I relax a fraction. At least there are other women here.
Connor points at Jake. “You’re brave. That means you can handle his grumpy ass.”
Rhys nods solemnly. “Yeah. Any woman who willingly sits next to him on a team bus is either fearless or insane.”
“I’m both,” I say before I can stop myself.
The bus erupts.
Jake exhales beside me like he’s long-suffering, but I catch the faint twitch at the corner of his mouth. He’s letting this happen. Letting them fold me into their world.
The bus jerks as it pulls away from the curb.
My stomach tilts with it.
I grip the armrest instinctively.
Jake’s hand comes down over mine without warning.
Warm. Steady. Anchoring.
My heart stumbles.
He doesn’t look at me. He keeps his gaze forward like this is nothing. Like he does this all the time.
“You okay?” he murmurs, low enough that only I can hear.
I nod quickly. “Yeah. Just… a lot of testosterone in one vehicle.”
His thumb presses once against my knuckles.
Then he lets go, resting his arm casually along the back of the seat.
As if he didn’t just short-circuit my entire nervous system.
Across the aisle, Declan is absolutely watching.
“Look at him,” he announces loudly. “Holding hands.”
He leans into the aisle and stage-whispers, “He’s so gone.”
“Captain’s in love,” Rhys adds dryly.
Jake doesn’t even glance at them. “Enough.”
“Okay, okay,” Declan says, lifting both hands. “I’m done. I support romance.”
Connor leans over the seat in front of him. “Maybe I’m not done.”
Jake finally turns his head, slow and lethal.
“Keep talking,” he says calmly, “and I’ll make you run suicides at the next stop.”
Connor throws his hands up. “All right, Cap. Message received.”
Someone further back starts playing music. Something loud and bass-heavy. A couple guys start debating where they’re stopping for food on the way. There are jokes about hotel rooms and who snores and who will get kicked out for trying to flirt with the charity committee.
I sit there and absorb it, overwhelmed and weirdly… entertained.
