Page 87 of Sinful Like Us

He can be in the dark the whole trip.

I lower the radio volume and focus on Beckett Cobalt. “Where do you want to go?” Until this plane takes off, I’m still attached to him, and I’ll follow him wherever he wants to sit. But I’m hoping he chooses next to his sister.

He fixes his bed-head hair. “Back to New York.”

“I meant on the plane.”

“I know,” he says softly.

I catch movement in my peripheral, and our heads veer towards curtains that conceal the front of the plane.

An athletic-built girl pushes through the fabric, her dark brown curls bouncing as she looks around. I recognize Joana Oliveira instantly. Not only because I attended her Catholic confirmation, but because she’s Oscar and Quinn’s nineteen-year-old little sister.

Joana carries a nylon backpack over her toned shoulder. Black leggings and a crop top show off her abs, and as soon as she sees me, she gives me a nod. “Hey, Banks.” She grins, knowing I’m not my brother.

Unlike Will, I trusted Jo not to blab this fucking secret to Tony or O’Malley. There was no reason to trick her too.

“Jo,” I greet. “Glad you could make it.” She’s tagging along to spend time with her brothers before she has a professional boxing match in London.

“Me too.” She lingers and eyes the tattooed, shirtless, and lean but muscular ballet dancer next to me.

He rests against the bathroom door. “I’m Beckett.” He nods in greeting. “I’d shake your hand, but…” He hoists his cuffed wrist and tries not to jerk mine.

Jo’s brows rise. “Kinky.”

He speaks calmly. “If it were kinky, I’d be enjoying it more.”

She snorts and readjusts her backpack strap. “How many times have you used that line?”

“It’s not a line.” He studies her in a quick sweep. “Believe me, you’d know if I was using a line on you.”

Intrigue sparks her brown eyes. “Why is that?”

“Because you’d already be in my bed.”

My muscles bind. Very few men on the team have younger sisters, and Jo is one of them. I need to end this before he signs his death warrant, and under my breath, I whisper to Beckett, “You want to keep your balls, don’t hit on Oscar’s little sister.”

“It’s okay, Banks.” Jo fits on her other backpack strap and stares right at Beckett. “I don’t speak douchebag so I didn’t hear a thing.” She walks ahead of us and searches the cabin. Only glancing back to ask me, “Where’s Maximoff? I want to thank him for inviting me.”

“He should be with Jane in the fourth lounge. It’s the rear of the plane.”

She mouths the word,fourth, with huge eyes before heading that way.

All the while Beckett watches her ass as she goes.

“Don’t,” I warn.

“I wouldn’t hurt her.”

“I never said you would.” He might think I’m protecting Jo, but I’m trying to protect him. He doesn’t need SFO on his ass. “Oscar and Quinn are going to kill you if you even look at her sideways.”

“Yeah, well…” He exhales a deeper breath and steps away from the bathroom. “We’re preparing for a wedding, might as well have a funeral too.”

17

JANE COBALT

The plane rideseems to last forever, but I enjoy the furtive glances Thatcher and I share and the stolen moments as we wander the plane to stretch. He kisses me in the narrow bar, pumping adrenaline in my lungs and a fire beneath my heart, and then we part as though we were strangers in…love.