“Don’t be. You were right. She would have killed me if I hadn’t killed her.”
“Thank you for talking with me about it. I know it wasn’t easy.”
“Thank you for listening.”
“Hey, if we don’t help each other out, what’s the point in existing?” He took a step closer and said, “Now, about that kiss.”
Laughing softly, Jules dropped her head onto Ash’s chest. In a matter of seconds, she had gone from sorrow and shame to joy and laughter. Ash had done that for her.
“Sorry, buddy, you had your chance.”
“You’re right.” She felt his mouth touch the crown of her head in a soft, quick kiss. “Go take your shower.”
With reluctance, she pulled away from him. She was at her bedroom door when he called out to her. “Jules?”
“Yes?”
“Give me another chance on that kiss sometime?”
Another surge of happiness flooded through her. “I’d like that.”
As soon as she closed the door behind her, she leaned against it for support. Her legs were suddenly so weak she wasn’t sure she could even make it to the bed before she collapsed. Asher Drake had fascinated her for years, but this man with his strength, courage, and incredible charisma was eons beyond the fantasies she had built up in her mind.
As much as she wanted to deny it, she couldn’t. She was falling in love with him. And though she had little to no experience in gauging a man’s true affection, she couldn’t help but believe he felt something for her. Ash was the most authentic and honorable man she’d ever known. The tenderness in his eyes and the gentle way he treated her were real. The passion between them was both explosive and amazingly exciting. He was the kind of man she’d always dreamed of falling in love with, but she had given up on those dreams as fantasies. This wasn’t a fantasy…this was as real as possible.
But how would his feelings for her change when he learned that she was the reason his wife had died?
Chapter Twenty-Eight
OZ Headquarters
No one would believe this place. Every time Jules rounded another corner, she was amazed at not only how large the facility was, but also the sophistication of the setup. Someone had put an enormous amount of thought into its design.
This was her first official day at OZ, and she was sure her tour guide likely thought her vocabulary was limited to exclamations of “Wow” and “My stars.”
“So what do you think?”
She glanced back at Rose Wilson. She’d heard Rose’s name mentioned numerous times since she’d become an operative and Jules had been looking forward to meeting the woman. She hadn’t been disappointed. Ash had introduced Rose as the person who really ran OZ, and though Rose had smiled, she hadn’t disagreed. With hair as white as snow and kind, discerning eyes, Rose Wilson had the kind of beauty that was both endless and ageless. Jules estimated her age as between forty and sixty, but she wasn’t even sure of that.
As the woman led her through the maze, pointing out what each area was and how it was incorporated into the overall purpose of OZ, Jules began to see what Ash had meant. This woman knew everything about the organization, from everyday minutiae to the big missions.
“This place is amazing. Was all of this built at one time?”
“The original house was built in the fifties and belonged to a rancher. When he died, his only heir didn’t want a ranch, so he sold the house and land to one of those doomsday prepper groups. They’re the ones who added the underground. They grew too large and decided to move to a bigger area. The place stood empty for a long while. Ash bought it and renovated it.”
Jules was surprised that the rancher had left only one heir, as the enormous house included Ash’s office, a large conference room, and five bedroom suites. There was also a large kitchen with every amenity imaginable, as well as a combination living room and den.
She had thought that the house was all there was to see until Rose had shown up at her bedroom door and offered her a tour of the facility.
Standing in the giant communications room, Jules made a slow 360-degree turn. Monitors and computers were everywhere, as were screens of varying sizes. One giant screen covered an entire wall. Five people sat at individual workstations, either typing on their computers or talking on the phone. One of them was Serena, who gave her a quick grin and wave before returning to whatever she was working on at her laptop.
“Kate told me that OZ is bigger than people may think.”
“Takes more than a few people to dig out the intel we rely on for our ops.”
Jules noted that though the entire area was underground and therefore didn’t have windows, the lighting gave off a glow like natural light. Paintings and thriving plants were placed strategically to enhance the area. What should have been dark and depressing was actually a nice, sunny-looking work area.
“How long have you been with OZ?”