With the tea made, I pad back up to my office and walk in carrying both mugs. Lena glances up and smiles for the first time since I saw her in the White House.
And my stomach clenches.
Did she always smile like that?
“I’m about done here,” she says as she accepts the hot mug from me. “The supplies are already in the cart on this page. Clothes and odds and ends I just grabbed from Amazon. Those don’t have to be fancy.”
My eyebrow lifts in surprise. “No fancy clothes?”
“I mean, we’re on a ranch in Montana, so I don’t think I have to get dressed up. Right?”
“Right.” I want to kiss that smirk off her face.
Fuck.
“I snagged jeans and sweaters and T-shirts. The usual underwear. I also grabbed some skin care and other toiletries. I’m not sure what to get for shoes.”
“Your feet need to be protected. Also, add workout gear.”
“Oh, right. Good call.”
She clicks the mouse several times and then nods.
“Done.”
“That didn’t take long.”
“I know what I like.” She shrugs and sips her tea. “Okay, show me what shoes to buy. We might as well knock this all out now.”
For the next thirty minutes, I hover over her shoulder and point at the screen, trying to ignore her orange scent and how soft her hair looks. She chooses colors and sizes, and several thousand dollars later, she has everything she needs on the way.
“Jesus. Make sure my mom pays you back right away.”
The money doesn’t matter. I’m a wealthy man. But it’s cute that she’s worried about it.
Lena yawns and stands out of the chair, and she’s suddenly pressed against me, her side to my front, and we both still.
“Sorry,” she whispers. “Should have warned you.”
I take a step back, letting her slip by.
“See you in the morning, Blackbird.”
Her cheeks darken at the use of her call sign.
“Good night.”
Chapter Five
Lena
I slept like the dead. And for someone who doesn’t typically sleep well, it felt like heaven. This bed is cozy, the sheets crisp and not too hot, and it’s soquiethere. There’s no traffic noise, no lights from the city.
It’s dark and still, and it settles my nervous system. The best part? No nightmares.
I roll over and check the time on the old-fashioned alarm clock and see that it’s just past four, but that’s six on the East Coast, and that’s when I usually wake up. I only got about five hours of sleep, but it wasgoodsleep. Add that to the few hours on the plane yesterday, and I feel refreshed.
I like to go for a jog in the morning to start my day, so rolling right into working out, which is what IthinkGideon meant when he said training, is just fine with me.
