Jamie sprang to his feet, his face a thundercloud. “Wanna say that again?”
My heart drummed faster and I couldn’t help it, I grinned. “Yeah, I do.”
Corbin took his cap off and threw it at Jamie, who turned to flip him off, which inspired Corbin to roll his eyes.
Aspen shoved between me and Jamie, which I hated because I didn’t need him settling my brawls for me—ever—but Jamie backed away with his hands in the air as he winked at me. “Your bodyguard is bigger than mine.”
Aspen smirked, and I saw red. I lunged forward, and Aspen caught me, using all his strength to muscle me back in the direction of the kitchen.
“None of us likes a hit that doesn’t go right,” he said.
I shoved him, and he knocked me against the counter, using his body to box me in. He gripped my face between his hands and only the fact that this was Aspen kept me from swinging.
“We’ll get him. We didn’t expect the job to wrap up so quickly, and we were right.” His eyes flashed a warning; he wanted me to stop.
“Aye,” Corbin said as he appeared in the doorway with his cap in hand. “There’s no point in being fussy about it. We’ll kill ’im. Things like this happen.”
“No, I’ll kill him,” I said, slapping my chest. “I can’t have this hanging over me head.”
Aspen got into my line of sight so all I could see was him, and I wasn’t sure what he was doing at first, but he put his hands on my shoulders. When he turned me around, I was so confused as to what he was up to that I let him.
“Walk,” he said in a low tone that sent a shiver down my spine. “Move before you say more than you should to the wrong person.” He marched us back to the bedroom and closed the door. Sloan had much nicer planes that put this one to shame. All that was in this tiny room was a double bed not even Aspen alone would fit on comfortably. I stood there, chest heaving and glaring at him.
“Can ye believe this shite?” I jabbed a finger at the closed door and tried to keep my voice down, but it wasn’t working. My heart pounded and felt like it was going to beat out of my body.
Aspen nodded. “It sucks.”
“I need more than that from ye right now!”
He grabbed my shirt and dragged me close, and I pushed him, but the second his lips landed on mine I stopped fighting. The world tilted. The damned plane shuddered under my feet and knocked us both backward against the door, but when the turbulence ended, Aspen had his arms wrapped tight around me. I sank into the heat and frantic pressure of his mouth covering mine, and then I bit his lip when I remembered I was still upset with him, too. He spun us and thumped me against the wall until I released his lip. I pushed him for real this time, and he snatched my right hand. I thought about punching him because in the past we’d gone at it bare knuckles, no holds barred when we were testing each other, but I didn’t want to hurt him—not for real.
But still, I pushed him, though not hard enough that he would think I was really trying to get away. His slight grin let me know he knew what I was up to. I tried to shoulder my way free. In the scuffle I ended up turned around. He slammed me against the wall and rested his weight on my back, snatching my other hand up to press it to the door.
“I’m letting ye win,” I grumbled, knocking my forehead against the wall. “This don’t feckin’ count for anything.”
Aspen kissed along the back of my neck and goose bumps raced over my skin. He nibbled the shell of my ear and his beard tickled. “Do you think I’m going to let anything happen to you?”
“I wouldn’t let anything happen to ye, if that’s what ye’re implying,” I snapped. “That’s why I’m taking this so bloody fecking serious.”
“No, that wasn’t what I was saying,” he said, then nipped my ear.
I hissed at the sharp sting.
“Do you think I will let Sloan kill you?” he murmured.
“Won’t have much of a choice if it gets down to it, will ye? Ye’re in the Company, same as me.”
He kissed my cheek. “You would be surprised.”
“Ye’re getting close to saying things ye shouldn’t,” I whispered, turning in his arms. He stared into my eyes, and I shocked myself by slipping my arms around his waist and holding on tight.
“Do you think I’ll let our boss murder Vail and Fallon?”
With a sigh, I shook my head. “In my heart, I don’t think Sloan would do that, but he’d sure put a bullet in me arse, and then he’d have to do the same to Rowen because he wouldn’t let that stand.”
Aspen leaned back and rubbed his hands along my arms. “You’re right to be cautious, but you don’t need to worry. We’re okay, and I’ll keep us okay.”
“How?” I gave him a squeeze.
