More time with him. More chances to hear him laugh, to watch his face soften when he looked at her, to pretend—just for a little while longer—that she was someone who could have this.
Stop it. She was an operative. He was a complication. And somewhere out there, her bag—with all her mission materials—was getting farther away.
“I’ll bet they booked us rooms at the hotel. We paid for the entire package. We could go there, see if the bag has been claimed.”
“You’re sure?”
He met her eyes. Something passed between them—a question, maybe. An offer. “Unless you’d rather figure it out alone.”
She should say yes, right?
“No,” she heard herself say. “Together is fine.”
Something shifted in his expression. Softened.
And right then, the storm hit. Rain sheeted against the terminal windows.
Outside, baggage handlers scrambled to cover equipment. Planes sat motionless on the tarmac, grounded by the same weather that kept throwing her and Dakota together.
Coincidence. That’s all it was. Random chance. The universe didn’t care about her mission or her feelings or the way her heart beat faster every time he smiled.
He picked up his bag. “Let’s find the Aussie Adventures desk.”
And he was off, heading toward the exit.
And as she caught up to him, walked beside him through the crowded terminal, his shoulder occasionally brushing hers, she couldn’t shake the feeling that something bigger was happening. Something she didn’t understand and couldn’t control.
She was Lynx. She was supposed to be in control. That was the whole point.
But every time she looked at Dakota—at his easy stride, his calm presence, the way he’d said together is fine as if it was the most natural thing in the world—she felt that control slipping.
And the terrifying part was, she wasn’t sure she wanted it back.
SIX
This was the mission—find the owner of the sniper rifle secreted inside the gray bag.
And, or, follow Jayden to see if she might be an assassin.
Either way, no way could Dakota let her out of his sight. Because if the bag did belong to someone else, then chances were that someone else, a.k.a. a killer, would eliminate Jayden for what she knew-slash-thought-she-knew.
And no way was he going to fly to Sydney and let that happen, thank you very much. He couldn’t help but think that he’d somehow gotten her into this mess by signing her up for the tour. He wasn’t going to abandon her now.
So, yes, he might have been a smidgen enthusiastic, but what was a guy going to do?
The Aussie Adventures Premium Tours desk was tucked in a corner of the baggage-claim area, its cheerful banner slightly askew and its brochure rack fully stocked.
No staff.
Dakota studied the empty desk while Jayden grabbed a brochure. A sign propped against the counter read: For tour inquiries, please contact our Cairns office, with a phone number underneath.
“They’ve already left.” Jayden flipped through the brochure. “The tour group. Look—Day One, arrival and welcome dinner at”—she squinted at the text—“Cairns Harbourside Hotel.”
Dakota pulled out his phone, dialed the number.
Three rings, then a woman’s voice: “Aussie Adventures, this is Maxine.”
“Hi. I’m trying to track down some luggage that got mixed up in Fiji. I understand your tour group might have it?”
