Nash clenched his jaw but nodded.
“I can do it.” He hoped. In two weeks, the pull would disappear.
All he had to do was resist Nash’s stupidly handsome face for that long.
Chapter Eight
On the plane, Nash watched Abi sleep. He looked younger when tension didn’t hold him in its grip. The innocence was unmistakable and almost unbelievable, except Nash did believe it. Of everything Abi had shown him so far, the sleeping version of Abi rang truest. Oh, Nash wasn’t delusional. Did he think Abi had blood on his hands? Hell yeah. A person didn’t get to family status in the Sylvain Mafia simply by being a ‘misfit’ as Abi had put it. But the jadedness wasn’t at the forefront. It left room for the heartbreak Abi had so clearly experienced. And maybe, just maybe, that meant all Abi wanted was to be loved.
Nash could give him that. They were fated. It didn’t matter what Abi said about his scent. Nash couldn’t smell it. Well, if he stuck his nose in Abi’s hair or the crook of his neck, he would experience it. That way lay danger. Abi wasn’t one to mess with when it came to unwanted touches, and since consent was important to Nash, they would have to build trust first. For that, Abi would have to believe Nash and what Abi’s own body was telling him.
Nash gripped the armrests to keep from pulling Abi onto his lap.
Despite Abi’s desire to keep his distance, the mating pull had proved stronger than his resistance. He’d sat down in the seat across from him. It had taken Abi about two minutes to fall asleep.
Abi’s nose twitched, sniffing the air. Was he trying to grab Nash’s scent, making sure he was still close by?
Nash smiled as he leaned forward, closer to Abi. He held his arm out, a foot away from Abi’s twitchy nose.
Abi sighed and settled back to sleep.
Nash’s nerves rattled when the plane shook. He sat back, gripping the armrests. The turbulence shook the plane and then made it dip so violently that it woke Abi.
Abi’s eyes fluttered open. His lashes were longer than anyone had a right to own. His dark eyes held a sparkle that was new to Nash, and he smiled. It all lasted about two seconds, and then he came back to himself. That sparkle disappeared, and he cleared his throat. He sat up in his seat, which was probably a good thing. He’d have a crick in his neck otherwise.
“It’s creepy to stare at someone while they’re sleeping.” Abi’s voice was gravelly from sleep.
“Our seats are facing each other. I’m not…used to flying on a plane. I prefer my own wings.” If Nash showed a little vulnerability, maybe it would be the start of building the trust he was so desperate for.
“Glad my drooling face could help.” Abi’s cheeks turned a pretty pink.
Nash smiled. “You don’t drool.”
Abi just shrugged. He leaned forward and snatched Nash’s bottle of water from the cup holder. He put it back after taking a healthy swig.
“Is being afraid of flying the reason you look all stressed?” Abi smirked as if he got one over on Nash by pointing out what his face was doing.
“Partially. This job brings on memories I would rather keep buried.” That was the barebones truth. Nash wouldn’t give up a chance to see Mallor dead, not after searching for years to find him.
Abi drew his eyebrows together and bit his bottom lip. “Are you okay? I mean, like, seriously, though.”
Nash smiled. “I will be.” When he killed Mallor, Nash would be able to let the ghosts cross over.
Abi nodded and let it go. “So we should talk about the stuff we’ll be doing, right?”
“What are you referring to?” Nash knew Abi meant sex, but he wanted clarification. If Abi needed to talk about it, then he would, but Nash wasn’t too worried. They were mates. They might have to put on a bit of a show, especially if their plan worked. Nash figured they would cross that bridge when they came to it.
“Sex, Nash. I’m talking about the sex we’ll have to have.” Abi’s cheeks turned a pretty pink again, and he squirmed in his seat. “Shouldn’t we talk about limits and stuff? Because that swing in the photo suggests Mallor is into kink.”
“The swing is fairly mild.”
“That’s your opinion. Not mine, Mr. Kinky.”
Nash smiled. “Alright. If that’s how you feel, then we should talk about it. I don’t want to do anything that makes you uncomfortable. Acting or not, consent is first and foremost.”
Abi sighed. His shoulders lost some of their tension. Nash wasn’t aware of how wound tight Abi had been until it wasn’t there anymore.
“Let’s talk about what we’ll most likely encounter.” That would give them at least a baseline. “I’ve done a bit of research about Mallor. As you know, he has slave fighters housed at the arena and sex slaves. The fighters are the easy part.”
