“I haven’t decided yet. What would you like to know?”
Her lips tick up. “I’ll think about it.” She darts into the bedroom and closes the door.
I smile at the piece of wood separating us.You’ll be telling me a lot more by the end of the day.
CHAPTER 22
HONOR
Sometimes the truth hurts.
An entire day to wallow in my head. Fox thinks he’s being nice, but I don’t do relaxation well. It gives the insidious thoughts inside my head free reign, ending in panic clawing at my throat, making it impossible to breathe. But to reject this olive branch isn’t going to win me any favors with the insistent Fox. Better to suffer through the day of princess treatment and get it over with so he can leave me alone. I yank on the white bikini and wrap myself up in a huge fluffy black towel, not wishing to give him another eyeful of my goods. Or the wrong impression.
I step into the living room, finding it empty. Looks like princess treatment lasted a whole hour. I pick up my book and make my way to the pool. The day is already heating up, so the reprieve into the cool water will be awesome.
Helen’s pool isn’t a simple rectangular affair. It’s more of a tropical oasis, complete with a crystal-lined cave shielded by awaterfall. It’s long enough to do laps in but is also luxurious enough to relax in.
I drop my book and towel on the lounger then dive into the pool. I do twenty laps, glancing up every time my hand touches the wall. Still no sign of Fox. Maybe he took Duke for a walk, or is dealing with Samuel. Ugh, my date with the charmer is looming, and I have no viable excuse. Hopefully, he will see how uninteresting I am after a few hours in my company and stop pursuing me.
On this last lap, I push a little harder and dive beneath the heavy push of the waterfall. The welcome burn in my lungs makes me feel alive and grounds me in the moment. I breach the surface and suck in a breath, swiping my hair from my face.
“Were you on the swim team? Because you held your breath for over two minutes,” a masculine voice echoes in the cave.
A gasp huffs out of my parted lips as I twist to find Fox leaning against the edge of the cave with his arms spread.
“You’ve been here this entire time?”
He quirks a brow. “It’s quiet here, like a shield from the world. I can think.”
“Sorry for disturbing your peace. I’ll just leave.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. There’s enough room for us both in here.” Now if I leave, I’ll look petty.Ugh.I move to the opposite side of the cave and lean back against the edge, tipping my head to gaze at the glistening lavender crystals lining the ceiling. “Helen knew what she was doing when she designed this little oasis.”
“I designed it.”
My head snaps forward. “Seriously?”
His lips quirk. “What, a soldier can’t have a taste for design? That’s stereotypical thinking of you.”
“What did you do in the military?”
His gaze turns flat. “Is that your truth for the day?”
“Depends if it’s something you’d tell me anyway.”
“It’s not.”
Interesting. “Then yes, it’s my truth for the day.”
“After my initial training and time served, they discovered I have a knack for ferreting out the truth.”
I frown as I kick my legs under the water. “You aren’t telling me anything new.”
“Interrogation, Cleo, that’s my specialty. I know exactly how hard to push a body and mind until it breaks and spills its secrets. What I’m not adept at, is putting them back together.”
Fear inches down my spine. I’ve probably been subjected to much of what he’s been trained to do. My initial instinct to run from this man was correct—it’s a new level of stupid to promise to stay with someone trained to unpick lies and deceit when that’s all I’m made up of. It’s like waving a raw bloody steak in front of a hungry tiger and expecting it not to bite.
“Stop,” he commands, his tone a deeper rumble that freezes the trembling in my limbs.
