by Leslie North
She listened and heard water running. The shower? Grinning, she slipped inside and tip-toed down the hallway, following the sound. She could hear him singing off key and she smiled. She hadn’t heard him sing before. She pushed the door open, noticing that it was already steamed up and the mirror was completely fogged over.
The shower was a large tile enclosure with clear glass walls and door. The steam had rendered the glass opaque, so she could only see bits and pieces of his body. Feeling like a voyeur, she watched him wash.
Slipping off her dress, she let it drop and pulled open the glass door. “I thought maybe you needed some help washing your back.”
He turned around, his eyes wide.
Something wasn’t right. He wasn’t looking at her the way he usually did. Then she noticed the scar on his forehead—the old scar.
Trent doesn’t have a scar.
Suddenly embarrassed and afraid, she backed away, slipping on the wet tile and almost falling. The man who was Trent but wasn’t caught her. “You okay?”
He even smelled wrong. She pushed on his chest. “You’re not Trent!”
He grinned and looked so much like Trent she almost thought maybe she was losing her mind.
Letting go of her, he grabbed two towels, held one out to her. “I’m Travis. His twin.”
Chloe began to hyperventilate. She grabbed the towel and clutched it. “I didn’t even know he had a brother.” She didn’t know anything about Trent—not anything important. She hadn’t known he had family—he’d never told her. Heat blazed through her.
Trent’s brother wrapped the towel around himself. “I’m going to step out and let you get dressed.”
***
Travis snagged his cell phone from the counter in the kitchen. This had been a bad idea. Bad, bad, bad; but Travis was beat from keeping an eye on the Guardians, listening to nothing. Plus Trent’s place was a lot closer.
He’d figured on a quick shower, some coffee, raiding Trent’s fridge, and he’d be back at his listening post in less than an hour. Instead…oh, he didn’t want to think about instead. He punched his brother’s number. When Trent answered, he hissed, “Get your ass home ASAP. Your girlfriend just surprised me in the shower.”
“She what? Where is she now? Dammit, I’m pushing the speed limit to the max.”
“Good. You get a ticket, it’s on you.”
“Was she naked?”
Travis heard the snarl in his brother’s voice. “Well, she wasn’t going to join me in the shower dressed to go dancing.”
“Shit! Keep her there. I’m three minutes away. Don’t let her leave, whatever you do.”
“I’ll try—”
“Don’t try. Do!”
Travis let out a breath. “Fine. But you damn well owe me for this.”
***
Trent raced into the condo five minutes later to see Travis standing in the living room, a towel wrapped around him.
Travis held up his hands. “She’s still in the bathroom. Along with my clothes. She won’t throw them out to me. She won’t even talk to me. Frankly, right now, if you’ve got a live grenade, I’d rather deal with that.”
Shaking his head, Trent narrowed his eyes. “What the hell were you thinking?”
“I was thinking that my place is an hour away with good traffic and yours isn’t. Why the hell didn’t you tell her you had a brother?”
Sighing, Trent headed for the bathroom. He knocked once and then he tried the door, thankful that she hadn’t thought to lock it. “Chloe?”
He stepped inside. She sat on the toilet, hunched over. She’d dressed but she also had his navy-blue towel draped over her.
She looked up at him. From her red-rimmed eyes, he was going to guess she’d been crying. “Hey now! I’m sorry you didn’t find me in the shower. That would have been a very welcome surprise. But no harm done.”
Lower lip trembling, she stared at him. “I didn’t even know you had a brother. He looks just like you! Except for that…that…” She gestured to her forehead.
“Good thing you noticed that.” He stepped closer.
“Don’t you come near me.” She held up a hand. “It’s not funny! I completely embarrassed myself, and..and…”
“You made an honest mistake. Now come on out and meet Travis. He’d like his clothes back.”
“He’s still out there?” She glanced towards the closed bathroom door.
“I think he’d like to apologize for scaring you.”
Chloe looked at her lap and up again. “I didn’t know you had a brother.”
