He adjusted her towel to preserve her modesty, at least on her front side, while opening it in the back. Cash didn’t even try to stop himself from staring at her perfect ass. Damn, she was even more built than he’d realized when they were smooshed together. She must spend a hell of a lot of time in the gym.
Sola was impressive and intimidating, a combination his dick liked a tad too much. Especially as Aarav continued tending to her wounds, both of them having forgotten Cash’s presence. Aarav caressed her and kissed her, his tender care probably doing as much as the alcohol and ointment to soothe her.
When he’d finished and rewrapped her, Sola spun in his arms, resting her cheek on his shoulder, which was even with hers or maybe an inch lower. “I don’t like the thought of you out in the field either. But this is what makes us who we are and what makes us…like…each other.”
Cash knew an L word that would have worked better in that sentence.
“I know. It’s going to be hard to deal with and we can’t let it fuck us up when we’re in the thick of things.” Aarav did kiss her then. It was long and slow and so damn thorough that Cash knew he’d never really made out with someone the way it should be done before. “I nearly lost it today. You know that never happens. I’m sorry, but James was right. I was terrified that not only might you get hurt, but that I might have been the one to cause your pain.”
“Even if you’d pulled the trigger, it would have been me at fault. I deviated from the plan. I just couldn’t…” She glanced over at Cash then and realized he was blatantly staring at them, transfixed by the depth of emotion and angst spilling from them.
“You did the right thing,” Aarav told her, stroking her jaw. He placed another kiss on her cheek, then followed her gaze.
Which was when he noticed Cash’s raging hard-on.
Cash attempted to cover himself with the puny washcloth but it was no use. Was Aarav going to go get his rifle after all? Some guys didn’t take kindly to the attention and appreciation of other men.
Surprisingly, Aarav only shook his head. “You’re fucked up. Who gets turned on after they’ve nearly been offed and are taken hostage instead? Do you have a Stockholm Syndrome kink or what?”
Sola whipped her face toward Aarav as if she couldn’t believe he’d cracked a joke in those circumstances either. Then she burst out laughing. Was it her dazzling smile or the banking of the jet that knocked him off balance into the shower wall?
Either way, Cash was glad for the assistance in remaining standing.
“I can’t help it if my body likes what it sees.” He shrugged. Even better, he enjoyed riling up this man, who didn’t seem like he often let people get under his skin. “If I was a perv, I’d have jacked off while you made out. Wouldn’t have taken much to put me out of my misery.”
“You’re going to run out of hot water before you get very far.” Sola winced. As if on cue, the warmth began to subside, so Cash quickly finished rinsing, then shut off the spray.
Right then a cold shower might have come in handy, but he’d already frozen his balls off enough for one day. Besides, he was suddenly exhausted. Now that he was fairly sure these people had some sort of moral code, and that they weren’t about to slit his throat in his sleep when they could have so easily offed him already, he found himself crashing.
“You okay?” Sola asked as she handed him a towel and pointed to a fresh robe hanging on the wall.
“Yeah. I will be. Pretty sure. I was dreading today, having to go to that bullshit ceremony, but I honestly never expected it to turn out like this.” Cash turned his back as he dried off, so they wouldn’t see his cock was still plenty ready for action. And when he cinched the belt on the robe, he overlapped the panels as far as possible, not that the bulge beneath the fluffy fabric was easy to miss.
“I’m sure the flight crew has meals prepared.” Aarav took Sola’s gun from his waistband and handed it back to her, reminding Cash that as hot and interesting as they were, they were not people to mess around with. “I’ll go get something for us to eat. And then you should try to sleep. Once we land it’s going to be…hectic until we get this sorted out.”
“Jordan promised he’s not going to the basement.” Sola stiffened as if she’d fight him over it. Cash knew then, for sure, he was safe with her.
“Even still, there are going to be a lot of questions and a lot to figure out. If you’re right, and I’m starting to think you are…” Aarav’s eyes blazed. “Then Jordan’s going to have a lot of explaining to do. I’m not a weapon to be used without care.”
Ouch. Cash wondered what it would be like if Aarav ever truly unleashed himself. He didn’t want to be on the receiving end of the man’s ire.
Aarav used the food as an excuse to step away, but Cash figured he was not unaffected by whatever was going on between him and Sola, his disappointment in their boss, and whatever the fuck vibe the three of them had going too.
It was complicated, and draining. Although it was barely evening, Cash yawned.
Sola gestured to the bed. “You might as well get comfy. Sorry, but after you eat, I’m going to tie you up again. We don’t take chances around here.”
“Could have fooled me earlier.” Cash wasn’t sure he’d ever get the image of her dangling between his legs over hundreds of feet of open air out of his mind. Knowing she’d risked it to save him meant something. He wasn’t sure there was anyone in his life who would have done the same besides his mother, and she’d been gone for decades now.
He climbed onto the bed and sat with his back against it.
“Yeah, well, that wasn’t typical.” Sola surprised him by joining him, stretching her legs beside his. As she rested her shoulders gingerly on the padded headboard, one of her arms touched his. He realized he’d taken up a spot in the middle, leaving room for Aarav on the other side. “And I’m probably going to pay for that for a long time to come. We have to trust each other, completely, on the job or it simply won’t work.”
“That’s true of all relationships, isn’t it?” He looked down at her where she toyed with the edge of a matching robe she must have shrugged into when he had his back turned.
“I suppose. Haven’t been in many. Okay, none. I mean, unless you count hookups.” She winced as she looked up at him then. “Sorry you heard all that between Aarav and me. It’s new. We’re working on it.”
“I got that.” Cash wished he could hold her hand. She seemed like she could have used a lifeline herself right then. “I’m sure it will work out. I could see right away you have a connection.”