“Oh, no. You are not picking up women while I have no choice but to watch.” I wasn’t yelling. I was almost positive.
Until the small child two aisles ahead of us started to scream and his mother turned to glare at me.
“Mind keeping your voice down?”
“Mind not behaving as if you’re my sugar daddy?”
“First, you’re shouting because you’re concerned I’ll pick up women and force you to watch. Now you’re calling me your sugar daddy. Kindly pick your argument.”
“Either. Both. You weren’t even supposed to be here, for fuck’s sake.” I held up a hand in the direction of the aghast mother. “Sorry. Sorry. I’ll rein it in.”
Honestly, I wasn’t sure I could. My emotions were swinging back and forth harder than the plane had started to. Which was just fabulous.
As if he knew I was on the verge of panic again, he simply drew me in and stroked my hair again. Long, even, gentle strokes that had me closing my eyes despite myself.
“You’re my friend, remember? As I’m yours. That’s the spirit in which I upgraded your suite.”
I grunted and clung.
“Any other proposed changes, I’ll ask first.”
“Thank you. I appreciate that. As for the other…” He didn’t respond long enough that I eased back and tilted my head. “Picking up babes?” I prompted, unsure why it mattered so much.
He was single and unencumbered. His love life wasn’t my concern in any case. Especially since I’d intended to perhaps make a love connection myself if the fates were kind.
But Oliver was far too good at the dating game. I’d probably develop comparison-envy and freeze up. That simply wouldn’t do on my first freewheeling vacay.
I exhaled, my shoulders relaxing. That sounded plausible.
Thank God.
Otherwise, I would have to admit that Oliver’s endless hookups bothered me. And that was crazy talk.
His lips quirked. “I can guarantee I’ll have my hands full with one babe all weekend.” He didn’t give me a chance to reply before his finger pressed into my lips again. “You’re far more than a babe, so don’t quibble.”
I couldn’t quibble. Not when his voice had gone husky and rough and his eyes were beckoning mine, forcing me to look into them or perish.
The arguments flew right out of my head.
His certain victory in sight, he tugged me back against his chest. I went, because there wasn’t anywhere else I wanted to be just then.
Even though he was a bossy jerk who was already trying to control things.
Even though we could fight over the weather.
Even though he wasn’t even supposed to be there.
I was so very glad he was.
4
Oliver
Holding Sage Evans ranked up there as one of the biggest mistakes of my life.
Not because I didn’t like it. The exact opposite.
I wasn’t a cuddler after sex. Definitely wasn’t a spooner. Unless I was forking, I usually took a hard pass. Just not my thing. I hadn’t been raised with much affection, and I’d never developed any particular affinity for physical closeness that didn’t involve my dick.