Page 50 of Snow

Snow’s head turned toward the door, every instinct he had spent years honing snapping immediately back into place.

Snow let out a quiet breath and looked back at Nova.

“That’s probably Clint.”

He reached for the small remote on the nightstand and, with a practiced click, activated the camera system that would record everything while they were gone. Satisfied the feeds were running, he slipped the remote into his pocket before giving Nova a subtle nod.

“Ready?”

When she returned the nod, Snow crossed the room, every trace of the man who had been distracted by her smile tucked neatly away behind the calm, controlled professional he needed to be. He unlocked the door and pulled it open.

Clint stood there with that same fake-ass smile on his face.

“You guys ready for the tour?” he asked.

Snow nodded. “Lead the way.”

As Nova closed the door behind them, Snow noticed her pause for half a second near the frame before he heard the click of the door locking into place. When she turned and followed Clint down the hallway, Snow looked back toward the door and immediately spotted the nearly invisible yellow string she had wedged carefully into place.

I’ll be damned. If that string had moved when they returned to the room, they would have known someone had entered before he even checked the camera feed.

A slow grin tugged at the corner of his mouth, impressed as hell by her instincts.

Nova caught his eyes a second later and gave him a quick, almost mischievous wink, and instead of calling attention to it, he gave her a subtle nod, letting her know he saw exactly what she had done.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Nearly an hour into the tour, Nova found herself genuinely fascinated by the sprawling maze of steel platforms, towering machinery, and endless walkways that made up the offshore rig.

She had studied the specs and tried to get an idea of what to expect, but nothing prepared her for the scale of it.

Clint had been thorough in pointing things out, though most of Platform Two, which housed the drilling operations, was foreign to her. It was a maze of machinery and noise where Snow would spend his days playing engineer. She had watched him slip into the role easily, asking questions, pointing at valves and pumps like he belonged there.

It shouldn’t have surprised her. Snow had the kind of confidence that made almost any role believable. Still, there was something attractive about watching a man who looked completely in his element, sleeves pushed up showing off his muscular forearms and speaking the language of machinery as if he had been doing it his entire life.

More than once, she had to force herself to refocus on what Clint was telling them. If she wasn’t careful, she was going to spend more time watching Snow than learning anything about the rig. And that could pose a problem later on.

When they were headed back toward the main platform, she had nodded toward the neighboring platform visible in the distance and asked if that was Platform Three.

Clint had confirmed it with an easy smile before reminding them that it remained off-limits due to ongoing safety concerns. Nova returned the smile, but inwardly called bullshit. Whatever was happening over there, she was becoming more convinced it had nothing to do with safety.

Nova had pressed the issue slightly, mentioning her client’s right to inspect all assets. Clint’s jaw had tightened, and something passed behind his eyes that made her skin prickle.

He had told her that if it came to that, someone would personally escort them.

She had let the subject drop, but one look at Snow and she knew that Platform Three was at the top of his radar.

Throughout the tour, Clint had probed with personal questions. She had followed Snow’s lead, giving clipped answers, deflecting with practiced corporate charm. But something about Clint’s smile, the way his eyes lingered too long, and the careful way he watched them, made her feel less like a guest and more like someone being quietly assessed.

The man seriously creeped her out. And in her experience, that instinct was worth trusting.

Platform One, the structure they were currently on, was designed for daily living and upkeep.

As they moved through the main platform, Nova was impressed with the quality of the amenities offered to the crew. Clint showed them the main operations office, recreation area, gym, basketball court, laundry room, and even a small music room that looked wildly out of place in the middle of an offshore rig.

As they headed toward the dining and kitchen area, Nova whistled. “This place is impressive.”

“You would be surprised what people need after weeks at a time out here,” Clint explained casually.