Page 100 of Redemption

“Yes,” I said. And even though I knew he was referring to our sparring, it felt like I was agreeing to so much more.

“Tomorrow’s the eclipse,” Jackson said over dinner a few nights later. We were sitting on the covered patio enjoying the sunset and a meal prepared by one of the resort’s private chefs.

I took a sip of my wine. “Hopefully the weather will hold out.”

There was a thirty percent chance of rain, and visibility was on everyone’s mind. Everywhere we went on the island, it was all anyone talked about. The eclipse. The best place to view it. The concern for visibility during the totality.

I hoped it would all work out, but if not, I was still enjoying myself. Part of me couldn’t believe we were over halfway through our trip. I wondered what would happen when it ended and we went home. What would that even look like?

The board was still deliberating about the proposed chief of security position. I was hopeful, but I wasn’t going to tell Jackson until they’d agreed. If they didn’t, well, I was going to have to think of another plan to make sure Jackson and I would have job options in the same city. But with Graham and Jasper on my side, I felt confident we could push it through.

Graham had done some more digging, even though I’d told him not to. It was too risky while Hudson was sniffing around, but he’d assured me no one would ever know. I hoped his confidence wouldn’t bite him in the butt someday.

And for the first time since I’d been gone, another threatening note had appeared—this time at my office. I was glad I wasn’t in London, though Jackson assured me that Hudson was close to wrapping up their investigation. We were scheduled to have a debrief with their team and the Huxley board soon.

“You’re awfully serious.” Jackson placed his hand over mine. “You okay?”

I shrugged off my thoughts and forced myself to focus on the present. I didn’t want to ruin the rest of this trip—and my time with Jackson—by worrying about the future.

I’d loved our time on Turks and Caicos. We spent our days exploring the island, swimming in the pool, and practicing self-defense. Life here, with Jackson, was romantic and easy and fun. We still hadn’t discussed the future, but I tried to be content with what we were and the promise of what might be. Because any time I let myself imagine the future, this was what I wanted.

I took a sip of wine. “What do you think will happen at the debrief?”

The flavors of tangerine, mango, and honeysuckle exploded on my tongue. The wine was both flavorful and refreshing.

Jackson set down his silverware and scanned the horizon. “Hudson has narrowed down their list to a few suspects. We’re close.”

“Can I see it?”

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?”

“What if I know something that could help solve it? What if I could clear someone who was innocent?”

“At this point,” he said, “you have to assume that any one of the suspects is guilty.”

“What happened to innocent until proven guilty?” I joked.

“While we’re investigating, it’s best to remain suspicious of everyone until the culprit is found.”

I stared off at the horizon, startling when Jackson placed his hand on mine. “Hey. We will find whoever is responsible.”

“I…” I swallowed hard. “You’re right. I’m not sure I want to see who’s on the list. And I don’t want to talk about this anymore. I think I’m going to go for a swim. Want to join me?”

“Sure,” he said. “I need to make a call, and then I’ll meet you out here in a little bit.”

“Okay.” I headed inside, thanking the chef for the meal and refilling my glass of wine.

Jackson was in the spare room, so I chatted with the chef before heading back to our room to change. I combed through my suitcase before settling on my most daring swimsuit, one I hadn’t worn yet. Had never worn since it was on the more risqué side.

At first glance, it looked like a classy one-piece white swimsuit. It wasn’t until after I’d received the suit that I’d realized it was a thong and there was no lining. It was quite sheer, and it would be even more so when wet.

It wasn’t particularly practical, especially for sailing or snorkeling. Or anything except perhaps seduction. But it would definitely torture Jackson, and that was the point.

It must have been on the bed when I’d been packing, and maybe my housekeeper had thrown it in the suitcase. Who knew. I hadn’t intended to wear it, but this seemed like the perfect occasion.

I threw on a cover-up just in case the chef was still cleaning up, but I was fairly sure he’d already left. Fortunately, my suspicions were confirmed when I went to refill my wineglass. I grabbed the bottle and Jackson’s glass and carried them out to the pool.

I turned on the jets for the hot tub and climbed in. The house was mostly dark apart from a light in the kitchen, and the patio glowed softly from the lights that lined the walkway and edges.

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