AllFreeNovel
Share Us
They stayed there for the next half hour while the guys in the kitchen chatted and cleaned up. Bored with pretending she wasn’t staring at the men outside while eavesdropping on those in the kitchen, Tess sprang out of her chair. Garrick’s comment about Daire knowing the house reminded her that there was a house to get to know.
Creeping away from the table, she passed the end of the fish tank to go down the narrow corridor by the kitchen. Walls of wine from floor to ceiling tempted her into the cellar. Maybe there was still hope.
Selecting one red, she drew the bottle halfway out. Now, was there a corkscrew somewhere around that wouldn’t require venturing into the kitchen full of super-agent assassins?
“Take it upstairs if you need something to help you sleep.”
Startled, she turned to see Garrick in the doorway with Daire, Harry, Lowe and Boze behind him.
Daire slipped past Garrick to come over and push the bottle back into its slot. “Not while there’s a chance the tranq is still in her system.”
“Everyone is going to bed,” Harry said. “It will be an early start.”
“I remember,” she said, recalling what her father had put Daire through the morning after they met.
Tess didn’t know the time. It had been a long day, even for her, and she hadn’t woken up until it was almost over.
The men parted to allow her past, directing her toward the front of the house to another staircase. All she could do was ascend and head for the curved wall, knowing that her room was opposite it.
Seeing her bag on the bed was a relief. At least some of her things were there. Going through them, she half noticed Daire coming in behind her, but paid him little heed. If he wanted to double check window and door locks, that was just fine.
From inside the bag, she retrieved her toothbrush to prepare for bed. Daire didn’t seem to be going anywhere, her father and Garrick were still by the door too. Why were they loitering?
Lowe appeared between the principals and tossed something to Daire.
“What’s that?” Tess asked.
Harry came over to cup her face. Tipping it up, he kissed her forehead. “Get some sleep, Light.”
The others filtered out when he let her go. Everyone except Daire. He was laying something on the floor.
Before Tess could ask what it was, her bedroom door closed, trapping her inside. The not exactly huge bedroom. With a bed… And Daire.
“What are you doing?” she got around to asking when he kneeled on the floor.
“This room is secure. Everyone gets ten minutes to settle in their berth before I do a final security sweep.”
He sprang to his feet.
She went closer to see a bedroll laid out. “You want me to sleep on the floor? What’s wrong with the bed?”
“The roll is for me,” he said. “I’ll be bedding down in here.”
“On the floor?” she said just as he turned to face her. “I mean in the room.” Because the first comment suggested he might be welcome in the bed. “I thought you were sharing with Harry.”
“Harry can protect himself, and he wasn’t abducted from his last bedroom.”
“Daire,” she said, backing out of his path when he headed for the door. “You don’t have to watch me twenty-four seven.”
He turned the door lock and went to check inside the closet. Sharing a bedroom with Daire. Being in a confined space all night… with Daire…
“Why do you have so many clothes here?” he called from the closet.
“Garrick said his men bought things.”
Daire appeared in the doorway. A completely transparent babydoll nightgown dangled by its skinny strap on his broad forefinger.
She smiled. “I guess they have particular tastes.”
