My blood heats, more so when I hear Brad snickering. “I’ll kill you, Brad,” I warn.
“Oh fuck off.” He chuckles. “You wanted a woman. Now deal with it.”
“I’ll kill you, Brad,” Beau warns, and the fucker gets his amusement under control in an instant, as if purposely riling me more.For fuck’s sake.
“Get me some bolt croppers.” I turn to our audience but am forced to face Beau again when she grabs me by the balls, literally, with her uncuffed hand. “Fuck, Beau,” I squeak, my body folding, my stomachache instant.
Her face close to mine, she loosens her grip slightly and kisses me softly. I swallow, unable to resist falling into the slow motions of her mouth’s movements on mine.
“You’re still not coming,” I mumble, feeling her sigh into my mouth. “This isn’t up for negoci—”
“I promise to do as I’m told.”
I laugh under my breath. “Why do you lie?”
“I need you close, James.” She releases my balls and lays her hand across my heart. “Please don’t leave me behind.”
She’s strong but needs my strength. Determined but needs my encouragement. She needs me.
Well...fuck.
I swallow, my mind scrambling, as I regard her. I see sadness now. Full force. Her period is due today. Will it come? I don’t know. I also don’t know if I want it to, but I do know that I need to be around if it doesn’t. And, more importantly, if it does.
Jesus.
I nod, kiss her, and turn to take my seat, offering my hand across the aisle. She places hers in mine.
I don’t release it for the entire flight.
.
* * *
There are three shiny black Mercedes waiting on the runway when we land, each of them intended for different destinations—Beau and Fury back to the house, me to the club with Brad, and the others to the boatyard to check in on the bunker and Liam and Jerry.
I guide Beau down the steps to the tarmac by her elbow and toward the first car. “I’ll be back later,” I say, opening the door and helping her into the back as Fury puts himself behind the wheel, needing to adjust the seat considerably to fit.
“Where are you going?” she asks, not worried or disgruntled, it’s just a simple, curious question.
“Checking in on Nolan at Hiatus,” I say, taking her seatbelt and pulling it across her body, leaning into the car to clip it into place. My nose is bombarded by the intoxicating scent of Beau in bed in the morning. One of my favorite smells. Because I’m still all over her skin. Unable to stop myself, I bury my face in her neck and take a long, deep hit to last me until later, then bite down on her flesh.
“I can’t come with you?” she asks, pushing into me, grabbing at my shoulders.
“Not now,” I say, quickly going on to appease her. “I don’t know what we’re coming back to.”
“And when you do?”
I pull out and stroke across her fair eyebrow. “Can I take a raincheck on answering that?”
She exhales, her body softening. She’s not unreasonable. Not all of the time, and I know she knows I won’t think twice about carrying her back onto that jet, handcuffing her back to the chair, and sending her back to St. Lucia. “You can.”
I nod and drop a chaste kiss on her lips. “See you later.” I raise and take the door to close it, but her hand shoots out to stop me.
“Can I at least go visit my mom?”
Her question catches me off guard.Fuck. “You don’t want to go back to the house to shower and change?”
“Why, do I smell?” She shoves her nose into her armpit and sniffs.