by Kaylea Cross
She blinked at him. Posing as a couple meant there might be an occasion here and there where it would be necessary. Her cheeks turned hot but she gave him a bland look. He’d better not try anything that wasn’t expressly called for. “I’m kinda unfamiliar with them.” Obviously. She’d had a few hook ups and zero relationships. Came with the territory.
“That’s what I figured. But I’m going to be touching you. A lot.”
It almost sounded like he was looking forward to it. Which was nuts. “That’s not necessary.” She was willing to be a professional and play along in public, but let’s not get carried away here.
“For me it is. What can I say, I’m an affectionate guy.” He leaned in a little closer, dropped his voice. “And attentive. Any woman I’m with won’t have any illusions about how much I want her.”
She stared, taken off guard by his words and the sensual edge to his voice. By the warmth curling deep inside her.
It was on the tip of her tongue to tell him no way in hell, but if she did that then it proved she was uncomfortable. Valkyries didn’t get uncomfortable. She could handle this—and him. Besides, it was only for a few days. She’d get through it like a pro and then go back to Marcus’s place in Stow and…figure out what the hell to do with the rest of her life.
“I hope you like the whole concept of wooing, then. Because I like to make a man work for it.”
A slow smile curved his lips at her challenge, triggering that same little swirling sensation in her belly. His gaze slipped down to her mouth before coming back to her eyes. “I do when she’s worth it.” His tone suggested he thought she was.
Megan had no idea what the hell to make of any of that, and she wasn’t going to waste effort trying. She cleared her throat. This was a job, nothing more. If he thought he had a shot at actually making her succumb to whatever advances he planned to make, he was going to be one disappointed puppy. “Good for you. Now. Back to the plan.”
He gave a low laugh that sent a ripple of heat down her spine. “So serious. All right. You’re going in the basement to disarm any security systems while I stand watch. Once you’re in the condo you’ll search for anything that might be of use to us, grab it and get out. I make sure the coast is clear and watch your back.”
She tamped down the urge to snort or laugh at that last bit. She might never have relied on anyone before during an op, but she wasn’t so much of a bitch that she would throw it back in his face. He’d earned the coveted green beret. He knew what he was doing, knew how to handle himself. And he had worked with others for his entire career. Maybe she would learn something from him before this was over.
He was also calm and self-sufficient. She’d seen those things firsthand twelve years ago. If she was honest with herself, that made him even hotter.
She shoved that unwanted thought right out of her mind. “Right. Now let’s go over our contingency plans.”
She spent the next forty minutes detailing their escape routes, though she could tell he was merely playing along for her benefit.
“Ladies and gentleman, this is your pilot speaking,” a voice announced over the speakers. “We’ll be beginning our descent into Prague momentarily. Should have you on the ground a few minutes ahead of schedule.”
Tyler reached over and took the tablet from her. “That’s our cue,” he murmured, and his tone struck her as strangely intimate. Then he upped the ante, sliding a muscled arm around her shoulders.
She stiffened at the weight of it resting on her, the strength and warmth of his hand as his fingers curled around the side of her shoulder. It took everything she had to sit there instead of shoving his arm off her and walking away. Worse, she kind of liked how it felt.
Hell. She had days of this ahead and maybe worse to look forward to? Wonderful.
His slight grin told her how much he enjoyed pushing her boundaries, and that he planned on doing it more. “You ready, sweetheart?”
Ugh. She had to unlock her jaw to respond. “I’m ready. But fair warning—get too touchy feely and I’ll snap your arm in half, fake boyfriend or not.”
Chapter Six
“Okay, they’re on the move,” Megan’s voice murmured in his earpiece.
Seated at a picnic table in the courtyard between the target building and the one next to it, Ty didn’t respond. To the untrained eye he was just another tourist out enjoying a morning coffee in the summer sunshine, a hat and sunglasses shading his eyes from the glare.
In reality, the shades contained special lenses that allowed him better peripheral vision to watch his surroundings. This whole thing was a strange predicament to be in. His role on this op had been made clear: provide backup for Megan.
He didn’t love it. He’d spent his entire career as a member of a team at the tip of the military spear. He was used to taking action, running ops with his A-team. Not being relegated to the background and sitting on his hands while someone else ran the show.
He’d do it for Megan, though. He’d do damn near anything for her.
At first he’d wanted to do this out of obligation and a lot of guilt. Now that was changing. The little things he’d learned about her so far, the pieces she’d allowed him a glimpse of, only increased his attraction to her. And to keep her safe during this mission, it meant keeping his head clear.
He took a sip of his coffee and subtly turned his head. At this point they didn’t know for sure who the suspect might be, or even if they were looking for a man or a woman. Everyone was impatient to get a solid lead.
With Valkyries dying, time was of the essence. Inside the condo Megan would search for anything that might give them a clue about their suspect—if he or she was actually staying there—and if they were lucky, they’d find a laptop they could clone or some other kind of electronic equipment for them to analyze.
The front door of the apartment building opened and the young family that was staying next door to the target suite exited, a mom and dad and two young kids, speaking Spanish.
