His gaze swept over her carefully chosen outfit. "You look like trouble."
Takoda gasped theatrically.
Dakota snorted.
And for the first time, Takoda laughed without fear while standing right beside him.
Kade watched her a beat, then reached down and straightened the crooked collar of her hoodie, the gesture automatic. The small touch left Takoda momentarily speechless. When her smile returned it was brighter than before.
Dakota noticed.
So did Kade.
Neither said a word.
A few minutes later the three of them left the suite. The hidden doors sealed behind them as they stepped back onto the private office floor. The atmosphere shifted—less intimate, more formal—but warmth still lingered in the space between them.
Marcus, Elena, and Erin waited near the entrance. The moment the trio appeared, all three straightened. Elena and Erin kept their eyes carefully averted from Dakota.
The walls, it seemed, had not been thick enough.
