“A day or two?” Jayden repeated.
“Some people pack for multiple phases of the trip—from the tropical ocean to the chilly south of Melbourne—and they pack in different bags. Some of our experienced travelers have three or four bags.”
Dakota glanced at Jayden, mouthing three or four?
“If you’d like to stay overnight, we can add you to the notification list. The moment someone reports a discrepancy, you’ll know.” Maxi glanced between them. “I looked you both up. You’re still listed on the tour. Diving tomorrow, the Hunter Valley, Melbourne, Sydney. Quite the adventure.”
Dakota looked at Jayden. She looked back.
“Let’s start with tonight,” he said. “See what happens.”
Maxi nodded. “Avery can get you sorted with the rooms. And if you change your mind about the tour, just let me know before morning.”
She disappeared back into the hotel’s depths, and Avery began tapping at her computer.
“Two rooms available. I can put you on the same floor, if you’d like?” She glanced up. “Actually, I’ve got two adjoining rooms on seven. Harbor view. Quite lovely.”
Adjoining rooms?
“That works,” Jayden said before he could respond. She caught his expression and raised an eyebrow. “Problem?”
“No problem.” Did his voice sound strange to anyone else?
“Good.” That slight smile again. “Because I’m not sharing a bed with you two nights in a row. The Great Pillow Wall of Fiji was a one-time architectural achievement.”
Despite everything—the rifle components, the suspicions, the mission ticking away in the back of his mind—Dakota’s mouth twitched into a smile. “Impenetrable.”
“Legendary.”
Avery looked between them but said nothing, just handed over the key cards with professional discretion.
He took his key and followed Jayden to the elevators. She indeed had the door next to his, and stopped as she tapped it.
“See you at dinner?”
He managed to nod and not raise a fist in a weird sort of triumph as he walked into his room.
Instead, he placed a call to Ham, left a short voicemail briefing him on the rifle components, took a shower, called Maxi twice—no reported bag—and finally headed down for the scheduled meet and greet.
The pool restaurant glowed purple in the tropical dusk, the storm long since spent.
Underwater lights turned the water into something ethereal—violet and blue rippling across the surface, reflecting off the white pergola columns and the faces of the handful of diners scattered along the terrace. String lights added warmth overhead. The sky behind was lavender fading to pink, palm trees silhouetted against the last of the light.
He found Jayden standing near the pool, talking with an older woman—her seatmate, it looked like, from today’s flight.
He walked over.
“This is Mags,” Jayden said.
He shook the woman’s hand, and she gave him a warm smile.
“Glad you had a change of mind,” Mags said.
He glanced at Jayden, but she just smiled at him.
“You clean up,” Jayden said. Dakota had changed into a pair of jeans and a white oxford.
“You look . . . Well, for a gal who doesn’t have her bag and fancy underwear, you managed to pull it off.”
