Chapter 16
SLOANE
The flight crew announces that it’s time to board the team jet. As I get into line, Sawyer hustles up next to me, grabs my arm so she can whisper in my ear. “You don’t have to do this. He can’t make you share a room with him.”
I pat her hand and take a step back. “It’ll be okay. Besides, we’re sharing a two-bedroom suite. It’ll be like staying in a small apartment, not sharing a hotel room.”
She lets go of my arm and scowls in Knox’s direction. “I can’t believe he’s such a giant man baby that he needs a babysitter.”
“It’s not like that,” I try to explain. My mouth closes without saying anything further. It’s not like I can tell her that the only thing he really needs me for is to warm his bed.
I mentally slap myself. We might have started out that way, but in the last few days things have started changing between us. I can’t say what it is, but I know that despite what he told me, there’s more to us than sex. How much more I can’t say, but I’m interested in finding out.
Sawyer juts out her hip and props her hand on it. I have to stifle a groan. It seems I’ve managed to snag more of her attention than I want. I like her, but if she keeps studying me I’m going to have to force some space.
“Tell me what it is like then,” she presses.
My mouth goes dry. I school my face so I don’t look like I’m trying to make something up on the spot, but my brain is blank and my hesitation is going to give me away. “I think it’s because he’s able to talk to me, and more that I am able to calm him down.” I try to sell it with a slight shrug.
She raises an eyebrow as she continues to observe me. Then she exhales. “I’m just worried about you. I’ve known Knox for a long time, and before his ex he tended to get around, a lot. You are exactly his type, and I know he’s been in a dark place. I don’t want him using you to heal himself.”
Is that what he’s doing? I can’t say that she’s wrong, exactly. I hope she is, because I know I’m getting a lot more invested than I ever imagined I would. The thing is, it seems like his ego was more wounded than his heart by what Madison did.
Instead of saying any of that, I flash her a smile. “You don’t need to worry about me. Really. I can handle Knox.”
She shakes her head. “No one can handle Knox. You follow him, survive him, or defy him, but you will never handle him.”
Or you submit to him, my brain supplies, but I don’t think she needs that bit of information. Instead I say, “I’ll keep that in mind, but you still shouldn’t worry. He’s your friend, you should trust him.”
“It’s because he’s my friend that I don’t trust him,” she says in a gentle tone that makes my hackles raise.
I’m not some weak damsel. I’ve been rescuing myself and carrying a whole family on my back since I was just sixteen. If my father’s neglect hasn’t broken me, then Knox Rennick won’t be able to do it.
When we board the plane, I’m trying to think of a way to separate myself from Sawyer.
We’re only in line, and I’ve already reached my limit with her intrusive questions.
Kendall and Delaney are going to be sitting up there, so maybe they can provide a buffer.
If they can’t, then this is going to be a very long flight.
“Sloane,” Asher stands up and calls my name.
I freeze in the middle of the aisle and wonder what he’s up to. My heart starts to thump hard in my chest. Sawyer almost trips because I stopped so suddenly.
“What does he want?” she asks.
I shrug. “I have no idea.”
Asher sees me standing still and waves me back. “Come sit back here. I’ve got some ideas about more scholarship programs I want to talk to you about.”
I look over my shoulder at Sawyer. “I should go talk to him.”
“They can wait,” she starts to say.
“Yeah, but why should he? I’ve got time.”
Her mouth turns down. “I don’t like you being alone with any of the four of them.”
I don’t bother to try and school my features this time. “My mother has been gone since I was fourteen years old, and I am certainly not looking for a replacement now. I’m a grown woman. You aren’t helping me by infantilizing me.”
Storming down the aisle, I’m burning with anger and embarrassment. I can honestly say that is the first time I’ve ever snapped at someone in my own defense before. It felt both good, and terrifying.
Asher raises his hands up in surrender when he sees the look on my face. “I really do want to talk about creating more scholarships, so don’t hurt me.”
I roll my eyes. “You’re a six foot plus hockey player that has over a hundred pounds of muscle over me. I’m sure you’ll be fine.”
“The tiny ones are always the scariest,” he grumbles under his breath.
Knox pats him on the arm. “I’ll protect you from her. I know how to make this kitty retract her claws and start to purr.”
“There will be no purring on this flight,” I say, giving Knox a pointed look, and drop into the only empty seat.
