“We should get back,” he said, his voice rough with emotion. “We’ll miss room checks.”
Paige rested her hands on his chest, and he pressed another soft kiss to her forehead.
“I still have questions,” she said.
“I’ll do my best to answer them.”
Would the answers matter? He’d hurt her so much. “I’m not sure I’ve forgiven you.”
“That’s okay.” He held her in a tight hug. “All I’m asking is for the chance to earn that forgiveness.”
They didn’t talk as they walked the two blocks to the hotel. Nick held her hand loosely, and Paige’s lips buzzed from the recent attention. She could taste the cinnamon of his kiss on her lips.
She still needed answers, but for tonight, having Nick was enough.
The hotel lobby was quiet. Paige pulled her hand away from Nick’s as they trudged up the stairs, and he let her go without protest. She wasn’t sure she was ready to explain this—whatever this was—to Layla and Tyler.
In the hallway, Layla divided up the rooms. The four of them did a head check, then met in the hallway.
“All accounted for,” Layla said cheerfully. Paige and the men mumbled an assent.
“I guess I should go to bed,” Paige said, looking up at Nick. His eyes were like two emeralds, burning in the dark.
“We’ll talk tomorrow,” he said, giving her hand a squeeze. “Goodnight.”
“’Night,” Paige said.
As soon as their bedroom door was shut, Layla turned to Paige and squealed. “He kissed you, didn’t he?”
Her cheeks burned. “Maybe.”
Layla threw back her head and laughed. “Excellent. I really hope you two can work things out this summer. He’s head-over-heels for you.”
“What about you and Tyler?”
Layla flopped onto her bed and rolled her eyes. “Ugh. That boy moves slower than molasses in wintertime. Maybe he’s just not interested.”
“He’s interested,” Paige said. “Promise.”
It took a long time for Paige to fall asleep. She kept playing the kiss over and over in her head. When she was in Nick’s arm, it was easy to forget all her concerns. But in the dark, with only her own thoughts as company, they came flooding back. Had tonight really changed anything? Sure, they’d kissed. But Nick had still left two months ago. He still hadn’t explained why. He was still secretive and closed off. And what had he really been doing when he left dinner that night?
He’d scanned that diamond article in the newspaper so intensely. Something pricked at the back of her mind, but her sleep-exhausted brain couldn’t pinpoint what.
Nick was such a good kisser. It made everything else seem inconsequential. She hated that.
Paige rolled over, her mind finally drifting off to sleep. Pleasant dreams of Nick wrapped her in a warm cocoon. She could almost feel his arms holding her close, his lips pressed against her.
A thud sounded outside her door, following by a quiet curse and giggling.
Paige sat up in bed, instantly awake. The voices sounded young. Like teenagers.
Layla snored softly from her bed. Paige padded across the floor. Another giggle, followed by a shhh.
She flung open the door. Two shocked faces stared back at her.
It was Evie and Ryan.
“What do you think you’re doing? Stop right now. I said stop!”
The shrill, yet muffled, voice penetrated Nick’s sleep. Paige! He was out of bed and across the room, gun in hand, before he’d fully processed the sounds.
Nick threw open the door and ran into the hallway, gun first. It took him less than three seconds to assess the situation. Paige’s mouth dropped open, and Evie let out a yelp, cowering against Ryan.
Nick instantly lowered his gun, shoving it in his waistband. Crap.
“What are you doing?” Paige looked way too sexy with her tousled bed head, light cotton tank, and rumpled shorts. “Why do you have a gun?”
“I heard you screaming,” Nick said. He should’ve peered around the doorway first, but hearing Paige’s panic had erased all rational thought from his mind.
She’d seen his gun. He’d deal with that later.
Nick fixed a severe frown on Evie and Ryan. Both were fully dressed in jeans and dark shirts. Curfew breakers. Awesome.
Ryan wrapped an arm tightly around Evie, his voice lined with thinly veiled belligerence. “We were just taking a walk.”
Nick crossed his arms, knowing it made his muscles bulge intimidatingly. What were the chances they’d forget about the gun? “Right—a walk. I was eighteen once. I know what’s going on here.”
