by Autumn Reed
“Sneaky.”
He lazily stretched an arm across the top of the chair next to him. “We do what we have to. Does that bother you?”
It seemed like it should, but did it really? “I guess not.”
“Think of it like this: would you rather Wilson get away with the money? Even if Richardson reported the incident to the police, that’s what would likely happen. This guy is good at what he does.”
“No, but you’re only getting Mrs. Richardson’s money back. You’re not stopping Wilson from continuing to rip people off.”
“We’ll anonymously hand over the evidence we’ve gathered against him, not including any references to the Richardson family, when we’ve completed the assignment. Whether the authorities run with it or not is up to them.”
“You have an answer for everything, don’t you?”
The edges of Jackson’s mouth tipped up in amusement. “Yes.” He leaned forward to rest his elbows on the table. “I’m not telling you about this assignment for your entertainment. I want you to understand what we do and why. Yes, we cross lines, but only out of necessity. If you’re going to be in a long-term relationship with any of us, you need to be okay with that. And, you need to be okay with us keeping things from you. We might let more information slip about what we’re up to than we used to, but we’re not going to start briefing you on all of our assignments.”
Whatever mysterious “exception” Patrick agreed to didn’t include me becoming an official member of Team Jaguar, then. Part of me was disappointed, but I knew it was for the best. How could I possibly work with all of them after I chose one? As much as I hated to think about it, deep down, I knew that day was looming.
“I understand. Can I ask you an unrelated question?”
“Go for it.”
“Why am I going as Liam’s date instead of yours? Did you flip a coin or something?” It seemed insignificant compared to everything else Jackson told me, but I was curious.
“Not exactly. Out of all of us, it’s assumed that Liam will have a beautiful woman on his arm. Anyone who knows him expects it. So, he asked the team if we would agree to let that woman be you, whenever possible. It’s only an issue for public events.”
“I see.” I wanted to ask what that meant for the non-public ones. Would any of the guys claim me at work? Would we all pretend nothing was going on?
“In case you were wondering, I would much rather take you than Kara.” His leg brushed mine under the table. “I have every intention of sitting on your other side and finding excuses to touch you.”
I resisted the urge to duck my head like a shy little girl, even though that’s how Jackson often made me feel. “I look forward to it.”
“Does that mean you would look forward to a date with me? Say, Friday?”
“I would.”
“Excellent.” He shut down the computer and stood. “Let’s go see what the others are up to.”
It didn’t take long to find my roommates, since they were all sprawled out on the large sectional watching baseball. Well, Chase was watching baseball. Theo stared intently at something on his iPad, and Knox appeared to be only half-awake.
Chase’s gaze zeroed in on the plate of leftover cookies in my hands. “Good, there’s more.” He grabbed two and handed one to Theo, who took it and started eating without looking up from his tablet.
“What is he doing?” I mouthed to Chase, and he shrugged in response.
Jackson threw a pillow at Knox, who opened one eye and grunted. “What?”
“Pool?”
“Do I look like I want to play right now?”
“No, you look like an old man falling asleep watching TV on Sunday afternoon.”
Knox heaved his body up and scowled in Jackson’s direction. “Fine. Best of three. Winner picks up tacos for the room.”
“Deal.”
Knox paused beside me on his way to the pool table and ran his hand over the end of my braid. “Did it go okay with Jax?”
“I think so.”
“Let me know if there’s anything you want to talk about.”
“Thank you.” I stretched up to kiss him on the cheek, surprising both of us.
When I settled next to Theo on the couch, he stretched out an arm and pulled me into his side. I tried to peek at his iPad, but he kept it tilted away from me.
“Whatcha doing?”
“Shopping.”
“Shopping for what?”
“Stuff.”
“Theo!”
He finally looked at me and sighed when he saw my exasperated expression. “Fine.”
I took the tablet from his outstretched hand and laughed when I saw what was on the screen. “That’s what had you so engrossed? Shoes?” There were nine pairs in his shopping cart. “Please tell me you’re only buying one or two of these.”
“Remember this moment the next time you want my help picking out an outfit.”
“I’m sorry, please proceed.” I pointed to a pair of brown boots that were a strange hybrid of dress and combat boots. They were perfect for Theo. “Those are my favorite.”
“Thanks, sugarplum.”
Worried Chase was feeling left out, I looked over to find that he’d migrated to the back of the room to watch the game between Knox and Jackson. It seemed like he was fitting in better with them than he had in the past. Maybe Ethan being gone wasn’t such a bad thing for Chase after all.
As I continued to snuggle into Theo’s side, I couldn’t help but wonder if this was what our new normal looked like. Or, would I look back on this moment and realize it was nothing but a fleeting moment of peace too good to be true?
Flying High
“Truth or Dare?” Theo asked, arching an eyebrow.
“Are we really going to spend the afternoon playing truth or dare?”
“Why not? Be spontaneous, live a little.”
“Okay, but I’m only playing if you are, too.”
“Of course. Now, pick your poison.”
