Page 54 of For Wrath and Redemption
I turn around to look at him. “We have a full day, Jonah. We can’t just cancel it.”
He rolls his eyes. “Yeah, I saw the calendar. It’s nothing we can’t do when we get back. If it helps, you can use this as a photo op.”
I tilt my head and study him. I don’t trust him, not fully, but I’m excited anyway.
“Does it involve drugs, alcohol, or getting naked?”
He smirks in that way that makes my heart race. “No, no, and only if you’re willing.”
I ignore him and narrow my eyes. “What do you have planned?”
“You’ll see,” he says, his lips stretching across his face in a mischievous smile. He looks almost boyish. Playful. Damn if it doesn’t make me cave. Then he checks his watch. “You’ve got fifteen minutes now.”
I wait thirty more seconds just to draw out the ruse of my reluctance, and then I force an exasperated sigh. I bypass the bathroom and walk straight into the bedroom, closing the door behind me. Today was a workout rest day, so I’m still in my pajamas, and I change quickly into a tennis skirt, tank top, and sneakers. I pull my curly hair into a ponytail, avoid the mirror, and head back into the main room of the suite.
As I cross the carpet toward him, his eyes drag down my body, then back up. I don’t comment on it. I don’t snarl. I just...let him do it. I step in front of him, and he nods. He grabs a brown leather jacket from the couch and heads to the door. I follow.
We meet José near the elevator, walk to the car in silence, and just as I’m reaching for the car door handle, Jonah stuns me by opening it for me. I freeze, just long enough to give myself away, and the low chuckle that escapes him makes my nipples harden. I feel him move closer, his head hovering just above my shoulder, his woodsy bodywash invading my space, and his breath tickles the shell of my ear.
“Just get in the car, Trouble. We don’t want to be late.”
I narrow my eyes and do as he says. Then he slides in behind me.
“So where are we going?” I ask. Jonah doesn’t look up from his phone. “Jonah.” He doesn’t acknowledge me. I scoff and look at José. “Where are we going, José?”
I watch him tilt his head up, and even though he’s wearing sunglasses, I know he’s looking to Jonah for permission. I see Jonah’s head jerk once in my periphery, and then José ignores me too.
I scoff again and resist the urge to stomp my foot on the car floor.
“Jonah, tell me where we’re going.”
Finally, he looks at me and arches a brow. “Relax, Davis. It’s a surprise. You don’t want to ruin the surprise, do you?”
I scowl at him. “What if I don’t like surprises?”
He drops his attention back to his phone. “You’ll like this one. Trust me.”
Trust him? I don’t even trust myself half the time. I fold my arms over my chest. Yes, I’m pouting—I truly don’t like surprises—but the way he’s smirking at his phone irritates me more. I don’t like the way it makes me want to smile, too.
When neither Jonah nor José speak again, I sink into the plush leather seat and turn my attention out the window. A lush forest quickly replaces the buildings of the city of Lisbon, our multilane highway passing right through.
“What’s this?”
“Parque de Monsanto,” Jonah says. “It’s a national forest.”
“In the middle of the city?”
He nods. “Think of it like a much larger, more environmentally conscious version of Central Park.”
“Hmmm.” I look back out the window. “It’s pretty.”
He hums in agreement, and we fall back into silence. Soon, the dense forest thins, and buildings again join the scenery until José is slowing the car to a stop and pulling into a parking spot on the street.
“We’re here? Where are we?”
“Belém.” Jonah smirks and jerks his head toward his door. “Let’s go, Trouble.”
Jonah climbs out of the car, and I follow, with José stepping up behind us.
