Chapter 8
I followed Colt up the stairs to the plane, Ronan trailing behind us and carrying Briar, who was hissing up a storm. My gaze jumped all over the place as I stepped inside the cabin. The interior was all dark wood and white leather. It could’ve been a club’s lounge and not a plane.
“Welcome back, Mr. Carrington,” a feminine voice purred.
My head jerked in the direction of the sound. A woman in a tight uniform and made up to perfection sent Colt a sultry smile. I had the instant urge to deck her.
I swallowed back the instinct. What the hell was wrong with me lately?
“Thank you, Heather.” Colt’s voice was cold politeness, and the woman’s smile faltered a fraction. He moved further into the plane as she stepped aside, leading us toward two loveseats that faced each other.
As Heather took me in, her face scrunched. “Miss.” There was no politeness in her tone, but as she locked eyes on Ronan, her expression brightened. “Mr. O’Connor. Welcome.”
Her gaze roamed over his body in an intimate way that had that same feral urge to warn her off flaring inside me. My fingers curled into my palms, my nails pressing into the skin there.
Ronan simply grunted and kept moving.
“Do you want a window seat or aisle?” Colt asked, bringing my focus back to him.
“Either’s fine. Whatever you don’t want.”
“LeeLee…” he warned, pinning me with his stare.
I fought the urge to squirm. “Window.” The single word was quiet, but it made a smile stretch across Colt’s face as he gestured me in. I settled there and took in the darkening sky outside. I’d be able to lose myself in the stars like this.
Ronan moved to the opposite bench, settling Briar’s carrier in the seat and securing it with the seat belt. Something about the gesture tugged at my heart. That this gruff guy would go the extra step to make sure my beloved cat was safe. Briar rewarded him with a loud hiss.
Ronan’s brows rose. “Not exactly the cuddly type, I take it.”
I winced. “I guess not.”
Colt lowered himself into the seat next to me. “She’s LeeLee’s defender.”
A hint of a grin pulled at Ronan’s mouth as he sat across from us. It was the first hint of warmth I’d seen from him, and it froze me to the spot. Something about the action made that gold in his eyes shine brighter, hypnotizing me.
“I guess tiny claws are better than none,” he muttered.
That had me looking down at Colt’s arm to where Briar had scratched him. I blinked a few times, looking to his other arm when I didn’t see any marks on the one closer to me. But there were none on that one either. The only evidence of the scrapes was a faint smudge of blood.
“Your arm, the scratches are gone.”
Colt stiffened next to me. “Told you they weren’t bad.”
“But you were bleeding. Now they’re just…gone.”
Colt lowered his arm so that it was out of my sight. “I can bleed a lot from just a little nick.”
I opened my mouth to ask something else, but Heather stepped forward. “Can I get you anything once we’re in the air?”
She only had eyes for Ronan and Colt, and I fought the urge to growl at her.
Colt turned to me. “Do you want something to drink or eat?”
The idea of putting any food in my stomach had nausea rolling through me. “Do you have any ginger ale?”
Heather’s lips pressed together in a hard line, but she nodded. “Of course.” Her eyes quickly traveled back to Colt. “What about you, Mr. Carrington? Anything at all that I could get you?”
Ronan coughed, but it sounded more like a strangled laugh.
Colt glared at his friend. “A bottle of water would be good.”
“Of course. Still or sparkling?”
“Still, please.”
“And you, Mr. O’Connor?”
Ronan’s eyes danced with humor. “I think I’m good.”
Heather hurried off to the front of the cabin as the plane began to move.
Ronan let his laughter free then.
“Shut up,” Colt hissed.
“Pretty sure she would lie out on that table there and let you fuck her while we watched.”
My cheeks heated at Ronan’s words.
“Ronan,” Colt growled.
“Sorry, it’s just hilarious. She gets worse and worse.”
“It’s not like I’m the only one. Don’t think I missed her propositioning you for a quickie in the back bedroom on the way out here,” Colt muttered.
My stomach roiled as my gaze shot to Ronan. His eyes locked with mine, something unreadable in them. “You know I’m not interested. Not sure she’s gotten that through her head, though.”
Colt sighed. “I’m going to have to let her go.”
He sounded like he felt guilty, but I couldn’t help but feel a sense of relief about it. I hated thinking about her making a move on either of the guys sitting with me.
“Please fasten your seat belts for takeoff,” a different female voice said over the intercom.
I fumbled for my seat belt, my hands shaking as I struggled to get the clasp done. Colt reached over, deftly securing it for me.
“Thanks,” I mumbled.
The plane picked up speed, and soon we were hurtling into the air. The higher we climbed, the darker the sky grew. In a matter of minutes, we were swimming in a sea of stars.
“Your drinks,” Heather snapped.
Her voice jerked me out of my daze, and heat hit my cheeks as I realized Colt and Ronan were both staring at me intently. As if I needed any more evidence that I didn’t belong in their world.
“Thank you,” I said, as Heather shoved my ginger ale at me.
Colt frowned at her as he took the much more gently offered water.
I took a sip of the soda and then set it in the cupholder in my arm rest. Toying with the end of the seat belt, I glanced at Colt. “Where are we going?”
Ronan chuckled. “Shit. You don’t even know where you’re going to live, do you?”
I shrugged. “It didn’t really matter as long as it was away from where I was.”
The humor slid from Ronan’s face, and Colt gripped the bottle of water tighter.
Crap. I was putting my foot in my mouth every two seconds around these two. I cleared my throat. “I just meant, I’m glad to have a fresh start.” I cast a look at Colt. “I know you lived most of the year on the East Coast. Was it Maine?”
Colt shoved the bottle into his cupholder. “Rhode Island.” He seemed to force the tension from his face. “Our place is right on the beach. You’ll love it.”
I glanced at Ronan. “You live there, too?”
He nodded. “We all do.”
My heart thudded a little harder. “All?”
The corner of Ronan’s mouth kicked up. “The four of us. Me, Colt, Dash, and Trace.”
“They’re your other friends?” I asked, anxiety pooling in my stomach.
“More like brothers,” Colt said.
My fingers dug into the seat. So much for a quiet life with Colt and his dad. I was going to be surrounded by four guys I knew almost nothing about when the only being I was used to talking to was my cat.