Chapter 24
Brie
Early Saturday morning, I sat at my laptop, typing furiously into a document on my secret partition. The notes about what I’d found yesterday weren’t critical, but if I typed enough of them, maybe I’d be ready for today.
The bathroom door opened, and steam billowed out.
I turned away from my laptop and called to Will, “She’s coming at four, right?”
“Yes, four.” Will wandered out, with a towel wrapped precariously around his hips.
Fresh from the shower, he’d slicked his hair back—the waves more pronounced while it was wet.
Water dripped from his hair and traced lazy paths down the planes of his chest, catching in the grooves between his abs.
The defined V-cut of his lower abdomen and the trail of dark hair dragged my eyes downward before I caught myself.
“Sorry,” he said, crossing to his dresser. “Forgot my clothes.”
He retrieved a pair of boxer briefs, shorts, and a T-shirt, tossing them onto the bed.
Oh shit! He’s going to get dressed out here!
In front of you!
“No problem.” My voice was too high. I swiveled my chair to face my laptop. The blank screen reflected the room behind me—and provided a perfect view as Will dropped his towel.
Look away. You should absolutely, definitely look away.
I didn’t look away.
His back was to me, giving me an unobstructed view of his perfectly shaped ass, the muscles flexing as he bent to step into his boxer briefs. Heat flooded through me, pooling low in my belly and sending tingles down my thighs.
I shifted uncomfortably—or maybe way too comfortably.
When had my best friend developed an ass that belonged on the cover of a fitness magazine?
Do they put asses on covers?
“Ready for today?” His tone was conversational. Obviously, he had no idea I was watching him pull on his shorts. The muscles in his thighs flexed with each movement, and I swallowed hard.
“Not really,” I managed to say, still staring at his reflection as he reached up to pull his T-shirt over his head. The way his back muscles broadened with the movement…
Breathe, girl.
“What’s worrying you?” he asked, now fully dressed, running a hand through his damp hair.
I swiveled my chair back around, grateful for the distraction of conversation but mortified at my behavior. What was I doing ogling my best friend?
And why wasn’t he at all uncomfortable changing in front of me?
The answer was obvious: because for him, our relationship was still exactly the same as it had always been. Best friends. Nothing more. The kiss on the beach had been purely for cover. I’d been reading something into it that wasn’t there.
You are such an idiot, Brie.
“I’m going to blow it,” I said. “You know I can’t keep a straight face during operations. If Scarlett comes to The Bridge and Claire introduces me, I’ll start giggling like a fool because I know it’s all an act.”
“That only happens when you’re on comms.” Will sat on the edge of the bed, opposite me. Water soaked into his collar where his curls brushed it. “You’ll be fine in person. You always are.”
“It’s just—” I twisted my wedding band around my finger. Not enough fidget power. Try pacing. I stood, making my way toward the door. “There are so many moving parts. What if something goes wrong? What if Scarlett’s tour gets canceled? The hurricane’s close, and—”
“We already went through all this,” Will said. “We’ve got multiple contingencies. The timing is tight, but the plan is solid.”
I checked my watch—it was nearly 9:30 already.
Scarlett’s visit wasn’t until four p.m., but my stomach was already twisted into knots.
“But what if none of them work? What if I screw up, and the entire mission is blown, and then we’re right back where we started?
My dad stays in prison, Fenix gets away with everything, and—”
“Brie.” Will stepped into my path, his expression serious. “If something goes wrong, we’ll figure it out. Gideon’s invested in stopping Fenix, too.”
“But he said—”
“He said he wouldn’t hand over the keys to his data servers, because if word ever got out, no one would trust him again. You and me coming here is only Plan A. I’m sure someone who built the world’s most secure data center can come up with a Plan B, C, and D, if needed.”
“But what if he can’t?” My voice cracked slightly. “What if this is our only shot, and I’m the one who messes it up?”
Will stepped closer, resting his knuckles under my chin and gently tilting my face up to meet his gaze. His skin was still damp and warm from the shower.
“This plan is going to work,” he said, his voice soft and certain. “Trust me.”
I stared up at him. We were so close. His fingers remained under my chin, and his thumb brushed along my jaw.
All I’d need to do was rise onto my tiptoes, close those few inches between us, and I could taste his lips again.
I could lose myself in the sensation and forget about security badges and hurricane forecasts and everything depending on me to keep my cool today.
The idea should have terrified me.
Instead, it made my heart race with something that wasn’t entirely fear.
Get a grip, Brie.
I stepped back, breaking the contact.
Will dropped his hand, a slight frown creasing his mouth.
“You’re right,” I said. “The plan will work. I just need to focus.”
“You’ve got this, Bug.” He smiled, untying one or two of the knots in my stomach. “You always do.”
I forced a smile that I didn’t feel. Some stubborn part of me missed the charged energy between us. When had my pulse started reacting to my best friend?
No, you’re not going there. Don’t think about the kiss.
Or about watching his ass in the reflection on my laptop screen.
“Are you all right?” he asked, his words slow.
No, I am most definitely not all right.
I turned away from him so he wouldn’t see the blush I knew was climbing its way up my cheeks. I grabbed my lanyard and threw it around my neck. “We should head to breakfast. I’m starving.”
Will threw his own lanyard on and walked to the door with me. He stopped at the door, blocking me with his body. “I almost forgot.”
His gaze dropped to my chest, and he grasped the small metal clip holding my ID card.
He turned it over, twisting this way and that, his hands hovering just above my breasts.
I held perfectly still, barely breathing, afraid he’d notice how much I wanted to close the distance.
He was big and warm, and so… so right there.
If he moved his hands a few inches…
I pushed it all away, cheeks still burning.
Will’s eyes met mine as he finished, and he smiled again. That smile untied another of the knots in my chest, while tangling others tighter.
“All set,” he said finally, dropping his hands and my sabotaged ID card. “The clip won’t last the hour.”
I nodded, my brain completely fried. How had things changed for me so quickly when he didn’t seem affected at all? And why was I suddenly wondering what would happen if I stopped fighting these feelings?
Change means loss, Brie. It always does.
Doesn’t it?
“Let’s go,” I said, heading for the door before I could pursue that dangerous line of thinking any further. “We’ve got work to do.”