Of course it just happens to be right next to Knox. Very subtle, I think, and this time I do roll my eyes. Weston and Asher sit side by side, and Jude is in the back row by himself. I hope I didn’t displace him, but I have a feeling he prefers being alone.
Asher leans forward, excitement on his face.
The man is like a rubber ball, bouncing all over the place.
At least he’s done pretending to be afraid of me.
“Thank you for setting that up with the school this morning, Sloane. I know the original plans didn’t include the three of us, but it felt good to do something that helps people.
I want to try and do something in a lot of the cities we play in on the road. ”
He opens his laptop, connects to the Wi-Fi, and turns it around so I can see the screen. “I already sent an email to this school in Chicago. It’s a charter school, not a technical college, but it focuses on the trades. I thought we could expand the scholarship like this.”
We spend the next hour discussing and creating an official foundation.
Through it all Knox looks more relaxed than when we were sitting apart in the lounge.
I don’t know what to make of him when he acts like this.
He reaches under the table separating us from Asher and Weston, since our seats face each other on this jet, but he only laces his fingers with mine.
The four of us lapse into a comfortable silence, and through it all, Knox keeps holding my hand.
For a man who swore we would only be sex, he sure does like finding any excuse to touch me, and often innocent touches.
Maybe Sawyer has a point, this can end up fucking with my head.
Knox searches my face. “Why did you start scowling?”
“I’m just really tired. Sawyer’s creepy baby voiced sleep talking kept me awake.”
His thumb strokes over the back of my hand. “We are going to drop our stuff off at the hotel then head to the arena to get ready for the game. You have time to go take a nap then get ready for the game.”
I lean my head back. “I should be there and get some footage for social media.”
“Look at me,” he says. I tip my head back down. “You’re running on fumes. Stay, get some rest. I’ll let the front desk know to give you a wakeup call. Kendall won’t be going to the arena until it’s game time. I’ll tell Gerry you’re going to ride with her.”
“If you keep intervening with Gerry on my behalf he’s going to get suspicious,” I say.
“Fine, I’ll just tell Kendall you’re going to ride with her. If something goes wrong I have a car service that is in every major city. Just give them a call and put it on my account.” He pulls a card out of his wallet, and at first I think he’s handing me a credit card, but it’s a business card.
“There’s the number, and my reference number is written on the back.”
I take the card from him. “Thank you.”
“We’ve got some time before we land. Just lay your head on my shoulder and sleep,” he suggests.
“People will talk,” I say with a yawn.
“Fuck people, I only care about you,” he says quiet enough for only me to hear.
He cares about me, is the last thought in my head as I do as he says and fall asleep.
I’m far too comfortable. Even still, it’s hard to sleep with the shaking. My mind dismisses it as turbulence, and I snuggle back into the pillow.
Slowly my brain starts to wake up. When did I get a pillow?
My eyes blink open, and are instantly assaulted by sunlight.
The sun is hanging low in the sky, that perfect angle to hit my eyes.
When the spots clear from my vision I realize that I’m laying in the middle of a large bed, swaddled in white linens as fluffy as a cloud.
There’s a clock on the end table that says it’s five o’clock, but I have no idea if it is morning or evening.
This time of year, and the way the sun is positioned, it could be dawn or sunset.
While not knowing how long I’ve slept is disorienting, it’s nothing compared to the fact that I have no idea where I am.
I blink my eyes, and see Kendall has been rocking me, not plane turbulence.
“Damn girl, you sleep like the dead,” she says when she notices that I’m awake.
“Where am I?” I ask.
“You don’t remember getting to the hotel?” she asks.
I shake my head. “I remember falling asleep on the plane. I think I might have drooled on Knox.”
She looks around confused. “I got off before you, so I didn’t see you get off the plane. All of Knox’s stuff is in here. Why are you in his room?”
Thankfully, I’ve woken up enough to have some of my wits about me. “I’m staying in the suite with him. He must have carried me into the room, because I really don’t remember waking up. I know he had said they wouldn’t be here long, so he probably just set me down in the first bed he came to.”
“Is there something going on with you and Knox? No judgment if there is. He’s hot as sin, but you know Sawyer would shit a brick, right?” Kendall rambles.
“I’m his publicist. It’s literally my job to clean up his image, and make sure he doesn’t get in any more trouble. Plus, I stayed with Sawyer last night.”