31. Chapter 31 #3
Eventually, though, Lachlan lifted his head and withdrew.
I hated the loss of him immediately and wanted him to stay deep within me forever. Connected. Not even air between us.
The thought was dangerously close to something bigger than sex, and I was nowhere near ready to examine it while naked in Nikolai Volkov’s airplane.
Then another realization hit me.
How loudly had I shouted Lachlan’s name?
Oh God.
What if everyone outside had heard me?
Before I could properly panic, Lachlan eased me down onto the mattress, pulled back the covers, climbed beneath them, and tugged me onto his chest.
I was beginning to suspect this was where he liked me best after sex.
His arm wrapped snugly around my waist while the fingers of his other hand caught a lock of my hair and idly wound it around them.
He kissed the top of my head.
“Christ, Mouse.”
Something in his voice made me lift my head.
He was smiling.
“You were fucking beautiful for me.”
Heat crept over my face.
His fingers slid slowly along my back.
“I wasn’t sure how you’d take the breath play or me pushing you a little further, but fuck, Mouse, you trusted me enough to let go completely.”
His eyes dropped briefly to my mouth.
“And those noises.”
A low laugh rumbled through his chest beneath me.
“Every moan. Every little whine. Hearing you fall apart like that went straight through me.”
My cheeks grew hotter.
Lachlan caught my chin.
“Don’t get shy on me now.”
“I’m not.”
“Liar.”
I tried to hide my face against his chest.
He laughed again and held me tighter.
“I could spend hours finding out how many different sounds I can get out of you.”
“Do you think the others heard us?” I asked.
Lachlan’s brows rose.
“Maybe.”
“Maybe?”
“It’s a quiet plane, sweetheart. I’m not going to lie to you just to save your dignity.”
I groaned and covered my face with one hand.
He tugged it away.
“But the bedroom door gives us some privacy, and even if someone heard you, nobody out there gives a damn.”
“That does not make me feel better.”
“It should.”
“Why?”
A wicked smile appeared.
“Because you’re about to discover it takes a hell of a lot more than sex to shock anyone out there.”
I narrowed my eyes.
“Meaning?”
“Lacey isn’t exactly shy in front of an audience. She and Nik have given people at Xyst quite a show before.”
My mouth fell open.
“Seriously?”
“Very.”
He stroked a hand through my hair.
“And Scarlett once realized Lucian was watching her perform at a sex club and decided to make damn sure he had something worth watching.”
“Your brother?”
“Aye.”
Lachlan chuckled.
“That story is definitely hers to tell.”
I was suddenly very interested in meeting these women.
“You’ll see both of them when we land at Teterboro.”
I frowned.
“Where’s Teterboro? I thought we were going to New York.”
“We are. Teterboro’s in Jersey, just outside the city. Nik keeps his planes there.”
“Oh.”
He continued lazily playing with my hair.
“Lucian and Scarlett live in a penthouse down on Eleventh, near the Meatpacking District. I’m next door. Nik and Lacey are uptown on Central Park South.”
New York had always existed in my mind as an enormous collection of names, streets, buildings, and photographs.
Soon I would actually be inside it.
The thought brought a trace of the earlier nervousness back.
“I hope Lacey and Scarlett like me.”
“Why wouldn’t they?”
“I don’t know.” I picked absently at the edge of the sheet. “I’ve never really had women my own age to spend time with. I don’t know anything about their lives or New York or…” I sighed. “What if they think I’m strange?”
His arm tightened around me.
“Mouse, Scarlett tried to kill my brother before she married him.”
“What?”
His mouth twitched.
“More than once.”
A laugh burst out of me.
“You’re making that up.”
“Not a word.”
“And he still married her?”
“He worships the ground she walks on.”
I shook my head, still smiling.
“As for Lacey, there’s more mischief packed into that tiny woman than should be physically possible. Trust me, you’re not going to be the strange one.”
That made me laugh harder.
“They’ll love you. More importantly, neither of them will judge you for not knowing things yet. They’ve both had their lives turned upside down by the underworld in their own ways.”
Some of the tightness in my chest eased.
“I hope you’re right.”
“I am.”
His certainty was ridiculous—and comforting.
“Thank you, Lachlan.”
“For what?”
I snuggled closer and gave him a gentle squeeze.
“Distracting me.”
His hand moved slowly over my back.
“Anytime.”
“I really needed it.”
“I noticed.”
I gave a small tug to the hair on his chest.
He caught my hand and kissed my fingers.
“Now sleep. We’ve still got hours before Teterboro, and you’re exhausted.”
I settled my cheek over his heart.
“That actually sounds wonderful.”
His fingertips began drawing lazy patterns across my back. I tried to follow their path—a circle, then another slow sweep—but by the third, I had stopped trying.
The last thing I remembered was the steady beat of Lachlan’s heart beneath my cheek and his hand moving gently over my skin.