This time the smile lives a little longer. It doesn’t light her up, it doesn’t touch her eyes, but it isn’t fake either. Her eyes meet mine as I lift my arm up, offering her a spot to bury herself into my chest. A battle wars within eyes that are less crystal clear and more stormy, but it doesn’t take her long before she’s putting the arm rest up between us and curling into me.
I exhale a deep breath. Tension I didn’t realize my body was holding releases, and I sink into my seat. I didn’t need to force her into my embrace. She came willingly, even if there’s an internal fight going on inside her. Jordan knows that my shoulder is always there for her. No matter what.
We spend most of the flight like that. I’m pretty sure we both nod off a few times, but she keeps waking herself up with a jerk and soft little gasp, like she can’t believe she’s fallen asleep, which wakes me. Each time I kiss the top of her head and murmur for herto relax, and every time she does, only to repeat the cycle.
By the time we land in San José, I think I’m groggier and more exhausted than I was before the flight. It doesn’t bode well for the hour-long drive home, plus the time it’s going to take me to drop everyone off, or the fact that I want to talk to Jordan. Which might have to wait until later if the sleepiness she’s wearing in her eyes is any indication. The conversation I want to have with her requires a clear mind.
Paul gives us both a dirty look as he collects his bags from the bin overhead, but he doesn’t say a word to either of us. He just waits his turn to head down the aisle, followed by his dude-bros who look hungover as shit.
I suppose that’s what Vegas excels in. Good hangovers and empty bank accounts.
It doesn’t take long for the plane to empty, and surprisingly enough, the baggage for all six of us comes out quickly, and mostly together. Which means we’re just a short bus ride away from long term parking, and one step closer to my ass finding my bed. I would love nothing more than for the last leg of this trip to go as smoothly as possible with zero issues, and no traffic to contend with.
Luke, Brody, and I help the ladies with their luggage, and then the six of us head towards the back. Jordan’s about to snag a seat beside Quinn, but I touch her hip and bring my lips to her ear.
“Sit with me.”
She half turns to see me behind her, her teeth catching on her bottom lip as she debates. Like the battle she waged on the plane, it doesn’t take her long to ultimately decide on me. Another indication that putting myself out there for her is a risk I need to be taking.
Dropping into the outside seat after she’s slid onto a bench, I lift my arm so she can cozy in beside me. No one from our groupsays a word, but I can feel everyone’s eyes on us. We don’t need to play the game. We don’t need to pretend. Yet here we are, cozying up together.
Then again, Quinn knows for sure. Luke and Hailey have a pretty damn good idea. And Brody, well…
I glance over my shoulder to find the big man staring at us, his jaw working back and forth. The look of disapproval he wears could win an Oscar for the best disappointed look of the year, if that was a category. Holding back my sigh so I don’t tip Jordan off, I face forward again, frowning.
Explaining things to Brody might be a good starting point to gauge how Nate will react. The three of us have been together for a long time. We know the ins and outs of each other, and if one of those two is disappointed in something, you can almost bet the other one will react the same way. I’ve always chalked it up to them being more rigid and structured in life than me. More serious, less casual. Nate was always about the job, and until Heather passed away, Brody was always about family life.
So I’m thinking if I can get Brody on board, it’ll be a great warm up to talking to Nate.
Jordan gasps, her body going rigid beside me. “Oh no.”
Alarm bells in my head ring, and I follow her gaze to see what set her off.
Fuck.
Paul and his dude-bros are headed for our bus, and the driver isn’t on board yet to drive us away. I figured once we were off the plane we’d be rid of him, but it makes sense that he and his friends drove up to San José as well.
“Hey.” Using a finger to turn her chin towards me, I offer Jordan a smile. “Don’t worry about them. He’s not going to do shit to you with me around.”
“It’s not me I’m worried about.”
My eyes narrow at her implication. Why is she worried about me? And what exactly is she worried about? Me handling business? Giving the douchebag a piece of my mind? We’re not on a plane anymore, and if he says one thing to any of us, he’s going to find out why that was a bad idea. I was nice the first couple of times we’ve run into him, but I’m tired as fuck, getting hungry, and I no longer have the patience to handle him with the kid gloves he requires.
Oh. This is probably why she’s concerned.
My thumb joins my finger at her chin, gripping it loosely as I close the distance between us until I’m a fraction of an inch from her. “It’s so nice to know you worry about me, Fireball. I promise to play nice as long as he does.”
Brushing my lips faintly across hers, her chest falls with the breath she lets out. It’s not the relaxed state I’d hoped for, but she’s supple, returning the kiss. My lips grow firmer against hers, taking all that she’ll give.
“Oh for fuck’s sake, get a damn room. Not everyone wants to see or hear this shit.”
My chest rumbles with a growl I know Jordan feels. She stiffens as I part from her, raising my head an inch, though I don’t give Paul the satisfaction of looking in his direction. My eyes are locked on Jordan’s, trying to convey that I’ve got it handled.
“Don’t look then, douchebag. Pretty easy solution if you ask me.”
“Doesn’t solve the hearing part, asshole. It’s fucking disgusting.”
Lifting my head in his direction, my lip curls into a sneer. “That what you tell all the women you fuck?”
