Page 43 of Iron Willed Warrior

“I didn’t like how closely he was looking at my ID.”

She laughed, as if I had said something charming, and gazed at me adoringly as some other resort guests passed us. “You’re worrying too much.”

I’m not worrying, I wanted to protest. If anything, I didn’t feel like I was focused enough. All this touching and cuddling after five days of zero contact between us? Could she blame me for being distracted?

As forThe Kiss, which in my head started with capital letters, that subject was off limits. It hadn’t been repeated in the days since, and neither of us had brought it up. But it was still there like a blinking neon sign in my head.

We reached the room, and I swiped the keycard. Brynnwent past me, cooing at the furnishings. The place was all white. The bedding, the walls, the upholstery on the chairs and couch.Everything. I couldn’t imagine the laundry bills for this place. The bleach alone. Jeez.

I joined her at the windows, which took up the far wall opposite the bed. We had a view of the resort’s manicured grounds, and beyond that, rolling hills of red rock.

I turned around, unable to avoid the most dominant feature of the room. The king-size bed, which we would be sharing for the next several days of this mission. Beyond, the sliding door to the bathroom was open, revealing an expanse of white marble. And there was the Jacuzzi tub. Even bigger than I’d been expecting. Plenty of space foranything.

Nope, I wasn’t going near that tub. It was going to be nonstop ice-cold showers for me from here on out.

This woman was killing me.

Room service arrived with the champagne and two glasses. Brynn kept snapping pictures with her phone in its shiny, pale purple case. Something else River had provided: cell phones for this mission, uncrackable and untraceable to our real identities.

But as soon as I had the door closed and locked, Brynn pulled the curtains, and her demeanor changed instantly. Without a word, we checked the room for audio or video surveillance. We found nothing.

I grabbed my bag to unpack our guns. Securing our weapons, those we’d brought inside, was next on my priorities. Taking out my multitool, I used the screwdriver to open up an air vent. I taped a plastic envelope holding my handgun and ammo to the duct, making sure it was well concealed. I secured a second gun to the underside of the drawer on the nightstand. The tactical knife, I taped under the sink in the bathroom. If housekeeping did decide to visit, they wouldn’t find anything unless they were specifically looking.

I had a few more important items, but I didn’t unpack those yet. I’d find another place for them.

Meanwhile, Brynn kicked off her shoes, typing on her phone with purpose as she sat on the couch.

“Checking in with the Protectors?” I asked.

Brynn nodded, not looking up. “I’m letting them know we’ve arrived. No updates on their end.” After a couple of minutes, she set the phone aside and stood.

“And the flash drive…” I began. She knew what I meant. The virus program that River had provided to upload to Westwick’s devices. It was disguised to look like a tube of lipstick.

“In my purse. We’re set.” She was tense. I could feel it across the room. And she had claimedIwas the worried one?

But was Brynn tense about the op? Or was it about me and this room we’d be sharing? More specifically, the bed. Which she had avoided looking at, just as she avoided looking at me now that we were alone.

Since The Kiss, we had kept things strictly platonic. It had been nothing but work and preparation. Preparation and work. No more practicing our cover story. No moremisunderstandings, as Brynn had called it.

But I’d gotten the message. She wasn’t interested. Brynn had made it very clear that, no matter how much chemistry I might’ve felt when we kissed at the bar, it was all one-sided.

Yet I hadn’t been able to shake it off, either.

After we’d kissed that night, I had jerked off frantically in bed as I’d replayed the whole thing in my mind. The little moans she’d made as our tongues glided together. The way she’d melted into me. I’d jerked off again in the shower the next morning. In the days since, I had needed alotof extra long showers. Dean would probably wonder when he saw the water bill.

Now Brynn and I had to share a bed. And a Jacuzzi tubbig enough to fit both of us, naked and soapy and slippery. A picture I shouldnotbe imagining. I was acting like the horn dog Brynn had accused me of being the first day we met.

Which made me feel even more shitty when there were certain details about my agenda on this mission that I was keeping from her.

I had a strategy, though. I would not initiate any kind of touch, even when we were in character. I would leave that to Brynn. Or rather, Brianna. She was the sweet, vivacious, affectionate one. Meanwhile, Cameron was a possessive grump who got joy from very little. That much, I could handle.

If she was nervous I’d do something inappropriate, I wanted to assure her she had nothing to be concerned about.

“What’s up?” I asked. “What are you thinking about?”

“The plan. Contingencies.”

“Isn’t that what we talked about the entire fourteen hour drive here?” And the five days before that. Certainly hadn’t discussed anything personal.

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