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“It’s not the sort of thing you get over.” I sigh.
“You never do. You just learn to live with it, that’s all.”
“One more thing to live with,” I muse as we make our way down the red carpet again. She might be young and infuriatingly curious at times, but she carries a deep wisdom I find comforting.
Dallas and Griffin join us in the limo, both of them looking as frustrated as I feel. We knew there was a chance this would end up going nowhere, but no one wants to go to all the trouble of putting a mission together with nothing to show for it.
The driver barely has time to close the door behind us before I reach for the alcohol stocked in the bar. Now that there’s no threat of someone coming along and taking Teagan away, I crack open a small airplane bottle of whiskey and raise it to my lips. I don’t pull it away until the bottle is empty. It takes the edge off the pounding anxiety threatening to split my skull in two—lingering anxiety since I’m no longer out in the open, surrounded by countless strangers. Unless I do something to unwind, this could turn into a very long, sleepless night.
Teagan says nothing, only watches as I take another bottle and uncap it before quickly tossing the contents down my throat. I would care what she’s thinking if it wasn’t much more important to rid myself of the unwanted stress still making my muscles clench.
The warmth that spreads through my chest is welcome. It loosens some of the tightness that makes it a chore to breathe. I’m safe. I’m fine.
“Well, we have to come up with another plan, is all.” Griffin tries to sound positive even if his voice is flat. We both know we were counting on this being the perfect opportunity to lure this bastard into a trap, whoever he is.
And it was enough to use Teagan as bait this time around. I’m not sure I could go through putting her at risk again.
The very fact that the idea fills me with fresh anxiety makes me uncap a third bottle. At this rate, I don’t know if there’s enough in the limo to soothe my nerves.
By the time we are back at the hotel, heading up to the room, I’m certain there wasn’t enough booze in the car to satisfy me. However, I’m glad I’m not three sheets to the wind either. Not when Teagan looks like this.
As soon as we enter my apartment, Teagan goes to slip out of her high heels. “Wait.” I stop her. “Don’t get undressed yet.”
One of her eyebrows shoots up. “Why?” she questions but listens to me and pauses.
With a grin, I pull out my phone and find “The Way You Look Tonight” by Frank Sinatra on YouTube. I hit the play button before placing my phone on the side table.
Turning toward her, I hold out my hand. “I can’t let that dress go to waste. You deserve to have at least one dance in it.”
Her confused gaze turns soft, her eyes light up, and a bright smile spreads across her plump lips before she reaches for my waiting hand. When my rough palm envelops her soft skin, I pull her close until she presses against my chest. I place my free hand on her hips, and she places hers on my upper arm, and we turn.
“I didn’t think you would be the kind of guy who knows how to dance,” she teases as we start moving.
“I will let you know that my moves were very well received at the Navy Ball.” I pull her even closer, though that’s hardly possible. I just can’t get close enough. She places her head on my chest, her cheek pressed right over my heart, and I wonder if she can hear how rapidly it beats.
We softly sway from side to side until the last note plays. “That was really nice,” she says, suddenly a little bashful. “But I do really want to get out of these shoes now.” She laughs, the innocent sound touching something deep in my soul. The feeling is so unexpected I almost gasp. How can a simple laugh have such an effect on me? It’s almost like her happiness is directly linked to mine.
“Let’s get you out of these shoes… and this dress. Only one thing is more stunning than this piece of fabric on you, and that’s when you’re wearing nothing at all.”
I think this is the first time in my life I’m actually glad a mission failed. Because if we did find the threat today, I might not be able to do what I’m doing next.
“I can say the same about you.” Teagan smiles. “Now let’s get naked, and have a little workout in bed. I need to burn off those pastry calories somehow.”