Trent straightened. She kept saying that like it was an accusation. “Yeah, I expect there are a lot of things you don’t know about me.”
Wrong thing to say. She stood and stepped away from him.
He smiled and beckoned to her. “Come on out and meet Travis.”
She kicked a pair of jeans at him. “He can get dressed first.”
Trent gathered up Travis’ clothes. He took them out, threw them at his brother. “Get decent, dammit. I’m making coffee for us.”
When Travis had put his jeans and T-shirt back on, Trent called out, “Okay—it’s safe.”
She came out slowly, her face red, eyeing the two of them like they were the vipers in the pit she’d fallen into.
Travis held out his hand. “Nice to meet you.” Trent slapped his hand down.
Chloe wrapped her arms around herself. She glanced from Travis to Trent. “Any more of you at home?”
Trent shook his head. “Just the two of us.”
He took hold of Travis’ shoulder and pushed him to the door. “See ya later. Call Slade for me. I’m going to be off duty for a couple of hours.”
Travis glanced back at Chloe. “Don’t be too hard on him. He’s only mostly a dummy.”
Trent pushed his brother out. He waved at the kitchen. Jealousy was clawing at his gut and he had to take a breath, slow down.
He looked at her face and his gut tightened. “So are you going to tell me to get lost, or what?”
Chapter 14
Chloe sat with a cup of coffee nestled between her hands. It was going cold. Trent had sat opposite to her, then stood, sat down, got up, and stood again. He couldn’t seem to stay still.
She was still fighting her embarrassment and trying to reconcile the fact that she knew nothing about this man. Watching him, she asked, “Why don’t we know more about each other?”
Trent stopped in front of her. “I aim to fix that oversight.”
Chloe nodded. She leaned back. “Okay. Start.”
He shrugged, rubbed the back of his neck, dropped his hands to his side.“I have a twin brother. Most people can’t tell us apart.”
“That much I do know.” She turned the coffee mug between her hands. “How did he get the scar?”
“Uh, well, Travis and I were part of a Navy SEAL team. We had a mission in South America, and Travis forgot to duck.”
Chloe shifted in her chair. “Why were you in South America? I take it this means you’re not really a surfer.”
“Oh, no, I surf. Any time I can. But, South America, can’t really talk about it. I shouldn’t have told you that much.”
Chloe’s throat tightened. “You didn’t just wander into Guardians, did you? You lied to me?’
“I work for a private security firm. And—”
“Stop.” She held up a hand. “I’m not sure—”
“Please, Chloe…”
She swallowed. “This…thing between us. It was just a way to get information?”
“Yes. And no.”
She blinked. “That’s not helping. Trent, I want to believe in you, but…what do you know about my dad?”
A red stain spread over his cheeks. Chloe nodded. “Okay, you ran a check on me, or looked me up online. You found out my dad used to drink. He doesn’t now. But when I was a kid…Trent, I grew up with him promising me everything. We’d take a trip. We’d have a great Christmas. He’d stop drinking. He lied and lied�
��and I found a guy just like him.”
“Sam,” Trent said, his voice soft.
Chloe stared at her coffee. It still hurt to talk about it, but she looked up and pushed the words out. “He promised…we promised. I’d wait for him. He’d come back. He never did. My dad finally sobered up after this last accident, but I’m done with liars. You didn’t just take my faith in you, Trent, you stole my faith in myself.”
He let out a breath. “I’ve actually been to Jawhara.”
“What?”
Trent nodded. “Inside the sheikh’s palace. These guys—Sheikh Kamal and his brother Khalil are nice people. They’re loyal to their country. The Guardians—or someone in there’s trying to sabotage their oil wells and disrupt their business, Jewel Oil. Yeah, these guys are rich, but this isn’t about looking after the rich. That company employs a lot of workers—families need that money. Jewel Oil does a lot to be leading edge on transitioning to solar and wind.”
“But…the Guardians only go after companies that are destroying the environment.”
