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They were almost home when Faine’s phone rang and Jack remembered his was still off. Not that he expected it to blow up with people trying to get in touch. Vin might have asked for an update, but while Jack waited for the phone to come on, it was Olivia he hoped had reached out. And not because she wanted a damned update. He hadn’t told her he was heading out with the others, but she knew him well enough to suspect it.
The screen lit up, telling him he had two messages. The first, from Vin, was just as he’d anticipated. He shot back a brief text about Evans then opened the next message, which was from Olivia. He might have flinched a bit. It was terse and to the point. Where are you?
Faine, watching in the rearview mirror, cocked an eyebrow. “She pissed?”
No one needed to verify who the she was. He texted back.
“She’s not happy,” Jack answered.
Mason twisted to look back at him, scowling. “You need a plan.”
Jack wasn’t even surprised Mason put in his two cents. “Why are you people so fucking nosy?”
Faine snorted and Mason lifted his shoulder in a half shrug. “We’re family. Comes with the territory.”
Neither of them needed to tell him to get used to it, but he wasn’t really worried about that right now. Mason might be right, though. Jack had been playing things by ear with Olivia. Maybe he needed a plan of attack instead. Define his objective, list the steps, and don’t rest until he got there. What would really be helpful was some time away from the Elect and Elect business.
“What are the chances of talking Brax into letting us go away for a couple of days?” he asked.
“Something wrong with the main house?” Mason asked.
“It’s all those nosy family members, man. Cramps a guy’s style,” he drawled.
Mason made a sound that might have been a choked off laugh. Good to know he actually had a sense of humor buried under all that hard ass.
“Leaving the compound isn’t an option, but we do have several guest cabins for Elect members who don’t live here full time. There’s a couple free right now.”
He pulled out his phone. Jack couldn’t see what he was doing, but he spoke again a minute later, as Faine was entering the gate code at the compound’s entrance.
“You’re in luck. The hot spring’s cabin is free. You’ll need to swing by the kitchen at the main house. The cabin only has a few basics stocked.”
If that was his only option, he’d take it, but Mason’s assistance made Jack suspicious. “Why are you helping?”
Mason gave him a mean grin. “Maybe I’m waiting for you to crash and burn. You still have to convince Livie to go along with your little plan.”
That was more the Mason he’d come to know. Irritating as hell. A few minutes later, they pulled up in front of Brax’s house and piled out. He followed them to Mason’s office, where he opened a wall cabinet, reached inside, and then tossed Jack a key.
“You don’t need to sit in on the debrief. Brax heard everything, and we won’t make any decisions tonight.”
He nodded in response and left, jogged upstairs to his and Olivia’s suite and tossed a change of clothes, his shaving kit, and laptop into a backpack. He heard Olivia enter as he zipped it shut and met her in the living room. She noted the pack slung over his shoulder and cocked her eyebrows, though her eyes were wary. She thought he was leaving. He struggled against a surge of frustrated anger.
“Going somewhere?”
“We are, darlin’. Mason gave me the key to one of the cabins.”
The suspicion turned to confusion. “Something wrong with this place?”
“No, I just think we need our own space for a couple of days.”
He took her hands and pulled her close slowly, inch by inch until she was flush against him. She was warm, only a little tense which he figured was an improvement. She might not agree, but he thought she was starting to trust him.
“Our own space?” she asked breathlessly.
“In case we want to run around naked and not have to worry about witnesses.”
She laughed as he hoped and tugged free. “Should I pack anything special?”
He smiled. “Something sexy. And there’s a hot spring, so you might want a bathing suit, though I’m planning to skip that if this place has some privacy.”
“It does. I don’t know about skinny dipping, though. Not really my thing.”
“Bet I can change your mind.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of,” she muttered as she entered her bedroom.
He followed her to the door and watched as she rummaged through a drawer and pulled out a bikini. He couldn’t wait to peel it off of her. And if he stood here watching her, they’d never leave.
“I’m going to the kitchen. I assume these cabins have a real kitchen?”
“Yeah. I’ll meet you down there. This will only take me a minute.”
She’d agreed way too easily.
“You’re not about to sneak away on me, are you, sweetheart?”
She looked startled a moment before a teasing smile took over. “Guess you’ll have to wait and see.”
Fuck that shit. A man should only have to put up with so much. He growled and when she laughed and jumped back, he stalked her across the room. Her back hit the wall, forcing her retreat to end, but her smile didn’t fade much.
“I’m not going anywhere without you, sweetheart. You should be worried about that.”
“So you’ve decided to keep me?” he asked blandly, somehow concealing a surge of what he could only describe as elation.
What the hell had happened at that girls’ night thing? And could she have some more? He caught a whiff of rum and looked her over suspiciously.
“You’re not drunk, are you?”
Not that that would change him taking her to the cabin. He’d just have to sober her up before anything else happened. Getting some food into her would probably be a good start. She draped her arms around his shoulders.
“Does it matter? You wouldn’t take advantage of me if I was, so I guess the answer to that is yes.”
He just looked at her until she rolled her eyes. “I had one little daiquiri.”
“Did you eat?”
