by Aileen Fish
She nodded. “Then you must call me Nicole.”
“My pleasure, as always, my enchantress.”
~*~
Nicole hoped her expression didn’t reflect the excitement rattling through her body from his compliments. The man would always be known as her Prince Charming, because she still felt like a fairytale princess while in his presence. Several times already, her heartbeat sped and her knees weakened. She wasn’t used to this out-of-control feeling she had whenever he was around, but for once in her life, she quite enjoyed playing the part of the helpless female. Then again…she wasn’t really playing. Her emotions were all over the place, and she liked it.
Unfortunately, she’d have to end their relationship today. Or put it on hold. President Grant and his Secret Agents came first. This country needed saving and Nicole would do all she could to help out where needed.
The bay was a beautiful color this afternoon; a mixture between green and blue. Small waves rippled in the water from the gentle breeze. Although the air had turned slightly chilly, the excitement inside her kept her blood running hot. However, she didn’t want him to know that, in case he wanted to keep her warm somehow.
Working as a Secret Agent all these years, she knew what parts to play, and flirting was not foreign to her. She knew how to bat her eyes to get her way, and she knew when to pretend she was cold just so the man would offer his jacket, or better…put his arm around her. This would be the perfect time for that.
However, they were still out in the open for curious eyes to witness. She didn’t want the news getting back to her aunt and uncle that she was seen with a man who had his arm around her. Nevertheless, she did want a few private minutes with him and maybe encourage him to give her more kisses…if they could find a secluded spot.
“Forgive me for being so bold with this statement,” Ashton said after a few moments of silence, “but I haven’t been able to get you off my mind since last night.”
She released a small sigh and gazed into his eyes once more. “Indeed, you are bold, but I must confess the same. You have been on my mind since you caught me falling off the stairs.”
“Then I’m happy to know we are in agreement.” He winked. “However, I think I know why I’m so intrigued with you.”
She arched an eyebrow. “You do? Please tell me.”
“I think it’s because of the mystery surrounding you. Sometimes you act innocent, and yet other times I know you’re not. Sometimes you lead me to believe you’re shy, but then you turn around and follow me into the private spot of the yard to steal a few kisses—as what happened last evening.”
Worry set in her chest, even though she tried not to let her expression show it. Perhaps she didn’t know how to act around a man she truly liked. She hadn’t been herself for so long, maybe she had forgotten how.
She shrugged. “Have you come to a conclusion to why you believe I’m this way?”
His grin widened. “Not yet, but I intend to keep digging to discover your secret.”
Panic tightened her throat for a mere second, but she convinced herself there was no way he would ever know her true secret. “Then I encourage you to continue trying.”
Chuckling, he nodded. “Oh, believe me, I shall.”
“But you know, speaking of lies, I have something to confess.” She shrugged. “Last evening when we were talking about Mrs. Babcock’s maid, you had mentioned a name—Mrs. Hemsworth. I quickly agreed that was her, but then this morning I realized that her name was Mrs. Johnston.” She laughed lightly. “I suppose you knew one of their other maids.”
His gaze narrowed slightly as he studied her. Holding her breath, she waited for his response. Hopefully, he wouldn’t think she had lied about this as well.
Finally, his face relaxed and he nodded. “That’s good to know. I thank you for being truthful with me.”
“But of course. I’m sure it’s just a trivial mistake, but still…I felt you should know, nonetheless.”
“I’m glad you told me.” He glanced ahead of him and nodded toward the distance. “Strolling along this side of the bay is pleasant, but I fear it’ll be too chilly for you.”
She followed his gaze and noticed a small fisherman’s shack not far up ahead. Dare she hope his thoughts were as wicked as hers? “Did you have something else in mind?”
This time when he looked at her, mischief darkened the color of his eyes and made her heart beat erratically. Indeed, his thoughts were very wicked!
“Indeed, I do,” he said. “However, I’m reluctant to say.”
“Why, may I ask? You have been bold in voicing your thoughts so far since we met. What’s stopping you now?”
His gaze traveled over her face slowly, as if trying to read her better. She didn’t want to seem too forward, because in reality, she was innocent. Yet, after experiencing his kiss, she knew she wanted much more.
He cocked his head. “I take it you like it when I’m forthright with my thoughts?”
“I’d rather a man be that way than to tell me one thing and believe another.”
Slowly, he nodded, his gaze still connected with hers. “I agree with you.”
“So then tell me what you have in mind,” she said softly…meaningfully.
He placed his palm over her hand that circled his elbow. Warmth from his direct touch sent pleasure rushing through her.
“Would you hate me if I wanted to be alone and away from curious eyes?”
Her mouth stretched tighter into a smile. “Not at all. In fact, I’d hoped to continue what we had started last night.”
“I would enjoy that as well.”
She turned her head to peer back at the fishing shack. It was far enough away, yet not too far. As long as nobody else was occupying it, perhaps she and Ashton would be able to sneak in a few more intimate moments before she had to return to New York.
