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She answered on the second ring. "Code?"

"I'm heading over to set up security. What's your room number?"

"What do you mean, set up security?"

Fuck. I sure as hell hadn't thought that through.

"The more I dig into this, the more I get worried that somebody might want to get closer to you. I could just be paranoid, but since all I'm doing is cyber-hunting this guy, I can do it just as easily from your place as here at Onyx."

I was met with silence. "I guess that makes sense. You'd also be able to watch over Angelica, too, since we have connecting rooms."

"Exactly. So what's your room number?"

"204. But the Inn's set up like resort condos. The rooms have outside entrances around the main building. I'm on the north side, second floor. There's an exterior staircase."

"I'll find it. Be there in twenty minutes."

"Okay." A pause. "Code? Thank you for doing this."

"See you soon."

I hung up before I could say something I wasn't ready to say.

My rental waited in the parking lot. I loaded the cases, securing them properly. Old habits from transporting sensitive equipment through war zones.

The drive to Whispering Pines took twenty-five minutes. I gripped the steering wheel and let my mind work through what Jase had said.

Truth time. Why was I really volunteering to spend the next several days in close quarters with Katherine Lord?

The tactical justification was solid. I needed to be close to protect her and Angelica. I could work on the investigation from anywhere with a secure internet connection. Keeping them safe while hunting the threat made logical sense.

But that wasn't the whole truth.

I wanted to be near her. Wanted to see her smile when she forgot to perform. Wanted to hear her laugh, really laugh, not the practiced version for cameras. Something about Katherine made the constant noise in my head quiet down. Made me feel less like a weapon without a war and more like a man.

That was dangerous thinking. Katherine was dealing with a crisis. She was vulnerable, scared, her entire career hanging by a thread. Taking advantage of that would make me no better than every other person in Hollywood who'd used her for their own gain.

But what if it wasn't taking advantage? What if this connection between us was real? Something that had nothing to do with her fame or my need for a mission and everything to do with two people who saw each other clearly?

I pulled into the Inn's parking lot and killed the engine. The building spread out before me, two stories of guest suites arranged around the central office. Each room had its own entrance, privacy for guests who wanted to come and go without walking through a lobby.

Good for security in some ways. Bad in others.

My phone buzzed. Text from Jase.

"Don't be stupid."

I typed back. "Look who's talking."

His response came immediately. "Point taken."

I grabbed the first case of equipment and climbed the exterior stairs on the north side of the building. Room 204 was easy to find. I knocked.

Katherine opened the door. She was wearing jeans and a soft blue sweater that matched her eyes. Hair pulled back in a ponytail. No makeup. Just Katherine, not Kit Lord.

Something in my chest tightened.

"Hi." She stepped back to let me in. "That's a lot of equipment."