Page 10 of Heart of Frost and Scars

I glance up and find Leo stepping out of the plane.

“Taking a leak.” He’s already unzipping.

“Outside?” Tanya gasps. “There’s a lavatory on board.” She points to the rear.

“Fine.” He ambles toward us, pausing to caress Frankie’s cheek. “Want to hold my cock while I pee?”

I catch Tanya’s wide-eyed stare. “We found him in the wild. He’s not potty trained.”

“Fuck off.” He continues toward the back. “What the—? How am I supposed to fit in here? How does it even work?”

“Figure it out.” Frankie laughs.

He proceeds to piss with the door open, bumping around and cursing over the sound of his stream.

“Wipe off the seat,” she yells.

“What seat?”

“Oh, God.” She covers her face.

At least he washes his hands before returning to us. “The bathroom is a no-go, but that divan is the perfect place to fuck like animals.” He glances at the cockpit. “We have a few minutes before—”

“You’re a barbarian.” She smacks his abs, grinning. “Get out of here.”

“Love you.” He winks his one gold eye and stalks back to the cockpit.

I can’t fault him for being an ass. Everything he did was an attempt to calm her down. Most of it, anyway. I’m certain he meant to piss on the tarmac.

“Feeling better?” I brush a strand of hair from her face, my movements tender.

“Yeah.”

Our eyes lock, and the world outside the plane, with all its threats and uncertainties, falls away. It’s just the two of us, connected and safe in the knowledge that our bond is the constant we can rely on.

I test the connection points where her seat belt bolts to the frame with a focus born of a crash that still haunts us both. Then I check the latch once, twice, three times, each click a reassurance that I silently whisper to both of us.

As Tanya closes the air stair door, my gaze stays on Frankie, searching for any trace of fear, ready to soothe it away.

“Brave, beautiful thing.” I inch closer, my lips finding hers.

I pour all my love and devotion into the kiss, all my promises of protection. She’s going to make it. We all are.

When our mouths part, the heat lingers, suspended in the electricity that travels between us.

Until I look up.

Monty stands just inside the doorway to the cockpit, his features twisted into a barely contained rage. His blue eyes sharpen into lethal blades, his body tense as if ready to spring into a fight. The dark bruises that Leo gave him only add to his manic appearance.

But he catches himself, his jaw clenching as he battles his fury. Then, with visible effort, he reins it in, his face smoothing into the cultured facade he wears so well as he turns and closes the door.

My heart thuds against my ribs, the encounter lifting the hairs on my nape.

“What’s wrong?” She twists, glancing at the door to the cockpit. “What happened?”

Nothing.

The lie sits on my tongue. I’m trying to comfort her, not add more stress.

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