by E. L. Todd
He was quiet, but his disappointment was heavy through the phone.
“I should go…”
“Unicorn, I love you. I’m hurt this is how things are, but nothing changes how I feel about you. You’re my daughter.”
The tears burned in my eyes until they spilled down my cheeks. I didn’t allow the tears to creep into my voice, to give away more emotion. “I love you too, Dad.”
***
I opened the door to Wilder on the other side. He was in a gray V-neck that showed off his pectoral muscles, his chin was cleanly shaven, and he was in dark jeans. His sunglasses hung down the front of his shirt. Instead of looking like an agent, he looked like he was about to go out for the night. “Ready?”
“Since I don’t know what we’re doing, I’m not entirely sure.” I wore my bikini underneath my sundress, both articles of clothing appearing in my closet from nowhere. Someone must have fetched my clothes from town, getting me local apparel that would blend in with the rest of the culture.
“You’ll be fine.”
We walked into the garage and got into a different car. It was black and a two-seater, just like the other. I wasn’t a big fan of cars, so I honestly didn’t know the difference between the toys. I just knew they were shiny and fast.
The engine roared to life, and he hit the road. He got on the main road and drove south, passing the slow cars on the road. He drove with one hand and sunglasses on the bridge of his nose, looking like man enjoying his day off.
Wilder and I hadn’t talked much since we came here. The closeness we used to have was no longer present. The second I knew about him and Maxine, I stopped thinking about him in that way. Honestly, she did me a service when she looked at him with those lustful eyes. It allowed me to move on and value Wilder as a friend and an accomplice. “How are things going?” I didn’t know how else to begin the conversation.
“Good. You?”
“I’m settling in. I got all my gear last night.” I should tell him about my father, but I wasn’t in the mood. I would wait until the end of the day. That way if I didn’t want to listen to him, I could just go in my room and lock the door.
“That dress looks nice on you.”
“Thanks.”
“Never seen you in a dress before.”
“Well, it’s too cold in Switzerland for that.”
“True.”
“So, where are we going?” I asked. I did my hair and makeup, and I hoped it wasn’t a wasted effort.
“We’re going to have lunch then hit the beach.”
What? “Are we going to gain some intel on someone?”
“No.” He kept his eyes on the road, looking handsome with that chiseled jaw. In a few hours, his five o’clock shadow would come in, and he would look really sexy.
“Then what are we doing?”
“I just told you. We’re getting lunch then hitting the beach.”
I kept my eyes on the road to hide my look of consternation. “Okay…”
“You have a problem with that?”
“I just don’t see why we’re taking a day off. We’ve got a lot of stuff to do.”
“Organizing takes times. I’ve got a lot of people on it.”
I looked out the window, unsure what was going on. I didn’t join RB12 to have fun. I wanted to get down to work. “When do you think we’ll deploy?” We had to get into Russia and then get our preparations together. The ride alone would take a while.
“Let’s not talk about work.”
“Then what are we gonna talk about?” I said with a laugh. Wilder and I had nothing in common other than the fact we were both agents.
“Just be you. Gray.”
“I thought you said I was annoying?”
“You can be,” he said. “But not all the time. You’re a pretty cool chick.”
“You think I’m cool?” I asked with a smile. “Never thought I’d hear you say that.”
“Of course, I think you’re cool. I think you’re a lot more than cool, actually.” He took his eyes off the road to give me a quick look before he returned his attention to the road.
I didn’t know what brought on this nicer version of Wilder, but I liked it.
***
We had lunch at a bistro then lay on the beach. Wilder brought two beach towels and did a quick deck change right on the beach. He changed into red swimming trunks and left his shirt inside his backpack. The second he was shirtless, the other women on the beach stole not so subtle glances at him.
He looked hot—like always. But I didn’t stare. Wilder was just my friend, and I shouldn’t look at him that way anymore. And on top of that, he was my boss. So that made it even more inappropriate.
I propped myself up on my elbows and stared at the Riviera. France was more beautiful than I ever could have imagined. It wasn’t even on my bucket list to visit during my lifetime, but there I was, soaking up the sun.
“I like your swimsuit.” His head faced the water, and his gaze was covered by his sunglasses.
“Thanks, but I can’t take the credit. Someone else picked it out.”
“Maybe they picked it out, but you’re wearing it well.”
I raised an eyebrow at the compliment, unsure if he was flirting with me or not. “Uh, thanks.” I should lather on some sunblock, but I was too comfortable enjoying the scenery around me. Kids built sandcastles in the sand while mothers took videos on their phones. A short distance away, there was a volleyball match going on. French words drifted to my ears from the locals.
I needed to mention my father soon, but I didn’t want to ruin the beautiful day. There was no doubt that Wilder would be livid when I told him what happened. And he would be even more mad that I waited so long to tell him.
Wilder broke the silence with an abrupt question. “You and Ben are an item now?”
The question came out of nowhere. “What?”
“You and Ben.” His jaw was clenched hard, suddenly irritated. “Saw your little training session…”
“We’re hanging out, I suppose.” I liked Ben and wanted to keep seeing him, but I wouldn’t say we were together. He was cute and charming, and it seemed like he was interested in the same thing I was. A relationship didn’t have to last forever, but it could be meaningful for however long it lasted.
Wilder turned quiet again, his mood sour. “Have you slept with him?”
“Whoa…that’s a personal question.” Wilder never told me anything personal about himself, and he certainly never answered my questions. But now he was interrogating me like I’d committed a crime.
“I thought we were friends.”
Not friends like this. “Fine. How long have you been fooling around with Maxine?”