I glanced around the park, the late afternoon sun filtering through the trees onto our picnic blanket. What kind of dare would Theo come up with? When my mind immediately jumped to streaking through the grass or taking a dip in the fountain, I knew the answer was simple. “Truth.”
“Surprise, surprise. I’ll start off with an easy one. Tattoos—trashy or sexy?”
I eyed the intricate designs tracing up and down his forearms. “On the right guy, definitely sexy.”
Theo grinned and leaned back so he was resting on one arm. “Am I the right guy?”
“I’m sorry, but you’ll have to save that for your next question, if I choose truth again,” I said, and popped a grape in my mouth.
He scrutinized me, perhaps waiting for me to say something more. When I didn’t, he leaned forward to dig in the picnic basket.
“Dare.”
I racked my brain for a suitable challenge, one that wouldn’t encourage him to one-up me should I select a dare next time.
“I dare you . . . to make up a short rap about someone you know.”
Theo grinned. “A rather tame dare in the grand scheme of things, but I like it.”
“Would you prefer something more daring?”
“That depends on what you had in mind. If it was something like, let’s say, skinny dipping with you, then hell yes.”
Skinny dipping? I gulped.
“Don’t worry, snickerdoodle, let’s stick with the rap.”
When he rolled to his back and closed his eyes, I scanned his body, wondering if I’d ever have the guts to do something like that. Returning to his face, I watched the way his lips practiced his silent composition, remembering the way they felt brushing against mine. He opened one eye, and I quickly refocused my attention on a dog jumping for a Frisbee.
“Were you contemplating a certain water activity?”
I hid a smile. “Like synchronized swimming?”
“If that’s what you want to call it, sure.”
Returnin
g to a cross-legged position, he took a deep breath before launching into the rap.
“I know this girl, her name is Haley
I’m a lucky guy, get to see her daily
She is a hottie, so sweet and fine
I’ve liked her for such a very long time
Haley rocks my world, she is the best
Her sexy, long legs are worthy of a quest
If I were a knight, she’d be my fair maiden
Through towns and villages, I’d go raidin’.”
I stared at him in shock. “Did you just come up with that?” And, you think my legs are sexy?
“Yep. Thanks for the fun dare.”
“Off the top of your head?”
“Yep.” He threw a chocolate-covered almond in the air, catching it in his mouth.
“Wow, I’m totally impressed.”
“Thank you. Your turn.”
“Truth.”
“Again?” he asked with an exasperated tone. “How are things going with Knox, Liam, Jackson, and Chase?”
“Great! I’m glad to be home.”
“Haley,” he scolded. “You know what I meant. I want to know how your dates are going, if you’re okay living at the loft and dating us, etcetera.”
“You can’t ask me that!”
“‘A,’ you picked truth. And, ‘B,’ why the fiddlesticks not?”
“I don’t care that I picked truth. It’s weird to talk about my relationships with them while I’m supposed to be on a date with you.”
“It’s only weird if you make it weird. Besides, you once told me I was your best friend. Yes, yes, I know—apart from Jess. So, why can’t we talk about this?”
“Why would you want to talk about this? If you were dating someone else,” I paused, fighting back the panic that thought induced. “If you were dating someone else, it would kill me to hear about your relationship with her. Even though that seems completely selfish, considering the circumstances.”
“It’s not selfish. I asked because I want you to know that you have someone to talk to. And, because I care about your happiness.”
“At the expense of your own?”
“No, your happiness is my happiness.”
I turned away and watched a couple walking past, hand in hand. They stopped to smile at each other and share a kiss. Was their love as simple as it seemed? Maybe from the outside, that’s how Theo and I appeared, a typical couple sharing a day in the park.
“Truth or dare?” I let him know with my tone that the subject of the other guys was closed.
“I’m not sure this is wise, but I’ll go with truth.”
“Hmm.” I tapped my finger to my lips, wondering if I was going to regret my question. Normally, I wouldn’t delve into something so personal, but after Theo’s last question, anything was fair game. “You once told me that I wouldn’t like the pre-Zenith Theo. What was so terrible about him?”
“This game has certainly taken a dark turn.”
“You started it,” I teased, feeling relieved to move past the dating issue.
“I was what you might call a juvenile delinquent. I did everything you would expect—occasional recreational drugs, petty crimes, and . . . I slept around.” He paused, waiting for my reaction. “I’m not proud of my actions, but I can’t change them, and I hope it doesn’t make you think less of me.”
I absorbed his confession, more troubled by his admission of “sleeping around” than anything else. I wasn’t naive enough to assume that all, or even any, of the guys were virgins, but confirmation was different than speculation. Did the idea of Theo being with someone else in the past bother me? I didn’t want it to.
“Theo, your past shapes you, it doesn’t define you.”
“Wow, talk about a slogan for an inspirational bumper sticker. You’re really okay with the bomb I just dropped on you?”
I thought about it before responding. “I am, and thank you for telling me.”
“What’ll it be this time?” he asked, clearly ready to move on to a different topic.
