"Sorry, Princess." Dane didn't sound sorry at all. "I'm afraid that's my permanent state around you, and I just don't have the inclination to masturbate like Coop there."
"God, you smell so good." Landon groaned against her neck.
"Are you sniffing my hair?" She brushed it in front of her shoulders, away from Lan's nose. What rabbit hole had she fallen down?
"That's not all he's smelling, Princess," Dane replied. "I know because I smell it, too. If you're going to tell me your pussy is angry like your nipples, I'm going to call bullshit. You're aroused. Do you want me to take care of that for you? Cooper didn't quite make it. I promise you we won't have that problem this time. I'll touch that pussy until you find heaven. We'll go so slow, and you'll be in charge-for now. We'll only do this your way and for your pleasure until you can handle more."
"Come on, Lea," Lan groaned in her ear. He wasn't pressing his erection into her, but it was big enough that she couldn't miss it. "Let us taste your pussy. I'll be so gentle. I'll just lick and love it until you come all over my mouth. I want that so bad. I want to touch you, but I won't until you're comfortable with it. Just my mouth and your sweet pussy. Don't you want to come? Don't you want to feel good?"
Landon's words were drugging her, pulling her into a place where all she wanted to say to him was yes.
"Such a pretty flush on your cheeks," Cooper murmured. "We'd persuade you to pull up your skirt. We'd take off your panties and have you sit back in one of those big chairs. We would spread your legs wide and take turns eating at your pussy. I'm dying to get my mouth on you again."
Now that she'd opened herself up to the possibility of pleasure, Alea could see that vision so clearly in her head. And heat pulsed between her legs. Landon and Cooper would jostle for position between her legs. Their tongues would run all over her, and she would find that magical moment other women talked about. And Dane. She would do what he demanded. She would lift her shirt and unhook her bra and let his lips and teeth touch her not-so-angry nipples.
That all sounded … fantastic. Sexy. Maybe she could do it. Maybe she could have them.
The plane jolted forward as it started to move again, slinging Alea back against Landon. His big arms came around her, keeping her upright. That was all it took to incite panic. She screamed and tried to shove away from him, thrashing and kicking.
"Alea, no. You will calm down now." Dane's deep voice cut through the sheer terror.
His command drummed in her head. She was on the plane, and Lan was just trying to steady her. Finally, she dragged in deep breaths and stilled, even managing to brace herself against Landon's hard chest. He froze as she regained her balance.
"I want to hug you, Lea," he whispered, lightly brushing her arms. "But I won't. I just want you to know that if I could do anything in the world right now, I would hug you and try to make you feel safe."
Tears sprang to her eyes. His words were a far cry from anything any man in Colombia had said to her. God, how could she turn that away? Lan sounded so vulnerable. He was making himself that way. It couldn't be easy on him, but he was doing it for her.
Very slowly, she turned and put her arms around Landon, her body shaking as she did.
He didn't wrap her up, didn't jump on her. He just stroked her hair gently, his voice achingly tender. "Thank you, Lea."
She nodded and let herself sink into him a bit more. It wasn't bad. Actually, it was sort of nice. But it proved she was still fucked up because it had taken all her courage and mental focus just to allow herself to hug the man trying to protect her.
Alea shuddered and pulled away. God, she was so damaged and she wasn't sure if or how she could be fixed.
Dane sighed. "We're about to take off, baby. Sit down. I think we've reached the depression phase of this mourning."
Sure enough, they were gaining speed. Soon, they'd be in the air to Australia. With these three along, no telling what that would bring. But she didn't see a peaceful holiday in her future.
Alea eased back into her seat and buckled her belt. Her voice was still shaky. "What exactly do you think I'm mourning?"
"The days of wallowing, Princess. They're over."
"Jerk." She turned her chair away from him, but that sent her looking straight at Cooper, who smiled at her and didn't try to hide his erection.
She turned toward the window as the plane touched off the runway, and she stared out into the big, dark sky just beginning to lighten with the coming day. It was vast, expansive, right in front of her. But all that open freedom may as well have been a million miles away.