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The elevator doors dinged open. “It just worked out that way. Don’t worry, Saint Dune, I don’t plan on compromising your integrity.”
“No, of course not, because stealing has nothing to do with integrity.” The words were a whisper, but they echoed down the hallway.
“Retrieval,” Hallie said through gritted teeth as she pushed me inside the suite. “Here’s an idea. Try not to blow it all before we even get started. And I told you, we’re not … whoa.”
A red leather couch was backed up to an exposed brick wall. Across from it sat a small desk and a huge flat screen. The room was perfectly proportioned. French doors opened onto a private balcony, or gallery, as they are called in Lousiana. A split staircase led upstairs. To the bedroom.
Where there was one bed. One big, big bed and a bottle of champagne.
“I’ll take the couch,” I said. Or better yet, we’d finish the job today, and I would go home, lock myself in my apartment, and stand in a cold shower for two solid days.
“Don’t be passive-aggressive.” She threw her bag on the desk, unzipped it, and pulled out a sweater. “We can share the same breathing space for a day. Screw this job up and get me in trouble, and I’ll be forced to find inventive ways to injure your man parts.”
I tried to hide my smile as I sat down on the couch. Everything with Hallie was easy and complicated at the same time, in the very best way, but being alone with her in a hotel room with one bed was one complication I had no idea how to handle.
“Maybe you just want to think about my man parts.” Apparently I was going to handle it overtly.
She blinked a couple of times. Finally. I’d managed to throw her off. “Maybe I should do this myself.”
“I said I was in. I’m supposed to be helping you.”
“Right. Because you were so helpful in the lobby?”
“We both know you could do this job blindfolded in a blackout,” I argued. “Just like I know why you want to be here.”
“I don’t think you do.”
“You wanted out of your house,” I said. “You’re out. What else is there?”
Her look of frustration told me there was a lot more. “Maybe I wanted to get somewhere private and give you a chance to kiss me.”
I almost fell out of my seat. Her excuse was a diversion from the truth, and the perfect one to throw at me. I stood.
Tilting her head up, she moved close enough that our chests were almost touching. “Hallie,” I warned.
“Don’t you want to?”
“Want to what?”
Her hands went to her hips. “Kiss me.”
Caution spun my brain dry. “Not a good idea.”
“Not good,” she agreed. “Great.”
“It isn’t—”
“We’re alone. Legitimately alone. Hint. There’s … tension, and maybe I’d like to ease it. What’s the problem?”
“Too fast. Out of nowhere. Complications. Cloudy motives.”
“All I see is sunshine.”
I couldn’t give in for a few reasons. One was fear of an imminent explosion. Another was that I was obviously outmatched, and I didn’t know how I’d make myself stop kissing her if I ever started.
“Listen.” I took a huge step back. Breathed. Breathed again. In that moment, honesty outweighed sense. “I’m not going to pretend like this isn’t something I want. You’re amazing.”
“Okay.” She looked confused.
