Page 6 of An Epic Voyage (The Epic Beauty Salon Files #1)

G riffin almost smiled at the feisty blonde.

Almost. He needed to keep his mind on his job, not on the beautiful Ms. Indigo Adair.

Unique name for a gorgeous woman. Her hair was the color of the sun, brushing just past her shoulders in chunky layers.

Her skin was flawless, with not so much as a freckle or wrinkle marring the surface.

She was tall, slender, and incredibly toned, as evidenced by her bare arms. Plus, she smelled divine.

Man, it’d been too long since he’d been with a woman.

He’d been pleasantly surprised when she’d removed her sunglasses.

Griffin assumed she’d be like Jinger and Pammy, with a heavy dose of makeup and thick black spiders for lashes that looked ridiculous when they blinked.

He’d been so wrong. Her makeup was minimal but tasteful, accentuating the most unique eyes he’d ever seen.

They were a mysterious bluish-purple. Stunning.

He knew nothing about cosmetics as he searched through her case. He might’ve spent a little extra time since it seemed to irritate her. Her nose crinkled adorably when she was annoyed. Everything looked legit. Her suitcase was next.

“Hey, careful there, Geico. That stuff ain’t cheap.”

He raised a brow at her. “Geico?”

“You’re acting like a caveman, pawing through my things. You get a kick out of fingering women’s lingerie?”

He glanced at the tiny scrap of red lace in his hand and pictured peeling it off her, one long leg at a time.

His body tightened. He dropped it like a hot potato and felt around for any weapons, finding none.

He zipped it up and placed it on the ground.

Next was her bag. Among other items, it held a laptop and a wallet stuffed with bills.

“Why so much cash?”

“None of your business.”

He glared at her.

“Fine. I like to be prepared and I enjoy shopping. Is that a crime?”

He snorted. “You think there are souvenir stands on Van Houten Island?”

She tossed out her hands, palms up. “How should I know? I’ve never been there before.”

“It’s a private residence. Didn’t that give you a clue?”

“Look, buddy, I found out about this job less than twenty-four hours ago. Excuse me for not doing my due diligence.”

That made sense. A prominent magazine and a popular television program had featured Van Houten’s getaway, but not everyone had seen them.

“As soon as you quit nosing into my business, I’m going to count that money to make sure you didn’t swipe a Ben Franklin.”

Griffin clenched his jaw to keep from smiling. Indigo had a mouth on her. One with plump pink lips that looked shiny. Kissable. He shook his head and continued to search.

“If you’re done invading my privacy, I’d like to meet the client.”

“Hold your horses. Benedict Van Houten is one of the wealthiest men on the planet. We take no risks with security, and I won’t be rushed.”

“Hold your horses? What are you, like sixty? Who even says that anymore?”

If she didn’t keep that smart mouth shut, he’d do the job for her—with his lips. Damn it, he needed to stymie his attraction to her.

Before he knew what she was doing, she held up her phone. He heard the telltale click. “Why the hell did you take my picture?”

With a sly smile, she remarked, “Maybe I have access to facial recognition software too.”

Yeah, right. “You’re going to have to be patted down for weapons.

I can have one of the female . . .” His voice trailed off as she whipped the sundress over her head, revealing a light blue bra and matching panties that left little to the imagination.

The cold air inside the room pebbled her nipples.

She held out her arms and spun around. Griffin’s tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth.

She was incredibly toned, with no extra fat anywhere.

Her muscles were clearly defined but feminine.

She could model for a fitness magazine. Heck, she could pose for the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition, no airbrushing needed.

“No weapons, Geico. Satisfied?”

Not even a little bit. He nodded because words were beyond his ability at the moment. She picked the dress off the floor and slid it back on. He almost stopped her, but sanity prevailed.

He cleared his throat. “I’ll, uh, show you to your suite.”

“You’ve practically seen me naked. The least you could do is tell me your full name.”

He hesitated. It wasn’t like it was a secret. She could ask anyone on the yacht, and they’d tell her. “Griffin Dean.”

“Are you related to James?”

Indigo Adair had completely rattled his brain because he had no idea what she was talking about. He glanced to see her gaping at him. “What?”

