AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He shrugged. “Okay, somewhere busy and loud… We’ll bring Ares.”
“He’s working.”
“He’ll be working there as well. I value your safety, which means he does too… he won’t pass up the chance to get out the sphere for a while.”
Tess turned. “The Olympusphere,” she said. “He’s on Omega. Is he allowed burgers?”
“I give the orders,” Harry said, returning to the trailer to open the door and bark inside. “We’re going out.”
Daire appeared in the doorway. “Where are we going?” When he spotted her, he frowned. “You should be inside.”
“I’m coming with you,” she said. “We’re going to eat fat, juicy burgers.”
Daire’s gaze trailed down her body and back up. “In public?” She nodded. “You need to put on more clothes.”
“Agreed,” Harry said.
Daire and Harry were on the same page about a lot of things when it came to Olympus. They had their disagreements. Hence how she’d ended up between them in the Olympus Beta control room. It should be nice to be something else they could agree on. More unity meant less chance of something going wrong when it mattered.
But Tess rolled her eyes and groaned as she went inside. Women wore a lot less in a lot of public areas of Vegas. Not that she minded dressing to eat with her father. They hadn’t spent much time together and this was a chance for both of them to get to know each other. Either they’d forge a bond or realize they had nothing in common. However it worked out, she’d get an answer.
Spending time with Daire, in front of her father, that was going to be a more delicate path to tread.
SIX
THEY TALKED ABOUT VEGAS. About the weather and the differences between prepping for Arctic and desert missions. Tess enjoyed their rapport. When the barriers of soldier and superior were dropped, the two of them could bounce off each other.
It meant she didn’t have to say much, but that was fine by her. Seeing them in that environment helped her to understand their bond a little better too. Although Harry was the authoritarian, he also reveled in witnessing Daire’s knowledge and ability come to life. From just the way Harry looked at his protégé, she could tell that he was proud and that he cared. His admissions in the garage became clearer to her as well. He’d been saying sorry, in his way, for treating her like an employee. Sometimes his overbearing nature could come out, even while they sat in the booth at the burger place. Daire knew how to deal with it, how to still make his point even if Harry didn’t agree with it.
Daire wasn’t silenced. He didn’t bow and shrink in fear. He showed tremendous respect and patience, more than she would, but he still asserted himself.
“It’s getting dark,” Tess said, having noticed the stark contrast of bright lights against the darkening sky.
“I can bend my own rules.”
“Write that one down for me, old man,” Daire said.
“You should be nicer when you’re benefiting,” she said, smiling at the man next to her. “How was that burger?”
The side of his mouth curved. She loved his smile, he was only showing her one dimple, but it was enough that Tess wanted to nuzzle her face against his.
“Fair enough,” he said, shifting his focus to Harry. “Any chance of a beer?”
Harry slid to the end of his side of the booth. “You get a shake. I’ll order before I stop in the men’s room.”
He left the table and walked deeper into the restaurant. Before Tess had even breathed out all the way, Daire’s hand snaked to her inner thigh… high on her inner thigh, pushing her skirt out the way with his forearm.
His mouth buried itself in her hair. “Do you know how many times your arm’s been on my junk tonight?”
She looked down. Her hand really was on his leg, her arm resting against him. “I didn’t even know I was doing that.”
“And I don’t mind you getting fresh, but if the idea is to keep your father in the dark…”
After giving him a squeeze, she let go and slid herself closer to the window.
Daire thrust an arm behind her back to yank her nearer again. “Not so close to the window.”
Tess laughed. “Jealous?”
