more capacity I have for keeping secrets from him.”
“Are you a very touchy-feely person when you’re in public with someone you’re sleeping with?” I asked.
She frowned but shook her head. “Why do you ask?”
“Because unless it’s going to bother you to not be touching me all the time, then you’re not going to have to work very hard to keep this a secret. If you want to keep it a secret. If you want me to talk to Jefferson about it as soon as we get to the coast, I can do that.”
“No,” she said without any hesitation. “Please don’t tell him. He knows you well, but he hardly knows me at all. If word gets out that I’m already sleeping with you, I don’t even want to know what he’ll think of me, but I doubt he’ll want to keep me on.”
“He also knows we’ve known each other for a long time,” I reasoned. “There’s no ‘already’ to it.”
“Maybe, but I’ve just started working with you,” she said imploringly. “Please don’t tell him.”
“I won’t.” Leaning forward, I pressed a kiss to her forehead and took a step back from her. “We’ve only got about ten minutes before we need to be in the car. Go get ready and pack an overnight bag. I’ll make sure there’s something for us to eat downstairs by the time we get to the car. It’s a long drive, so don’t worry about having to do anything more than getting dressed before we leave.”
“So what you’re really saying is not to waste my time on my hair and makeup, but to drag my ass through a shower before I get it downstairs.”
“As soon as possible would be great,” I said, chuckling. She gave me a sassy grin before taking off.
Following my own advice, I raced through a shower and dressed in shorts and a button-down shirt. When I was done in the bathroom, I tossed my toiletries into my bag and packed a change of clothes. We’d only be there for one night and we’d be spending the late afternoon and evening on a yacht, so there was no need for a suit or anything too formal.
Before I left my room, I put in a call to room service and arranged for our breakfast to be packed into a basket. Once that was done, I grabbed my sunglasses and slid them into the collar of my shirt. Then I shut my door behind me and went to see if Leah was done yet.
To my surprise, she was leaving her room just when I arrived. I’d really expected to have to wait for her, but she had her overnight bag with her and held a brush in her hand. She presented it to me proudly when she saw me, waving it in the air as she grinned.
“Not what you expected, huh?” she said, motioning to her towel-dried but still pretty much drenched hair. “I’m usually a low maintenance girl, even if it might not have seemed that way recently. It’s not even the first time this month I’m leaving the place where I’m staying without brushing my hair.”
“I like it,” I said, pulling her in to smack a kiss to her lips, then taking her bag from her. “Let’s get going. We’re having a picnic on our way to Marseilles. Did you think you were ever going to do anything like that?”
“Definitely not.” She grinned, falling into step beside me as we made our way to the elevators. “You mentioned this was going to be a long drive. How long is long exactly? In other words, how many hours do I have to get rid of these nerves?”
“About seven hours,” I said, then leaned in close while we waited for the elevator to arrive. “I can keep your mind off the nerves on the way there, and trust me, when you see that place, being nervous will be the last thing on your mind.”
Chapter 25
LEAH
“Sailing off the coast of France. How did this become my life?” I asked Katie as we spread our towels over the loungers on the sun deck of Jefferson’s yacht. “I think you should pinch me so I know it’s real.”
My new friend laughed, her chestnut-colored hair shining in the sun and her eyes bright. We were both in our swimsuits since we’d been told we could sunbathe for at least a couple of hours while we sailed, and Katie’s suit was as colorful as her personality.