“You don’t seriously think I’ll be able to sleep,” she said.
“You need sleep. It will help you heal.” He drew the blanket away carefully. “How is your arm? Is it hurting? Damn it, Aleki, you could have ripped her stitches when you bundled her up.”
“I was careful,” Aleki protested.
Wolfe grumbled as he inspected her arm and foot.
“Your feet are freezing.” Wolfe stood and moved to the back of the plane. Okay, that was abrupt and weird, even for him.
Caleb was up front, talking to the pilot. Aleki came over, carrying a bottle of water which he set in the cup rest on the arm of her chair. “I didn’t really hurt your arm, did I?”
“No,” she lied. “I’m fine.”
“She’s not fine. She’s in pain,” Wolfe countered. What was he carrying in his hand? Were those . . .
“Are those wolf slippers?” she asked him.
He just grunted. Then he shocked her by getting down on his knees in front of her and gently putting the slippers on her feet. Maybe Caleb and Aleki were right, maybe Wolfe didn’t despise her.
Maybe he cared.
“You bought her slippers, man?” Aleki asked. “We’re going to the desert.”
“Her feet are always cold. We’ve got a fourteen-hour flight plus a layover for refueling. She needs to keep her feet warm. And they’re soft enough not to hurt her injured foot.”
She didn’t point out that a pair of socks would have done. Not that she had a spare pair with her.
Her stuff!
“Piggles! We have to go back for Piggles.” She tried to stand but Wolfe grabbed hold of her hips.
“Stay there,” he growled at her.
“But Piggles!”
“I’ve got him. Aleki, he’s on the bed. Go grab him.”
Aleki disappeared. She blinked down at Wolfe in shock as he pulled a bottle from his pocket and read the label silently. Then he shook out two pills.
“You really remembered Piggles?”
“Of course I did. I packed up all your shit while you were sleeping. Also bought you some other clothes and things.”
How did he manage to get all that done in a few hours?
Hello, it was Wolfe. What couldn’t he do in a few hours?
“Open.”
She couldn’t help the shiver of arousal that went through her at that word. The image of him ordering her to open her mouth while she was on her knees in front of him . . . yeah, that was freaking hot.
Jeez Louise, get your mind off sex.
“What’s wrong? You’re flushed. Do you feel ill? Damn it, we should have waited longer to move you.”
A big, wide palm was placed over her forehead. “You don’t feel hot. I need to take your temperature. Do you have any pain elsewhere? Any other symptoms? Do you feel light-headed?”
“What is it? What’s wrong?” Aleki asked. He walked in carrying Piggles. She breathed a sigh of relief. Thank God.
“She’s flushed,” Wolfe replied. “She could be running a temperature. Maybe she’s caught something. I need to do some research. Can you get the First-Aid kit I bought? It’s in the back room. It’s got a rectal thermometer. Actually, better I do that in there. Don’t want anyone else catching sight of her ass.”
“No one is going to see my ass,” she squeaked. “Including you.”
Wolfe raised an eyebrow. “Can’t take your temperature unless I bare your ass.”
“Yes, you can. You use one of those thermometers that go in your ear.”
Something wicked lit up Wolfe’s face. “Ahh, but I didn’t buy one of those. Too bad. Gonna have to use the rectal one.”
She narrowed her gaze at him. “What sort of First-Aid kit comes with a rectal thermometer?”
“The kind that I had made up,” Wolfe replied.
“You did it on purpose? You rat! Well, you’re not taking my temperature.”
“I am. I’m in charge of your health. If I think you have a fever, you bet your naughty ass I’m taking your temperature.”
She growled. “You’re an ass.”
“Nah, I just have an obsession with yours.”
“What’s going on?” Caleb asked.
She breathed out a sigh of relief. She knew Caleb wouldn’t let Wolfe get away with his shit.
“He thinks he gets to stick things up my bottom!” she said to Caleb.
Okay. That didn’t come out quite the way she meant.
Caleb raised his eyebrows.
“Oh, you don’t even know the half of what I want to do to your lush bottom,” Wolfe drawled.
“Wolfe!” she exclaimed as Aleki started to laugh. She glared at him. Traitor.
Caleb ran a hand over his hair. “Someone want to explain to me what’s going on?” His voice was serious, but she swore she saw his lips twitch.
“She’s flushed,” Wolfe explained. “I need to check her temperature. She seems to have some objection to having it taken.”
“Because you want to use a rectal thermometer and I’m not comfortable with you sticking something up my bottom.”
“Well, you should start getting used to the idea since it’s going to happen often. And with things far bigger than a rectal thermometer.”
Her mouth dropped open and she gaped at Wolfe. What was up with him right now?
“All right, let me check on her first. We’re still waiting on the air hostess to get here and the pilot is doing his pre-flight check. But then we’ll be leaving.” Caleb reached out and placed his hand over her forehead.
Then he tilted her chin, gazing down into her eyes. “She doesn’t feel hot to me.”
“Then why is she flushed?” Wolfe asked.
“Hmm, there could be a few reasons for that, couldn’t there, jelly bean? Do you think you’re running a temperature?” Caleb asked.
She shook her head.
“No? So why were you flushed, hmm? Were you thinking about something dirty?”
Her eyes widened. How did he know that?
Caleb’s eyes filled with heat. “Want to know what I think? I think something turned you on, didn’t it? Now, what was it? Did Wolfe give you an order to do something? Do you like being ordered around in the bedroom, Vivi?”
“I didn’t order her to do anything,” Wolfe grumbled. “Just to open her mouth so I could give her the pain pills.”
“That so?” Caleb asked.
He ran his thumb over her lower lip. “Open.”
Shit. Fuck. Her nipples hardened at that word. There was something wrong with her, wasn’t there? That being commanded to open her mouth like that just did it for her.
Lord help her if they ordered her to do anything more.
Her mouth opened and she heard Aleki groan as Caleb pressed his thumb into her mouth. “Suck.”
She sucked.
He smiled. “That’s my good girl.”
“Fuck,” Wolfe muttered.
“Yeah, our girl definitely has a submissive side,” Caleb murmured. “We’re going to help her find Little space. And once she’s feeling better, we can explore her needs in the bedroom.”
“Hell, yes,” Aleki muttered, adjusting himself.
Wolfe stared down at her intently. Caleb removed his thumb so she could speak.