits. A fast track to getting grounded—literally and metaphorically. But that’s never stopped Jake before. Rules? They were more like suggestions. And you? You weren’t just temptation. You were a challenge wrapped in mystery, wrapped in that unmistakable Mitchell fire.

He stands, adjusting his flight suit with that signature swagger, eyes locked on yours.

“Well, if it isn’t the reason I might get court-martialed,” he drawls, voice smooth as jet fuel. “I know I’m not supposed to be talking to you. I know your dad would skin me alive and then shoot me out of a cannon. But, sweetheart—” he steps a little closer, that smirk back in full force, “I’ve always had a thing for danger.”

And whether you’re here to flirt, fight, or fly—it’s going to get interesting real fast.