Page 31 of Shielding Instinct

“Flowers in a bouquet might be closer to how I meant it.” Petra seemed to be okay with this conversation, with him declaring his feelings. At least she wasn’t giving him any back-off vibes.

She lifted a single brow. “I was asleep the whole time. What could have endeared me to you? At least I wasn’t drooling.”

He ducked his head to the side. “Not unduly, anyway.”

“What?” It was a shocked inhale.

“You and Cooper were both snoring and drooling. It seemed you were both at ease and getting what you needed, deeply asleep like that.” He reached out and rested his hand on her hip, sliding it down to her thigh. “I was completely charmed.”

Her eyes sprang wide. “I was snoring?” she whispered in horror.

“Afraid so.”

“And you didn’t wake me?” She lifted her pillow and wiggled up the bed until she was sitting against the headboard, pulling her knees up until her feet were flat on the sheet and crossing her arms over her chest.

Miffed, but more play-acting. This was Petra teasing him back.

“Like I said, you looked like you needed the sleep. You were out like a light. And I figured your reputation was safe enough. You were on a plane full of strangers, and you were snoring along with the dogs. I think—” Hawkeye pressed into the bed to move from the floor to the mattress, wrapping his hands around the back of Petra’s calves. “I think your falling asleep withCooper in your lap was like a pack signal. All four Cerberus K9s curled into a comfortable fur balls and snoozed the whole way.”

“But your team knows I was snoring.”

“They were charmed, too, just not in the way I was.”

“Endearingly.”

“If you broke that word down, it would mean you became dear to me. Which seems like a lot to say to someone at this point in our knowing each other.”

“It’s been a busy twenty-four hours. Though I’ve been asleep or drugged for most of it.” She leaned forward and kissed him. “I accept your word, ‘endearing.’ I like it. I’d like it more if you said it while we were snuggling.”

“That we can do.” As Hawkeye swung over the top of her to the other side of the bed, his gaze scanned for the clock to ensure they had enough time to get ready and head for the doctor’s.

Lying on top of the alarm clock, partially obscuring the digital read, was the pink eye mask that Petra had worn on the plane and a flash of beige.

Hawkeye reached over to snag it up.

Sure enough, caught on the edge between the elastic band and the satin cloth was a motion-sickness patch.

Hawkeye flipped around to show her what he’d discovered. “You were wearing that patch yesterday.”

“Yes, on the plane.” She canted her head, and Hawkeye could see she was putting this through her processors, trying to understand what he was driving at.

“When did you take the patch off your neck?”

She looked to the far-right-hand corner of the room and held her breath. When she turned back, it was with a shake of her head. “At some point?”

“But you didn’t wash your hands after you touched it.”

Petra turned her head toward the corner again, her gaze searching along the blank cream-colored wall. Finally, shepulled her focus back to him. “I put it on in the airport half an hour before the flight left, for efficacy. I used my hand sanitizer and a tissue to clean my hands. I didn’t wash my hands until I used the bathroom in the hospital. Although, I don’t specifically remember that. The nurse said seconds were precious and wouldn’t let me use the bathroom until after the machine. Since I wasn’t uncomfortable in the car on the way to the first hotel, and I didn’t pee on myself.” Her eyes flashed wide. “Did I pee on myself?”

“Negative.”

“Okay, good,” Petra scratched her fingers over her scalp. “Well, I must have used the restroom after the machines, and surely, from my years of muscle memory, I would have automatically washed my hands.”

“But the patch came off on the plane.” Hawkeye lifted the mask.

“It would have had to come off on the plane in order for the patch to be stuck to my eye mask. Yes.”

“And somewhere along the way, you rubbed your eye?”

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