Just as she opened her mouth to make the suggestion, a familiar face caught her attention. From up the hill behind them, General Babcock stood with a few other men. They stood near some trees in the park, and she wondered if they, too, were trying not to be noticed. His face was red with anger, and as he talked, he waved his hands in a frantic motion. Then he shook his head and ran his fingers through the thin patch of hair on his head. Even the other men looked upset. Did the general know his journal was gone? Obviously, the man hadn’t been arrested yet, but hopefully that would happen any day now.
The general turned his head as his gaze scoped the area…and stopped on her. Although they were a distance away, the look of distrust was evident on his expression. His bushy eyebrows creased and the color in his face grew darker.
Once again, panic settled inside of her, but this time she had to follow her instincts. She didn’t know how, but the general must have known she was upstairs in his study last night. Perhaps she was spotted by a servant after all.
She snapped her focus back to Ashton. His attention had also wandered to the general and the other men. Something needed to be done now about the general, yet at the same time, she must not let Ashton think she was deliberately trying to hide from the other men.
“Ashton,” she said, tugging on his arm. When he looked back at her, she continued, “I suggest we go to that fisherman’s shack over there.” She motioned her head in that direction. “With any luck, it will be empty.”
For a brief second, confusion filled his expression, but soon his smile had returned. “Then let’s be on our way, shall we?”
She tried to hurry her step and was surprised when Ashton’s long legs ate up the distance along with hers. She spied another trail that seemed to go in a different direction. If Babcock and those men were following, she would want to lose them quickly.
“Let’s go this way.” She practically pulled him toward the other path, but remarkably enough, he still kept up.
“Why are we going this way?”
“Because…” She scrambled to think of an excuse that would sound plausible. “Didn’t you notice General Ba
bcock? He knows us, and if he sees us going into the fisherman’s shack together, I’m sure he’ll say something to someone, and that’s how gossip starts and reputations are ruined.”
“You are very wise.” Ashton’s voice was deep as he repositioned his hands around hers. Now he was the one in charge of leading them. “Follow me. I’ll make certain he won’t see us.”
Her heartbeat skipped. It was nice to have the man in the lead. She was happy to know Ashton would do this…would want to do this.
Although it still worried her that Babcock might want to question her about last night, she thrived in this journey with Ashton. They rushed from one section of the shore to another, throwing Babcock and the other men off their trail. At times, both she and Ashton were out of breath, but they both kept moving.
When they finally reached the shack, he opened the door and peeked in. Without a word, he pulled her inside and closed the door. The odor of fish permeated the air, but the scent of salt made it bearable. They pressed their backs up against the side wall. Nicole’s breaths were ragged, just as his were. Their eyes met in silence. Soon they were grinning like idiots. Nicole was the first to laugh, and then Ashton’s baritone chuckle joined in the merriment.
“I must admit, my temptress, that ever since meeting you I have felt like every minute has been an escapade.”
Her breathing returned to normal, and she nodded. “That’s how I have felt as well. It’s a change from the normal hum-drum of life, is it not?”
His chest rose and fell quickly. “Yes, but a good change.”
He pulled away from the wall and stood very close in front of her. He placed one of his hands on the wall near her head, and his other hand softly caressed her heated cheek.
The mood changed in the split of a second, and Nicole’s ragged breathing was no longer due to them rushing around and trying to hide from Babcock. Anticipation strummed through her, and she couldn’t wait to feel Ashton’s mouth against hers and the exciting explosive tingles that would erupt inside of her due to his tender lips melding with hers.
“Forgive me, but I don’t want to waste another moment,” he muttered before his mouth covered hers.
Just as she had expected, fireworks blasted inside her head. Her heart sang with gladness. Sighing, she melted against him. As she placed her palms on his chest and slid them up toward his neck, he gathered her in his arms tightly.
The moment was everything she wanted and more than she could imagine. He kissed with such passion as his mouth slanted over hers, one way and then the other. She answered back the best she could, letting her feelings lead her.
Right now she didn’t want to ever leave his side. The thought crossed her mind of giving up her double-life as a Secret Agent. Sharing such a magical moment with Ashton made her want more out of life. She wanted to find a man to marry and to have his children.
No matter how adventurous working as an agent had been, she now wanted to slow down. She wanted normalcy.
Grasping the collar of his over-jacket, she opened her mouth for him as he deepened the kiss. Heavens, he really knew how to make her toes curl…and make her feel like this really was a fairytale.
But then it ended as quickly as it started.
Ashton broke the kiss and stepped back. Dizziness assailed her and she tried to gain her bearings before toppling to the floor. Confusion creased his expression. She had the urge to take him back in her arms and convince him that everything would be all right.
But it wouldn’t be all right. Now that she was back to reality, she knew nothing would ever be normal again.
“What’s wrong?” she whispered.
“Someone is calling your name.” His voice was deep, and still affected with the passion they had just shared.
Finally, she heard her name from somewhere outside. Emily. Nicole released a ragged groan and rubbed her forehead. How could she have forgotten about her cousin?
