Page 26 of The Honeymoon Hack

She laughed, that distinctive sound that was half giggle, half snort. “What ‘level of physicality’ would Scarlett call that? Three?”

I grinned, remembering Scarlett’s overly detailed briefing on appropriate displays of affection. “Probably. Level one was holding hands; two was a hand on the waist or shoulder.”

“I think three was a kiss to exposed skin, so temple counts. She’s so specific about all of it. I tuned her out at some point, because I knew that wouldn’t be the most important part of our job.” She paused after stuffing her socks into a drawer. “I think she was more worried about me getting awkward than you overdoing it.”

“Me? Overdo it? Never.” I placed a hand dramatically over my heart, earning another laugh from her as I hung up a few shirts in the closet.

“Just don’t go for level five,” she warned, eyes twinkling.

“What’s level five again?”

“Mouth to mouth,” she answered promptly, more focused on her clothes than on me.

“It’s wise to establish boundaries.” Had I kept my tone sufficiently light? She obviously didn’t have our night together on a loop in her brain, so it was probably best I stopped replaying it in mine. But god, the feel of being inside her. “Wouldn’t want to accidentally escalate to level six.”

“I don’t even know what level six would be.”

“I think it involves removing clothing, and that would definitely make security suspicious.”

She nearly choked on a laugh. “No stripping naked in front of security. Got it.”

A soft knock came from our door.

Brie turned her watch over. “Shit, that’s our hour, and that’ll be Claire. Ready for the grand tour?”

“As I’ll ever be.” I straightened my shirt and tucked the metal pen and earbuds into my pocket. “In case she takes us into the data center, I’ll test these today.”

As we moved toward the door, I caught myself reaching for Brie’s hand—a natural gesture for a man on his honeymoon. I hesitated. We were alone, so I didn’t need to show off.

Brie noticed my aborted movement and quirked an eyebrow. “Level one?”

“Just practicing,” I said with a small smile.

She rolled her eyes again, but took my hand. “Might as well get used to it.”

Chapter 10

Brie

“You’re goingto love this place,” Claire said as she led us through the residential wing. “It’s designed to keep people sane underground for weeks at a time.”

Signs hung everywhere, as the resort above us must have had. Plaques on the walls indicated other wings in the residential complex, security checkpoints, and exits. Then there were the named locations, like The Grotto, Little Haven, and Davy’s.

“Have you installed the Mnemis app on your phones yet?” Claire asked as we neared a keycard-protected door. “It’s got a map and uses the same tech as your ID cards to show your location at any time.”

We needed far more time to ensure it was safe before we could do that. But which excuse would work? What would sound natural rather than paranoid?

Will said, a grin in his voice, “We got distracted checking out the room.”

Thatsounded natural.

“You’ll need to install it before your first shift. Makes navigating a lot easier during your first few weeks, but it’s also asecurity requirement.” After opening the next door, Claire swept her arm wide, ushering us into an expansive common area. “Welcome to what we call ‘The Grotto.’”

I stopped short. The space before us looked nothing like what I’d expected thirty feet underground. Soft lighting mimicked natural daylight, while massive wall displays created the illusion of windows overlooking tropical beaches and lush island landscapes. The digital scenes shifted subtly—palm fronds swaying in a simulated breeze, waves lapping at pristine shores—almost enough to trick the brain into believing we weren’t buried beneath tons of rock and seawater.

Various offshoots surrounded the central court. To our left, glass doors led to a fully equipped gym that rivaled the fancy fitness center I’d gotten a membership to three years ago and visited exactly twice. To our right was a lounge with comfortable seating, big-screen televisions, and a door to a room full of gaming consoles. Further ahead, a cafeteria and the small store Claire had mentioned.

“This is… impressive,” Will said, echoing my thoughts.