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“I didn’t realize how you felt about me. I always thought you viewed me like an annoying little sister,” she admitted.
“I think I hid it pretty well, but no, I never once saw you as a sister,” he admitted. “I thought you were green in the beginning, but you figured the job out quickly. You’re gorgeous and loyal and smart, and you don’t scare me the way your sisters do. They are utterly terrifying, and I’m not just talking about Kala.”
She had to laugh. “Kenzie hides it well, but she’s every bit as intense as Kala. I’m sorry, Zach. I don’t feel that way about you. I care about you. I see you as a friend.”
“And I’m happy to be your friend. Don’t think I’m going to pursue you. I gave up on that. I didn’t tell you about Chet because I thought breaking the two of you up would make you fall into my arms. I did it because you would have been miserable with him.”
“I would have been. Dare is different. I really do love him. I don’t know what to do.” She sat there while Dare was in a car driving away from her. It felt wrong.
“You give him some time,” Zach said with a sigh. “Maybe time and space will give him a different perspective. Of course, I could beat some sense into him.”
“Absolutely not.” She shook her head and took a long breath. Unfortunately, she thought Zach was being optimistic. Time wasn’t going to solve this problem. Distance would only harden Dare’s resolve. The only shot she’d had was staying close to him, giving him as much love as he could handle, and softening him up with warmth and sex and family. That was gone now. “We should order some food and make this look good. I would swear Dare and I had some eyes on us downstairs. I think Oakley might have one of his employees watching us.”
“There are only a couple of people on this floor, so if we have food for two delivered, they have to think he’s still here. Besides, we’ll get a heads-up if anything goes weird. I know Tristan and Kenz are supposed to be watching Lou, but they’ll still monitor the cameras here at the hotel.” Zach stood and stretched his muscular body. “Is it too early to get some food?”
She glanced at the clock. It wasn’t dinner time, but she could justify ordering early. After all, they would need to get an early start. “We’ll call it a late lunch and get a snack later. What do you want?”
“Get me a steak and potatoes. And have them bring up a couple of beers. We’re still on Dare’s dime, so order dessert, too. We can watch a movie or something. I know this is rough on you, but you’re not alone.”
“Thanks. It’s good to know I have my team. Well, I have them until the Agency decides we’re bonkers and cuts us loose. I wish we hadn’t aired all that dirty laundry in front of Chet,” she admitted, getting up to grab the room service menu.
“He knew it all anyway,” Zach replied, grabbing the remote.
“Yeah, but now he’ll try to use it against us.” It was good to think about all the other ways her life was fucked. It wasn’t merely losing the love of her life. She might lose her career, too.
“I think you’ll find the Agency will give your dad a lot of leeway.” Zach turned on the big TV. “They know damn well he’ll be out of here if his kids aren’t working for them. I wouldn’t worry about it too much. Well, not now that Big Tag slapped me upside the head, told me he’ll kill me the next time I don’t call him, and then went about his business. I figure that was his way of telling me I’m not fired.”
“He was never going to fire you.” She dialed room service and put in their order before rejoining him on the sofa. She probably wouldn’t eat any of the pasta she’d ordered, but she had to make it look good. Tomorrow they would call for the bellman and look to the world like they were heading out to join Oakley. If Dare got a call from him, he would handle it, not letting the man know he wasn’t where he was supposed to be.
In less than twenty-four hours they would be back to something like normal.
“What do you want to watch?” Zach asked.
She didn’t care. “Anything but a romance.”
She settled in and stared at the screen, not really seeing anything but Dare’s handsome face.
Forty minutes later there was a chiming through the suite. Zach was already in the shower. The door to the bedroom was open, and he would pick his moment to move across the room, letting the room service attendant see that a big, dark-haired man was in the room.
