A Beautiful Lie (Playing with Fire #1)(24)

Pulling his sun glasses down his nose, Austin stared at two women walking by in bikinis that must have just come from the beach, a wide grin spreading across his face. “I’d like to thank the tax payers for their continued support in making sure we are well taken care of,” he said softly with a quiet laugh.

Parker laughed at Austin’s obvious perusal of the half-naked women as she swung her laptop bag and carry-on over her shoulder and grabbed her suitcase. She didn’t miss the dirty look Garrett shot her way. Obviously, they weren’t going to talk the entire time they were there, and it looked like laughing would be frowned upon as well.

Everyone else got their bags and made their way into the lobby to get checked in. As the leader of the mission, everything was listed under Garrett’s name so the team waited off to the side and chatted while he signed the paperwork and got the room keys. They watched an attendant come over with a cart and begin loading their luggage, preparing it for the short walk to the villas.

The Catalonia Bavaro consisted of private villas nestled throughout a luscious, tropical flowered landscape. A serene, crystal blue aquabar infinity swimming pool was central to all the villas, each one providing a private, palm-lined, floral-petal walkway leading to the oasis. Each member of the team had their own opulent villa with a king sized bed piled high with soft, white pillows and floor-to-ceiling windows that let it plenty of sunlight and had a breathtaking view of the Atlantic Ocean. A spacious, white marble and granite bathroom and a fully stocked bar added to the perfection of the villas. Being at a resort like this almost made you forget that less than a mile away there were gangs, drugs, black market dealings, and a president that may or may not have the best interests of his country at heart. Seedy things like that shouldn’t be anywhere near the marble and gold opulence they were currently surrounded by. As Parker stood off to the side while Garrett checked them in, a gentle, warm ocean breeze forced the white billowy curtains draped from the massive cathedral ceiling to brush against her skin. She knew by the silky, luxurious feel, as they snaked their way around her legs and across her arms, that the fabric was high-end. Everywhere they looked, guests were checking in with Louis Vuitton luggage and Armani suits. It was sickening to know that a short trip down the road would provide you with a view of several homes with no roofs, dirt floors, and bare kitchen cupboards. Parker had been involved in several meetings over the years regarding the validity of how President Fernandez allocated his country's funds. Nothing quite this elaborate had ever been done aside from gathering intel because frankly, they never had any reason to delve deeper.

After a few minutes, Garrett joined the group and handed out the room key cards. No one missed the fact that he skipped right over Parker, turning and walking away without a word. Parker jogged to catch up to him, leaving the guys to walk with the attendant and their luggage. She reached Garrett just as they got to the first villa and he was making his way up the walkway to the door.

“So do I get a room or am I supposed to rough it and sleep out under the stars?” Parker asked irritably as Garrett slid his key card through the slot and waited for the light to turn green.

Garrett tried not to sigh in annoyance at Parker’s attitude and pushed the door open wide.

“Now, sweetie, did you really think we wouldn’t be sharing a room while we’re here?” Garrett asked sarcastically. "Given your employment, I'm sure I don't need to explain to you the importance of keeping up pretenses no matter where we are, dear."

Before Parker could reply, the attendant pushed the cart up to the doorway and unloaded both of their suitcases and carry-ons. Garrett tipped him and Parker heard the man tell him that he hoped he and his wife had a pleasant stay with them. The man turned and went back to the cart and followed behind the guys to find their villas. Once they rounded the corner, Garrett turned and walked inside, letting the door start to close behind him. Parker swore to herself as she lunged for the door, catching it before it slammed shut on her and left her stuck with the humiliating task of knocking to be let in. Parker walked in the villa and over to the bed in the middle of the room, sliding one hand on top of the fluffy, white comforter. When she got to the head of the bed, she let her fingers glide through the sheer mosquito netting draped down around the corners of the gorgeous, four-poster canopy. A bright sparkle caught her eye and she looked out of the windows at the foot of the bed to see the shimmering, blue ocean.

She started to say something to Garrett about the view when he strode across the room to the bathroom and slammed the door behind him.

“You have got to be f*cking kidding me,” Parker muttered to herself as she kicked one of her bags across the room. Garrett was pouting like a twelve-year-old. They were friends - that was all. She'd kept her job a secret from a friend to keep him safe. Parker had no idea why he was acting like it was the biggest betrayal in the world. If he would stop behaving like she purposefully set out to hurt him and actually let her explain, he would understand.

She stared at the closed bathroom door for several minutes, realizing he wasn’t going to come out anytime soon.

Knowing she needed to let off some steam, Parker flung open her suitcase, grabbed a few things, and stormed out the door, making sure she took the one and only key card with her.

She figured if he was going to act like a child, so would she.



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After Garrett stormed into the bathroom, he took a shower and was able to calm down somewhat. He wasn't surprised to come out and find the villa empty. He threw on a black pair of drawstring nylon running pants, a black and white Nike t-shirt, a pair of tennis shoes, and went in search of Parker. He hoped he would find her, otherwise he'd have to go and tell the front desk he lost his key card.