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The song playing last night while I danced with SJ floats back into my mind. I catch myself swaying to the beat as I put the conditioner in my hair. My mind drifts to him; his broad shoulders, powerful arms, and sexy dark eyes. I can almost feel his hands on my hips. I lather my sponge and run it across my breasts. The slick contact across my hardened nipples sends a warm sensation between my legs.
A loud knock on the door breaks my concentration, and I jerk. Fuck.
“Nora.” Alex’s voice comes through the door.
Seriously, what could he need right now?
“Yeah?” I call back, a little more forcefully than I should have.
“You got bumped from your flight to Washington. We need to get you on another flight.” He yells loud enough to be heard over the sound of the water through the door.
“Okay, I’ll be right out!”
He ruined my brief fantasy over a flight. What an ass.
I finish my shower and shut the water off. I dry off and wrap my hair in a towel before quickly pulling on my clothes since Alex is waiting for me on the other side of the door.
When I walk out, I find Alex and SJ sitting at the small table, both of them on their phones. SJ looks up first and rakes his eyes over me. Goosebumps break out across my arms before spreading. Even if he doesn’t mean to check me out in that way, I can’t help how it makes me feel.
Alex looks up and ping pongs his eyes between SJ and me before speaking. “Good, you’re out. Your flight was overbooked, and unfortunately, your seat got bumped. I can get you and me on another flight, and SJ can still take that one.”
SJ furrows his brow at the last statement.
“We fly together,” SJ and I say in unison. A smile creeps across his face, but he schools it quickly when Alex turns to face him.
“Nora will be safe with me.” Alex’s tone off, and SJ must notice.
He straightens, and I realize this may just turn into another pissing contest.
Determined to not let them have another misunderstanding, I speak up. “That’s why you, Mom, and Dad hired SJ. You stay on that flight, and SJ can find one for the two of us. That makes a hell of a lot more sense. The target stays with the bodyguard.”
SJ looks satisfied with my response, but Alex’s lips set into a hard line. He can’t argue with my logic. It makes no sense for me to have a bodyguard who doesn’t travel with me. Especially while my psycho stalker is on the loose.
“Fine, you two handle it. I’ll see you in Washington,” Alex says, trying to hide his frustration.
He stands and makes his way to the door. When he turns back momentarily, it looks like he might say more but decides against it. He opens the door and walks out without another word.
It slams closed with a loud bang.
I look at SJ to find him standing, too. Something about that entire exchange doesn’t feel right.
“That was strange,” I say, I don’t know what other word to use to describe it. Just strange.
“That’s a little more than strange, Nora. That’s suspicious. Why would he want to separate us when he hired me to shadow you and protect you at all costs?”
His tone is firm, his words quick. It’s very unlike his usual cool, collected demeanor. I think I realize now what he meant by keeping things between us. He doesn’t trust Alex…and maybe I shouldn’t either. That’s a hard pill for me to swallow. Alex has been with me since the beginning. He doesn’t have anything to gain by hurting me or my career.
“We need to find a flight,” I say simply. I won’t debate Alex’s loyalty to SJ right now. We’re on the last leg of the tour, and I need to stay focused.
“I’ll take care of it. What do you have planned for today?” he asks, never taking his eyes off mine.
The air in the room suddenly feels thick. He wasn’t finished talking about Alex, but he knows by my tone that I am.
“Just packing and getting ready for Washington.” I hate this tension between us, but I don’t know if he’s right about Alex yet. And with no proof, I don’t want to believe Alex has any ill intent toward me.
“Okay, I’ll book us a flight.” He barely waits for me to nod in response before striding across the small hotel room, through the adjoining door, and disappearing from my sight.
I want to climb back into bed and pull the blankets over my head, but there’s no time. I busy myself with packing and straightening up the hotel room.
