Page 116 of Undisputed Player
"But I've been leaving you a lot lately?—"
“Elle,” Leo interrupted, his voice taking on that serious tone that made him sound older than his years. "You never do fun stuff. I’m happy you're finally doing something awesome."
The simple honesty in his voice made my eyes burn. "I love you, Leo."
“I love you too. Have fun and tell Mr. Lion to punch the bad guy really hard.”
I laughed despite the tears threatening to spill. "I will. Be good for Ms. Jovie."
"I will,” he answered warmly, and I would do anything just to gather his little self in my arms right now and squeeze him.
As I climbed the stairs, I could hear Adrian cooing into the cat carrier. "We're going on an adventure, sweet prince. Yes, we are. Who's Daddy's handsome boy?"
"Stop traumatizing the cat," Jax drawled, holding out his hand to help me up the remaining steps. His grip was firm, warm, his thumb brushing across my knuckles.
"Welcome aboard, princess. The little man okay?"
“Yeah,” I replied, surprised by how much lighter I felt. "Better than okay, actually."
The interior of the jet was even more luxurious than I'd imagined. It had buttery leather seats, polished wood tables, and a bar stocked with crystal that cost more than I could imagine. Sierra moved with the ease of someone who belonged, attempting to sit down before being immediately pulled into Connor’s massive lap.
"Absolutely not," Connor rumbled, his arms wrapping around her possessively. "You sit here."
I bit back a laugh—Sierra gave me a shy smile, rolling her eyes as Connor placed a pastry into her hand.
Jax guided me to a seat with gentle pressure on the small of my back, and Adrian flopped into the seat across from us, carefully setting the cat carrier on his lap and unzipping it. A big brown cat emerged, stretching leisurely before settling on Adrian's massive thighs like a king on his throne.
“Star, Toffee. Toffee, Star,” Adrian said seriously, as if performing an official introduction. “I know you already met, but she's new to our little family, so be nice.”
There was that nickname again. “Why Star?” I asked, curiosity getting the better of me.
Adrian looked genuinely surprised. “Because that's what your name means, duh.” He scratched under Toffee's chin, earning a loud purr. “Estelle. French for star. Didn't you know?”
I shook my head, oddly touched that he'd bothered to learn the meaning of my name.
“See, this is why we need him around,” Sierra said, leaning forward to accept a glass of champagne from a stewardess. “He's like Google, but specifically for romance novel plots and random facts.”
“Don't forget cat facts,” Connor rumbled, his deep voice carrying across the cabin. “Tell her about the hairball incident.”
Adrian's face lit up. “Oh! Did you know cats can?—”
“Not before I've had my drink,” Jax interrupted, accepting a tumbler of amber liquid. He turned to me, holding out a glass of what looked like white wine. “For you, princess. Courage for your first flight with these idiots.”
He glanced at Sierra, throwing her a wink. “Not you, bee.”
If it were anyone else, I may have felt jealous, but Sierra was so completelyclaimed,I was more afraid Connor would beat Jax up than anything else.
And then Jax tugged me into his own lap, letting my legs dangle over one thick thigh as he rubbed my back. “There. The princess sits on her throne.”
The casual way he did these things sent flutters through my stomach. He'd been doing this since we met. Learning me, watching me, providing things I hadn't even realized I wanted until they were in front of me.
“Thank you,” I mumbled, taking the glass and leaning back into his strong arm. The wine was cool and light on my tongue, expensive in a way I could taste.
“So, Star,” Adrian called, his green eyes bright with mischief. “Truth or dare?”
“What are you, twelve?” Connor scoffed.
“Mentally? Totally,” Adrian confirmed cheerfully.“Physically? Well...” He flexed one huge, tattooed bicep dramatically. “The evidence suggests otherwise.”