“A couple of cheese sticks. I could use dinner, and you did claim you can cook.”
Who was this woman and what had she done with the cautious, wary Olivia Allen he’d lived with the last week? Probably better not to ask until he got her alone, really alone. He backed up a step.
“I’ll meet you in the kitchen.”
Smiling like she had a secret he wanted in on, she nodded and gave him a gentle push out. What the fuck was she up to? She was acting like the old Olivia, the one he’d known a year ago. Before he had started to show interest. Before she’d started to hide hers. Maybe this wasn’t bad.
“Don’t be late, darlin’.”
“I’ll see you downstairs in a few.”
Her smile was as bright as the sun and just as dangerous. She’d make him chase her or not. Not much he could do about it now. He headed down to the big industrial kitchen and looked around. Simple was easiest. There was a lot of fish in the deep freezer and he helped himself. There was a hell of a lot of produce, too. He grabbed a few potatoes, some lettuce and peppers and tomatoes, and a bottle of vinaigrette. They’d get through tonight, at least. Eggs. So he could bring her breakfast in bed. Maybe an omelet or pancakes if he could find what he needed. Didn’t really matter which. It was all about being able to take care of her and that he could do. He’d just put the last of his haul into a reusable grocery bag when she joined him.
“This way,” she said, headed for the back door.
She grabbed a set of keys from the pegboard and then led him to a golf cart. They dropped their bags in the back and set off on one of the half dozen trails between Brax’s and other places in the compound. Jack hadn’t had the chance to explore them all yet.
“How far is it?” he asked.
“Couple miles.”
They were headed away from the village, deeper into the compound. There wasn’t much to see in the dark.
“Did you go see Toby Evans?”
Damn. He didn’t want to have this conversation now. “I went with Mason and Faine, yeah.”
She didn’t ask any questions while he filled her in. “You believed him? About how he got the job and his wife?”
“Yes.”
He could see she was working on something, so he didn’t elaborate.
“The boat thing.”
“What about it?”
“I’m not sure,” she said, as she parked in front of a large cabin. She stared straight ahead, lost in her own thoughts. “Seems like I’m forgetting something, though.”
Oh fuck no. Two, hell three, days ago now, he’d thought they’d had a break through. They’d had sex since then but she’d held back, and the rest of the time she’d been with him, she was distracted or all business. Tonight, tomorrow, as long as he could manage it, she was going to focus on them, damn it. He gripped her chin and turned her to face him. Her eyes widened.
“What?” she asked in a hushed whisper. Fair enough. He probably looked a little wild right then.
“Tonight is ours. No distractions. No deflections. No staring off into space and thinking about shit that has nothing to do with us.”
She arched an eyebrow. “When did you get so damned bossy?”
“What can I say, darlin’? You bring out the best in me.”
She snorted, climbed out and grabbed her bag, then headed for the door. He shouldn’t have been surprised to find it locked when he joined her. The Elect lands were huge and while there were regular patrols, cameras, and sensors, no security was fool proof. He secured the door behind them while Olivia turned on a few lights.
The room was open with a full kitchen on one side divided from the living area by a counter with stools on one side. There was a door on the right side of the back wall that he guessed hid a bathroom, but the rest of the wall was sliding glass doors that led to a large deck. A spiral staircase next to the bathroom led to a sleeping loft. There were no lights on up there, but he made out the shapes of a dresser and large bed. He hoped it was comfortable. His plans would be blown to hell if it wasn’t.
He set his pack on the floor near a sofa and carried the groceries into the kitchen. Brax had spared no expense. The appliances were relatively new, the counter gleaming pale polished concrete, and cabinets a rich mahogany color that matched the floors. He unpacked the supplies, putting the fish in the fridge and leaving a pack of rib eye he’d grabbed at the last minute on the counter. Olivia sat on a stool across from him and watched silently while he found a shallow dish for the steaks and began mixing a marinade.
“You weren’t joking, were you?”
“About cooking? Nope.” He smiled. “My mom ran a restaurant, remember? I pretty much grew up in a kitchen.”
“So why didn’t you become a chef?”
“I like to cook, but I don’t want it to be my life. Besides, I’m good at what I do.”
“You’re not in the Army anymore,” she pointed out.
“Darlin’, I’m just in a different army now.”
He couldn’t determine the look on her face. Part shock, part disbelief, part fear.
“Talk to me, Liv.”
“Staying here will change your life, Jack. You have to see that by now.”
He rolled two potatoes in olive oil and sea salt, wrapped them in aluminum foil, and set them aside before looking up to meet her gaze.
“Pay attention here, darlin’. You are my life. If you want to leave the Elect, we’ll make that happen, but where you go, I go.”
He took a deep breath and considered counting to ten. He wouldn’t ever consider walking away, wasn’t giving up on her, but he knew the day might come when he’d have to accept defeat. That was a long time off. It was fucking frustrating, though, her continued refusal to believe in him even just a little bit. He swung away before he said something stupid. Whoever had stayed in the cabin last had left a six-pack of beer, so he grabbed a couple.
“Let’s go outside. I need to start the grill.”
