Page 39 of Double Shot
“What?” Kyle asked as I shot up straight from my suitcase like it’d electrocuted me.
“It hasn’t even been twenty-four hours,” I protested, and the men exchanged a look.
“As often happens in this life, love,” Roan said gently. “You’ll get used to the times things move quickly.”
I sincerely hoped not, but he probably wasn’t wrong.
“Right,” I said and nodded.
“Go get dressed,” Kyle ordered gently, and I slipped into the bathroom to do just that. Kyle joined me after just half a moment for one of his ridiculously fast tactical showers and to dress himself.
He finished about the time I put the last touches on my makeup.
“You know, you’re beautiful with or without that stuff on your face,” he said offhandedly, buttoning his cuff. “Not many women can say the same.”
His compliment was both brutal and sweet, like the man himself.
“Are you hitting on me, Mr. Lachlan?” I asked, arching a brow at him in the mirror.
He grinned, and it was one of his panty-vaporizing smiles that sadly not even I could claim immunity to.
“Just calling it like I see it, Shady Brooks.” I smiled and got up. He held out a hand to me and drew me close.
“I’m worried about leaving him,” I whispered, and he smiled down at me.
“I know, but trust me on this one, okay? I’ve known Roan a lot longer.”
I nodded and said, “It still feels too soon.”
“For you or for him?” he asked with a gentle smile and I had to return it.
“For me,” I whispered.
“Ahh, see. There it is.” He tilted his head back and blew out a breath and when he dropped his dark eyes to mine, he said, “You’re a brave woman, Shady. Always have been and always will be. So, let’s enjoy this place, take the downtime while it’s presented, and do something mundane for a change. I get it, it’ll be the bravest thing you do today given the circumstances; but he’ll be here when we get back, I promise you, and I’ll let you guys have all the time you need.”
I nodded and took in a deep, cleansing breath.
“Okay,” I murmured.
Still, leaving the suite and Conan behindwasthe hardest thing I had to do that day.
* * *
“Sadie!”I looked over and saw Grant raise his hand high in the air. I laughed and shook my head slightly and curled my fingers in a wave. He was on a nearby yacht in its slip, high on the back deck behind a set of turntables. I had to assume he was the source of the seriously sick bass-dropping beats drifting through the warm summer air. He waved at me to come join him and I waved him off laughing. I was waiting on Kyle who had slipped into a spa across from the harbor. I couldn’t go in. I had a cone of gelato and no food or drink was allowed inside.
It was fine, he’d said. He would only be a minute. Still, I turned back, chest tight and felt it loosen in relief as he came jogging across the road back to me.
“What’d you go in there for?” I asked.
“Need to know basis,” he said and took my hand, bending to kiss me quickly. “How about we go shopping for something for Roan? A present from you is sure to make him feel better.” he said.
I smiled. “I like that idea.”
“Maybe I’ll get him something, too,” he said, tucking my hand in the crook of his arm as we strolled.
I finished my gelato before we found the perfect shop. We ended up in a high-end men’s boutique of some kind and I do meanveryprim and proper. Suits, ties, finely made shirts and tailored jackets and slacks. The type of thing Roan would just absolutely adore if he could be with us, which I knew he couldn’t now.
He hadn’t even tried to put on the prosthetic leg. Instead, he had done something I had never seen him do before – he had tied the end of the lounge pants below his stump into a knot and had hopped around the suite before our departure with the help of one of those canes with the collar that went around your arm.
