Page 59 of Fought and Freed

Ryder reached across the aisle and touched her arm. “You all right, Silk?”

She swallowed the lump in her throat. “I think so.”

The seat belt sign turned off, and the sound of people unclipping their belts filled the cabin.

Torr talked her ear off about everything for the next hour, and Maddy discovered that when Torr got nervous, she talked a lot.

Ryder stood from his seat and leaned down to whisper in her ear. “Meet me in the bathroom in two minutes.”

She nodded, and he left.

What the Hell was he up to?

She waited two minutes, then excused herself to Torr and went in search of the bathroom.

When she found it, the door opened, and an arm reached out to grab her.

Ryder pulled her against him and kissed her. “Want to become part of the Mile High Club?”

She’d read enough books to know what that meant and looked around the bathroom. One person could barely move around there, let alone two. “How?”

He sat on the toilet seat and pulled her down onto his lap. “Oh, there are ways. Trust me. The question is, do you think you can be quiet?”

That ended up being the most challenging thing for her, and by the time they were straightening their clothes, Maddy was sure someone had heard them.

“You leave first, and I’ll follow,” he told her.

Pulse still racing, she stepped out into the cabin, and Ryder quickly reengaged the lock on the door.

Maddy took her time walking back toward her seat, and it wasn’t too much longer before Ryder’s hand slipped into hers.

They laughed their way back to their seats, where she found Torr leaning against the window, asleep. It looked like all her excitement had caught up to her.

“I love you, Silk,” Ryder leaned in to whisper. “I’d do anything for you.”

“I love you, too, Player.” Maddy took her seat, turned her head to look at Ryder and Jace, and fell asleep.

* * *

“Ladies and gentlemen, the seat belt sign is back on.” The loud voice over the speaker woke Maddy. “We will be landing shortly at Hollywood Burbank Airport. The temperature is sixty-eight degrees. We hope you enjoyed your flight with Delta.”

Maddy stretched her back. She couldn’t believe she had fallen asleep.

Torr was awake and looking out her window. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky, and Maddy could make out the land and the ocean.

It looked beautiful.

As the plane descended, her ears started hurting. She pressed her finger against her ear, hoping to alleviate some pressure.

“My ears are popping, too.” Torr opened and closed her mouth.

Maddy mimicked her, but it did nothing for the pressure. By the time they landed, Maddy could barely hear, and her head was throbbing.

Cody handed her a napkin. “Blow your nose. That should help.”

She tried, but it didn’t work.

When they got off the plane, Maddy felt disoriented and in pain, so she, Cody, and Ryder headed straight for the rental car counter while Skylar, Jace, and Torr went to collect their luggage. They’d meet back up at the shuttle station.

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