hint of teasing in his voice but a whole lot of memories and regret.
The waiter returned with a leather folder holding the check and a pen, and placed it on the table. Nick opened it and signed using an alias, Josh Howard.
“Am I Mrs. Howard?” she asked, needing to lighten the tension caused by his compliment.
“For the night, yeah. Don’t worry. I’m not making any moves.” Maybe it was wishful thinking, but her eyes seemed to flash with a hint of disappointment. It made Nick draw a silent breath and reconsider what he’d said. After all, him wanting to make a move on her had never been in question—whether she’d want him to had been.
“I was just thinking that I need some fake IDs myself,” she said brightly. “I had a couple in another bag I left in the car. Those have to be reported as destroyed before I can get reissues.”
“Why wait? We can stop by the copy shop out by the college. They do good work.”
“Gee, thanks for the tip,” Barrett said dryly. “Sooner or later, I’m betting I’m going to have to go undercover for this thing.”
“Is that step two? Got a location in mind?”
“You tell me, Nick.” She took a deep breath. “Maybe I shouldn’t have asked you for help when I don’t even know how you can.”
“But you did,” he said calmly. “So let’s take it from here. Keeping in mind that I’m not going to always be available. I just can’t be. I—I have important work I’m doing. Work I can’t tell you about, so please don’t ask.”
Barrett looked like she wanted to argue with him but stopped herself. “Fine.”
“We’re going to have to wing it. I haven’t done this kind of thing stateside. And we both know that looking for Jane is going to be like looking for a wave in the ocean. You”—he pointed to her—“are going to be doing most of the work for starters. That’s how it has to be. Agreed?”
Barrett held her head high. “I don’t mind investigating on my own. I will if I have to.”
He held up a hand to stop her. “Whoa. I’m not done. I forgot to ask when you’re going back to D.C.”
She gave him a long look. “Soon. Maybe tomorrow.”
“All right. So we have tonight.”
“To recover. And regroup. That’s all.”
So there it was. Nick had been put in his place. Still, he’d achieved his immediate objective: getting her to set her emotions aside and focus on what needed doing. If she needed to give him a little hell, he could handle it.
He didn’t argue with her reply, just got up when she did and followed her out of the restaurant. He put a hand on the small of her back to guide her to the elevators.
Barrett didn’t seem bothered by the gesture.
In fact, it might have been his imagination again, but he was pretty damn certain she leaned in to his touch.
Nick unlocked the door to their suite and waved her inside. Barrett disappeared into her room and rifled through the big plastic bag from the gift shop. After everything that had been said, everything that had happened, all she wanted was twenty minutes in the pool. Not to swim but to float on her back. Looking up at the stars. Hearing nothing but the lapping of water. Just drifting.
Nick knocked on her door just when she’d slipped the gauze top over the bikini.
“Yes?”
“Hey. It’s me. I know you’re probably ready to turn in but—”
“I don’t think I can sleep, Nick. Not for a while. I was about to check out the pool, if you really want to know.”
“Oh.” There was a pause. “Mind if I join you? I’d just like to stay close. There’s a lot going down and a lot to think about. Your safety, first of all.”
Second time he’d mentioned that. Barrett could take care of herself, but under the circumstances, it would be a good idea to have him there. “Okay.”
“Meet you there in five, then.”
She padded barefoot down the plushly carpeted hall and pushed open the glass door that led to the outdoor area and the infinity pool. Its far edge was aligned
The waiter returned with a leather folder holding the check and a pen, and placed it on the table. Nick opened it and signed using an alias, Josh Howard.
“Am I Mrs. Howard?” she asked, needing to lighten the tension caused by his compliment.
“For the night, yeah. Don’t worry. I’m not making any moves.” Maybe it was wishful thinking, but her eyes seemed to flash with a hint of disappointment. It made Nick draw a silent breath and reconsider what he’d said. After all, him wanting to make a move on her had never been in question—whether she’d want him to had been.
“I was just thinking that I need some fake IDs myself,” she said brightly. “I had a couple in another bag I left in the car. Those have to be reported as destroyed before I can get reissues.”
“Why wait? We can stop by the copy shop out by the college. They do good work.”
“Gee, thanks for the tip,” Barrett said dryly. “Sooner or later, I’m betting I’m going to have to go undercover for this thing.”
“Is that step two? Got a location in mind?”
“You tell me, Nick.” She took a deep breath. “Maybe I shouldn’t have asked you for help when I don’t even know how you can.”
“But you did,” he said calmly. “So let’s take it from here. Keeping in mind that I’m not going to always be available. I just can’t be. I—I have important work I’m doing. Work I can’t tell you about, so please don’t ask.”
Barrett looked like she wanted to argue with him but stopped herself. “Fine.”
“We’re going to have to wing it. I haven’t done this kind of thing stateside. And we both know that looking for Jane is going to be like looking for a wave in the ocean. You”—he pointed to her—“are going to be doing most of the work for starters. That’s how it has to be. Agreed?”
Barrett held her head high. “I don’t mind investigating on my own. I will if I have to.”
He held up a hand to stop her. “Whoa. I’m not done. I forgot to ask when you’re going back to D.C.”
She gave him a long look. “Soon. Maybe tomorrow.”
“All right. So we have tonight.”
“To recover. And regroup. That’s all.”
So there it was. Nick had been put in his place. Still, he’d achieved his immediate objective: getting her to set her emotions aside and focus on what needed doing. If she needed to give him a little hell, he could handle it.
He didn’t argue with her reply, just got up when she did and followed her out of the restaurant. He put a hand on the small of her back to guide her to the elevators.
Barrett didn’t seem bothered by the gesture.
In fact, it might have been his imagination again, but he was pretty damn certain she leaned in to his touch.
Nick unlocked the door to their suite and waved her inside. Barrett disappeared into her room and rifled through the big plastic bag from the gift shop. After everything that had been said, everything that had happened, all she wanted was twenty minutes in the pool. Not to swim but to float on her back. Looking up at the stars. Hearing nothing but the lapping of water. Just drifting.
Nick knocked on her door just when she’d slipped the gauze top over the bikini.
“Yes?”
“Hey. It’s me. I know you’re probably ready to turn in but—”
“I don’t think I can sleep, Nick. Not for a while. I was about to check out the pool, if you really want to know.”
“Oh.” There was a pause. “Mind if I join you? I’d just like to stay close. There’s a lot going down and a lot to think about. Your safety, first of all.”
Second time he’d mentioned that. Barrett could take care of herself, but under the circumstances, it would be a good idea to have him there. “Okay.”
“Meet you there in five, then.”
She padded barefoot down the plushly carpeted hall and pushed open the glass door that led to the outdoor area and the infinity pool. Its far edge was aligned
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