Page 53 of Love Me Knot

Something about the way she framed the question puts me on edge. “Just how private are you thinking?” I demand.

Sambi clears his throat. “I’ll put a camera in a red rose in the hall. If he leads you away, pluck the flower from the arrangement and carry it with you.”

I flex my neck and bite my tongue. Yes, the Harding-slimeball routine was one we rehearsed, but I don’t like the thought of Chelsea cozying up to someone who was willing to have my whole team killed.

Because she’s so good at reading people, Chelsea nudges me with her elbow. “Whatever’s wrong with you, figure it out. We’ve got less than twenty-four hours before Harding shows up.”

Damn it. She’s right. “What else have we got?” I ask the outfitter, changing the subject.

Sambi lays out the property features and vulnerabilities with the familiarity of someone who’s lived here his whole life. My suspicion is confirmed when I interrupt his spiel about neighborhood activity. “Hey, just who owns this place?”

The man shrugs and says, “I do,” and then continues his briefing.

We soon wrap up the meeting, and Sadie directs Chelsea and another woman back to the main house. She said something about staging some pictures for our cover on social media. Several of my platoon guys mix with the PMCs for some poker, but I’m too keyed up to play.

Leaving them with a half-salute, I trudge back toward the main house. Lights are on at the pool deck, and laughter filters through the open glass doors. Despite being tempted, I don’t feel I should crash whatever they’re doing out there. Likewise, I don’t think I should stand here eavesdropping.

I’d like to see Chelsea carefree and happy, but I force my feet toward my room. I keep walking until a glance at the spiral stairs pulls me from my original destination. After the climb, I stare out over the hillside and bay. It is beautiful here. And peaceful.

Who am I kidding? The only thing I notice is Chelsea lounging in the pool while Dani holds a light and Sadie takes pictures. The staged scene below seems so out of character for the badass Marine, but I suppose it’s precisely what a wealthy socialite would be doing.

The women finish after several more shots, and I have to bite my tongue when Chelsea rises from the water. I feel partly like a bastard for lusting over the woman, but I was hooked long before I ever saw a hint of her body. That means I’m not a total creep.

For all that sexy Chelsea hides, she’s even more brilliant, caring, and, yes, funny. Her beauty is just icing on the cake. And, oh my lord, that cake. I’d love to take a bite right now. And with that, it’s time to go to bed. Or better yet, a cold shower.

Chelsea

I think I’ve decided good angles, not diamonds, are a girl’s best friend. Sadie is talented as a cell phone photographer. These pictures of me actually look good. I expected tragic shots that would require tons of touch-ups.

Sadie posts the best images to Mrs. Bennett’s social media accounts, and then she and Dani leave for the night. I pick up my towel and dry off. Much fiery internal debate is had about covering up or not before I desert the towel on a lounge chair.

I’ve been at work on this pool deck. Those pictures were maintenance on my cover. That means I’m technically still in uniform. So what if I’m low-key hoping to run into Jackson inside? Either his soul will leave his body or his dinner will. It’ll be a risky but fun little experiment.

I close and lock the lanai doors but don’t find Jackson on the first floor. Since I don’t want to seem like I’m looking for him, I grab a bottle of water from the fridge and head upstairs to my room.

I reach my door and open it with a sigh. Figures. Feel good about how you look, and the bastard’s nowhere around. I strip out of the suit and slide into bed, rehearsing possible conversations with Harding for the next two hours. I nod off eventually, as prepared as I can be for whatever may come.

Unlike our usual missions, I don’t make my body fight the time difference. I sleep until noon, knowing there isn’t much prep work needed for tonight. Sambi will have his event crew here by three to set up, and his actors will begin arriving at seven. That’s also when our people will start filtering in. Harding should also arrive around that time, making the scene seem genuinely organic.

Thinking I’ve lazed enough, I force myself out of bed and don a robe to get some coffee. The long, boho satin fabric drapes over my frame, sitting cool against my skin. I tie the rope securely and walk downstairs. I haven’t seen Jackson and don’t hear him moving around, so I assume he’s with his team.

Midday sun filters through the gauzy drapes. The doors are open from the kitchen to the pool deck, and a soft breeze fills the house with the rich fragrance of local flora. I approach the opening and step out onto the lanai. Found him.

Jackson is in the pool, doing laps, gliding beneath the water’s surface. I get lost watching and lean a shoulder against the stone column. A voice from the kitchen startles me a bit later. “Ah. Coffee. Thank God!”

As I scamper back inside to greet Sadie, I catch Jackson staring at me with a knowing smirk. Damn. Caught looking.

Sadie unscrews the lid from her travel cup, grumbling, oblivious to my embarrassment. Her auburn hair is in a messy bun, and she’s dressed for a run. “I put on coffee, and those pricks drank it all while I was on a call with Knot.”

She decks out her morning caffeine and sighs after taking her first sip. I nudge her out of the way, needing my own pick-me-up.

“You ready for today?” she asks.

I shrug but don’t meet her gaze. “Nothing to it. I put on a dress, act my part, and we walk.”

Sadie scoffs. “Are you sure about that? Tonight’s success hinges on your ability to read a man’s mind. Oh, and then you become a passionate nut job, potential mistress, or simpering wife while our whole team watches. That’s a tough ask for anyone.”

“I can sell it.” The only part I’m worried about is turning it off.

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