Page 118 of Knot Like Other Girls

Savva's elegant fingers flip open the slim Sudoku book. "Let's start with an easy one, shall we?" he asks, his aristocratic accent turning the words into silk. "Just to warm up. Have you ever played Sudoku?"

I shake my head, grateful for the distraction as the engines begin to rumble beneath us. My fingers tighten on the armrests, but I force myself to focus on the grid of numbers Savva points out.

"Now, the trick is to start with the most obvious placements," he explains, his voice low and soothing. "See here? We know this must be a seven because..."

I let his words wash over me, latching onto the logic of the puzzle as a lifeline. By the time we're taxiing down the runway, I've filled in half the grid and barely noticed the movement.

The takeoff still makes my stomach lurch, but Savva keeps me engaged, asking questions about my strategy and offering gentle hints when I get stuck.

"Well done," he murmurs as I pencil in the final number.

"Thanks," I say, surprised to find I'm actually smiling.

I'm still clutching the Sudoku book as the plane levels out, my fingers gradually unclenching from their death grip on thearmrest. I exhale slowly, not realizing I'd been holding my breath through most of the ascent.

The worst part is over—for now.

I still have the entire landing to get through.

"See? Not so terrible," Savva says, his voice smooth. He takes the completed puzzle book from my hands with a satisfied nod. "You have a natural aptitude for logic puzzles."

The praise warms me more than it probably should. "Thanks for the distraction. I might not have survived takeoff without it."

I'm only half joking.

"That might be a slight exaggeration," he replies, lifting an eyebrow. But I catch the hint of a smile at the corners of his mouth.

From across the aisle, Cole watches me, his mismatched eyes attentive. He hasn't said a word since we boarded, but his gaze hasn't left me either. There's something comforting about his silent vigilance, like having a personal guardian angel keeping watch.

"How are you feeling now?" Roman asks from the seat in front of me, turning to assess me with those intense golden-hazel eyes.

"Better." I manage a smile that doesn't feel forced. "At least until we start going down again."

Troy pokes his head out from the cockpit, his boyish grin instantly lightening the mood. "Don't you worry, princess. This baby practically lands herself. Smoothest ride you'll ever have."

"You're flying this thing?" The pitch of my voice rises embarrassingly high.

His laughter fills the cabin. "God, no. We have actual pilots for that."

The relief I feel makes me dizzy. I trust Troy, but there's trust on a personal level and then there's "yes, I want you and your chaotic energy in charge of an aircraft with me inside it."

"Coffee? Tea? Something stronger?" Liam appears at my side, his muscled tattooed frame making the narrow aisle seem even smaller. He gestures to a compact cabinet I hadn't noticed before. "Won't judge if you need a bit of liquid courage."

The offer is tempting, but I shake my head. The worst part is over, anyway. I think I can handle landing sober. "Tea would be nice, though."

"Coming right up, lass." He moves toward the back of the plane with surprising grace for someone so large.

I've just settled back with my tea when Troy pops his head out of the cockpit again.

"Hey, princess! We've got the Wi-Fi up and running now if you want to check your phone." He winks at me. "Might take your mind off the whole thousands-of-miles-above-the-ground thing."

"Wi-Fi? On this plane?" I can't keep the surprise from my voice. The military aesthetic had me thinking we'd be completely off-grid.

"Of course," Savva says beside me, like it's the most obvious thing in the world. "What self-respecting security team would travel without secure satellite communications?"

Roman's lips twitch. "What Savva means is that of course we have Wi-Fi. We're professionals, not barbarians."

"Speak for yourself," Liam mutters, dropping into the seat across from us.

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