Outside, he grinned. “You can stop with the adoring looks now.”
“Who says I want to?” she quipped.
This made him laugh.
They continued on down the long, winding driveway. A small gravel path led to several of the maintenance sheds. Impulsively, Fiona took it.
“Where are we going?” Jake asked. “Are those storage buildings?”
“Yes, but we’re not going that far.” She looked around, taking care to make it casual. “I have no idea where they might have cameras hidden. I just want to make sure we don’t have eyes on us.”
“Paranoid much?” Jake teased. “Surely, Micheline doesn’t have the entire grounds wired.”
She shrugged. “Probably not. And I have to be paranoid. I can’t take a chance on blowing my cover.”
As they neared the largest maintenance shed, she spied a security camera mounted just under the roof. “Come here,” she murmured, keeping her back to it. “Don’t look, but I’ve spotted a camera. Give me a kiss so we can make it seem like we snuck off somewhere private to make out.”
Again, that flash of a sexy grin. “Gladly.”
He pulled her in close. The moment his mouth covered hers, the lighthearted mood vanished. Passion, white-hot and fierce, flared instantly. For a moment, just that second in time, she allowed herself to give in to it, to him.
“Keep that up and we’ll be doing a lot more than making out,” he warned, the rasp in his voice matching the heat in his eyes.
“You’re right.” She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. “I don’t know why, but with you, I always get carried away.”
Shaking his head, he yanked her close and kissed her again.
When he finally moved back, they were both shaking.
“Okay,” she said, taking his hand and leading him back toward the driveway. “Tell me what Micheline had to say after I left your room last night.”
Just like that, his smile vanished. Fiona actually felt awful for being the one to make it go away.
“Basically, she told me the truth. She switched me with another infant in the hospital. She even went so far as to tell me why.”
Something in his voice... “Do I want to know?” she asked.
“Why not?” His mouth twisted. “She took me because one baby was sickly and the other wasn’t and she wanted her child to be raised a Colton heir.”
“Ouch.” Wincing, she squeezed his hand. “She’s a horrible person, but we already knew that. Still, that must have been hard to hear.”
“It was. No matter that I know she’s not related to me in any way by blood, despite being well aware of how awful and soulless she is, that still hurt. Made me wonder if all during my childhood, she might have been plotting to kill me and make it look like an accident.”
Though she wouldn’t have put it past Micheline, she kept that thought to herself. “Well, at least one good thing has come of this,” she said instead. “You’ve got an entirely new family to get to know.”
/>
“True.” He eyed her, his expression clearing. “Speaking of them, Ace invited me to dinner tonight. He said it would be okay to bring a plus-one. Would you like to go?”
“Me?” Her initial reaction was to refuse. First off, all they knew about her was that she was a member of AAG. Secondly, this was Jake’s time, and why would the Colton family want an outsider to bear witness to what would surely be an emotional and touching reunion?
But then she realized maybe Jake might need her support.
And that trumped anything the Colton family might want.
“Yes, you.” Leaning in close, Jake brushed a kiss on her cheek. “Up to you, no pressure. But I wouldn’t mind having someone in my corner while I’m there. It’s going to be awkward, no matter how you put it.”
Just as she’d thought. He needed her. “I’d love to go,” she responded. “It’ll be fun.”