She studied his face. Looking for tells. Looking for the cracks in whatever mask he might be wearing. Either he was exactly who he claimed to be, or he was the best operative she’d ever encountered.
And she’d met some very good operatives.
“I’ve always wanted to dive the Great Barrier Reef.”
His face brightened. That smile—the one that did dangerous things to her chest. “Is that a yes?”
Stay close. Watch him. Watch everyone.
“That’s a yes.” She leaned against the doorframe, letting herself relax. Letting herself perform. “What time?”
He paused for a moment, his eyes flicking over her, and it seemed he might be trying to figure out his words. Then, “Early morning. We should get some sleep. And somehow between now and then, I need to find some swim trunks.” He stepped back, giving her space. Or maybe giving himself space. “We meet in the lobby at seven.”
“Seven a.m.?” She wrinkled her nose. “You really know how to show a girl a good time.”
He laughed—that warm, surprised sound she was starting to live for. “Consider it character building.”
“Good night, Dakota.”
“Good night, Jayden.”
She closed the door. Pressed her forehead against the cool wood.
He moved on the other side, and then she heard the television click on.
She let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding and her heart raced.
Talk about living the nightmares out loud. What could a girl do when he came with those devastating blue eyes and a smile she wanted to lose herself in?
She turned back to the itinerary on the desk. Looked at the words that would define her tomorrow.
Great Barrier Reef Adventure.
Apparently she was going diving tomorrow. She just hoped she remembered how to swim.
Because the water she was treading now? It was getting deeper by the hour. And she wasn’t sure she could keep her head above the surface much longer.
SEVEN
Dakota found Jayden standing in the lobby in a swimsuit and cover-up, flip-flops on her feet, beach bag over her shoulder, and suddenly, he completely forgot why he’d been running.
A three-mile loop along the Cairns Esplanade. Pelicans on the railings. Harbor water catching the early light. He’d been trying to outrun last night—the almost-kiss, the closed door, the wall between their rooms that had felt thinner than paper.
All that effort, evaporated. Just like that.
“They didn’t find the bag.” Jayden crossed the lobby toward him, and he became acutely aware of how he must look—sweaty, breathing hard, shirt clinging in all the wrong places. “I checked with the front desk this morning. No reports.”
“Great. I’ll be back in a jiff.”
“I’ll ask around. See if anyone mentions losing their luggage in transit.”
“Good idea,” he heard himself say. “Give me ten minutes.”
Her smile widened. “The bus leaves in fifteen. Gift shop has swim trunks.” She winked.
Okay, he liked that she’d checked.
The gift shop had exactly one pair of swim trunks in his size—navy blue, mercifully plain—and a rack of overpriced reef-themed T-shirts. Dakota bought the trunks without checking the price tag, took the stairs two at a time to his room, showered in approximately ninety seconds, and was back in the lobby with three minutes to spare.
