Sarai's Fortune Read Online Free PDF Page B

reacting to her. His job was protection only. Based on her reticence thus far, even friendship seemed like a stretch. He doubted she’d appreciate his ogling her body…or his reaction.
    Finally, the plane cleared out enough for him to stand up. Man he hated flying. They definitely didn’t make seats for seven-foot guys, and the planes always had a musty, sweaty smell that his heightened shifter senses protested.
    Sarai glanced down at him. Was that a smirk?
    When they’d boarded the plane three hours before, she’d gone ahead of him and had already been settled by the time he moved to his own seat.
    He’d paused beside her chair. “I’m there.” He’d pointed at the middle seat.
    Sarai had blinked owlishly at him for a moment before she stood up to let him in. “I figured you’d be in first class for the extra room,” she’d said as he’d squeezed past her.
    “Do you know how much they charge for that extra room? It’s a crying shame.” Zac had shaken his head in disgust.
    “Cheapskate,” she’d muttered.
    “Damn straight,” Zac had said. “I’ve got people dependent on me.”
    “You’re going to be awfully uncomfortable by the time we get there.”
    “Middle seat does suck. I don’t supposed you’d swap?” he’d asked hopefully.
    Sarai had grinned unrepentantly. “Nope.”
    It was the first time she’d ever truly smiled in his presence, and it was directed straight at Zac. He felt every nuance of that smile in his gut but tamped down on that response and just grunted.
    “Don’t blame you. You’re how tall?”
    “Five eight.”
    “Right.” Then he tried to ignore her proximity with some reports he needed to run through before getting to New York.
    But Sarai had suddenly turned playful. Throughout the flight—usually when he shifted positions—she’d leant over and whispered, “I think there’s still a seat free in first class.”
    “Uh-huh,” he’d mumbled.
    Now, hours later, he was sure a secret grin graced her lips. “Would you like me to get your bag?” she offered in a deadpan voice.
    Zac frowned. “No. Why would I want that?”
    She shrugged. “I just figured your muscles must’ve atrophied after sitting in one position so long, and you might need some help.”
    “I’m good.”
    “Okay.” He didn’t see a smile as she faced forward, or hear the sound of any laughter, but Zac swore her shoulders were shaking with it.
    Minx. Who’d have guessed Sarai Bouchard was a bit of a tease?
    Nothing else was said as they deplaned, moved through the airport, and met the man picking them up.
    “George.” Zac shook hands with the man who always accompanied him in New York. He performed a quick introduction, during which they exchanged a measured look and a brief nod. All of Sarai’s playfulness on the plane had completely disappeared. The serious cougar shifter was back.
    She practically jumped into the back of the black sedan George had hired. There was the introvert Zac had come to know. He exchanged a glance with George. Sarai was going to have to warm up to the people in the Timik—especially George. Fast.
    They stowed the luggage and pulled away from the airport to head across the river into the city. Every once in a while, Zac would pause in reading the reports George had handed him concerning the Timik to glance over at his silent companion. As they crossed Manhattan Bridge, he happened to catch her wide-eyed expression reflected in the glass of the window.
    “Ever been?”
    “To New York?” Without removing her gaze from the view, she shook her head. “I wasn’t really allowed out much once they identified my abilities.”
    She said that so casually, but Zac would bet there was a story there. “Much? So you’ve never seen a big city?”
    That got her to face him, her frowning look of annoyance relaxed into ruefulness when she realized he wasn’t judging. “Not like this.” She waved a hand at the window. “I have been to some larger cities, and I’ve