Page 31 of Beautiful Sinners

“You are not going back to Darlington.”

I flatten my palms on his shoulders and not-so-gently slam him backward on the table and sit on his chest.

“You only get to boss me around in the bedroom.”

I run the tip of my nose up the thick column of his neck. I don’t know if it’s a type of scent memory, but I love the way the guys smell. There’s a strange kind of comfort in their different scents that I want to bury my nose in and breathe in, like they’re my air.

The light brown of his irises gets eclipsed when his pupils dilate. “Aoife,” he growls.

“Yes?” I snake a hand behind me and cup his already impressive erection that I remember all too well from the blow job I gave him in the shower the other morning. The way I want him, Constantine, and Hendrix all the time now is ridiculous—and in this case, inappropriate, since Tristan and I are having a serious discussion—but my hormones and my body don’t give a damn.

“I’m being serious,” he says through gritted teeth when I rub him through his sweatpants.

His normal attire is usually dress pants and a nice shirt, but Tristan in a pair of casual sweats and tee that mold to every bump and swell of muscle is pure eye candy.

“So am I,” I whisper against his ear.

I grapple onto his shirt when he jackknives into a sitting position and takes my mouth in a deep, toe-curling kiss that leaves me a panting, needy mess in his arms.

“As much as I’d love to fuck you on this table, I’m not going to give Evan the pleasure of seeing you come.”

That thought is as sobering as a cold bucket of water dumped over my head. It also reminds me that we’re on a plane full of other people who work for Cillian.

“I’m going back to DF.”

“No, you’re not.”

Knowing I’m not going to get anywhere with him about the matter while he’s still worrying about his sister and Aleksander and thousands of other things, I dismount from his lap and place a quick kiss to his cheek.

“Yes, I am.”

“Aoife, for fuck’s sake.”

I swipe the laptop from the table and rush out before he can stop me. I head to the front lavatory. Not the most ideal place to hide out, but it’s the only place on the plane that has a lock on the door other than the cockpit where the pilots sit.

Once inside and the door latch secured, I sit down on the closed toilet lid and prop the laptop on my bent legs. The cloying stench of the blue disinfectant water competes with the apple and cinnamon air freshener sitting on the lower shelf and unsettles my stomach even more.

Not wanting to be in here for longer than necessary, I hastily log on to my student account and type out a quick email to Raquelle.

Hey. It’s Syn. Something’s come up, and I won’t be back today. I’m okay but I don’t have a phone anymore, which is why I’m emailing. I promise that I’ll explain everything as soon as I get back. I don’t know when, but I’m hoping by Wednesday. Take good notes for me in class.

I delete the next sentence I write and tap my foot while thinking about the best way to tell her to stay away from Aleksander that won’t freak her out, then decide against it. Evan said they had someone on her. I have to put my faith in him and Cillian to keep her safe until I return.

Just one more thing to do.

I unlock the door and poke my head out just as Candace walks by.

“Hey! I’ll take you up on that offer to use your phone.”

I hope Keith doesn’t fire me when I call out sick for the rest of the week.

CHAPTER 11

My gaze clashes with Evan’s when I enter the main cabin. He smirks, and I sneer. There’s something needling me about him that I can’t exactly pinpoint. Then again, it could be because of his very blatant interest in Aoife that doesn’t seem so… cousin-ly.

“Why does she have to be so fucking stubborn?” I grumble and throw myself in the seat across from Hendrix.

When my eardrum pops, I yawn and vigorously massage the outside of my ear to equalize the pressure. When that doesn’t work, I pinch my nose and mouth closed and blow, and that does the job.

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