She hadn’t been expecting it. She’d been sharing the bedroom with Luke’s mother, and though she was able to take a shower, for which she was grateful, it still left the problem of clean clothing. When the problem was realized and discussed thoroughly over pizza and beer, William was more than willing to let her, or anyone else that needed to, leave to get a fresh change. But it was decided that a shopping trip of that nature would require bringing everyone with her. There’d been a heated debate about the matter, but in the end the idea of taking a group of people into the fitting room with her over at Walmart had settled the matter. Everyone had fallen back, some glaring rather pointedly at William, whose game this had clearly become.
Not that she couldn’t take it. Dani had lived in combat fatigues for longer than this. And in less pleasant surroundings. No, she’d live. Besides, this was civilization. A quick inquiry had located the washer and dryer tucked in a corner just off the kitchen, behind a louvered sliding door. Problem solved. Mostly. For one thing, it wasn’t just her shirt that found its way into the machine, meaning there were a lot of bare-chested men sitting around in their shorts. The image wasn’t a good one. Dani had paused in the stairwell, and thought that all they needed was a proper cave and a fire to become primordial man. From the amount of posturing and testosterone in the air, it was a wonder they weren’t beating their chests and howling.
Luke was the only one acting half-civilized. He sat glancing through the newspaper, sitting on a Windsor chair with a steaming cup of coffee at one hand, and a chocolate chip cookie in the other, taken from a package unearthed from the cupboard, that was so old and stale that no one had minded giving the entire thing up when Marcus and Luke had pressed the issue.
Luke didn’t seem to know she was even there, watching him. Wishing that he’d drop that damn paper and give her a good look at those tight abs. Unless, of course, that’s why he was doing it. A sudden glance over the sports section sent Dani scampering backwards, up the stairs and out of sight, thankful there was no one upstairs to see her blush.
Then she saw the nightgown.
It was a pale blue thing. All lace and sheer panels, not the lumpen, shapeless coverall she’d been expecting when Elaina had offered it to her. Dani was somewhat taller and bustier than Elaina, and the silky fabric not only accented her breasts, but showed a great deal of leg as well. Oddly enough, the hem of the nightgown came almost to Dani’s knees, covering more than the shorts did, but between the way the cloth strained at the bust and the flow of the cloth on her legs, complete with slit halfway up her thigh, it felt... revealing.
On the other hand, were it only her and Luke, he perhaps would like this look on her. Though, maybe not one that had belonged to his mother first. He had complexes enough, and that would quite clearly be pressing the limit of what would be good for his mental health. Still, she couldn’t go out there while flaunting her... yeah... that. She turned and tried to see what she looked like from behind. Nope. Clearly not something meant to be worn in mixed company.
So, Elaina produced a thick, luxurious robe that was sweltering even in the air conditioning. Elaina said she used it on “spa days” when she took her bath and spent the rest of the day curled up with a good book. It at least hid Dani’s form enough to get from bedroom to kitchen, where she could tend the laundry.
It took a few hours to wash and dry everyone’s clothing, but it felt good to be clean again. The gentlemen took the front room, opting to sleep where they sat. Whether or not anyone so much as closed an eye downstairs remained to be seen. Elaina and Dani took the bedroom upstairs, everyone ignoring the fact that there was a perfectly good guest room next door. But then by even Elaina had entered into the spirit of things, and made enough noises about keeping Dani “where she could see her” that sharing the queen-sized bed seemed the only option. Though her reasons had very little to do with the chase for the elusive USB stick. Dani suspected she was more worried about her son having sex with his fiancée under her own roof.
As if they would. They had the garage for that.
Regardless, they wound up with an arrangement where all parties concerned could keep an eye on all other parties concerned. Definitely not a night for sound sleeping.
Except for Elaina.
Elaina slept hard, making little huffing sounds that came from her side of the bed. Dani lay awake, still in the nightgown. She had too much to think about and, tired as her body was, she wasn’t about to sleep until some things were settled in her mind.
Like what exactly she was doing here.
She’d come back to the United States to attend her brother’s graduation, not to get involved in something that could potentially destroy the world. Or at least cause scandal in every corner of it. This whole thing with Luke had been unexpected. Exciting. She’d never truly been in love before. If she hadn’t, she wouldn’t have put up with house arrest for weeks and falling into the middle of a Mafia turf war. But now? Why couldn’t they just leave? Let the grown-ups find the stupid USB while she and Luke went somewhere sane. Like Tahiti. Edwin and William didn’t really need them anymore. Okay, well, having Luke along might identify the bird just that much faster, but he was so vague about the details now she didn’t expect anything magical, like some sort of recognition the moment he spotted it.
But why would he need to? How many bird statues could possibly have been donated to the church? Even if they went over there in the morning, it seemed like an entire waste of time. Especially if it were actually gone. All the more reason to leave and make this someone else’s problem.
Only, there was Luke. The very definition of Boy Scout. He wasn’t about to let either father get their hands on that bird. To his way of thinking neither of them were trustworthy. She wasn’t all that sure she agreed with that. While her own father might have been a little... creative... in the truths that he told, wouldn’t he do the right thing if the entire country was at stake? Or even the world? And if William worked for the government, didn’t that make him the ideal candidate to take the thumb drive when it was found, even if he was a little... manipulative... in a spooky kind of way?
Dani rolled over, trying desperately to shift to a position that would be more conducive to sleep. The problem was Elaina was a sprawler, and was encroaching onto her side of the bed. She was clutching the edge of the mattress, wondering how much trouble she’d get in to for ‘accidentally’ kicking her fiancé’s mother.
Which, of course, was the other whole problem. She’d gotten kind of used to the idea of Luke as her fiancé. Fake or not, she really did like the idea of being with him... well... kinda long term. He made her laugh. And there were precious few people in the world who could do that. More than that, she just needed him. In ways she’d never known she could need a man. Not just in sexual ways, but in every way. The way you needed air to breathe or food to eat. He was those things to her. When he wasn’t near, she felt like she was going to suffocate. Or starve.
Like she was starving now.