“This is what you want, too? You’re no longer angry at me?” she asked Wolfe.
Wolfe narrowed his gaze. “I’m angry that you didn’t trust us enough to take care of you eight years ago. That you were still trying to protect us. That’s why I suggested we steal you. You’re ours for twenty-one days. And I’m going to use that time to show you that you can trust us to protect you.”
“It wasn’t that I didn’t trust you,” she whispered.
“No?” He raised an eyebrow. “We’re well-trained. We’re deadly. We were Navy SEALs and we now guard some of the richest men in the world and still, you thought you had to protect us.”
“Because I care about you!” she cried out. “All of you! I’ve never stopped.”
Satisfaction filled their faces. Wolfe crouched down and took her chin in his hand. “I’m not good with emotional intimacy. A therapist once told me that I have abandonment issues. I just call it being messed up. But I will protect you. From any and all threats. In Escana, you’ll be under our command. You’ll be treasured, likely spoiled, but you will not be allowed to make decisions that put you at risk. That satisfies the beast inside me that says we need to keep you tied to our bed to ensure you never leave again. Make no mistake, I’m not the forgiving sort. It will take a lot to earn my trust. But knowing that you are ours, that’s what I want more than anything.”
“Not good with words, huh?” she said weakly.
He shrugged. “Don’t expect me to explain myself all the time. But I figured you needed to hear it.”
She did.
God, she hoped this crazy plan of theirs worked. Because she couldn’t stand the idea of leaving them again.
16
Caleb came back from where he’d been chatting to the attractive blonde flight attendant. She had a very loud laugh. It was kind of annoying. But Vivi knew she was short on patience. Wolfe had given her some pain killers, but they hadn’t kicked in yet and her arm and ankle were throbbing. At least she’d managed to avoid getting poked up the bottom.
Something to be thankful for.
“We’re taking off now, jelly bean. Belt up.” Caleb sat next to her, while Wolfe and Aleki sat across from her. Aleki was munching on a bag of caramel popcorn. Wolfe would only let her have a small handful.
She growled at Caleb as he reached across her to do up the lap belt. She smacked at his hand. “I got it.”
Caleb leaned in and brushed his mouth against her ear. “That was naughty. No hitting Daddy. I’m going to have to add that to your punishments.”
She gaped at him.
“She’s cranky. She needs a nap,” Wolfe said as Caleb turned back to his seat. “She also hasn’t put her belt on.”
Caleb spun back around and grabbed the lap belt, giving her a pointed look when he did it up. Okay, so she’d forgotten to actually fasten it.
“I am not cranky.”
“You seem kind of cranky,” Aleki said.
“We did get her up early. She’s healing. The doctor said she needs lots of rest. Until she’s better, she can take naps twice a day along with having a full ten hours at night,” Wolfe stated.
This was . . . this was . . . she reached over to pinch herself.
Caleb grabbed her hand, shaking his head at her. “No pinching yourself.”
Wolfe frowned. “Do you think she needs to see someone about that?”
“About what?” she asked.
“The pinching.”
“See someone? How do you see someone?” she asked.
“Like a shrink,” Wolfe muttered. “I’ll make a note on it for her file.”
“My file? You have a file for me?”
“Of course.” Wolfe blinked at her from behind his glasses as though it was totally normal and wasn’t she weird for questioning him.
“Why?” she asked.
“Why not?”
“Because it’s . . . it’s . . . what’s in it?”
“Medical information from the doctor, who we’ll never use again. I’ll send a complaint about his unprofessionalism.”
“He wasn’t unprofessional,” she protested.
“He flirted with you,” Wolfe stated.
“No, he didn’t.”
“Yes, he did.”
She turned to give Caleb an exasperated look. “Aren’t you going to say something?”
He raised an eyebrow. Then looked to Wolfe. There, Caleb would set him straight. “I wouldn’t waste your time on an email, just blackball him on the list.”
“Caleb!”
“He flirted with you,” Caleb confirmed. “And you are ours.”
Damn. Those words.
“I still don’t know if this is a good idea. I don’t think I can lose you all again,” she whispered.
Caleb wrapped her hand in his. “You won’t.”
“I’m working out a schedule for you,” Wolfe told her, writing in a notebook.
“I need a schedule?”
“Uh-huh. What time would you normally say you wake up? Around seven?”
She didn’t even know what to say. Was he for real right now?
“I’ll put seven,” Wolfe said when she didn’t reply. “We can adjust it as well as your nap times if need be.”
Nap times?
“I’ll put in time for exercise once your ankle is completely healed, I take it you still like to run?”
“Yes, but—”
“You need to build up some muscle, you’re far too puny.”
“Puny?” she said, outraged.
“Need to get you on a scale,” Wolfe muttered. “But the doctor estimated that you’re a good twenty pounds underweight. Gonna take a bit to get you back up to a fighting weight.”
“I’m not planning on taking up boxing,” she pointed out.
“No, but you’ll need stamina to be with the three of us.”
What did he mean . . . oh shit. She went hot at the implication. “By stamina you mean . . .”
“Sex.” Wolfe raised his face. “I must say that I’ve never been that interested. And if the urge ever came over me, I’d just use my hand. But when it comes to you . . . well, I seem to have a lot of pent-up need. But there are three of us to satisfy. For that you’ll need stamina.”
She had nothing. Nothing at all.
Aleki’s eyes widened as he stared at her. “Uh-oh, Wolfe, man, I think you’re going a bit fast. You might have broken her.”
Wolfe waved a hand in front of her face. “You might be right.”
“Jelly bean, Wolfe is getting ahead of himself,” Caleb said soothingly. “Remember, nothing happens that you don’t want to happen. You’re still recovering. And we’re all getting to know each other. We have time for sex to happen when it feels right.”
“Well, we have twenty-one days,” Wolfe said.
“What else you got in that notebook, man?” Aleki asked Wolfe.
“Hmm? Oh, well, I’m writing out a diet too. Exercise plan once she’s better. I’ll create a sleep schedule, including naps. And then playtime for her Little. We’ll need to set up a playroom, yes? What do you think your Little would like to play with?”