While Hugh went behind the reception desk, she took a closer peek at the photos. “Did you take these?”

“No—”

“I did,” came an unfamiliar voice from behind her.

She spun around to see an attractive guy about the same age as Hugh, dressed in khaki pants and a collared polo shirt. Neat. Clean. Tame.

“It’s about time you showed your face around here,” he said to Hugh. “I was starting to forget what your ugly mug looked like.”

Hugh came out from behind the desk and fist bumped him. “Thanks for holding down the fort. Gavin, this is Tess. Tess, this is Gavin Rhoades, my partner.”

A smile a mile wide played across Gavin’s face. He extended his hand. “Nice to meet you, Tess.”

“You too,” she said, taking the time to register everything she could about Gavin Rhoades. His shake was firm, but his hands soft. His clean-shaven face was nice enough, but a little too pretty-boy. And his eyes were the dullest shade of brown she’d seen in awhile.

Not a Night Runner.

“Would you wipe that smirk off your face?” Hugh returned to the other side of the desk and rifled through some papers. “Any emergencies I should know about?”

“Sorry. It’s just when you called and said you’d be gone for a few days to take care of a problem, I didn’t imagine the problem would be blonde with blue eyes. I mean, as long as I’ve known you, you’ve never had trouble like this.”

Tess’s stomach lurched. She liked that last bit of information.

“You’ve got a problem, huh? Hmm. Here, I thought I’d been sweet as pie. But you know, I can be a major pain in the ass with the right provocation.”

One side of his kissable mouth lifted when he glanced up from the desk. “You mean you haven’t been already?”

“You sure weren’t complaining when I—”

“Stop right there,” Gavin said, holding up a hand. “That’s more information than I need to know. I didn’t even realize Hugh here had a sense of humor. I say keep doing what you’re doing, Tess.” He turned his attention back to Hugh. “You should take her on vacation with you.”

“Vacation?” she and Hugh said in unison.

She beat him to the follow-up. “You’re going on vacation?”

Hugh got sidetracked with a piece of paper he lifted off the desk, his eyes scanning the contents.

“He was supposed to leave days ago. The poor guy hasn’t had a vacation in, what, five years?”

Hugh answered the question with a shrug and kept reading.

Gavin returned the conversation to her direction and added, “No one works harder than my partner. He puts me to shame every day. He’s found more lost hikers, rescued more oil rig workers and probably saved more stupid teenagers than any other rescue operation in the state. Anyway, he’s long overdue for some R and R.”

Hugh put the paper down. “Shut up, Gavin.”

“That’s the Hugh I know and love,” he shot back.

“You’ve rescued that many people?” Her admiration for him grew, and she wished like hell he’d do something, anything, to prove it was all a façade and he really was a good for nothing wolfen. It would make her life so much easier. She didn’t want to think that beneath his tough exterior lived a man who put others—humans—before himself.

“Hugh, you keeping secrets from this lovely lady?”

No, not secrets, Tess thought. He just isn’t comfortable talking about himself.

“Some things are better left unsaid,” he answered, splitting his attention between them.

Like the fact you’re a wolfen. Tess sensed Gavin had no idea Hugh was a Night Runner. Gavin didn’t look at Hugh the same way Trey or Dane did. He seemed genuinely attached to Hugh in a business relationship sort of way that indicated there was familiarity, but also some reservation. Their professional lives were closely intertwined, personal not so much.

“I agree.” She plopped down on the couch and put her feet up on the coffee table.

“What are the two of you doing here?” Gavin joined her on the couch.

“We’re taking one of the choppers to San Diego.” Hugh came around the desk. “Tess has got some business there.”

“Tonight? In case you haven’t noticed, there’s a pretty thick cloud cover right now.”

“Along with some precipitation,” Tess added, just because she thought it might get on Hugh’s nerves, her conversing so easily with Gavin.

He didn’t even flinch. “I noticed. I think it’s moving pretty quickly, though. We’ll wait it out.”

“Must be important business.” Gavin put his elbows on his knees. “Anything I can help you with?” He waggled his eyebrows and Tess almost laughed.

She smiled instead. The kind of smile that leads to an answer the guy doesn’t want to hear. “Thanks, Gavin. But Hugh’s all the help I can handle.”

“I get it,” Gavin said with a wink.

“What the hell does that mean?” Hugh crossed the reception area and stood in front of the coffee table, finally looking a little hot and bothered.

Don’t let his hot and bothered make you hot and bothered.

“It means—”

“Never mind,” he said, interrupting Gavin. “I don’t give a shit what it means. Isn’t it time for you to go home?”

“I could do that. Or I could—”

“Go home, Gavin. I know you’ve been putting in extra time.”

Gavin glanced at his watch and stood. “Am I to assume it’ll be that way for a couple more days?”

Hugh shifted his weight looking a wee bit uncomfortable at Gavin’s remark. She knew Hugh hated needing help, so leaving Gavin with extra responsibilities probably killed him. The fact made her that much more smitten with him. He could have easily walked away from her tonight. Instead, he’d kept his word, put her before Langston Aviation.

“Yeah.”

“Tess, it was great meeting you.” Gavin gave her a farewell nod. “I hope we see each other again. And Hugh…” He paused for a moment until he had Hugh’s attention. “Don’t worry about anything. I’ve got it covered. And this doesn’t mean you’re excused from your vacation, so don’t even think about forgetting it. As soon as you finish with Tess, I’m kicking your ass to the Rockies whether you like it or not.”

Hugh gave some sort of gurgled response that appeased Gavin enough. The preppy partner waved a hand and headed out into the hangar.

Finish with Tess. Gavin’s words rolled around in her head like the tiny metal ball in the plastic mazes she’d loved to play as a kid. Once Hugh fulfilled his obligation, would they be finished? Would she be able to fulfill her obligation to P.I.E.? If there was one thing she’d learned tonight, it was not all humans are created equal. The Wolf Seekers were not operating by a code of ethics. And if that were the case, didn’t it reinforce that not all Veilers were created equal either?

The man standing in front of her certainly blew her notion of Veilers out of the water.

Their eyes locked for the hundredth time. A comfortable yet static silence passed, as if speaking would snap the electricity in the air between them. Whenever she was alone with him, she was torn between uncertainty and desire. Want and apprehension. He watched her like a caged animal willing to do anything to escape.

When he inched closer, his gaze never wavering, a nervous sigh almost slipped from her lips. She backed up as far as she could into the corner of the couch. He moved without making a sound, convincing her he could hear every wild damn beat of her heart.

She had to prove his innocence. Because with every second that ticked by, she lost the urge to fight. He sat down, the gravity in the room changing, her willpower weakening. Just looking at him made her tremble and no matter the exorbitant fee P.I.E. received for eliminations, the man in front of her was worth more.

A ring and vibration interrupted her thoughts. She jumped and broke eye contact to rummage in her purse for her phone. “Hello?”

“Tess, it’s Francesca.”

“Francesca. Hi. Hold on a second.” She covered the receiver with her hand and whispered to Hugh, “Could you give me a minute?”