Sydney gave her a blank look, seemingly uncomfortable with the thanks or possibly unsure of what to say or do. All Ella got from her was a nod before she returned to digging through the bag, shaking her head and muttering to herself. The only thing Ella could make out was something about Aleksa and “what a waste.”
Starting again for the staircase, she clocked Gray’s gaze pinned on Sydney, something she’d noticed happened often. It was curious, but she didn’t have time to dwell on it because Jesse gently nudged her to get a move on with the bag.
Once they reached the landing, Ella chose the first bedroom that she came across. After flicking on the lights, she swallowed a little gasp at the quaint room laid out before her.
The wall behind the king-sized bed was a soft purple which showcased the gorgeous headboard—an intricately stitched needlepoint design of colorful wildflowers held within a gilt frame, something one might expect to see in a French castle. Vintage leather suitcases stacked on each side of the bed served as nightstands, and the lamps resembled old-fashioned lanterns. “Charming,” she said under her breath, forgetting for a hot minute why she was there. This was most definitely not their honeymoon.
It’s all a sham. Even Henry’s offer.
The sound of the door clicking shut tore away those depressing thoughts. Turning, she found Jesse had already reached the bed, set her suitcase there, and was in the process of opening it for her. “I’ll wait here while you shower.” He sat on the bed and removed his Beretta M9—which she recognized because A.J. and Beckett had the same one—and held on to it, resting it on his thigh.
“You, um, think you need that?” she asked while searching the bag for toiletries and a change of clothes. It was late, but she doubted Jesse would approve of her wearing her pajamas around his teammates, not that she would anyway.
“Not taking chances,” Jesse remarked, his eyes shifting to the wood floors as if he were avoiding eye contact. “Ella,” he said when her back was to him.
She went still at the unexpected tenderness with which he’d spoken her name. “If you’re going to apologize about what happened tonight, you don’t need to. From the sounds of it, we were all manipulated. I assume it’s a greater-good kind of thing though.” She turned to the side to look at him. “Does it suck? Of course. But like you said on the plane . . . it was a necessary evil.” With that, Jesse blinked as if stunned by her choice of words, and maybe she was a little surprised as well.
Part of her bought into what she’d just said, and the other part—the jury was still deliberating.
Without waiting for him to comment, she went into the connecting bathroom, closed the door, and dumped her stuff onto the vanity alongside the single sink. She pulled aside the pale purple shower curtain surrounding the clawfoot tub and turned on the water for the shower.
“Three minutes,” Jesse said from the other side of the door, knocking twice. “After that, I’m coming in to make sure you didn’t slip and fall.”
“That’s hardly enough time.”
“Four,” he countered with a grunt, and she rolled her eyes but didn’t protest.
She couldn’t wait to get rid of the clothes she’d worn for what felt like weeks.
Once free of them all, she stepped into the shower and let the not-yet-warm water pelt her tired body.
“You shouldn’t have resisted,” she said, knowing Jesse was most likely leaning against the door and able to hear her. “You were tasered because of me. I’m sorry.” She went on when he remained quiet, “I didn’t want to go with Henry when they released us, by the way. The officers forced us. I didn’t want to leave you there. That killed me, just so you know.” Her voice broke this time, and she wasn’t sure if he’d heard her last words over the running water that was taking forever to heat up since it’d most likely not been used in some time.
“I’m just thankful you’re okay.” His voice was too close, which meant only one thing.
Ella parted the curtain enough to peek out, finding Jesse inside the bathroom with his back to the closed door.
“What happened to my four minutes?”
He cocked his head, and the twitch of his lips, like he was fighting a smile, took her by surprise. “You were talking to me. I didn’t want to be rude and miss what you were saying.”
“Oh, is that so?” The sight of her “husband” standing there fully clothed and watching while she showered behind a nearly sheer curtain pushed all the dark thoughts away.
“Do you want me to leave?” His sultry voice was teasing now, and he rolled his tongue between his lips.
She thought back to when he’d licked her pussy and sent her into orgasm heaven on board that plane. She couldn’t believe how much she’d been missing before that magical moment between them.
Jesse pushed away from the door and took one step closer to the tub. “Do you?” he asked again, his tone deeper this time.
She pressed her thighs together, the sound of his commanding voice sending a little jolt between her legs. “You can stay,” she whispered, “but maybe move back to the door again.” I might completely forget what happened tonight and pull the curtain back and let you enjoy another show. Participate again too.
She still couldn’t believe she’d started touching herself on board the plane the other night, feeling the need to get off knowing Jesse was in the bathroom stroking his cock while thinking about her. It’d been brazen and bold and downright crazy. And she didn’t regret it for a second, not even after their slight tiff about his hitman job that morning before the police had intercepted the jet.
How could she regret it when her body yearned for this man on so many levels? The fact that she was aroused and turned on right now was evidence of their insane chemistry. The physical and emotional connection was off-the-charts.
And he’s gone from my hate list, so there’s that too.
Jesse backed up against the door and rubbed the muzzle of his gun along his thigh, which should have shocked her back to the gravity and danger of their situation, but it didn’t.
“Maybe I should wait outside.” His eyes moved over the curtain again, like if he looked hard enough, he’d be able to see through it. “I can’t be distracted again.”
Again? Like he’d been with Zoran that day last year? When she’d read between the lines of what he’d said to her on the plane, that Zoran survived because he was distraught over her upcoming marriage to Brian, she hadn’t been sure how to react.
“Jesse?” she whispered, feeling a bit panicked that he was going to cut and run. Not physically, but emotionally bail on her.
“What?” The word came out choked, like a muffled sound as if he were dealing with an internal battle of some sort, and she needed to pull him to her side before he surrendered to the worries and bad thoughts. She prevented him from unleashing on Henry, so there had to be hope.
Her heart was pounding furiously as her nerves took over, but with both hands, she parted the shower curtain, relieved the water was now warm and allowed her “husband” to see her completely naked for the first time in three years. On the plane, he’d seen most of her, but not all of her.
“What are you doing?” he asked through clenched teeth.