Page 44 of Covert Operation
She ignores my demand, arms wrapped around her middle as she hurries behind me. “That’s fine, but I’m not driving when I don’t have to.”
She continues around the back of the SUV as I chuck my bag inside. I hurry to close the hatch before darting past her to open the passenger door. “Then I should have been the one to come get you.”
Savannah cringes. “But Sadie might have seen you, and then I would have had to tell her what was going on.”
“You didn’t tell Sadie you were leaving the state?” I scrub one hand over my face, knowing her sister isn’t going to react well to the news.
“It’s better to ask forgiveness than permission.” Savannah sits a little taller. “Plus, I’m an adult. I don’t need her approval to leave the state.”
She’s not wrong, but I don’t want her to end up with a pissed off sister banging on her hotel room door. “She’ll figure out where you are.”
“I’m not going tonevertell her.” Savannah buckles herself in. “I’m just not telling her until we’re already in the air.” She reaches for the handle of the door I’m still holding. “I don’t have the energy to argue with her.”
I get that. Her sister is hell on wheels. She’s got a mama bear complex and, while she has the best intentions, tends to go overboard when it comes to Savannah.
Savannah lifts her brows at me. “Come on. Let’s go.” She tugs the door out of my hands, closing it.
I smother out a smile as I make my way to the driver’s side. The more time I spend with Savannah, the more open she is. The more I get to see all the sides of her. Including, apparently, the impatient one.
I slide behind the wheel and we pull out, making great time as we head for the private airport Alaskan Security uses. After parking inside our designated hangar, I unload our bags and carry them to the steps lined up to the smaller of our aircrafts. Rico is waiting at the top of the steps and greets Savannah, showing her to one of the plush leather seats as I bring up the rear, rolling our bags into the storage area.
When I join her, Savannah already has her coat off and a cold Dr Pepper in hand as she relaxes into the seat. “I forgot how nice this plane is.”
“Pierce must be trying to butter us up so we work extra hard to find a nice place.” I tip my head as I settle into the seat next to her. “Or he and Mona don’t have any trips planned.”
Savannah lets her head drop back against the seat. “It’s probably both.”
“Probably.” I’m not sure exactly what the head of Alaskan Security is looking for in this new magical place he thinks Savannah and I will discover, but hopefully I can get a better grip on it during our video meeting tomorrow morning. “He’s also in a hurry to make it happen.”
Savannah snorted. “Pierce is always in a hurry.”
I lift my brows. “Sounds like you’ve been paying attention while you’ve been helping Elise out.”
“I always pay attention,” she says softly.
There’s more to her statement. I can see it in the expression on her face, and it makes me shift in my seat, wondering what it is Savannah sees when she pays attention to me. Hopefully, she hasn’t been looking too close.
“We should probably start looking over what’s available now, so we can show Pierce a few options and let him pick which ones we check out first.” I change the subject because she’s looking at me a little too intently. “And you should probably text Sadie.”
Savannah groans, rolling her eyes closed. “She’s going to freak out.” Her lids lift as her head rocks toward me. “And that kinda makes me mad, you know? I’m not a child. I shouldn’t feel like I’m doing something wrong by getting a job and traveling.”
“You’re right. You shouldn’t.” A little of her softly curled hair got pushed into her face when she turned toward me, so I reach out to gently tuck it behind one ear. “So don’t feel bad.”
Savannah’s head tips the tiniest bit, bringing her cheek against my palm. “That’s easier said than done.”
My thumb drags across her soft skin all on its own. “I know.”
We stay like that for a few heartbeats, looking at each other. Then the intimate way I’m touching her registers, and I pull my hand from her face, closing it into a fist as I rest it on my thigh.
What the fuck am I doing? I can’t touch Savannah like that. It’s not right. I’m here to help her. Support her. Protect her. Not paw all over her.
Clearing my throat, I lean forward to pull out my laptop. “I’ll get our search started.”
I keep my hands to myself for the rest of our trip as we scroll through commercial properties and a few vacant lots, compiling a list of what we feel are the best options and why. Savannah receives a few text messages in response to the one she sent Sadie, but I don’t ask about them. If she wants me to know what they say, she’ll tell me.
We stop to refuel the jet at the halfway point, and Savannah takes the opportunity to use the bathroom and stretch her legs. I do the same, and then Rico takes us back up into the air. Savannah spends the second half of the trip dozing next to me, curled up under a plush blanket, her head resting on my shoulder.
It’s a more appropriate form of contact than before, but way too much of my attention keeps drifting to where her cheek rests against me. I stay as still as I can as I respond to emails and check-in with Isaac to go over Shadow’s current assignments, not wanting to disturb her.