“That’s right.”
“Then we better get to it and change for dinner. When you finish sprucing up, call the boss. It’s time to check in.”
“Copy that, sir.”
Seth and Elias returned to the cabin and followed the sound of the women’s laughter upstairs. Seth found his wife in the knot of women in the hallway and pulled her toward a room. “Come on. I put our bags in here. We need to change clothes.”
Elias leaned his back against the wall. When Iona turned to look at him and smiled, he considered that to be the sign toseparate her from her teammates. Without saying a word, Elias held out his hand.
She left the group and placed her hand in his. “What is it?”
“Time to change clothes.” He led her to the first room at the top of the stairs on the right, one room they’d cleared of electronic devices. To be sure things were as he left them, Elias held up his hand and scanned the room one more time. Clean.
“We’re clear.” He motioned to the bags on the queen-size bed. “You can change clothes first. I’ll wait in the hall.”
Iona stared at him. “We’re sharing a room.”
“There are no other bedrooms, Iona, and our teammates are married. That leaves us to share one room. Because of the story we gave to Blackthorn, they believe we’re a couple. We’ll blow our cover if I sleep on the couch downstairs.”
She frowned. “How would Blackthorn know?”
“Whether it’s spying on us through the windows, using listening devices we might have missed, or just walking in on us without knocking before I’ve hauled the blanket and pillows upstairs, they’ll know.”
Iona watched him for a beat, then gave a slight nod. “Wait for me in the hall.”
“You won’t protest our sharing a room?”
“What’s the point? We’re adults. We’ll figure it out.” She used a shooing motion. “Go. I won’t be long.”
Elias walked out of the room and waited. Iona was as good as her word. In less than five minutes, she opened the door and rejoined him. How she made a leather jacket, black jeans, and a white blouse look as though she was ready for the runway was beyond him. “You look beautiful.” He bent his head and brushed her lips with his.
“Thanks. Now, let’s see what you can do.”
“Do you need a hand, Elias?” Grant asked.
“It would be faster.” Stupid shoulder wound. He also needed to take his pain medication. The pain was making him more short-tempered than usual.
“Let’s get it done while Rayne is changing.” He followed Elias into the bedroom and shut the door.
Elias pulled a clean shirt and black jeans from his bag. “This is as fancy as I get. I hope Iona can deal with it.”
“She knows what you’re like, and she fell for that man. Besides, I don’t think Iona cares what clothes you wear as long as you’re by her side.”
“She could do better than me.”
Grant snorted. “That’s true for all of us.”
Elias chuckled as he worked his way into a t-shirt with his friend’s help. When he’d changed his fatigues for black jeans and dragged a brush through his hair, he glanced in the mirror and called it good enough. “Thanks for the help.”
“No problem, Elias. I need to check on Rayne.”
After Grant left, Iona slipped into the room and let her gaze drift from the top of his head to the toes of his tactical boots. The longer she stared, the more uncomfortable Elias grew. He was just himself, although Iona looked at him as though he was a male model in a photo shoot. “Well, do I pass inspection?”
“You look ruggedly handsome.”
Right. “I need to call the boss. It’s time to report in.”
“I wonder what he’ll make of the escort and ambush.”
