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I giggled, loopy and out of my mind. My lungs burned, but in a good way, as if I had just finished a really good workout. “You didn’t get anything on the dress, did you?”
“No, I don’t think so.”
“Good. Because I have at least six others to try on, and I don’t think we have enough in our discretionary budget to pay for any damages.”
Charlie chuckled. “Actually, we might.”
I rolled my eyes and kissed them both on the lips.
22
Adam
The ballroom was impressive. With Valentine’s Day less than a week away, the whole place had been decorated beforehand ahead of the gala. It was a massive space, more than five thousand square feet. There was an area for dancing, tables set up for the catering team, and a little stage at the front of the room for the string septet that Duchess Arianna had hired.
We spread out and kept our eyes peeled. Listening devices, bombs, hidden weapons. It wasn’t as cool as the movies made it seem. If anything, large area sweeps like this were a massive pain in the ass, especially with all the decorations the duchess had ordered.
Kris finished double-checking the doors. They were unobstructed and clearly marked. Liam finished searching the tables on the east side of the room while Charlie finished with the section on the west. I completed my sweep of the band area, not a hint of suspicious activity to be found.
That made me anxious.
Now that we knew Terrance was lurking around somewhere in Macau, none of us could relax. Even though Charlie was keeping the location of the duchess’ gala under tight wraps and was in contact with the local authorities to bump up security, we were all on edge. Terrance, once upon a time, was one of us. We knew how he thought and could try to predict his next move, but this was a double-edged sword because he knewus, too.
Fuck, I need a drink.
Sam entered the ballroom through its big arching doors, the click of her heels announcing her entry. “The ladies’ bathroom is all clear!” she declared.
“You checked under all the sinks?” I asked her.
“Yep! And behind every toilet and even the vents.”
“Attagirl.” Out of pure habit, I reached for my flask that was in my inside pocket. Sam’s hand shot out, carefully blanketing my forearm with barely a trace of pressure.
“Please don’t,” she whispered. “I know you’re stressed, but…”
I wetted my lips. My throat was unbearably dry, and the back of my brain pressed me to ignore her. I didn’t even like the taste, but I wanted to feel the burn. I wanted to feelsomething.
“Please?” Sam asked, peering up at me with her pretty hazel eyes. I hated seeing her like this, so concerned. I hated it even more knowing that her concern was entirely my fault.
I relented. “Okay.”
She held her palm out. “Give it here.”
I placed my silver flask in her hand and watched as she turned on her heel. When she returned, she gave it back to me. I could still hear the slosh of liquid inside.
“What was that all about?” I asked.
“I dumped it out and filled it with water,” she said sweetly. “So, whenever you feel like taking a sip, feel free. It’ll keep you hydrated, and you don’t have to—”
I cut her off with a kiss, unable to hold back my laughter. “I love you,” I confessed joyfully. “Thank you, Sam.”
She blinked, the corners of her mouth tugging up into the most beautiful smile I’d ever seen. I wasn’t expecting to tell her, nor did I require an answer. But then she kissed me back and whispered, “I love you, too.”
Liam cleared his throat. Despite his gargantuan size, he was alarmingly light footed. “I wasn’t aware we’d changed our policy on PDA while on the clock.”
“Couldn’t help myself,” I said with a shit eating grin, just because I wanted to annoy him a little.
He huffed and turned to face Kris. “My half’s clear.”
