The sound of a fake cough that distinctly sounded like “dumbass” came from the direction of Christensen, but Ian’s gaze was locked on Shelby. It wasn’t that he couldn’t stop staring because he really thought she’d shiv him, but that he just couldn’t look away. Steel and softness wrapped up in a fuck-you package complete with leather boots and a vine tattoo he’d kissed from one thorn to the next, Shelby was turning into his fucking catnip.

Too bad she wanted absolutely nothing to do with him, as she’d made plain at the sheriff’s office. The reminder had his gut twisting, and he pulled Freya in closer until her soft hair tickled his chin and she snuggled into his shoulder. Why did he do it? Because he remembered Lucy’s advice or because he needed a hug? Fuck if he knew, but the toddler’s chubby little fingers that no doubt were sticky with kid goobers immediately sought out his hair.

“Please take your seats, Ice Knights,” the pilot said over the intercom. “It’s time to get this bird in the air.”

Ian looked from the empty seat by Christensen to the one next to Shelby. There was no good choice here, but he had to make it. The devil he could ignore or the devil who made him feel like some sad-sack sucker who wanted what he couldn’t ever have? Oh yeah, that last bit sounded familiar.

Ian sat down next to Christensen and tried not to grimace as Freya went from petting his hair to straight-up trying to yank it out of his head as she sucked her thumb.

“Your turn soon, Christensen,” he said, as if that was why he’d picked that seat rather than the one next to Shelby.

“Works for me.” The other man shrugged and turned back to the window. “Babies love me.”

Of course they did. Everyone loved Alex Christensen. It was hard not to like him unless you had a massively important reason—which Ian sure as hell did.

He did the awkward moves necessary to buckle his seat belt while holding a crashed-out kid. Finally finished with the sixteen-part play, he looked up and right at Shelby. The team jet was already zooming down the runway when he realized his mistake. He’d have to spend the entire flight across the country staring right at the woman he hadn’t been able to get out of his head since she jabbed that Taser of hers into his ribs.

Just great.

…

Shelby had no interest in having kids anytime soon. Babies did nothing for her. Her ovaries did not explode when a photo of a hot guy holding a baby crossed her social media streams. She didn’t sigh and press her hand to her heart when she spotted teeny-tiny booties. The sound of an infant giggling didn’t make her want to toss her pills in the trash.