Page 47 of Snow

“You’re putting cameras in our room?” she asked, her voice carrying that particular tone of someone who had already decided she didn’t like the answer.

Snow smirked as he hopped onto the desk, balancing with practiced ease while he positioned the first camera in the vent grille facing the door. “Don’t worry. It’s just a precaution in case someone decides to snoop while we’re gone. They’ll only run when we’re not here.”

He stepped down, grabbed the desk chair, and dragged it beneath the doorframe. Nova moved, making room for him. He climbed up, reaching overhead to mount the second camera above the door, angling it to capture the full room. From his perch, he caught her reflection in the wall mirror-still frowning, but her arms had dropped to her sides, which he chose to interpret as grudging acceptance.

Nova leaned against the desk. “You know, I trust you and all that. Professionalism, Navy SEAL honor code, whatever.”

Snow climbed down from the chair, dusting off his hands. “I sense a ‘but’ coming.”

“But if a video of me naked or anything remotely compromising ends up on the internet, I will find you.” She smiled sweetly. “And I will make you regret it in ways your training never prepared you for.”

Snow swallowed hard. Jesus. Why did she have to say something like that? That sounded so hot. Not to mention, now he couldn’t get the image of a naked Nova out of his head.

His mouth went dry, and he turned away, pretending to fiddle with the remote for the cameras and trying to think about something else—the mission, taxes, colonoscopies. Hell, even thought about his team dressed in only Speedos, which was an ungodly sight. But nope. All he saw was still a naked Nova.

Fuck me!

He cleared his throat. “Noted.”

The amused tension hung in the room for a moment, Nova’s smile lingering like she knew exactly what she had done. Then she broke it, practical as ever. “So which bed do you want?"

Snow looked at the beds, grateful for the shift in topic. He pointed to the right. “I’ll take that one. It has a better view of the door.”

“Works for me,” she said, grabbing her bags and dropping them on the bed.

They settled into an easy rhythm, unpacking essentials, claiming small territories of the shared space. Snow watched Nova move with efficient purpose, hanging a few items in the narrow closet, setting her laptop on the desk. She moved like someone accustomed to making do, adapting rather than complaining.

“Well,” Nova said, dropping her bag onto the bed to the left of the room. She looked around, her lips quirking. “This certainly brings back memories of my college years.”

“You went to Duke, right?” Snow asked.

“Yeah,” she answered, looking surprised. “How did you…” Her words died on her lips, and she smiled. “Never mind. I already had this discussion with Derek.”

“What discussion was that?” Snow asked, looking towards her.

“About you guys knowing everything about me.”

Snow chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck. “Hey, I don’t know everything about you. At least, not yet. I also like to take my time with things worth studying.”

The second the words left his mouth, he wanted to grab them and shove them right back in. What the hell had possessed him to say that? He had spent years negotiating hostage situations, planning missions, and talking foreign assets into cooperation. Yet one smile from Nova Hart apparently turned his brain into mashed potatoes.

Snow expected her to laugh or make some smart-ass comment. Instead, she just looked at him, and a slow smile spread across her face.

Fuck, me. That smile was somehow worse than teasing him.

“Is that what I am? A study?” She tilted her head, a small smile playing at her lips. “Though there’s not much worth studying. I’m pretty much an open book.”

Shit, I’m in serious trouble, he thought to himself.

“What was your first impression of Clint?” he asked, keeping his voice casual. Yes, he was desperate for a change in topic, but he was curious what her opinion was.

Nova looked up at him. “You mean, Captain Creepy.”

Snow barked out a laugh. “Captain Creepy?”

Nova shrugged her shoulders. “It was that or Rig Rat.”

Snow laughed again. “You are just full of surprises,” he told her. “I haven’t met a ton of lawyers, but you definitely do not fit the stereotype. And yes, I’m judging again, but my statement is a compliment, as most lawyers I know are stuffy and have a very dry sense of humor.”