Movement in the background caught my eye. Presley walked into frame, and everything in me went still.
She wore Etienne's shirt. This time it was his green rugby shirt. It was hanging off one shoulder, the hem hitting mid-thigh.
My jaw clenched so hard I heard my teeth grind.
"Didn’t I give you an unlimited budget to buy you anything you needed?" The words came out sharper than I intended.
Presley's face went bright red. She looked at the camera, then away, her fingers twisting in the hem of the shirt.
"I like Etienne's shirts," she admitted quietly.
"Why his?" Fritz leaned into frame beside me. "Why not mine? I have excellentshirts."
Her embarrassment deepened, her cheeks now the color of roses. "Because Etienne likes me for me."
The words hit like a punch to the gut.
“And after this I think we could be friends forever.”
Friends.
Before I could respond, Etienne moved into frame. He grabbed Presley by the waist and pulled her onto his lap with easy familiarity. She squeaked, her hands flying to his shoulders for balance.
"I have to feed you," he said, his French accent thicker than usual. He picked up a strawberry from the plate on the counter and held it to her lips.
She smiled, that unguarded, genuine smile I'd seen in the security footage, and bit into the strawberry.
My jaw ticked.
"Presley," I said, my voice rougher than intended. "Look at me."
Her eyes found mine through the screen. Blue and wide and completely unguarded.
Her chest rose and fell, faster now. I watched her pulse jump in her throat.
The air between us, despite the screen, and an ocean separating us, felt charged.
"You know we like you," I said carefully. "All of us."
"For now," she whispered.
"Don't."
Fritz shifted beside me, his attention fixed on the screen.
Etienne's hand settled on Presley's hip, possessive and protective.
“I need to pee.” She wriggled off his lap.
Etienne watched her leave before turning to the screen. "She's ours, Henry. You know it. I know it." His smile turned smug. "And after today, I think she knows it too."
I frowned. "What does that mean?"
"It means I knotted her." Etienne's grin was absolutely shameless. "For her first time. And it was perfect."
The plane cabin went very, very quiet.
Fritz recovered first. He leaned back in his seat, arms crossed, that insufferable grin spreading across his face. "Well, well. Someone's been busy."
