“Your wolf is feeling extra possessive,”she said toCostin.
“He’s actually your wolf, and yes, if it was up to him we would carry you everywhere just to be touching you. He longs for you, just as I do, Sally. He adores you.”He felt the joy his words caused and squeezed her briefly. He wasn’t close enough. The stupid clothes were in the way, and he and his wolf were in agreement that clothes should be banned once true mates had beenbonded.
“So, you would have us standing completely naked in this airport?”Sally asked, a small bit of laughter joining herwords.
Costin growled, partly because,hell no,he didn’t want her naked in front of a bunch of people, and partly because he loved the idea of hernaked.
“Those with tickets in first class may board now,” the woman said into theintercom.
“That’s us,” Sally said over her shoulder and startedforward.
When they were in their seats and settled, he stretched his legs out in front of him and sighed. “Thank the Great Luna that Jen got us firstclass.”
Sally chuckled. “I don’t think you would have fit in the chairs in coach.” She eyed him up and down as if to judge hismeasurements.
“It would have been a bit uncomfortable,” he admitted. They were quiet as the rest of the passengers boarded. Costin reached over and took her hand in his, twining their fingers together. He was sitting in the aisle seat, so he didn’t have a window through which he could gaze outside. So, instead, he pressed his head back against the plush seat and closed his eyes. He allowed his wolf’s senses to take over in order to protect their mate. He nearly laughed when his wolf started to get distracted by Sally. Her scent was wrapping around them in the small space. Her heartbeat was a steady rhythm that had somehow become hypnotic. Her skin against his hand was soft as silk, and his mouth watered with the need to tasteher.
He growled low as he thought about the times she’d allowed him to refresh the bite mark she bore on her neck. It didn’t need refreshing, but he liked having her scent running through his veins after taking a small amount of her blood and tasting her skin because she belonged to him, and he had the right to herblood.
“No growling,” Sally whispered as she bumped his leg with hers. “And holy werewolf babies, stop thinking about what you’re thinkingabout.”
He smiled, and his eyes popped open. He lowered his head and turned to face her. “What am I thinking about, Sallymine?”
She rolled her eyes. “You know exactly what I’m talking about. You can’t think about that kind of stuff in public.” Her voice was short and clipped, but she was barely containing the smile trying to spread across herface.
“And what should I think about in public then?” heasked.
“Taxes,” shemuttered.
“Are you on a desk covered in tax documents ready to be ravished by yourhusband?”
She choked as she tried to swallow. “Fine, think about squirrels oncrack.”
“Are the squirrels on crack being captured to rid their plague on the world and then their fur being made into a fur coat that you could wear with nothing under it and surprise me at thebar?”
She huffed, and he tried really hard not to laugh. It was so fun to play with her. His wolf wanted to howl and roll around on the floor like an idiot with his feet in theair.
“Fine, think about lemons.” She appeared satisfied with thatsuggestion.
“Are the lemons being squeezed over your bikini-cladbody?”
She threw her hands up in the air. “Bloody hell, can you turn everything into some sort of sexualreference?”
“It’s a talent. I don’t share it with just anyone, youknow.”
“Are you sure that you and Jen aren’t very distant cousins? Because sometimes you’re just the male version of her.” She paused, and her face wrinkled up in a cute disgusted look. “And, it’s sort ofcreepy.”
“Is the creepiness so bad you can’t be near me and therefore have to fantasize about me in the quiet night, tucked away in our bed with your hair spread out all around you and your skin flu—” His words were muffled as his mate’s hand slammed over hismouth.
“Do not even finish that little scenario, Mr. Miklos.” She hissed at him. “You’reincorrigible.”
When she started to pull her hand away he moved fast, snatching it and bringing it to his mouth. He kissed her wrist and then the palm of her hand, his eyes never leavinghers.
“You’re matchless, unique, exceptional, and, most importantly”—he winked at her—“you’remine.”
Sally was nearly breathlessfrom Costin’s bombardments of thoughts, playful flirting, and sensual declarations. The wink was almost her undoing. Undoing to what, she wasn’t sure. Maybe she was going to drag him to the bathroom and become part of the mile-high club, or maybe she’d just maul him right there in their first-class seats. Wouldn’t that be a memory for the people of flight 432? Regardless, she had to admit that it felt good to be joking with him, and, for the first time in days, she felt like she couldbreathe.
Once everyone was seated and the cabin door shut, the hostess began her spiel on all the safety features of the plane. Sally was convinced it didn’t matter if her butt cushion could float or that some oxygen mask would plop down and probably smack her in the face in the event of an emergency. People would be so scared they wouldn’t be able to think rationally. Seriously, who thinks to grab a cushion when all you can think is that you might be taking your lastbreaths?
