Page 36 of Deceptive Lies

Maybe he wasn't just being nice?

Maybe he really did feel this attraction simmering between them, too?

“Why is it fun is the first thing that falls out of your life after something bad happens?” Cooper asked.

“It sucks, doesn’t it? I don’t even think I remember fun anymore. I don’t think I remember joy either,” she added. For some reason, she seemed able to talk to this man about anything. Even things she wouldn't dream of mentioning to the few friends she allowed into her life. She kept them at a distance, the protective barrier around her heart was secure because her heart couldn’t handle another loss, but Cooper seemed to have found a little crack she didn't know existed and slipped through it.

“For the next couple of hours, we’re going to fix that,” he told her as he reached out and grabbed her hand. “For the next few hours, we’re going to just be tourists. We’re going to marvel at the Step Pyramid, then check out the Imhotep Museum, and then we’re going to go back to Cairo, check into our new hotel, and you're going to eat a good meal and get a good night’s sleep. For the rest of the day, there’s going to be no thinking about Mahmoud or anything from our pasts.”

“Sounds like a plan,” she agreed. Thankfully, Saqqara was close to Cairo and a great place to go to blend in and just be tourists, which was their plan. They knew the professor had contacts everywhere, but they’d both agreed their best bet was to hide in plain sight. Egypt’s oldest pyramids seemed like the perfect place to do that. A little quieter than the Pyramids of Giza, there should be enough of a crowd for them to blend in, but not so many people that they wouldn't notice immediately if they were being followed.

After parking the car, they both climbed out. Willow’s body protested every movement, but she pushed through the pain. The painkillers Cooper kept giving her were helping, and the fact she’d got some proper sleep as well. Plus, she’d eaten some good food and was properly hydrated. All things considered, she was a heck of a lot better off than she’d been this time just twenty-four hours ago.

In just one day her entire life had changed around. She’d gone from being almost certain she was close to being killed, to being free and having her chance at destroying Tarek Mahmoud.

It was nice to have someone in her corner.

To not be fighting alone.

Honestly, she felt like she’d been living alone for so many years now that she didn't even know how to properly comprehend the idea that she now had a teammate.

She liked it though. Maybe more than she should.

“Did you get to see the Pyramids of Giza?” Cooper asked as he came around the car and took her hand.

For a moment, her brain short-circuited.

And not in a bad way.

Only he was touching her and little tingles of excitement strummed through her veins at the small contact. It was silly because, more than likely, he was only holding her hand because he knew she was still weak and a little shaky on her feet, but whatever the reason she welcomed the touch.

For once in two long weeks, someone was touching her with care and gentleness instead of inflicting pain and suffering. It was so nice, and usually, Willow wasn't even big on physical touch, her mind always mentally attempted to jerk away from it because it threw her back in time to watching her dad being beaten to death. For some reason, the two were connected in her mind, and usually even the smallest of touches made her stiffen.

But not Cooper’s.

Cooper’s touch made her want to lean into it, soak up more of it, and maintain the connection rather than severing it as quickly as possible.

“Willow?”

Realizing she hadn't answered his question, she quickly scrambled to remember what it was. Oh, the pyramids, right. “Yeah, I actually saw them the first day. It was a long flight, I arrived early, couldn’t check in yet, so I decided to go and see them. They were amazing, just standing there, staring up at them, I think it might be the coolest thing I've ever done.”

“If you could go anywhere in the world, just for fun, where would it be?” Cooper asked as they walked closer toward the Step Pyramid.

“Umm …” Willow trailed off as she thought. If she could go anywhere in the world, where would it be? There were so many amazing countries and so many wonderful cities, picking just one to visit was hard. There was one that topped her list though. “Rovaniemi in Finland. There’s a Santa Claus village there that would be fun to visit. When I was a little girl, I loved Christmas so much, and my dad always told me one day he’d take me to where Santa lived. I know I'm all grown up now and no longer believe in Santa, but it would be so wonderful to go there. They have reindeer sled rides through the snow, and you could maybe see the Aurora Borealis. If I had to pick just one place to go to for fun it would definitely be that.”

The fingers around hers squeezed. “That’s nice. I hope you make it there one day.”

“Me too. What about you? Where would you go?”

Instead of answering her, Cooper shifted his arm so it was around her shoulder, and angled her slightly so her body was more in front of his than behind. He also picked up their pace so that she almost stumbled, her aching body begging her to move slowly only.

“Think we’re being followed,” he whispered, his mouth above her ear, his breath warm against her skin.

“They found us? Already? How?” While she was sleeping, Cooper hadn't just organized clothes and makeup for her, he’d also organized a different vehicle. She had no idea how he’d managed it, but from what she knew of Prey from her friend Julia who was married to a man on one of their teams, she wasn't surprised. The men and women who worked there were smart, skilled, and resourceful.

But was Cooper smart, skilled, and resourceful enough to somehow get them out of trouble if they were being followed?

Chapter

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