Page 126 of Never To Suffer

I’m already in awe when we board the plane, but when Theo turns the seats into a bed? My jaw hits the floor and I finally understand why Theo thinks Xander won’t get airsick on this flight. He’ll be too busy.

“Oh, I’m joining the mile high club today, baby,” I giggle.

“You’re already in the mile high club. Remember your plan to keep me calm on the way to Italy?” Xander says, exasperated that I could forget that.

“Yeah, it didn’t work.”

“No, butitdid!” he whispers, pointing to his pants as the flight crew comes to check in on us. Theo sighs and reminds Xander to take his meds before we take off.

An hour into the flight, Xander and Theo are asleep, curled around each other and snoring softly. “They’re cute together.” I say, nuzzling closer to Skylar, who’s enthralled by some documentary on Paris and only half listening. “I mean, we’re cute, too. But look at them. God, I wanna squish them both.”

“So do it.”

“Are you trying to get rid of me?”

“No. But I have been trying to get you under the blankets for the last twenty minutes and you keep rejecting the offer.”

“If I do that, I’ll fall asleep! I don’t want to miss my first time in first class by sleeping through it! Besides, there food to eat and so much?—”

They cut me off with a kiss before smiling against my lips. “You’re not going to fall asleep, Dani. I promise.” They kiss me again while they reach up and close the curtain, and I catch on to what they’re saying. I move quickly, digging for the opening of the covers and crawling under them.

“Whatcha doing there, Beetle?” Xander’s unexpected voice makes me jump, almost elbowing Sky in the face as I do. It’s a good thing they have fast reflexes. “Look, a partition so I don’t have to watch you two going at it.” He presses a button, and a screen starts to rise between us.

“Except, you like to watch,” Skylar counters and the screen stops, slipping back down.

“Not as much as you do. Come on, if you’re not banging, let’s watch a movie together or something. I enjoyed the nap, but Dani’s right. I don’t want to waste this. I’m sure as hell not dropping this kind of money again on it, either. Bonkers.” He flops down on his side of the divider and turns on the TV to scroll through the stations.

“Wait, you’re seriously not ready to hurl your guts out?”

“Nope! I’m amazing!”

“Scoot over and give me the remote,” Theo’s gruff voice mumbles as he climbs in behind Xander. He flips it to a paid movie service and picks one out that none of us have seen, but he’ll sleep through anyhow. We order too much food, and I only make it halfway through the movie before I’m sound asleep.

I wake up sometime later, the TVs are all off and the curtains are closed. Skylar’s hand has dipped down into my shorts so they’re holding my ass while they sleep. They love doing that. I poke my head up and see the lump of curled up Xander on top of Theo, they’re both asleep again. They look so peaceful. I’m antsy,and I need to move. I crawl up Sky’s chest and stare at them by the dimmed lights of the cabin.

“Why are you such a cat?” They mumble, squeezing my butt.

“Because I like seeing how long I can stare at you before you wake up.”

“There are better ways to wake me up, love.”

“Oh yeah? Like what?”

“Your mouth.”

“I mean, screaming is always an option, but I thought it would be inappropriate on an airplane.”

“Wise ass. You know what I mean.”

I lick the tip of their nose before I leave a handful of small kisses over their face. I almost let out a squeal when they grab my hips and move me so I’m sitting on their stomach. At first, I’m excited we’re about to have a little fun, but the look on their face tells me that’s not what they have in mind. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing's wrong. Not really. I just…” They look over to where our partners sleep, a crooked smile forming at the corner of their mouth. “Dani, do you think we could ever…you know?”

“Sleep curled up like that? I mean, we were, but you had to?—”

“Not what I mean, Beetle.” They sit up, their hands traveling over my back until they lay back down, pulling me with them. They hold me like that for a while, letting the comfortable silence lay between us. “I’m scared of asking you. I want to, but I’m scared to go through with it.”

“You are?”

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