“You guys get tested?”
Cabot shook his head and Drake shrugged.
“Oh for fuck’s sake,” I grumbled. “As soon as we land in Chicago, you guys are going to get tested, but in the meantime, you need lube.”
“We use spit.”
“Oh God, no,” I said putting the kibosh on that, getting up and going to my bag. Pulling out the lube I’d used earlier, I tossed it to Drake. “When we get to Chicago, we’ll go to the place where I buy the one I like, but in the meantime, use that.”
“We tried one,” Cabot said, making a face. “But it was thick and gross.”
“Well, that one’s actually really slick and not as thick as I would have liked. Try with that.”
They were surprised.
“Now? Just go in and have sex?”
Lord. “Sure. Do I need to put on some Sade to put you in the mood?”
They both squinted.
“Get away from me,” I said disgustedly.
Cabot started laughing, and Drake walked over and patted my shoulder.
“We’re both so glad we get to have you and Ian watching over us.”
I sighed heavily. “You guys need to be really sure that together is what you want.”
“Will we enroll in school?”
“Yes, and we’ll get you both into college, too, if that’s what you want.”
“That’s what we want,” Drake said.
“We’ll do all that when we get to Chicago.”
“And go lube shopping,” Cabot reminded me.
Good God, what had I done. “Yes.”
Drake bit his bottom lip. “Can I… is it okay?”
I was making a huge mistake, but I opened my arms for him.
Rushing forward, Drake hugged me tight, his head down on my shoulder. Cabot was there quickly, waiting.
“It’ll be okay,” I promised.
Drake inhaled deeply, calming himself before I heard the sniffling. As soon as he stepped back, Cabot shoved his way between us, wrapping his arms around my waist, pressing his cheek to my chest and clinging even as he let out a deep breath.
I made them both feel safe, and for that I was pleased.
When Cabot was ready, he stepped back, and Drake took his hand, led him back to their bedroom, and closed the door behind them.
They’d taken the lube.
Back at the table, I added to the report, caught a strangled scream from the bedroom that I tried to ignore, and then submitted it. When I was done, I realized I wasn’t tired, though it was eight and we’d had a hard couple of days. I was actually hungry again, my inner clock all out of whack. I turned on the TV, put it on mute, and flipped channels from the armchair beside the bed. Normally, to keep from eating, if I wasn’t tired, I would go out for a late run, but Ian was dead to the world, so I had to stay there and protect everyone.
“Why’re you up?”
Turning, I found Ian, one eye open, one closed, scowling at me. “Can’t sleep.”
“Why not?”
“I’m hungry.”
“Order room service.”
“It’s too late and the boys ate all the dessert they ordered.”
“You don’t eat anything but pie anyway.”
It was true.
“If you’re really hungry, go get something or order pizza.”
“This isn’t Chicago.”
“Oh, I am aware.”
“City snob,” I teased.
“Shut up.”
“Go back to sleep.”
“Why’re you on the chair?”
“I don’t want to crowd you.”
“For crissakes, M,” he mumbled, moving the sheet on the sofa sleeper that was going to render us both paralyzed by the morning. “Crowd me, be all over me.”
I smiled.
“Come here,” Ian ordered.
I turned off the TV, put the remote down by the lamp before I flipped the switch, and crawled into bed beside him. “Oh wow,” I said, snorting out a laugh. “You can feel every spring in this, can’t ya.”
He chuckled, sliding a hand around the back of my neck, drawing me down beside him, into his waiting arms.
I settled over him, parting his legs and lying between them, my head over his heart. His fingers trailing through my hair was so soothing, my eyes closed in seconds.
“From now on, just assume that I want you right next to me.”
“Okay.”
“Good,” he whispered, slipping an arm across my back, holding tight as he continued petting me.
I smiled as I exhaled out the last of my day, more content than I ever remembered being.
Chapter 17
OUR FLIGHT was at nine fifteen in the morning. I made sure everyone was up early to shower so we could grab breakfast. After dropping the car off, we walked through the terminal and stood in the line for law enforcement. Security checked our IDs, tickets, our warrants, and then our firearms. I only had one, Ian his two, and then we were on our way.
In the boarding area, I left to go to the bathroom, leaving Ian with the boys. When I was washing my hands, I caught a peek at myself in the mirror, and it startled me. I was smiling like a goof, and now I understood why everyone from the waitress at the Cracker Barrel to the ticket agent to the TSA agent had been so accommodating. They all thought I was lobotomized. I looked like I was drunk.