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Nik hesitates for just a moment before jumping in. When she breaks the surface again, her usually stoic expression has cracked.
“Holy shit,” she says in a strangled groan.
I can’t help laughing. Nik’s skin is flushed from the contrast of hot and cold, droplets of water clinging to her eyelashes. Her nipples are visibly hard beneath the soaked wrap, a physical reaction to the cold that sends a rush of contrary heat through me.
“See?” I say, my voice a little breathier than I intended. “Invigorating.”
Nik shakes her head, sending water droplets flying. “That’s one word for it,” she mutters, but there’s a new energy about her, an alertness that wasn’t there before.
“Ready for the sauna?” I ask, reluctantly tearing my eyes away from the droplets trailing down Nik’s neck.
She nods vigorously, pulling herself out of the pool quickly. I follow, acutely aware of her eyes on me as I emerge from the water.
And hell, maybe I shake my ass a little more than necessary as I walk ahead of her to the sauna area.
Something has shifted between us. Whether it’s just the rush from the hot-cold cycle or something more, I’m not sure. But as we step into the humid hug of the sauna, Nik’s hand brushes against my lower back as she holds the door open for me, and I have to swallow a moan.
The sauna is a small, cedar-lined room, and it smells pleasantly of humid wood. I sprawl on one of the benches, letting the warmth seep into my bones. Nik sits opposite me, her posture still alert.
I stare at her, watching beads of sweat form on her skin, tracing the lines of her collarbone, the curve of her lips.
I swear I see a faint blush creep up her neck that I bet has nothing to do with the heat of the sauna.
I’m about to speak—to say something flirty, maybe, or ask her a question—but the door opens, and Lyssa and Scarlett enter, each in their own wraps, and each looking grim.
“Ladies,” I greet them, sitting up straight. “Glad you could join us.”
As they settle in, I find my gaze darting between them and Nik, and with a shock I realize I’m searching for any sign ofattraction. But Nik remains as impassive as ever, coolly assessing our new companions.
“So who’s your friend?” Lyssa asks, cutting to the chase as always as she stares at Nik. “Novak Consortium, right?”
“This is Nik. She’s with me,” I say.
Nik reaches out a hand and Lyssa, after a moment, shakes it. “Whatever,” she says, taking a seat. “Anyway, I doubt you invited us here for girl-talk. What’s going on?
I lean forward, lowering my voice despite the privacy of the sauna. The humidity and steam in here mean listening devices and cameras would have trouble picking up anything, and the soft nature sounds and strings playing over the audio system help mask my voice. “I wanted to ask about those background checks Juno had done. Specifically the one on Sophie Johnson.”
“Your CFO?” Scarlett says sharply. I nod, and her dark eyebrows shoot up. “Any particular reason?”
I hesitate, weighing how much to reveal. “Let’s just say some things aren’t adding up. I don’t think Sophie is the woman you’re looking for, but as a professional courtesy, I’m telling you there might be…an issue there.”
Lyssa and Scarlett exchange a look, having one of those silent conversations that only people who truly know each other can have. Finally, Lyssa nods.
“Juno said nothing turned up on anyone. But we’ll take a second look. And Brie, I want to warn you again. If Grandmother does have an active in the Colombo Family, it’s dangerous for you to go poking your nose into things you shouldn’t be.”
“Mrs. Colombo is the current head of the Family,” Nik says, her voice as cold as the plunge pool we were in ten minutes ago. “She can put her nose wherever she chooses.”
Lyssa gets this wolfish grin. “That’s my point. If there’s an assassin here, they’ll either want to control Brie, or cash her in for someone theycancontrol.”
“And right now it’s my job to make sure that doesn’t happen,” Nik says. “Whoever this assassin is, they won’t get past me.”
For the first time, Lyssa’s tone turns serious. “I really hope that’s true.”
The conversation wraps up shortly after that, Lyssa and Scarlett promising to dig into Sophie’s background and current finances, and report back. As they leave, I sink back onto the bench, my mind whirling.
“You okay?”
I look over at Nik, suddenly feeling very exposed, and not just because I’ve done my best to be practically naked in front of her. “I’m fine,” I lie, then sigh. “No, actually, I’m not.”
