Page 24 of Controlled Chaos

Chapter 14

The moon was startingto rise in the night sky, playing hide and seek through the cloud cover. The cool ocean breeze caressed my arms but was comfortable even in the lightweight dress I was wearing. There were a few people out of the bungalows and barracks as we passed, not many but a few were lingering around the grounds. Lights shined through the windows showing people going about their evening. I couldn’t shake the feeling that eyes were burning into my back, watching us closely.

I wrapped my arm through the crook of Porter’s elbow and leaned into him, gazing up at him as if I was indeed a woman in love. I could play the part. I’d played worse.

He stared down at me and quirked an eyebrow until he remembered we were supposed to be a couple. He slipped his arm free and wrapped it around my shoulder and kissed my temple.

“I think we’re being watched,” I whispered.

“I’m not surprised.” Porter turned me so my back was to the dining area. He rested his palm on my face and leaned in, whispering like he was a lover declaring his intentions. “I’m going to kiss you.”

I smiled up at him, giving him all the encouragement he needed, and waited as he lowered his lips to mine in a soft caress that could have fooled everyone, including myself, if I didn’t guard my heart.

When he pulled away, his gaze softened. “We have eyes at your six o’clock. Thaddeus and Edward are watching us from the private study.”

I tugged on Porter’s shirt and brought his lips down on mine again, this time giving those two voyeurs something to really believe. I turned up the heat in a way my foodie mother would have been proud.

When I finally broke for air, Porter’s eyes were hooded as he stared down at me. “Wow.”

“That’s the correct response for your fiancée.” I giggled and took his arm again, without checking to see if the men were still watching us. I knew they were. I could still feel their slimy gaze.

When we made it back to the room, Porter ushered us inside, and I giggled like a girl in love until the door was closed behind us and I plopped onto the couch. Porter pulled the curtains together to block out any onlookers.

“I have to tell you that you were very convincing playing the part of fiancé.”

“You’re a good kisser, so it wasn’t painful.”

Porter chuckled and plopped down into a chair across from me. “Have you had many painful experiences?”

“Just one,” I answered, wiping the smile from my face. “And no, I’m not going to tell you about it.”

“Fair enough.” Porter rubbed at the stubble on his chin. “We have a week until the ceremony to dig up any evidence we can find. Where do you suggest we start?”

That was a good question and one that I’d know the answer to if Porter wasn’t in the same room with me. “How about we test the space of me being able to block your love voodoo. If I were able to leave, I might get a flash of where we need to look.”

“That’s not smart. We stick together to block anyone else from finding you. Isn’t that why you agreed to come with me?”

“Yeah, but knowledge is power. We both need to know if the boundaries of the island are enough or if we can only stand a few feet apart, just in case you get whisked away for God knows what kind of reason.”

“Okay, but we’ll be smart about it. How about we get some sleep and worry about it in the morning.”

His tired gaze held mine. I think just being on the island and knowing what and who he was up again, was draining the energy from him and sucking out a bit of his soul.

Sleeping next to Porter was going to be difficult now and not just because the bed was small but because I knew the heat that he was capable of producing. I could feel it down to my core. “Sounds good. Why don’t you check and see if you’re hiding spot has been tampered with while I shower?”

He rose and held out his hand. “Come on, let’s go.”

I slipped my fingers into his palm and let him pull me to my feet. “You know if you’re a good boy, I might eventually let you wash my back.”

“You don’t have a filter, do you?”

“Nope,” I answered. “My brothers reminded me of that every day.”

“Lucky me,” he teased, taking my hand and pushing the bedroom door open with his back.

All teasing died on my lips when we entered the room.

Our suitcases were sitting wide-open on the bed. His looked as though they had been rifled through, and mine was completely empty. My clothes and belongings, gone.

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