Page 30 of Hiding out with a Royal Billionaire

They entered the Comms room and two more guys joined them.

“Skye, this is Harper and Tony.”

“Neither of you can unseat Chase here?”

Harper laughed. “We’re just stroking his ego. As soon as he relaxes, we’ll show him what it feels like to stare at our bumper.”

They played, and Skye worried. Is this what it was like, being close to Brooks, knowing he could walk into danger at any moment? Maybe she was happier not knowing. She shook her head, absentmindedly steering her car on the big screen. She was not happier not knowing. Or rather, she might have been, but once she’d known there was a part of Brooks that was hidden from her, she could never have been satisfied not being a part.

Chase scooted closer, his thighs pressed up against hers.

She side-eyed him. “You trying to distract me?”

“Is it working?”

She could feel his smile, though she refused to look, determined to beat him. “Nope.” She turned her car, grabbing the inside lane and raced ahead. “And now I’m in first! Woop woop!”

They laughed as her car drove over the finish line, Chase right behind her.

“Now, that wasn’t too hard.” She tossed the remote down on the seat beside her.

“Oh no. We’re playing again.” Chase reached across her and placed the remote back on her lap.

“Can you take it? Two whooping’s in one day?”

Harper and Tony groaned. “Don’t egg him on. We have other things to do besides play on the game consol.” Tony held up a finger. “Like…Okay I got nothing.”

“Are you all here, just to make sure I’m safe?”

“Mostly, and some of us always man the safe house, we just take turns.”

She nodded. “Do all of you work with Brooks?”

Chase dipped his head toward them. “She’s got clearance.”

“I do?”

“Yep.”

That was interesting news.

Chase leaned back and put his arm across the back of the couch, behind her. She wondered what his intentions were. He seemed friendly enough.

“So you get missions, like the one Brooks just went on?”

“Yes Ma’am.”

“And right now your mission is this?” She looked out at the water. “And what about Brooks? What’s his mission?”

Chase leaned forward to look into her face. “There must be a reason Brooks didn’t tell you. You’ve got clearance.”

That knowledge irritated her, but she didn’t say anything more about it.

They turned on a movie, and Skye would have been grateful for the distraction if thoughts of Brooks didn’t dominate her attention.

After awhile, Tony and Harper went to bed. Chase turned himself on the couch so he was facing her. He searched her face, saying nothing. He was an attractive man. She didn’t want him to get the wrong idea. As she shifted to stand, he said, “how much do you know about why you’re in hiding?”

“Nothing.” Her hope spurred, sitting back down. “Can you tell me anything?”

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