Spy Games (Tarnished Heroes #1)(47)

The elevator dinged on their floor. Rand got off first, holding the door for her.

She almost wanted to skip returning to the honeymoon suite and go straight to the surveillance room just to get a breather from him. But if she walked around the floor dressed in an evening gown, she’d stick out a lot more than she would in her staff get-up.

No, she had to change first. Then maybe they could take shifts watching and sleeping.

That, at least, was a reasonable plan. Her nap earlier hadn’t done nearly as much as she’d needed, and it wasn’t like she’d had a full night’s rest since Seoul. Whatever painkillers Rand had given her had also given her the most peaceful rest in a decade.

She curled her hands into fists and imagined planting her fist in his face. She wouldn’t, but she wanted to.

“Sarah. Sarah, wait up.”

Rand’s footsteps thudded softly on the carpet as he quickstepped to keep up with her. His hand closed around her elbow.

“Please don’t touch me.” She pulled her arm away.

“Hey.” He swung around, planting himself directly in her way.

“What?” She crossed her arms over her chest in an effort to give him less to grab.

“What’s your problem?”

“What’s my problem?” She dropped her hands. Was he serious? “You. You’re my problem.” She sidestepped, but he moved with her.

“Me? I was just being honest with you and now you’re bringing up the past.”

“Really? Let me replay this back.” She pressed her fingers to her temples and squinted with one eye. “Ah yes, you said—let’s be fuck buddies for a few days, but that’s it. Things are getting complicated and I’m going to go away when this is all over, so let’s not get too serious here.”

“I did not—”

“And this morning I said the same thing, I was very clear that there was no us to discuss right now. We have enough going on. Instead of agreeing, you got butt-hurt and stormed out of my room. Now you want to come to the same conclusion I did? Do you ever listen to me? Ever? How ridiculous is it that we are having this discussion in a hallway?”

His lips pressed together in a thin, white line.

He was pissed. Yeah, well, try being me, attempting a conversation with you and your boneheaded man-brain.

This was why she liked working with Wishing Well.

Sure, during some months, it was like the whole organization was swimming in estrogen, but when it came to working toward a single cause, they were an impressive machine fueled on determination and willpower. Every voice was heard. All opinions and suggestions taken into account. She never had to fight against men who thought their way was better, there was no dividing the organizational mindset. There were no other Rands or Matts in her life.

“Come on.” He turned and stalked the last eight feet or so to their suite door. At least the hall was empty and they weren’t being watched.

Of course, who wasn’t to say that the Chinese had hacked the system just like they had? How long until the delegation knew to watch them?

God, this whole thing was a mess, and here they were fighting about themselves.

Rand slid the key into the door. The red light flashed. He muttered words, waited a moment then slid the card in again. Once more, it flashed red.

She rolled her eyes and slid her hand into her bra. It wasn’t her favorite place to keep stuff, but without pockets or a clutch, it was all she had.

“Move. Let me try.” She nudged him.

“You think the key will magically work for you?”

“No, I think I have a key that hasn’t been demagnetized. Move your ass.” She jabbed him in the side.

He pivoted to face her but didn’t give her any more room to work with.

Ugh.

She wanted to knee him in the nuts.

She should have known when he suggested food he had something he wanted to say to her. That was what he did. Wait until she had a mouthful to talk about something serious.

Bastard.

To get to the key card slot, she had to reach around him.

“I never said let’s be fuck buddies.”

“You might as well have.” She slid the card into the reader and glared up at him.

“That’s not what I meant.”

“What you meant is exactly what I said this morning, and you didn’t want to hear it then.” She stared into his eyes, searching the for answers.

What’d changed? What was he thinking? Why the jump from I want there to be an us, to no strings attached?

He’d been so angry when she’d wanted to wait. To not make any decisions about what they were to each other now. Because he’d wanted more from her. But something had happened. Learning about Charlie’s death? That was the only thing that stuck out. They hadn’t had any communication with Hector, and she hadn’t tried to get Irene on the phone.

Was he scared that she’d be next? Was this the hospital all over again? Did he have some sort of twisted guilt eating him up?

His eyes…so stormy, sort of gray-blue-green.

He’d had that same look when he’d said he was going to the vending machine…and never came back.

This wasn’t about them at all. He’d deliberately picked a fight with her to…distract her. To set the groundwork for leaving. Again. He knew she’d be pissed off at hearing her words turned around on their head and spewed back at her. For all the years they’d been apart, he still knew what made her tick, how to wind her up and let her go.