“It was just a walk, honest,” Evie said, her words tumbling over each other. “We’re really sorry. I couldn’t sleep, and thought a little exercise might help. I texted Ryan, so I wouldn’t be out alone.”
Paige ran a hand through her hair, messing up the locks even more. Nick rubbed a hand over his jaw, torn between yelling at Evie and Ryan, and dragging Paige into a dark corner to kiss her.
“How could you guys be so irresponsible?” Paige said. “The rules are there to keep you safe. Anything could’ve happened.”
“We’re sorry. We shouldn’t have left.” Evie’s eyes were luminescent with tears. Nick barely held back a groan. Crying girls always got to him.
“Breaking curfew is grounds for being kicked off the trip and sent home early,” Paige said.
Evie clutched at Paige’s arm, and a tear rolled down her cheek. The overhead lights cast dark shadows over her collarbone for a moment before she shifted and her hair fell over her shoulders. “Please don’t do that. I promise, it won’t happen again.”
Nick waved at Ryan. “Well, what do you have to say for yourself? Seems like Evie’s doing all the talking.”
“We’re sorry,” Ryan parroted, his tone surly.
Evie nodded, her bangs bouncing against her forehead. “So sorry.”
Paige kept glancing at his waistband, her muscles tense. Yeah, she hadn’t forgotten about the gun. No doubt they’d be discussing that very soon.
This felt like the wrong way to tell her the truth. She was already so stressed.
“I’m really disappointed in you guys,” Paige said, pulling Nick back to the conversation.
“But you aren’t going to send us home?” Evie asked.
With a sigh, Paige shook her head. “This is your one and only pass. Get to bed before I change my mind.”
“Of course.” Evie grabbed Ryan’s hand and tugged. “Goodnight.”
They scurried down the hallway and disappeared into their own bedrooms. Nick slowly turned to Paige, suddenly very aware that he was in his boxers, and she was in thin cotton pajamas.
Paige’s sapphire eyes were dark with bewilderment. “What the heck just happened?”
Nick shrugged, deliberately misinterpreting her question. “They probably wanted some alone time.”
“Not them.” She pointed to his back, where the gun was held tenuously in place by the sturdy elastic of his waistband. “You ran out here like Rambo or something. Since when do you carry a gun?”
“I believe in exercising my second amendment right.”
“We’re in Europe—you don’t have a second amendment right. Who are you, Nick? When you jumped into the hallway, I nearly had a heart attack.”
He felt the gun slip in his waistband, and he reached back to adjust it. “I’m sorry. I heard you scream and acted without thinking.”
“And your automatic response was to draw a loaded weapon?” She took a step back, shaking her head. “I feel like I don’t even know you.”
He grabbed her hand. “You do know me. I’ve tried to be as honest as possible.”
“Then tell me what is going on here!”
His eyes flicked around the empty hallway, with the thin doors he couldn’t see behind and open stairwell at one end. “Not here. I promise, I will tell you everything I can. But this isn’t the time or place.”
She gave a h
ollow laugh. “It never is. I’ll let Layla know what’s happening—you should tell Tyler. We’ll keep a closer eye on Evie and Ryan from now on.”
He stepped in front of her before she could walk away. “Don’t mention the gun. Please.”
Her shoulders slumped, and she nodded. “Goodnight, Nick.”
“I will tell you everything.”
“Sure you will.” And she disappeared into her bedroom, shutting the door tightly behind her.
The next morning, the chaperones met in Nick and Tyler’s room. Nick mostly let Paige tell the story. He kept waiting for her to bring up the gun, but she didn’t. He would’ve kissed her for it, except her stony look said she was still angry.
Layla lounged on Tyler’s bed, her eyes filled with outrage. “I can’t believe they snuck out.”
“They’re kids,” Tyler said. “They make stupid mistakes.”
“If they make another one, I’m putting their butts on a flight home,” Layla said. “Unbelievable.”
“Evie really did seem sorry,” Paige broke in. She’d refused to take a seat on Nick’s bed, and instead stood in one corner of the room, shifting her weight from foot to foot. “I think she’ll keep Ryan in line.”
