I almost fell out of my seat. Her excuse was a diversion from the truth, and the perfect one to throw at me. I stood.
Tilting her head up, she moved close enough that our chests were almost touching. “Hallie,” I warned.
“Don’t you want to?”
“Want to what?”
Her hands went to her hips. “Kiss me.”
Caution spun my brain dry. “Not a good idea.”
“Not good,” she agreed.
“It isn’t—”
“We’re alone. Legitimately alone. Hint. There’s … tension, and maybe I’d like to ease it. What’s the problem?”
“Too fast. Out of nowhere. Complications. Cloudy motives.”
“All I see is sunshine.”
I couldn’t give in for a few reasons. One was fear of an imminent explosion. Another was that I was obviously outmatched, and I didn’t know how I’d make myself stop kissing her if I ever started.
“Listen.” I took a huge step back. Breathed. Breathed again. In that moment, honesty outweighed sense. “I’m not going to pretend like this isn’t something I want. You’re amazing.”
“Okay.” She looked confused.
“I thought you should know.”
“You’re either feeling sorry for me or buttering me up, and only one of those options makes sense.”
“It’s neither.”
“Okay, then,” she said. “I’m amazing. Know what else is amazing? My kissing. Are you going to find out or not?”
“No.” I backed up another step. “Because you’re frustrated, and I don’t know if I’m the cause or the cure.”
“Maybe you’re both.”
“Maybe that’s not good enough for me.”
“Oh my damn.” She dropped her head into her hands. “A guy with standards.”
“A guy who likes you.” It was out before I could pull it back.
She jerked her head up. “You like me?”
I didn’t answer.
“I can’t do this right now. I’m sorry I … tried to jump you, or whatever.” She picked up her bag. “Let’s just get the job done, and then I’ll … I don’t know what.”
Before I could say another word, she disappeared into the bathroom. I went to the bedroom and changed into my suit, then came back down to wait. When she opened the door fifteen minutes later, I lost all feeling in my extremities.
“I … you.” I cleared my throat. “It … um. Hi.”
“Hi.” The fire had mellowed, but I could still feel it. “Does this work?”
The shirt wasn’t low cut or black, but dark blue. It shimmered, and covered her from collarbone to hip bone. Classy.
But when she did a slow spin, a cutout showed off most of her bare back, the one that had started haunting my waking moments as well as my dreams.
“It works.”
The tie on my suit had barely been snug, but now it was insanely tight. Maybe I needed to compliment her. Girls usually responded well to compliments. I had no idea what the protocol was for intended theft or retrieval.
“That shirt is like … a mullet. Business in the front, party in the back.”
“That is an absolutely terrible comparison.”
I swallowed really hard. “It was supposed to be a compliment.”
“You don’t date much, do you?”
I stared at her, unsure of what to do next. “Do you need a jacket or something?”
“And mess up the look?” She batted her eyelashes dramatically.
Definitely didn’t want to mess up the look. “I’ll give you mine if you get cold.”
“No, you leave your jacket on. Any bodyguard worth his salt is going to be carrying.”
“I don’t have a weapon. I don’t need one.”
“I realize that you’re He-Man sized and all, but your role in this little drama is to act as my bodyguard. If something bad goes down and you aren’t armed, we’re both in trouble.” She sighed, dug around in her bag, and shoved a stun gun into my hands.
I stared at it. “I have no idea what to even do with this thing.”
“Just make sure the safety’s on so you don’t tase your nuts off.”
As I often found with Hallie, I had no idea how to respond.
“I’m not going to lie and say that most often I find it disgusting when men can’t look above my shoulders. But above my shoulders is where you usually look.”
“That’s where your eyes are.” I sounded like an idiot.
“Do you know anyone who has eyes elsewhere?”
“I mean that’s where your intelligence is. I can see it there. I like that part of you.”
“I know. And that might be where your focus is right now, but I have to be honest. After our earlier conversation, I’m hoping your thoughts are somewhere else entirely.”
Not that I knew the question.
“Ready?” Dune asked.
“Unless you’ve changed your mind about the kissing.”
He put his hand on the doorknob.
“Fine. Now is the perfect time to go down, anyway. People will be leaving for dinner, checking in, and there’s some sort of reception in the lobby.”
“Why do you want more people instead of less people?
Shouldn’t you wait until the dead of night?”
“No.” I checked my lipstick one more time in the mirror, and caught Dune checking out my bare back. “Too much security camera action if we do it that way.”
“Why does that matter? You can change your appearance.” He picked up the key card and dropped it into his pocket.
“Right. But you can’t. If you were Poe, this would’ve been simpler.”
“I’m sorry to disappoint.” He sounded so touchy I had to grin.
“I didn’t mean it that way, and you know it.”
We took the guest elevator to the second floor and wandered down the hall until we found the staff elevator. We needed to take it to the lobby so we could enter from the back.
“I like being with you,” I said. “I like you in general. I wasn’t trying to be insensitive. I was merely speaking truth, and as previously discussed, I can show you how not disappointed I will be later. If we get through this without any incidents.”
