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been rode hard and put away wet, too.”
    Batting at his hands, she nodded to the door. “I need my beauty sleep.”
    He left. But it took her an hour to get to sleep. She kept thinking about Brock, about that tempting body of his, and wondering what would happen if they made their playacting into something more.
    ***
    Keira met PJ for breakfast by the pool and the Jacuzzi. The hot tub jets made a great cover for anyone trying to put a mic on them, and any drone observation would see two women in swim suits having coffee and fruit under a canvas canopy.
    Birds seemed to love the garden as much as anyone. Some of them set up a song, but a few perched near their seats, just about begging for crumbs.
    Patting the chair next to her, PJ said, “Coffee, tea, or juice? And now I sound like some kind of 1960’s stewardess.”
    “You? Never. And I’ll take coffee…black.”
    After pouring two cups, PJ picked up her coffee and grinned. “So spill, girl. How do you like working with Brock?”
    “Mr. Take Charge?” Sighing, she rolled her shoulders. “I suppose he might be able to make this harder on me, but I’m not sure how. He’s making me think and re-think every action.”
    “And that’s bad? You need someone keeping you sharp.”
    Keira sipped her coffee, letting the hot, bitter liquid warm her. A light breezed bushed over her skin. She could hear water lapping in the pool, and the soft hum of the hot tub jets mixed with the buzz of bees as they circled the garden. She was pretty sure Brock had saved her life six months ago. No matter what else, without him, she would have probably ended up dead. Maybe that was why he was being so protective of her. She put down her coffee. “What’s your take on things?”
    PJ shrugged. “I think we’re chasing ghosts. Everyone’s a little jumpy because of what happened to Erin.”
    “And you. From what I hear, Erin wasn’t the only one keeping the rebels company.”
    Grinning, PJ looked over the fruit on the table. She speared a strawberry and popped it into her mouth. “I’m trained for it. Erin’s not. That’s the difference.”
    Keira sat up. “Trained? Why am I not trained for that kind of thing?”
    “Because Brock wouldn’t let Slade clear you for hostage scenarios. You’ve only been with the company what…six months? Seven? You can’t learn everything in a week, you know. But this is just a mop up. Everyone’s a little on edge. That’s all.”
    Watching her coffee go cold, Keira thought about mentioning the woman she’d seen vanish into a room. Would PJ think it was just her imagination? She hadn’t proven herself—not to Slade or to anyone. And maybe she was seeing more than actually existed.
    That veiled woman could have been one of the staff. Or, given how the hallways tended to look alike, Keira might have gotten the room wrong. She pushed out a breath. Was she getting more than a room wrong? Maybe she had things wrong with Brock, too—maybe he worked like this with everyone.
    “So…you and Brock? Butting heads? Or bumping uglies?” PJ asked.
    Keira pulled a face. “He’s supposed to be madly in love with me.”
    “Well, watch yourself. First time I worked with him, I got this mad crush on him. I thought…well, the guy doesn’t mind flirting. Soon as the operation ended, Brock couldn’t put enough distance between us. He’s the guy with no heart, and I should know about that. I was almost the same damn way.”
    “What happened?”
    A slow smile spread over PJ’s face, making her look younger. “Talib. I think it just may be fate that it hits when it hits, and there’s not much you can do except go with the flow. I didn’t see it coming with him, but it’s the best thing that ever happened to me.”
    “So you won’t be working with the company anymore?”
    PJ shook her head. “Slade’s said I can work from here—do some consulting for him, just like I’ve been doing. Hey, with computers, it doesn’t matter where you live.