“Perfect!” Beatrice trills. “Oh, thank you. I appreciate it so much. And we can chat about wedding ideas if you’re up for it. I want to be sure I don’t unintentionally copy anything Lizzy’s planning for her wedding.”
Now it’s my turn to pull a face, but I keep my tone upbeat as I say, “Sure thing. I’ll grab a quick shower and meet you in a few.”
“Okay, bye!” Bea says.
“Bye,” Nick calls, before adding in a softer voice, “Stop. Where are you going? Get back here.”
“I have to get ready to meet Bea.” I scoot to the edge of the bed as I pull the two sides of my robe together, rattled by how close that could have been to trouble. What if it had been a bad guy at our door instead of my cousin?
“We’ll both go meet her,” Nick says, “but I think we should finish this conversation first, don’t you?”
I hesitate, feet dangling over the edge of the mattress. “It wasn’t really a conversation, was it?”
“There was conversation involved. And decision-making.” Nick shifts until he’s seated behind me, his legs extended on either side of mine and his arms wrapped around my waist. He draws me back against him, cupping my breast through my robe, stealing my breath as he whispers, “You were pretty into this a few minutes ago. What’s changed?”
“I don’t know.” My exhalation is ragged and…hungry-sounding. Starved, in fact. “Just yesterday, I was thinking how irresponsible it was for you to be thinking about vacation time before we’d even completed the mission.”
He stiffens, and his hand drops from my breast. “I was still focused on the job, Zan.”
“Yes, well, we weren’t focused this morning. If Beatrice had been a guy with a gun, we’d be dead by now.”
“I think we would have had at least—”
“We should be concentrating on shutting down Stefano, keeping Beatrice and each other safe, and nothing else. If we screw this up because we’re distracted by screwing, we’ll never forgive ourselves, and you know it. I certainly won’t, that’s for sure. I already feel awful.”
He relaxes against me with a sigh. “All right. You’re right. But the moment we’re on that plane home, we finish this discussion.”
I shiver, at war with myself. This would be a good time to permanently shut temptation down before I do something I’ll regret for the rest of my life.
But in the end, the hungry part of me wins out. “All right.”
“Should we shake on it?” he teases in a tone that bothers me for some reason.
I glare at him over my shoulder. “No, we shouldn’t.”
His expression softens. “Why are you mad at me now?”
“I…don’t know,” I confess. “I don’t like feeling this way.”
“What way is that?” he asks before answering his own question. “Out of control? Wanting me, but wishing you didn’t? Vulnerable? Exposed?”
I press my lips together and glare harder, but Nick only smiles.
“It’s all right,” he says. “I feel those things, too. It really would be better for everyone if I could stop wanting to kiss you every moment of every day.”
“Not every moment,” I counter. “Sometimes, I drive you crazy.”
“You do,” he says, leaning closer. He kisses my cheek sweetly, sending a strange, melting sensation through my chest as he adds in a softer voice, “But in the best way. Now, go get dressed. We need to buy a less indecent bathing suit before we go swimming in public, and I’m starving, too. If I can’t have you for breakfast, I should at least get French toast.”
My lips quirk. “French toast is a poor substitute.”
“You’re telling me,” he agrees.
I laugh, feeling lighter. Still sexually frustrated—and frustrated with myself for wanting things I shouldn’t—but yet…happy.
Just happy.
And not in the mood to push happiness away.
Chapter Sixteen
From the texts of Alexandra “Zan” Rochat
and Elizabeth “Lizzy” Rochat
Zan: Hey there, preggers. How are you feeling?
Lizzy: Much better. Mom and Dad went home this morning. Now, I can vomit in peace without Mother rushing off to report the color and texture of my sickness to anyone who will listen. That includes my mother-in-law, the butler, the cleaning staff, the cook, and the poor college boy Jeffrey hired to help refinish the shelves in the library.
Zan: Ouch. Well, on the bright side, the kid is probably newly committed to having safe sex.
Lizzy: Oh, for sure. James isn’t getting anywhere near a girl without wearing a condom. Maybe two or three. How about you? How’s work? I hate that they made you go back before the new year. As far as I’m concerned, that’s cruel and unusual punishment. You need at least a week off to recover from the first week off.
Zan: Actually…that’s why I’m texting. I just got off the phone with Sabrina, and we agreed it wasn’t right to keep this latest development from you. It’s a violation of the Triplet Code.