“You’ve never heard of James Dean?”

“Of course, I have. Rebel Without a Cause .”

“Good. I was starting to wonder about you, Geico, I mean Griffin.”

Yeah, well, get in line. He was beginning to wonder about himself too. Nothing ever distracted him from his job, not even an attractive female. Why was this one different?

She picked up her bags and hooked them together. He took the handle from her without protest this time.

“I’ll take you to Jinger. She has some kind of fingernail emergency. Prepare yourself.”

#

I ndigo cut a sideways glance at the man next to her.

Griffin Dean. Goodness gracious, he was gorgeous.

What had she been thinking, whipping off her dress in front of him?

It wasn’t as if she was naked underneath.

She’d practically been wearing her bikini.

All the essentials were sufficiently covered.

Still, it had felt intimate in the enclosed room. Her only reasoning was that she hadn’t wanted his hands on her. She might not have been able to stop herself from jumping his bones.

She’d thrown out that jab about facial recognition.

Little did he know that she, in fact, had access to the world’s most sophisticated software.

That hadn’t been her impetus for taking the picture, though.

It was for Piper and Chelsea. They appreciated a fine-looking specimen as much as she did.

Maybe she’d snapped it for herself, too, if she were being honest. A little souvenir from her latest mission.

As they navigated the boat, she surveyed the surroundings.

She needed to check out most of the yacht to determine if the nuclear weapon was on board.

Still, it would be next to impossible, judging from the size and the number of security personnel she witnessed prowling around, not to mention the dozens of cameras.

More than likely, her opportunity would arise on Van Houten Island. She’d studied the plans and had committed to memory the places she wanted to search. The article she’d read mentioned a safe room, but it wasn’t on the blueprints. She’d need to find it.

Her task seemed monumental, but failure wasn’t an option.

The repercussions could be deadly, especially if Jabari Abdullahi got his murderous hands on the nuke.

She shuddered to think of the damage that would rain down on Africa if that’s where he chose to use it.

For all she knew, he might have a target somewhere else in the world, maybe even in the United States.

Inside a secret storage compartment in her makeup case, Indy had several microscopic cameras she planned to place around the boat to monitor any movement of the device. They were small enough that Griffin shouldn’t be able to see them. She’d need to be careful where she placed them.

“So, Griff—can I call you Griff?”

“No.”

She didn’t even try to hide her smile. Sparing with him was quickly becoming her favorite pastime. “Griffin, I’m assuming you’re in charge of Van Houten’s security detail.”

He shook his head. “Just a cog in the wheel.”

Yeah, right. She’d noticed the way the others would straighten when he neared. They observed his movements. “Everyone seems to defer to you.”

He simply shrugged.

“How many security personnel are on board?”

“Lots.”

She frowned. She had a feeling he was being conveniently obtuse. “Am I allowed to explore, or will Griffin clones accost me everywhere I go?”

He turned to her with one brow raised above his sunglasses. “Why would you want that?”

She held out her arms. “Look around. It’s incredible and begs to be explored. I’ve never been on a yacht before. The sybarite in me can’t wait to see more.”

“Sybarite? That’s an awfully big word.”

Indigo stopped and slammed her hands on her hips. He noticed and turned to her. “What?”

“Griffin Dean, you are a snob.”

“Why?” He seemed genuinely perplexed.

“That was a slam because you think I’m not too bright. Is it because I’m a beautician?”

“What? Now who’s the snob? Your occupation or education had nothing to do with my comment. Touchy much? And I never said I thought you had a low IQ.”

Actually, it had been a stupid miscalculation on her part. It would be better for her if he thought she was dumb. It was easier to fly under the radar when people expected little from you. She knew how to play the blonde bimbo, but for some reason, she didn’t want Griffin to see her that way.

Indy mentally slapped herself. She was on a crucial mission that could save hundreds, maybe thousands, of lives. She didn’t have time for a distraction, even an incredibly handsome one.

“So, can I wander?”

“No. I’ll show you around.”

“No offense, Griff, but I’m a grown woman.” She thought she heard him mutter, I’ve noticed . Her body shuddered. “I don’t need a chaperone.”

“No offense, Indigo, but you’ve got one, like it or not.”