She sighed, but she was still smiling.
I captured her hand under mine, and she leaned down for a lingering kiss.
“Is that a yes?” I asked when she pulled back.
“Like I can say no to you.” She went to the closet and started whipping out outfits. “It’ll be nice for us to hang out. And I’ve heard there’re some cool hiking trails down there I’ve been dying to check out…”
She chatted happily. I watched her examining lingerie, and as she folded it neatly, an unbidden thought popped into my head: Does my dick still even work?
I swallowed nervously. I had a feeling I was about to find out.
* * *
We had a driver and Brian with us for the two-hour drive, along with three additional Betts security agents in another car.
“Nothing like a weekend just for two,” Hannah joked.
“They’ll give us plenty of space. Right, Brian?”
Brian rolled his eyes. “We’ve got the entire floor at the resort rented out. We’ll be there at the ready—we’ve got you covered.”
“Great,” I said under my breath. I turned my attention back to Hannah. “What’s the latest at Paragon?”
“Lauren and I are working on that new…initiative.” Her eyes sparkled.
“The prototype?”
“Yes, the one we discussed at the meeting—Lauren’s been brainstorming plans, and she thinks she might have something ready to go soon. And Fiona’s decided to go ahead and license her technology to Li Na and then use that technology we discussed.”
The technology that would disrupt the antibody therapy’s design from the inside out.
“When did she decide that?”
“Today. We talked a little while ago. She said Ellis promised to protect her and the girls no matter what, so she felt safe enough to go for it.”
I arched an eyebrow. “Ellis made her a promise?”
“Yes.” Hannah’s eyes were wide. “It meant the world to Fiona. She said he makes her feel safe, and that even the girls have been able to sleep because they’re getting used to having security around. I’ll have to do something nice for him. Fiona’s so crushed about Jim, it’s a blessing that at least she feels safe.”
“Huh.” I was going to have ask my brother about all this. He must really be taking his new civilian status seriously. “What else is going on?”
Lauren had been adamant that Hannah take a few days off. There had to be something more.
Hannah played with a lock of her blonde hair. “I’ve proposed hiring a Jiàn Innovations employee to simultaneously work for Paragon. I need to make an offer to someone when we get back.”
“Excuse me?”
Her mouth twisted. “I’m hiring one of Li Na’s employees to spy for us.”
“Um…are you sure that’s a good idea?”
The last thing I wanted was for Hannah to get in Li Na’s line of sight again. I wanted her completely under the radar, not poking the bear.
Hannah pushed her shoulders back. “I’m absolutely sure it’s a good idea. We’ve been too passive for too long with Li Na—it’s time to go on offense. I need to make sure this works so we can ruin her.”
“Okay?” I couldn’t agree with her, but the blush in her cheeks and the firm set of her jaw indicated disagreeing with her was not my best move at the moment.
“Okay.” She put her hand over mine and squeezed. “Enough about all that. How was physical therapy today? And regular therapy?”