Isabelle groans. “Please don’t tell me that’s why Bernard picked the name.”
“Because Henri likes Roger Moore?” Josephine says, laughing.
I look at the two women, confused at what’s going on.
Isabelle fills me in. “Grandma had a small role in the first movie,Dr. No. It was when she was still an unknown actress.”
Her explanation leaves me no less confused. “Wasn’t Sean Connery the first James Bond?”
Henri beams. “That’s right. You know your James Bond.” There’s admiration in his tone.
I shrug. I’m hardly going to admit that as a kid I used to pretend I was 007.
Isabelle grins at me as if she can read my thoughts.
“Bernard and I had a discussion last year at a charity event about who was the best James Bond,” Josephine says. “I said Sean Connery. He disagreed and said it was Roger Moore, hands down.”
Her gaze flicks over to her two friends, then shifts to Isabelle before landing squarely on me. She can barely contain the excitement in her voice when she asks, “Does this mean you two are flying down to see him this weekend?”
8
Isabelle
The next day,I walk into the office, my brain buzzing like a busy beehive since I left Granny’s house.
Jayden is standing at my desk when I enter through the main doors.
“What are you doing here?” I ask. “Aren’t you still on medical leave?”
Jayden isn’t the only man hanging around my desk. Liam and Adam are also there.
All three alphas turn their attention to me. Whatever they had been discussing before my arrival ended the moment I stepped through the doorway.
Jayden doesn’t answer. Adam seems more amused than anything. And Liam is keeping whatever he’s thinking off his face.
“Sooo…will anyone tell me what’s going on? Or am I supposed to guess?” I don’t suppose it has anything to do with Jayden violating Liam’s orders and showing up here.
“What are you up to?” The low rumble of Jayden’s voice is enough to make a lion tremble with fear.
I, on the other hand, just shrug it off. “My job. Because unlike you, I’m not on medical leave.”
The corner of Adam’s mouth twitches, but otherwise, he keeps his cool.
“You and I have been friends for the past two years, Isabelle,” Jayden says, “which means I know when you’re up to something.”
“Me? I’m up to nothing. Other than my job.”
“True or false, you’re planning to fly down to Huntington Beach this weekend and talk to Bernard Bradshaw? Like you’re living in some James Bond movie.”
“Hey, just because Henri started fanboying over Bernard’s code name for me, it does not mean I think I’m a female version of James Bond.”
For one, he’s fictitious.
I’m not.
“But you do realize the difference, right? This is real life, not a movie. You don’t have the level of training needed for this job.” Jayden doesn’t wait for me to respond. “And you seem to be forgetting the place is a resort formarriedcouples. You’re not even dating, never mind married.”
The tension building in his shoulders from the moment I walked through the door loosens its hold on him. They relax slightly.