Ty reached up to scratch his jaw, his hand angled to disguise the motion of his lips. “You’re clear,” he murmured.
There were only a few other people strolling along the pathway between the buildings, and all of the surrounding balconies were empty. He’d done a thorough check of the perimeter before settling at the table. Trinity was posted in a condo located in a building on the opposite side to watch their blind spot and would only communicate if something was critical.
“Copy. Going in,” Megan responded.
He maintained silence as he sipped his coffee and kept watch, but inside he was itching to get up and follow her. Intellectually he understood that Megan was well trained and could handle herself—he’d seen that himself firsthand.
Emotionally, he didn’t give a shit. He felt protective of her. He wanted to be in that suite with her right now, helping her search. Watching her back up close and personal.
Instead he maintained his role, limiting his movements to switching locations after a few minutes, to a seat in the shade with a better view of the front of the building. Up on the fifth floor the unit Megan was in had the curtains and blinds drawn to keep out the sun. There was zero visibility into the room, giving her total concealment while she searched the place.
After seeing only hints of what she was able to do, he wished he could watch her work. He only knew bits and pieces of what she’d been through, of what the Valkyries were capable of. So far, she’d been a total pro even though it was hard for her to accept working with someone—especially him, given their history.
Had she truly accepted his apology? He still wasn’t sure. He wanted to prove himself to her, somehow make up for what had happened. When he’d heard what she’d gone through after he sent her back that night…
Ty was more motivated than ever to earn her trust. And the best way to do that—really, the only way to do that—had been to volunteer for this mission. He not only got to help do something for the greater good, he got to be close to Megan the majo
rity of the time. A definite perk, but also a double-edged sword.
The spark between them was still there, brighter and hotter than it had been before. Maybe because this time they were both single and he was no longer her instructor. Whether the attraction was one-sided, he wasn’t sure, but he intended to find out. If she was interested, he was making a move the moment the mission was over. Until then, he had the excuse of their cover as a couple to touch her and make her aware of him as a man rather than just a teammate.
Quiet footfalls sounded to his left. He subtly turned his head to see who it was, did a double take when instead of finding a stranger, Megan strode up the walkway in her cargo pants and tank top, a ball cap covering her hair and sunglasses hiding her eyes.
“Hey. Ready to go?” she asked casually, as if she hadn’t just broken into someone’s apartment in broad daylight to search it.
Where the hell had she come from? From his vantage point he was able to see both the main and side exits. The back exit was currently blocked off for repairs, so that meant she must have come another way.
Masking his surprise, he stood and nodded. “Yeah, I’m starving,” he replied, and when she was close enough, reached for her hand.
She stiffened ever so slightly, as if she wanted to pull away, then remembered their cover and awkwardly laced her fingers with his to walk with him away from the building.
Her hand was cool in his, her fingers slender. In her running shoes the top of her head came up to the tip of his nose. She was the perfect height for him to pull her close and kiss the top of her head, nuzzle her temple and cheek, the edge of her mouth. He hoped he got the chance to do all of those soon.
“How’d it go?” he asked quietly, cataloguing the people they passed. A few families, other couples, mostly older. No one was paying attention to them and Trinity was still silent even though she could hear everything they said, so their six was clear.
Megan shrugged. “Waste of time,” she muttered. “I checked the target unit and the ones on either side of it too, just to be safe. Only thing I found was the dollar store safes in the closets. A toddler could open those things, and yet one family left their passports and jewelry in one.” She sounded disgusted.
He hid a smile, masking his disappointment. Ops like this often ended with no solid leads or fresh intel, but it meant they’d missed their mark by a matter of hours at most. “I bet you’re pretty good at cracking safes, huh?”
“I’m not bad.”
Now she was just being modest. Expert level thief the redacted file he’d been sent on her said, and that covered a lot of possible territory.
They walked through the main tourist area of the old town to get to their hotel, where they would inform Trinity that Megan hadn’t found anything in the suite. If anyone was out there keeping tabs on them, it helped solidify their cover to be seen together as a couple in public. “You hungry?” he asked her.
She glanced up at him with a frown. “We just ate like, two hours ago. You can’t seriously be hungry already.”
“Hey, it takes a lot of calories to fuel this body.” Mostly he wanted to stop and see if they had a tail of any kind.
It did things for his ego when she raked a sidelong gaze over him through the gap at the edge of her sunglasses. “I’m not hungry, but we can stop if you are.”
She said it like the idea was the most annoying thing in the world, and he grinned. “Maybe a pastry?”
She huffed. “I don’t eat that stuff.”
“Why not?”
“Slows me down.” She slanted him a look that said she was done talking.
She was adorable when she got annoyed. And he’d sure as hell never had this much fun on a mission. “Ever had a kolache?”
“No.”
“There was a bakery we used to get them from just off base when I was stationed in Texas, owned by a Czech family. Best kolaches ever.” He was almost certain no one was following or watching them as they walked along the cobbled streets past pastel-toned, red-roofed buildings. At the next block he spotted a pastry shop. “Perfect. Let’s see what they’ve got.”