Nick watched Paige carefully, hoping for a hint of what today would bring. But she ignored him.
“We’ll keep an eye on them,” Nick said. “Hopefully they’re scared enough to behave for the rest of the trip. Two weeks, and they’ll be on their way home.”
Layla rose from the bed with a loud sigh. “Well, we’d better get down to breakfast so I can give them the death glare.”
Dark circles shadowed Paige’s eyes, and she’d pulled her hair into some sort of bun with a pencil. She paused by the door, raising her eyebrow at him in a silent question.
“You go ahead,” he said quietly. “I need to call Don and fill him in.”
“And today you’ll give me answers?” she asked.
Why, oh why, had he drawn his gun? He brushed a lock of her hair out of her face, his heart thundering in his chest. He couldn’t tell her much. But would it be enough to scare her away?
“I’ll tell you what I can,” he said.
Paige gave a clipped nod and followed Tyler and Layla from the room.
Nick took a deep, shaky breath, then pulled out his phone and dialed Don’s number.
“Hey,” he said as soon as Don picked up.
“Everything still okay?” Don asked.
“Yeah, no one’s tried anything. Well, no criminals, at least. Two of the kids sneaked out after curfew last night. We took care of it, and I think it was just kids being kids.”
“Not surprised,” Don said. “Seems like there’s at least one couple every summer. Anything else of note?”
Nick thought about his phone call with Skeeter last night. He’d finally tracked him down with the help of a friend at the agency. It had taken some fast talking, but Skeeter had finally agreed to hop a train and meet Nick. Hopefully, he’d actually show.
Skeeter had been squirrelly on the phone, mostly interested in a quick buck for another high. But he’d given enough details to convince Nick his story wasn’t a lie. He’d confirmed what Nick had long suspected—the intel had been a purposeful false trail. Someone in the agency had betrayed them.
“Nick?” Don prodded. “Has something else happened?”
“Nothing exciting,” Nick said. “I’ll keep you posted.”
He checked to make sure his gun was concealed in the holster at the small of his back, then left for breakfast. His eyes immediately sought out Paige. She sat at a table with Layla and Tyler, their heads close together as they shot furtive glances in Evie and Ryan’s direction. Nick wondered if the couple would mention the gun. He’d have to talk to them when there weren’t so many listening ears.
Nick grabbed a plate and put a few slices of ham on it. Ryan looked surly, his arms crossed and brows pulled down in a scowl. Evie spoke rapidly, one hand resting gently on his arm.
Layla zeroed in on Nick and motioned him over. He placed a roll and a spoonful of fruit next to his ham, then sat down next to Paige.
“What did Don say?” Layla asked.
“To keep an eye on them,” Nick said. “And we will. He didn’t seem too concerned.”
Tyler nodded in the kids’ direction. “Looks like they’re fighting now.”
“They’re mad they got caught,” Paige said.
After everyone finished breakfast, they loaded the bus. Nick sat beside Paige on the drive to Titisee, Germany. But their close proximity to listening ears made discussing the previous night impossible.
Nick wrapped Paige’s hand in his, weaving their fingers together. He knew that as soon as they were alone, she’d demand answers. Should he give her truths that might destroy their relationship or lies that would merely prolong the inevitable end?
He’d promised her the truth. Fear clawed at his chest as he thought of telling her everything. Could she handle it?
The bus climbed up the mountainside, weaving its way through Germany’s famous Black Forest. Nick tried to quiet his mind and focus on the beauty surrounding him. Paige stayed silent, clutching his hand as though sensing that soon, everything would change.
The bus pulled into the parking lot, and Paige dropped his hand. Lush green aspens and pines covered the area in dense foliage, with thatched roofs peeking through the branches. Skeeter should be on his way to the meeting spot now. Nick checked his watch. Just over an hour until they were supposed to meet at the lake.
Layla told the kids to be back in two hours, and they quickly disappeared to explore the town.
Nick snagged Ryan’s arm as he and Evie started to walk away.
