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The other odd part of their every interaction in this cabin was that they knew her dad, brothers, or cousin were watching or at least listening in. Before Reed and Esther had arrived and walked in teasing and laughing like the fake lovers they were, her family had mounted cameras and sensors around the cabin. They took turns monitoring the computer in their two-bedroom cabin. She thought she and Reed should’ve taken the two-bedroom. Then she felt guilty. Her family was here, away from their wives or girlfriends, to protect her and catch a criminal.
The FBI had approved of the plan. Big surprise. Esther wanted to know what ex-Admiral Davidson Delta would have to propose for the government not to do his bidding.
She and Reed had already eaten and cleaned up dinner and so she was pacing, trying to burn off some energy, and biding her time until she could go to sleep. Maybe she could pretend she fell asleep on the couch so he would have to sleep in the bed.
Reed stood and strode around with her. “Is it helping?”
“Not really, but I cannot handle sitting around much more.” Not being able to leave was making her feel out of control. Reed being so irresistible should make her feel the same, but somehow he strengthened and calmed her despite how he made her emotions and desire for him soar.
He smiled. “Maybe tomorrow we could talk our protectors into letting us go on a hike. I know they all took turns today going to the hotel gym and going on mountain bike rides and hikes.”
Esther’s phone buzzed. She pulled it out. “Thor,” she told Reed drily.
“Oh, I can only guess what he’s saying.”
“Yep.” She shook her head and read aloud, “‘We’ve also taken turns getting massages and using the hydrotherapy. That spa is incredible. I’m bringing Shelly back here soon. Plus the restaurant is crazy delicious. Oh, sorry. I forgot you two are cooking your own food.’”
“Wow.” Reed looked to where a camera was mounted. “Thanks for rubbing it in.”
They’d decided to only order room service occasionally, so if Garret did decide to make his move, he wouldn’t be foiled by a worker coming around. Maybe if they could talk her family into a hike, they could also talk them into her and Reed going to the restaurant for dinner. If Garret was around and watching closely at all, wouldn’t he think it was a little strange they never left the room?
Esther glanced over at Reed’s handsome profile and well-built frame and her face flushed. If they were married, she wouldn’t want to leave the room.
But would Garret believe Esther would be holed up in a cabin doing … stuff with a man she wasn’t married to? He’d tried to push boundaries the one time they’d kissed at the end of their third date. She’d shut him down and walked away. Her family thought it would make him even angrier if he thought she was being intimate with Reed.
She blushed again. She couldn’t thinkintimateandReedin the same sentence. Especially stuck alone with him and with night coming on.
The thought of her dad, a brother, or cousin seeing them kiss helped cool her down.
“You okay?” Reed asked as they kept walking.
“Oh, sure.” Thank heavens he couldn’t read her thoughts.
Her phone buzzed again. She pulled it out, wondering what Thor would tease her with this time.
Just so you know, sis, I’m on surveillance duty until ten and then Colt is watching the cameras until two in the morning, so if you need to kiss our boy, neither one of us will watch or report back to Dad or Papa about it. Just give us a thumbs-up and we’ll turn away.
Oh, boy.
Very funny, she typed back, then shoved her phone into her pocket.
“What’s he saying now?” Reed asked.
She glanced at him and thankfully he wasn’t giving her a look that said he’d read the text. She shook her head and looked at the camera. “That he is one pathetic loser … no offense.”
Reed laughed at her quoting a silly teenage movie.
Her phone beeped.
“How much do you want to bet he said, ‘None taken’?” she asked.
Reed smiled and lowered his voice so the cameras couldn’t pick it up. “I’ll bet you a kiss.”
Her face heated again. “What?”
“If he says ‘none taken’ like you think he will, quoting that movie, then I’ll … rub your feet for you.”
Esther really liked her feet rubbed, but the thought of Reed rubbing them sounded almost as intimate as a kiss and reminded her of him sweetly wiping her feet dry and putting her socks on that day at the waterfall.