He swore he heard her groan as he tugged her to the right and headed for the shop. “Smells like Christmas,” he said, drawing a deep breath. Cinnamon and other spices.
A lineup snaked along the counter when they entered. The display case had strudel, other pastries he wasn’t familiar with, and a few trays of different flavored kolaches.
“Yes. You sure you don’t want one?” he asked her.
“I’m sure.” Her tone was completely disinterested but she was covertly watching all around them, maintaining her vigilance even with him beside her.
He squeezed her hand in reassurance. Her heightened vigilance made complete sense given that she’d always been on her own on a mission.
When it was his turn to place his order he kept hold of Megan’s hand. The woman behind the counter handed him his order in a paper bag. “Děkuji,“ he said, and led Megan back out onto the cobbled street.
A pair of street violinists were starting a performance in the middle of the square. He stopped at the edge of the crowd and drew Megan close to him, reaching into the bag to hand her a pastry. She shook her head, her gaze fixed on the surrounding crowd. “You don’t want to even try it?” he asked, and lifted a blueberry-filled kolache to her mouth.
She turned her head toward him. They engaged in a silent battle of wills for a few seconds. He could feel the heat of her glare burning him through the lenses of her sunglasses, but finally she gave in and took a bite.
He couldn’t help but stare at the way her lips closed around the pastry, the tip of her tongue peeking out to sweep up a flaky crumb. “Good?” he asked.
“It’s okay,” she muttered, her annoyance clear.
Fine. More kolaches for him.
Deciding not to push his luck with hand feeding any farther, he switched tactics and curled an arm around her shoulders instead, pulling her tight into his side.
She went rigid. So rigid he was sure he’d moved too fast, but she stayed still and, while not exactly leaning into him, didn’t pull away either. He’d consider it a small victory in his campaign to win her over.
Something told him it wasn’t as much him as it was the close physical contact that bothered her. She’d been orphaned as a kid. She had no other family, no close friends. She’d been put into foster care at five, then recruited into the Valkyrie Program. After the solitary life she’d led and the training she’d undergone, all of this would be foreign for her.
It brought up another thousand questions. Had she ever had a boyfriend? Been in love? Surely she would have at least had lovers over the years.
But what if she hasn’t?
The idea stirred something deep inside him. A deep possessiveness that made him want to make up for everything she’d gone without her whole life. Show her every single pleasure that could happen between a man and a woman.
He hated the thought of her going through her entire life alone, with no one to turn to. No one who cared about her beyond whether she got a mission done or not.
He cared, whether it made sense or not. She tugged at him in ways he didn’t fully understand.
Her hair smelled good. The urge to nuzzle the top of her head was strong, but he held off. He rubbed her shoulder gently instead then curled his fingers around it as he finished off his pastry, noting the firmness of her muscles. A small reminder that she was stronger than she looked, and deadly when she needed to be.
Across the square, his gaze swept across the crowd…and stopped. A man stood almost opposite them in a brown leather jacket and jeans, eyes concealed by shades. The instant Ty saw him the man looked away.
A low-grade warning tingle started in Ty’s gut. He swallowed his mouthful of pastry and casually bent his head to murmur close to Megan’s ear, making it look like he was whispering sweet nothings. “Eleven-thirty. Leather jacket and shades.” The guy turned and started walking away at a casual pace.
“Nope.” But the guy had definitely been watching them. Curious onlooker? Or someone tasked with following them? “One of ours, maybe?”
“Negative,” Trinity responded through the earpiece. “Verify if he’s a tail.”
“Roger.”
Megan shrugged his arm off her. “Shall we?” Her tone was all business.
“Sure.” He snagged her hand again before she could take off, wound his fingers through hers and started back to their hotel. Neither of them looked over their shoulder on the way.
They both waited until they’d reached the next sidewalk before turning left and taking a cautious glance across the street. Ty’s gaze immediately zeroed in on the man in the shades. He’d stopped on the opposite sidewalk, standing there casually as he glanced around. The second he realized Ty had spotted him, he glanced away and started walking faster.
They definitely had a tail.
Megan tugged sharply on his hand. “Keep moving.”
“I’ve got you on GPS,” Trinity said through his earpiece. “Can you give me a detailed description?”
Ty murmured the physical details of their shadow to her.
“Got it. I’m having the team search for him with satellite and CCTVs in the area.”
They took a zigzag route back, checking for signs of being followed. “We’re clear,” he murmured, and Megan nodded as if she’d already determined that. But they circled the hotel twice more just to be sure.
As soon as they were inside the lobby she pulled her hand free of his and put some distance between them. He didn’t try to stop her. Even though everything in him wanted to erase every inch between them.
Down, boy.
At their door he waited while Megan checked the anti-trespassing measures she’d left there earlier. It was hard-wired in him to push her aside and check the place himself to make sure she was safe, but that would only piss her off.
So he curbed his initial impulse and waited while she did the sweep herself, then refrained from doing his own to follow up. If he wanted her to trust him, he had to do whatever he could to earn it from her.
