operation. That’s the important thing. The only thing. She needs to moderate her feelings.”
“If I weren’t so astonished at you talking about feelings, I’d blast you for being a cold-hearted jerk. She–.”
“Hey.” April waved a hand. “You do know I’m here, don’t you?”
Sharon grinned. “Sorry.”
“I do appreciate how much you have done for me, both of you and you, Derek,” she pitched her voice to reach the front seat. “Thank you all.”
“I would be even more terrified than I am now—” Her smile went lopsided. “—if you hadn’t given me such a good grounding. Now I have to do it.”
Her gaze came to him.
“I have to do it,” she repeated. “That means it has to be my way, not your way any longer, Hunter. Even if I could close down or separate my emotions the way you think I should, I wouldn’t. I won’t cheat King Jozef that way. I won’t cheat myself that way. I’m going to do this — and I’m going to do it with feeling.” She straightened in the seat, her head held high. Then she launched one last salvo at him. “And if you don’t like it — tough.”
* * *
“Hold up, Hunter,” Sharon said, drawing him back out of the suite where they’d just returned April, to Rufus’ delight.
She closed the door and walked a dozen steps down the hall. He followed.
“Look, I know it’s gotten more complicated, with King Jozef wanting you to stay at the embassy. I want you to know I didn’t plan that.”
He said nothing.
“And it’s not going to be easy for you with April, either,” she said.
“There’s no need for you to be concerned. We can get along.”
“No kidding you can get along.” Her smile faded as she studied his face. “Oh, God, Pierce tell me you’re not trying to pretend you don’t feel anything for that woman.”
“I don’t know what you mean.”
She swore under her breath. “Then I’ll have to take a picture of your face when you touch her.”
“I don’t tou—”
“Oh for heaven’s sake, Pierce, don’t waste my time. Let me tell you, what that picture of your face would say is that you like touching April Gareaux. You like it a lot.”
* * *
Hunter stared at the ceiling.
It took a moment to realize why it seemed unfamiliar. It was the ceiling over the bed in his apartment, but for the past ten days he’d spent most of his ceiling-staring time at the hotel. A much higher quality of ceiling to stare at.
Sharon had ordered him to go home tonight, pack his bags, and make any other arrangements necessary to stay at the Bariavak embassy until after the first of the year.
Not much more than a mile from his apartment. A world away.
Damn Sharon.
Not for agreeing to Jozef’s request.
Request
.
Right
. The man demanded, he didn’t request.
No, that was part of the job. Hers and his. He didn’t damn her for that.
It was what she’d said in the hotel hallway. Now she had him thinking about touching April.
Not that kind of touching. Not his hands on her body, stroking the heat of those legs, all the way up to—
No, dammit, he wouldn’t. All he’d done was take her arm to guide her. Into the car, a building, a doorway. He wasn’t going to stop doing that. It was security protocol. There was nothing in the touch. Simply making sure she got where she needed to be. That all.
And that’s all it would have stayed if Sharon hadn’t started playing with his head.
* * *
Packing took far more time than April expected.
First, there were all the Christmas things from the storage unit that had to go back in their boxes and bags.
Plus, she hadn’t realized how much she’d spread out in the suite in a little over a week.
Derek helped, especially gathering the papers and photographs that had been her study materials. He also reached up to hand her decorations that had been placed high up.
And he answered the door.
Somehow, hotel employees had heard they’d be departing and one by one they came up to say good-bye, give her a hug,
“If I weren’t so astonished at you talking about feelings, I’d blast you for being a cold-hearted jerk. She–.”
“Hey.” April waved a hand. “You do know I’m here, don’t you?”
Sharon grinned. “Sorry.”
“I do appreciate how much you have done for me, both of you and you, Derek,” she pitched her voice to reach the front seat. “Thank you all.”
“I would be even more terrified than I am now—” Her smile went lopsided. “—if you hadn’t given me such a good grounding. Now I have to do it.”
Her gaze came to him.
“I have to do it,” she repeated. “That means it has to be my way, not your way any longer, Hunter. Even if I could close down or separate my emotions the way you think I should, I wouldn’t. I won’t cheat King Jozef that way. I won’t cheat myself that way. I’m going to do this — and I’m going to do it with feeling.” She straightened in the seat, her head held high. Then she launched one last salvo at him. “And if you don’t like it — tough.”
* * *
“Hold up, Hunter,” Sharon said, drawing him back out of the suite where they’d just returned April, to Rufus’ delight.
She closed the door and walked a dozen steps down the hall. He followed.
“Look, I know it’s gotten more complicated, with King Jozef wanting you to stay at the embassy. I want you to know I didn’t plan that.”
He said nothing.
“And it’s not going to be easy for you with April, either,” she said.
“There’s no need for you to be concerned. We can get along.”
“No kidding you can get along.” Her smile faded as she studied his face. “Oh, God, Pierce tell me you’re not trying to pretend you don’t feel anything for that woman.”
“I don’t know what you mean.”
She swore under her breath. “Then I’ll have to take a picture of your face when you touch her.”
“I don’t tou—”
“Oh for heaven’s sake, Pierce, don’t waste my time. Let me tell you, what that picture of your face would say is that you like touching April Gareaux. You like it a lot.”
* * *
Hunter stared at the ceiling.
It took a moment to realize why it seemed unfamiliar. It was the ceiling over the bed in his apartment, but for the past ten days he’d spent most of his ceiling-staring time at the hotel. A much higher quality of ceiling to stare at.
Sharon had ordered him to go home tonight, pack his bags, and make any other arrangements necessary to stay at the Bariavak embassy until after the first of the year.
Not much more than a mile from his apartment. A world away.
Damn Sharon.
Not for agreeing to Jozef’s request.
Request
.
Right
. The man demanded, he didn’t request.
No, that was part of the job. Hers and his. He didn’t damn her for that.
It was what she’d said in the hotel hallway. Now she had him thinking about touching April.
Not that kind of touching. Not his hands on her body, stroking the heat of those legs, all the way up to—
No, dammit, he wouldn’t. All he’d done was take her arm to guide her. Into the car, a building, a doorway. He wasn’t going to stop doing that. It was security protocol. There was nothing in the touch. Simply making sure she got where she needed to be. That all.
And that’s all it would have stayed if Sharon hadn’t started playing with his head.
* * *
Packing took far more time than April expected.
First, there were all the Christmas things from the storage unit that had to go back in their boxes and bags.
Plus, she hadn’t realized how much she’d spread out in the suite in a little over a week.
Derek helped, especially gathering the papers and photographs that had been her study materials. He also reached up to hand her decorations that had been placed high up.
And he answered the door.
Somehow, hotel employees had heard they’d be departing and one by one they came up to say good-bye, give her a hug,
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