“Does someone want to wake the ‘tired twins’?” Holden asks dryly. “So they can give them a final check over.”
Everyone looks to Jaxon, who just rolls his eyes and gives his sister a shove. “Hey, get up! They're leaving.”
Jacinta jumps so badly she falls off the chair with Jace sliding off on top of her. We watch as they try to untangle themselves from the heap on the ground, Jace’s hand cupping Jacinta’s boob before they freeze.
“Oh for fuck’s sake,” Jaxon groans, hauling his sister out of Jace's tender hold. “I think the two of you better nap first and then shop. Who knows what kind of a wrap you might buy Harlow in the state the two of you are in.”
“Ah yeah, you might be onto something, brother dearest.” Jacinta bares her teeth in what I think is supposed to be a smile, but it’s most definitely a grimace.
“Do you think they might come to us if you throw your weight around?” Jace groans and rests his head on Jacinta's shoulders. Poor guy is forced to move when her head snaps up, almost hitting him.
“Fuck, of course they will. Why didn't I think of that?” Jacinta pulls her phone out of the pocket of her jeans and dials a number before pausing. Someone must pick up because she rattles off a barrage of words in French. The conversation goes on for a few moments, all of us waiting patiently, before she ends the call and throws her arms up triumphantly. “They’ll be here this afternoon, which gives us four hours to nap.” Even though Jace cheers, there’s a bit of a wince on his face. It has nothing on the full force of a Summers man’s pout, but it’s a cute look nonetheless. Jacinta is screwed.
“Can we go now?” I ask, and she finally takes a proper look at me.
“Holy shit, Harlow, you’re fucking hot.” She holds out her hand to Jace, and they do some kind of fist bump with an explosion at the end. “We are fucking good, my friend,” she congratulates him, and he nods.
“Smoking hot femme fatale. Nothing like normal Harlow at all.”
“Hey!” I complain, and all the guys jump to my defense while Jace practically cowers.
“Shit, no, I don’t mean that Harlow isn’t normally smoking hot. She is!” This gets more disgruntled looks, and even Jacinta crosses her arms. I chuckle at the panic on Jace’s face. “No, what I mean is she’s gorgeous anyway, but this way she does not look like Harlow and therefore is safe.”
I see his sigh of relief as everyone takes their stares off of him. Poor Jace. I decide to give him a break and head for the door, drawing their attention away from him.
“Davay, Alexei. Nash voditel' zhdet. Posmotrim etot zoopark.” My Russian is a little rusty, but the accent is flawless, and once again everyone stops and stares at me, mouths dropping open. “What? Max and I used to have fun practicing accents in case she ever needed it for scenes in the movies. Stuntwomen have to speak sometimes, and Russian just happened to be my favorite. Though I do pretty well with a few others too.”
“But, but, but,” Oli stammers, “you speak it too?”
“Look, I was too tired to party all that much with my college course load, so I chose to stay in more often than not. Learning different accents was a way to keep myself entertained. Then I expanded it to the actual language. I didn't have a lot of friends. I was too busy, and nobody stuck around for long when I kept turning down invites to go out. Apart from a couple of friends with benefits, I spent a lot of time on my own.” The looks of surprise become pitying, but I turn away because I don't want to see it.
“Well, what did you say?” Kai asks, changing the subject, and I spin around to give him a grateful look.
“Come on, Alexei. Our driver is waiting. Let us see this zoo.”
“Wow, you really do sound like a Russian princess, and you’re more beautiful than one too.” Oli is looking at me with a gleam in his eye, and I know he’s thinking wicked thoughts. I shake my head at him and move toward the door, unable to indulge no matter how much I want to.
“Hang on, Harlow,” Thomas calls, stopping me in my tracks. “The others can’t be seen with us, so they're staying up here.”
Reluctantly, I wave goodbye, not wanting to see them looking at me like they’re lost puppies left behind.
Thomas already has his professional bodyguard face on this morning, but his eyes soften as he takes my arm and leads me to the elevator. “Remember, I'm your bodyguard. It would be normal for you to wait for everything I say. We should be safe enough since we’re disguised, but let’s just be careful.” As we step in, the doors closing behind us, his hand is a hot but comforting weight. “The press will shove, but we have a car waiting. We will get straight in, and it will take off. We’ll be at the zoo before you know it, relaxing for the day before the blasted dinner tonight.” I look at Thomas in shock. That’s the first outward sign I've seen that he isn't as cool and collected as he should be about this deal. He goes to rub his hand through his hair as the elevator moves down, but I grab his arm to stop him.
“I’m not sure if the dye will come off in your hand or not,” I explain when he raises an eyebrow. Before I can say anything else, the elevator stops, Thomas walking ahead while I adopt a spoiled, bored expression that I’ve seen so many of the pampered Hamptons princesses wear over the years.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Harlow
The media is shouting, their cameras flashing as we hustle out to the car. Thankfully, their chaotic calls are silenced once the door closes behind us. Thomas holds my arm and pushes his way through the throng with the help of the hotel security, his grip centering me in a way that little else possibly could. I hadn’t intended to truly rely on him, but I can’t deny it; there’s something about him that makes me feel safe. Between Thomas’ safety blanket potential and Declan’s bedtime snuggles, these men are pleasantly overwhelming my relationship-starved heart.
The two of us fall into an easy silence for the duration of the drive. Once we get there, we wander around the zoo unmolested for a few hours in some unexpected fulfillment of one of my favorite dreams. The setup is really world class, and I’m thrilled to read about all the success they’ve had with their breeding programs. So many endangered species have a fighting chance because of programs like this all over the world, and I’m so excited about all of this that I’m struggling to keep my inner geek in check.
Thomas is attentive and protective and generally really good company. Surprisingly good company, actually. He seems happy to stand beside me and observe, having no need to fill the silence with chatter, which suits me fine, while I endeavor to read every bit of information provided. It’s not awkward or uncomfortable, and when he does talk, he asks intelligent questions and actually listens to my answers. I know how boring this must be for someone who isn’t as obsessed with animals as I am, but he never once tries to hurry me along.
We both have a good time at the sea lion show. I know there are people who object to those kinds of things, but it’s a useful way to keep animals active, engaged, and mentally stimulated. He doesn’t judge me when I laugh at their tricks, and one of the lightest smiles I’ve seen yet absolutely transforms his face. From what he told me, he didn’t get to have a childhood; now, maybe he’s getting a little taste of what it would have been like for him to be carefree, spending a lazy day at the zoo like so many got to when they were young. I’m not glad that he had such a shitty upbringing, but I am glad I’m sharing this with him. I want to see more of those smiles, want to be the cause of those smiles, even if it’s indirectly by guilting him into a trip to the zoo.
After the sea lions, we see the hippos, polar bears, big cats, and gorillas before I finally have to call the day done. Even with the chunky heel, my feet are killing me, and I know that Jacinta will shove me into something worse tonight. My poor feet need a break; the thought of convincing one of my dashing Summers men to give me a foot rub is already poking insistently at my brain.