“I think we’ve had enough truth for the moment, so I’ll go with dare.”
“Excellent.” Theo rubbed his hands together. “Continuing with the music theme, I dare you to sing everything you say for the next five minutes.”
“Seriously?” I groaned.
“Yep, unless you’d rather give a concert with your air guitar.”
I debated but ultimately decided the idea of performing a concert with a fictitious guitar was worse. I could just imagine the stares of the kids on the nearby playground.
“I’ll go with singing, but thanks for giving me an alternative.”
“Okay.” Theo glanced at his phone. “The clock starts now.”
“Okay,” I said.
He glared at me. “Do I need to restart the clock?”
“No,” I sang, “but I’m also starting a timer on my phone because I don’t trust you.”
“You don’t trust me?” Theo clutched his chest. “I am so hurt.”
“Can you blame me?” I sang.
We sat silently for literally twenty-seven seconds. I knew, because I was watching the timer on my phone like a hawk.
“Haley, you can’t sit out the next five minutes in silence. That’s cheating.”
I rolled my eyes. “Less than four minutes, thank you. And, how many more rounds are we playing of this ridiculous game?” I asked quickly and in one breath.
“The current round plus one.”
“Deal. Truth or dare?”
“Truth.”
For some reason, I felt compelled to ask, or rather sing, “Have you ever been in love?”
Theo focused every bit of his attention on me. “Yes.”
“Care to elaborate?”
He leaned closer, brushing my hair over my shoulder, and I shivered at his touch despite the warm sun. “Nice try. Follow-up questions aren’t permitted, as you so astutely pointed out. Truth or dare?”
I pursed my lips. “Dare.”
“I kind of hoped you’d say, I mean sing, that.” He flashed me an impish grin.
“Uh oh,” I sang in a dramatic tone.
“Let’s pack up. We have to move this party elsewhere for what I have in mind.”
My head raced with possibilities both good and bad, my stomach churning after our earlier conversation on skinny dipping. What if I couldn’t go through with his dare?
“Why don’t we stop with that last round, you know, while we’re still ahead.”
“That’s no fun. Besides, I think you’ll like my dare, and I promise I’d never make you do anything you aren’t comfortable with.”
“Will you at least tell me what the dare is?”
“I’ll give you a hint. You’re going to feel like you’re flying.”
I thought for a moment. “Are we going to one of those indoor skydiving places?”
Theo chuckled. “Not a bad idea, but no. Nothing compares to the real deal.”
“You’ve been skydiving?”
“Of course. And, trust me, there are few things that can give you that high, that adrenaline rush. Would you want to skydive?”
“Maybe. I’m not sure, when it came down to it, that I could jump out of a plane, absent an emergency.”
“The first time can be a little nerve-racking.”
“Was that part of your training for Zenith?”
“I wish. That would have been awesome.”
During the drive to our mystery destination, my timer buzzed, signaling the end of five minutes.
“Oh, thank goodness,” I said with a loud exhale. “That was getting old.”
“I personally enjoyed it. If you wanted to go around singing all the time, I wouldn’t object.”
“I bet.”
“Haley, did you know that leotards are named after a Frenchman, Jules Léotard?”
“No, Theodore, I didn’t. Should I have?” Sometimes his random factoids were just that, but often, they related to what we were doing.
“Hmm, flying and leotards. Gymnastics?”
“You’re getting warmer.”
“Please tell me I don’t have to wear a leotard for whatever it is we’re doing.”
“Not required but definitely encouraged.”
A steel structure came into view, complete with a large net and tall platform.
“Trapeze lessons?”
“Still want to chicken out on my dare?”
“No freaking way. I’m a little nervous, but it looks like so much fun,” I said, watching a performer swing through the air, execute a backflip, then fall into the net below.
Half an hour later, after viewing a safety video and listening to some basic instructions, I stood on top of the tall platform, wondering if I should have chickened out after all.
“You can do it,” Theo shouted from the ground, far, far below.
“Are you ready?” the instructor asked.
“As ready as I’ll ever be.”
“Okay. Just remember, Sam is on the ground, and he’ll call out instructions every step of the way.”
“Okay,” I exhaled. I can do this.
“Listo,” he called out, informing the other members of the crew that I was preparing to leave the platform.
“Ready,” he said, signaling that I should bend my knees and pick up the trapeze.
I gripped the bar, which was heavier than I expected, and moved into position. My toes hung over the edge of the platform, and the instructor held the safety harness cinched around my waist until I was ready to take the plunge. Heart racing, I tried not to think about the distance to the net.
“Hep,” he yelled. Go, I thought as he released my harness.
Letting out a rather embarrassing squeal, I swung forward on the trapeze, then back, while the ground instructor called out encouragement and tips. Finally, as instructed, I released the bar and fell backward to the net. The landing was softer than I expected, and I bounced gently before rolling out and onto the ground.
“Well, what did you think?”
“I’m ready to go again,” I said, springing lightly from foot to foot and sweeping a loose strand of hair back into my messy bun.
“I kind of thought so.”