“Not a word about last night,” he said, giving them a glare that made grown criminals tremble in fear.
“We won’t say anything,” Evie said, her face pale. She glanced at his back, then swallowed hard. “We can keep a secret.”
“Ryan?” Nick prodded.
“Yeah, we’ll keep quiet,” Ryan said, yanking his arm out of Nick’s grip. “Come on, Evie.”
Paige stared at Nick as the teens walked away. He carefully wound his fingers through hers. “Want to check out Titisee with me?”
“Yeah,” she said, seeming as eager to postpone the inevitable conversation as he was. “There’s a cuckoo clock shop here I really want to explore.”
“Let’s find it, then.”
The warm June sun beat against their backs as they meandered up the main street of town, looking for the shop. It was easy enough to find. Beautiful hand-carved clocks cover the walls inside, ranging from a few inches tall to a couple of feet. The soft ticks of a hundred pendulums in sync filled the room.
A man with a full head of silver hair and pronounced wrinkles stood behind the counter. “Guten morgen,” he said.
“Guten morgen,” Nick said in return, the German words sliding effortlessly off his tongue. The vowels washed over Nick in an oddly comforting way.
“Can I help you?” the man asked, his English broken and heavily accented.
“Thank you, but we’re just looking,” Nick said.
The man nodded, and Nick led Paige toward the back room of the store. Their footsteps creaked against the ancient wood floors.
“Wow,” Paige said, admiring the intricate spindles and delicate figurines on the various clocks. She pointed to one wall. “Look, they’re all from different fairy tales.”
He took a step closer, admiring the clock she stood closest to. Two tiny carved figurines stood near castle doors. One had a face like an animal, and the other wore a yellow dress.
“Beauty and the Beast,” he said.
“It’s always been my favorite Disney movie.”
“Watching it with you while making cookies is one of my favorite memories.”
Paige’s shoulders slumped, and she sighed. “What are we doing, Nick?”
He wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her close. “I thought we were picking up wh
ere we left off.”
“We didn’t leave off anywhere—you left me. And you still haven’t given me a satisfactory explanation.”
This was it, then. Paige wouldn’t pretend any longer. The time for secrecy had passed. He’d tell her everything, and she’d run screaming in the opposite direction.
“I didn’t want to leave,” Nick said.
“You’ve said that.”
“I had no choice.”
“You’ve said that, too. And then last night, you pulled a gun? What was that?” She rubbed her hands up and down her arms, as though suddenly chilled.
He glanced at the open doorway. Another tourist could walk inside the shop at any moment. “We should go outside.”
Her jaw clenched, and her eyes burned with determination. “I’m not going anywhere until I get answers.”
“I don’t know how much I can tell you.” He thought of all the secrets he’d kept and lies he’d told during their time together. An agent’s life was never easy, and adding relationships only complicated things.
But he couldn’t lose Paige again.
“You aren’t an accountant, are you?” Her blue eyes were sad, and a little scared.
Forty minutes until he needed to meet with Skeeter. “No.”
She put a hand to her forehead. “I’m such an idiot. All the phone calls you had to take, the dates you cut short or canceled. I thought you had a weirdly demanding job for an accountant. I thought you were flighty and impulsive, which was annoying but part of your charm. But all that time—you weren’t really staying late at work or helping a friend move or any of those other excuses you gave me.”
He took one of her hands in both of his, slowly massaging the tense muscles. “I didn’t want to lie to you, but I had no choice.”
“Who are you, Nick?”
He scanned the room, but they were still alone. The tick-tock of the pendulums was loud enough to drown out any sound. He took a step closer, then lowered his voice and plunged ahead. “I’m a government spy.”
“Are you serious?” she said, her voice hoarse. Surely she’d heard him wrong.
A government spy. Well, at least there was a reasonable explanation for him carrying a gun.
Paige stared at Nick, feeling as though the floor had just fallen out from underneath her. Their four-month relationship rearranged itself in her mind as puzzle pieces that had always seemed off fit into place, revealing a very different picture.
Kiss Me in the Moonlight (Destined for Love: Europe) Page 6