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Jace slid in next to her.
She gave him the eyeball. She saw Jaren glance in the mirror and eyeball them both.
Sitting back in her seat, she clasped her fingers in her lap and attempted not to show how disconcerted she was by Jace’s strange, clingy behavior.
Then he reached over and covered her hands with his big, rough one. Her heart gave a little pattering thump.
She may not know what was happening, but she was pretty sure her heart was mixed up in it.
* * * * *
Jace waited for Bronte to close the bathroom door. Then waited for the sound of the shower running before he spoke to Jaren.
“What else could go wrong on this case? It’s been one tangled-up mess since I landed in California.”
His brother prowled across the thin hotel carpet to the minifridge. He took out a bottled water and glanced around. “At least the convention center’s got all the amenities.”
“Yeah, too bad we can’t drink on the job.” He doffed his cowboy hat and scraped his fingers through his hair. He tossed the hat aside on the nearby table. “Guess I’d better take that off. I can’t have anybody recognizing me as Bronte’s bodyguard.”
Jaren had secured the room key for them while Jace took Bronte through a side entrance so she wasn’t seen, but he should have thought about leaving the hat back in the car.
Ugh. The damn electric car with its puny battery life could have put them in danger. He was kicking himself for not being more aware of all these details. Even if taking a car to a charging station wasn’t the norm for him, it was no excuse. He had to adapt to any situation.
Jaren crossed the room again and dropped into a seat. He sipped his water, his eyes never leaving Jace.
“What the hell are you starin’ at? Never seen an alpha before?” he said sardonically.
Jaren chuckled. “She’s really getting to you, isn’t she?”
Jace sliced his gaze to the bathroom door before realizing the action gave him away even more. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“When I was driving you two love bugs around and you were holding hands in the back seat like you were going to your first dance, you didn’t stop to think that it’s not the usual bodyguard/ward relationship?”
He pushed air through his nostrils. “I don’t need any crap from you right now, Jaren. Just leave it be.”
His brother held up his hands, still gripping the water. “Fine.”
“And don’t say a word to our brothers. Or our mother.” Jace stabbed a finger in his direction.
“You’re preachin’ to the choir, bro. The last thing I’d do is air your dirty laundry when I don’t want you doing the same to me.”
Jace narrowed his eyes at him. “What dirty laundry do you have to air?”
“None-ya business.” He polished off the water and screwed the cap back on. “I looked over the schedule for the show. Looks boring as fuck.”
“Probably lots of great information to gather here.”
“Only if you’re a tech geek like you.”
“Well I won’t be gathering information or making connections with anyone here. My sole focus is Bronte.”
“In more ways than one.”
“Shut up, Jaren.”
His brother shoved to his feet and tossed the bottle at the small wastebasket across the room, making a dunk. The asshole always was better at sports than the rest of them, but he never wanted to play. Too busy rebuilding bikes and stirring up trouble.
“I’ll be in the room beside yours.” He crossed to the door and paused to swing back and look sideways at Jace. “Don’t make me call the front desk with a noise complaint.”