“I’m not the only one who lied. It’s possible that someone in the Guardians is being paid by countries run by terrorists that thought Jawhara was an easy target because it’s so small.”
Chloe frowned. “I’m temping for a non-profit that works for terrorists?”
“Yes—and no. We suspect there are only one or two people who are using the Guardians to make a lot of money.”
Chloe clutched her coffee mug. She needed to hang onto something and that was all she had. “We? You and your brother? And the firm you work for.” She slumped in her chair. “I’ve been in California for a little over a month. I’ve been made a fool of and the only job I was able to find is this, and the thought of going back in the ocean makes me want to puke.” She sucked in a deep breathe. “I think I want to go back to Wyoming, after all.”
Chapter 15
Trent’s insides seized up. “Chloe, it’s not that bad. Besides, there is an upside.”
“I haven’t been mugged yet?”
“I have another job lined up for you, working for a man who I’ve known for years and respect as much as anyone I’ve ever known.”
He watched her stiffen. “I don’t want charity. And this…” She waved her hand at his place. “This was just to keep an eye on me?”
He took her hand. “Yes. But I’m not talking charity now. Slade Security has an opening for an office manager. Slade needs someone who can answer the phones, arrange travel, send billing statements when they’re necessary, and help keep the rest of us in line. He needs someone to help organize us all.” Trent smiled at her, but his stomach was still knotted. What if she said no? What if she walked out and headed back to Wyoming? He pressed his lips tight. If she left, he’d follow her, and that was that.
“I need some time to think about this.” She stood.
Trent stepped in front of her. There was just one way he could see to move forward—she had to step into his world. “Do you have a passport?”
Chloe shook her head. “Why would I need a passport?”
“Because we’re leaving for Jawhara first thing in the morning. I’ll have to pull some strings. If you want to go, I want you to go. You can e-mail the temp agency your resignation and they’ll get a new receptionist in at Guardians.”
She was staring at him, eyes wide. “I can’t just hop on a plane and fly off to Jawhara. I’ve got my dad to think about.”
“If you’re on a business trip, Slade Security will take care of your dad. We’ll keep you in touch with him, make sure he has visiting nurses, even get him out and over to a stable where he can spend some time with horses. That should cheer him up. Just don’t think about it too hard.”
Rubbing her arms, she told him, “This is all so crazy! I mean, is your name even Trent?”
Trent took her hands. “Chloe, my name is Trent Larson. I’m a former Navy SEAL who does private security now. I have a twin brother—you met him. Slade is our boss, and don’t bother asking about his first name. Come with me to Jawhara. You want the truth—well, it’s being served up on a platter.”
She frowned and tugged at her hands. He wouldn’t let go. Her frown deepened. “Why didn’t you just tell me who you were to begin with?”
“Because I had to make sure you weren’t part of the bad stuff going on at Guardians. I’ve seen and done a lot of things, and I’ve learned one thing—trusting the wrong person can get you killed. I’ve learned to be cautious. But don’t listen to me. Listen to your heart. Go with your gut instincts. The real question here is how much do you trust yourself?”
***
Chloe wasn’t sure what to believe. She knew now that she had started to develop deep emotions for Trent—she knew it because it hurt so damn much.
He lied to you. He used you. He’s just like Samuel—he’s worse than Dad.
But was he?
She didn’t know, and she kept wondering if Mr. Myers had been in the office that first day, would Trent have still asked her out?
The idea that he wouldn’t have hurt even worse.
She’d never felt so connected to another individual, and the thought of leaving California and never seeing Trent again started an ache deep inside. She didn’t want to leave and never see him again. But she felt like she was Alice and she had stepped through the looking glass—everything was backwards or wrong. It had been ever since she’d seen Trent’s twin. He’d told her a tiny bit about his job, but nothing more about his family. How could she move forward if she couldn’t trust herself to know if he was lying?
Even worse—she didn’t know if she did trust herself.
