Total pages in book: 50
Estimated words: 45996 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 230(@200wpm)___ 184(@250wpm)___ 153(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 45996 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 230(@200wpm)___ 184(@250wpm)___ 153(@300wpm)
When we finally load up and head back to the Jeep the sun is higher and the beach is fuller. I keep scanning faces the whole way.
10
Sadie
I stand in front of the full-length mirror in the safe house bedroom, eyeing the navy dress with a healthy dose of skepticism. The fabric clings in all the places I usually hide under button-downs and khakis. It’s not indecent. It’s... more. The neckline dips enough to show the line of my collarbone and a hint of cleavage I forgot I had. The hem hits mid-thigh, and the slit on one side flashes leg when I move. I bought it on impulse in Halo City last year for a faculty dinner I never attended. Now it’s armor I’m not sure I know how to wear.
Jace is out in the living room getting ready. I can hear him moving around, the soft sound of him humming something upbeat under his breath. He’s been in an obnoxiously good mood since the beach. The arm-around-my-waist moment keeps replaying in my head like a song I can’t turn off. The warmth of his palm on my bare skin. The way my body leaned into him before my brain could object. The distinct rumble of his voice when he told me I felt good right there.
I press my hands to my hot cheeks. This is ridiculous. I have rules. No flirting. No nicknames. No treating this like anything but a temporary protection detail until Anniston sorts out her mess and I can go back to my lesson plans and my quiet life. Yet here I am, blushing over a bodyguard who has no business making my heart race this much.
A soft knock on the door frame makes me jump. Jace leans against it, and for a second my brain short-circuits completely.
He has traded the board shorts and faded tee for dark slacks and a charcoal button-down with the sleeves rolled to his forearms. The top two buttons are open, showing a slice of tanned chest. His hair’s still messy in that deliberate way that probably takes him zero effort. He’s the kind of trouble that comes in expensive cotton and a dangerously confident smile. Gorgeous, arrogant, fun-loving trouble.
His eyes travel down the dress and back up. The grin that spreads across his face is slow and appreciative and completely unfair. "Wells. You clean up dangerously."
I smooth the fabric over my hips and try for serious. "It’s just a dress. Don’t make it into a thing."
"Too late. It’s already a thing." He pushes off the door frame and offers his arm. The gesture is straight out of a romance movie, which is ridiculous considering we’re headed to a country club dinner to fake a relationship. "Ready to go sell the fantasy, sweetheart?"
I ignore the nickname on principle and take his arm because refusing would look suspicious even to the empty room. "I’m ready to gather information. That’s all. Melissa and Brooke mentioned Victor's restaurant at the marina. If he’s as connected as they made it sound, maybe he knows something about new faces or unusual activity. Anniston said the people after her had ties to waterfront businesses. It’s worth pressing."
Jace's expression shifts for a second, the charm softening into something more focused. "Smart. I’ll work the men after dinner. You take the wives. We compare notes on the drive home."
The drive to Dune Point Country Club takes fifteen minutes along the coast road. The sun’s setting in streaks of orange and pink over the water. The tension from earlier hasn’t gone anywhere. If anything it’s thickened.
"You look like you’re thinking very hard about something serious," he says after a while, glancing over with that crooked smile. "Let me guess. You’re mentally rewriting the guest list to exclude anyone who might flirt with me."
I shake my head but can’t stop the twitch at the corner of my mouth. "I’m mentally preparing questions that won’t make us sound as if we’re investigating a crime. And I’m wondering how long we can keep this up before one of us slips."
He reaches over and gives my hand a quick squeeze before returning it to the wheel. The touch is brief, but it leaves an imprint I can’t ignore. "We won’t slip. We’re good at this. You’re a natural, by the way. On the beach? The way you had those women eating out of your hand while I was busy trying not to stare at your legs? Oscar material."
My cheeks heat again. "You were supposed to be gathering intel, not staring."
"Multitasking is a skill." He winks. "Besides, staring at you is the most believable part of the cover."
I turn toward the window so he can’t see my face. The man is purely impossible. Arrogant and charming and far too good at making my stomach flip. I came here to stay safe and help my sister from a distance. I didn’t sign up for whatever this is turning into.