“You go first.” He pointed toward the door. “I’ll stay inside until after you and your cousin leave.”
She nodded. “That’s probably the best. I’ll tell Emily that you were called back to your office to work.”
“Yes. Tell her that.”
Taking a deep breath, she smoothed out her dress and patted her hair back into place. Before she turned to leave, she followed her instincts once again, and stepped up to him and kissed him on the mouth. She didn’t want the kiss to turn into what they had just shared, but she did want him to know how much he meant to her.
“Thank you for…everything. Today has been simply wonderful.” She smiled before pulling away and leaving the shack with her heart in her throat.
She had never believed anyone could fall in love with someone in such a short amount of time. But right now, she knew she loved him without a shadow of a doubt. Knowing this made her chest ache, because she would be leaving for New York soon. Hopefully, he would still feel the same about her when she returned.
And for certain, she would return for him.
Chapter 6
New York, one week later
Nicole fidgeted on her chair, waiting for Mr. Walters to arrive so he could give instructions to her and the others who would be working on this case. Her brother and father were also in the room, and sat beside her. Seeing her father again after they’d been away for a few months was a great homecoming. However, it had only taken a few days for boredom to settle in and she wished she could return to Staten Island and finish getting to know Ashton Lee…the man she couldn’t stop thinking—and dreaming—about.
President Grant had put his lead agent over this railroad robbery case, and she could tell her father was a little irritated that the president hadn’t selected him. The agents had worked with Mr. Walters before, and she didn’t have a problem with working with him this time…as long as the old geezer would show up and inform them on what was happening with the train robberies.
Her father and brother leaned in toward each other, whispering about something. She paid them no attention, choosing to let her mind wander. She missed Ashton terribly, which surprised her because she hadn’t known him for very long in the first place. But whenever they were together, it brought on a different kind of excitement that she wanted to experience again.
Over the past few days, she’d done a lot of thinking. She decided that once this case was over, she would return to Staten Island and find Ashton and see if they could pick up where they’d left off. She would tell him about her Secret Agent life and if he wanted her to stop, she would. If he wanted to marry her, she would certainly think long and hard about that, too.
The door to the small room where they all waited opened and Mr. Walters walked in holding some papers. After moving to the front of the room and placing the papers on the desk, he faced the room of six agents.
“Forgive me for taking so long, but I have had a few meetings with President Grant who was in town for a quick visit.” He took a deep breath. “Now I’m ready to tell you about your newest assignment.”
Nicole stopped fidgeting in her chair and folded her hands on her lap, ready to pay attention to every word. They were all good agents, and she was confident that they would find the person in charge of these train robberies quickly.
“About two months ago, one of New York’s major railroad lines, Conrail Rails, had some thefts during the time the trains were going from one location to another.”
Her mind screeched to a halt. Conrail? Wasn’t that the railroad that Ashton Lee was with? Unease churned inside her and she gripped her hands tighter, listening to Mr. Walters as he continued.
“These aren’t ordinary thefts.” Walters shook his head. “During the war, similar thefts had been happening on the same trains, but back then, not only government mail was being stolen but gold bars as well. Now, however, the thefts consist of the monies being transferred from the government to the U.S. Army to rebuild the south. Because of this particular situation, President Grant wants only his best agents on the case—which is why t
he six of you were chosen.”
As Walters shuffled through some of the papers on the desk, she glanced around at the other agents. Besides her family, there was Mr. George Banks, Mr. Peter Cartwright, and the widow Mrs. Phelps. Nicole trusted them with her life, just as she knew they trusted her with theirs.
Banks and Cartwright were middle-aged gentlemen with no families. They had been married once, but lost their wives to a sickness early in their marriages. A year ago, the forty-year-old widow Mrs. Phelps had lost her husband, who was also a Secret Agent, in the line of duty. Nicole was grateful that the other woman chose to stay with the agency, because there were only a few women agents now that the war was over.
“There are three owners of this rail line,” Walters continued, “Glynn Nickerson, Steve Larson, and Ashton Lee.”
“Did the robberies happen on the same day of the week?” Mrs. Phelps asked.
“No,” Walters replied. “Every robbery happened on a different day.”
“Do the police have any suspects yet,” Nicole’s father asked.
“Not yet, which is why President Grant wants us to look into it. This has been going on for too long without suspects.” Walters nodded decisively.
“When was the latest robbery?” Gordon asked.
“Exactly one week ago.” Walters looked down at his paper again. “On a Thursday, in fact.”
Nicole frowned. That was the day before General Babcock’s masked ball…the day before she met the man of her dreams. Had Ashton and the other owners known about the robberies? Of course they did. It was their railroad that was being robbed, for Heaven’s sake.
The more she thought about it, the more she found it odd that all three of the co-owners were enjoying a pleasant evening at the Babcock’s home that next night after the latest robbery.
She shook her head, trying to get rid of the doubt sneaking in. Ashton wouldn’t have known about it and went to a ball the very next day. What was she thinking? That man was so kind and considerate. No, he wouldn’t have been so crass to do something that heartless.