For years, she’d believed her father’s promises. He’d broken all of them—all of them, except for one. He’d bought her Beanie—her first horse. She’d fallen in love with Beanie at first sight, had begged her father for the flashy buckskin. Her father had promised if she got straight A’s in school, he’d buy the horse for her. She had—and he had. Beanie had been her pal, her companion, and now he was happily retired on Mrs. Smythson’s range.
She looked up at Trent. “Don’t ever lie to me again. I mean it. If you lie, if you break a promise, I will find out. And I will be gone.”
Trent brushed his fingertips over her cheeks, “What if work gets in the way of that?”
“Then push it back. I’ll go to Jawhara with you. I’ll meet this boss of yours, and I’ll hope that somewhere along the way we’ll find out if we have a future. Or not.”
Chapter 16
Stomach knotted, Chloe followed Trent into the private waiting room in the airport. Travis was there, along with an older man who kept looking at his watch.
Leaning close, Travis muttered, “Slade’s thirty seconds away from going on the warpath. Get your best groveling on.”
Chloe frowned at that. She didn’t care who Slade was; that didn’t give him a right to be rude.
The distinguished man in a suit pointed at Trent and nodded towards the small anteroom. “You, in here.”
Trent grinned and gave Chloe a kiss on the cheek. “Be right back.”
She watched Trent enter the room and as the door closed behind him. Travis stepped up next to her. “You excited about seeing Jawhara?”
“I guess.” She shrugged. She couldn’t quite meet his eyes. Memories of him bare assed in the shower kept coming up—and, yeah, he was as built as his brother.
Trying to keep the heat out of her cheeks, she glanced up at him, and then paused.
Travis offered a grin that was so much like Trent’s—but Travis’ mouth twisted up more on the right. He leaned closer. “You know, there was so much steam in the bathroom, I barely saw your eyes, let alone anything else.”
She glanced at him, searching to see if he was telling her the truth. “Really? ‘Cause I saw a lot more than that.”
He spread his hands. “I wouldn’t have minded. You’re gorgeous. Anyone can see that. But I swear, my vision was bad enough as it was from lack of sleep and pullin
g an all-nighter. I didn’t see anything that I wouldn’t have seen if you’d been wearing a swimsuit.”
Trent came out of the room. He didn’t look as if he’d been yelled at and she hadn’t heard any voices raised. The man with him came forward, offered a charming smile, and held his hand out. “I’m Slade. I take it you’re Chloe. Welcome. Are we ready to go?” He shook her hand and went over to pull open the door that led to the open tarmac.
Chloe caught a breath. “Uh…airport.” She waved over her shoulder. “Back there.”
Trent put an arm around her. “We’re taking the company jet. Travis is staying.”
Slade looked at Travis. “Don’t screw this up. We need some new talent, and any woman who can complete Hell Week needs to be on our team. Find her and convince her to sign on.”
Travis nodded. “I’ll do my best, boss.”
“I’d like better. Don’t forget that Bethany is coming by the office today to give you a look at her newest program.”
Travis’ face lit up, and Chloe wondered who Bethany was. Travis asked, “She bringing Jason with her? I want to get that kid started on programming while he’s still young enough to be great.”
Turning, Slade took Chloe’s arm in his. “Chloe, you’re with me. Now, what stories do you want to hear about Trent’s past?”
Travis nodded to Trent, and Chloe heard him call out, “Stay out of trouble, bro.”
She hoped he would—and she hoped he’d keep her out of trouble, too.
Chapter 17
Chloe hadn’t flown all that much and had never been on a private jet before. It was hard to keep her mouth from hanging open at the luxury surrounding her.
Butter-soft white leather chairs held her like she was a precious gem. Dark wood wainscoting gleamed in the interior and a luxuriously soft carpet begged her to slip her sandals off and rub her bare feet against it—the plane was more like a club than a means of transport.
“I need to talk to Slade for a few minutes. Do you want something to drink before we take off?”
Chloe looked up at Trent. She wet her lips, swallowed, and tried not to fidget. “No. I’m fine.”