He clenched his jaw in irritation.
“I thought we were friends?” I teased. Wilder wanted things from people, but he was unwilling to give anything in return. He was selfish in that regard.
“For a few months,” he answered. “It’s very casual.”
I was surprised he answered me. “Doesn’t that make work complicated?”
“No. She lost her husband a few years ago. She’s just looking for sex—nothing more.”
“Oh…” I suddenly felt terrible for her. Losing the man she loved at such a young age was crippling.
“She’s not in a place right now for something serious. And she doesn’t think she could ever have something meaningful again with the kind of work she’s in. She’s emotionally unavailable.”
“Which is perfect for you, right?”
He shrugged in response. “Are you gonna answer me?”
“Answer what?”
“Are you sleeping with Ben?” This time, he looked at me, examining my face as he waited for a response.
“No. Not yet, at least.” He was an amazing kisser, so I was sure he was amazing at everything else. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t eager for some hot sex. I knew Ben wouldn’t slip out the next morning and make everything awkward. He was a great guy, an h
onest one who was easy to read. He wouldn’t shut down the way Wilder did.
Wilder looked away, satisfied with my answer.
“Since when did you become so interested in my personal life?”
“You’re new here. I’m looking out for you.”
“I may need help with training, but I certainly don’t need help with my love life. I’ve got that covered.”
Wilder didn’t say anything else.
“When should we head back—”
“So you see this going somewhere?”
“What?” I asked, having no idea what he was talking about.
“This thing with Ben. Because I need to warn you, getting involved with someone from work isn’t smart.”
I stilled at his hypocrisy. “You’re doing the exact same thing.”
“We aren’t seeing each other—just screwing. You and Ben are different. It’ll make everything complicated. There’s always a possibility one of you won’t come back from a mission. You want to be involved with someone in that way?”
“It’s better than being with a regular guy. He would always be in jeopardy with my line of work. At least with Ben, I know he can take care of himself. He lives in this world with me so we can enjoy each other without having to slow down our careers. Honestly, it’s perfect.”
Wilder scowled like that wasn’t the response he’d been hoping for.
“Why does it bother you so much?”
“It doesn’t.”
“Really?” I questioned. “Because you’ve been weird all day. You took me to lunch just to ask me about Ben? That doesn’t sound like you.”
“You’re my friend, Gray. I used to see you every day, and now we hardly talk.”
“So?” We had other things to focus on. We both had work and our own personal relationships.
“Are you saying you don’t miss me?”
My heart shut off the second I saw him with Maxine. I immediately stopped thinking about him in that way. I wasn’t going to pine over a guy who didn’t return my affection. Sounded like a waste of time to me. “What’s there to miss? We’re just friends.”
Wilder sat up and rested his arms on his knees. The muscles of his back rippled as he moved, his power obvious underneath his skin.
The day just kept getting weirder and weirder. Maybe I’ll tell him about my father sooner rather than later. It’s not like I would be ruining anything.
***
After an awkward drive home, we pulled into the garage and shut the door behind us. I thought about the kiss I had with Ben just a few days ago. He had thick lips that were soft against my mouth. The stubble of his jaw rubbed against my cheek when he moved with me. Even though his hair was coarse against my skin, it felt nice.
I forced the thought out of my mind. “There’s something I need to talk to you about.”
He killed the engine. “Yes?”
“After I got my phone last night…my father called me.”
Wilder slowly turned his head toward me and pulled off his sunglasses. The look he gave me was different than any I’d ever seen before. “What did he say?”
I told him everything that happened, from the beginning of the conversation to the end.
“How did he get your number?”
I shook my head. “I don’t know. I didn’t ask.”
“And why not?”
“You think he would have told me?” I asked incredulously. My dad didn’t trust RB12, so he obviously didn’t trust me.
“That means we have a traitor.”
“Not necessarily.”
“Yes, we do,” he said coldly. “That phone was just issued to you. He knew exactly when you received it.”
Who could be the traitor? It didn’t seem like any of the agents would do such a thing. “Who was responsible for preparing my gear? We can start there.”
“It was Kyle, but he didn’t do it.”
“Why are you so sure?”
“He wouldn’t have made it that obvious. Someone else must have been involved.”
If there was a traitor in RB12, then my father knew I wanted to be there. “Actually…that’s not possible.”
“What do you mean?”
“My father doesn’t know where we are. He asked me.”
“If he has a spy in here, he does.”
“Which is why I don’t think he does. He asked me to go to lunch where we could talk, but he was just trying to lure me out. He must have hacked into that phone in some other way.”
“Not possible,” he said coldly.
“They call him The Bone Doctor for a reason, right?” I whispered. If my father managed to pull off that interception, then I really didn’t trust anything he said. He claimed he wasn’t a criminal, but only a criminal knew how to pull that off. “I don’t think he would hurt me, Wilder. I think we can use me in Moscow.”
He shook his head. “Too dangerous.”
“What would he get out of killing me?”
“Your silence. You know he killed your mother. You could run to the police.”
“With no evidence? She’s been dead for years. That’s not gonna accomplish anything.”
“You’re still a loose end,” he warned. “That guy has killed children. You think you’re safe with him, but you aren’t.”
“I didn’t say I was safe. But I think I’m important enough that I could change his trajectory. I can lure him somewhere, so we can take him out. Then we can take care of Mr. Connell.”
“I don’t know…”
“You can’t tell anyone about this.”
“Why?” We continued to sit in the car since we couldn’t be overheard. If someone walked in, it would look like we were up to something.
“Because if my father is getting information out of here somehow, he’ll know I told you. And if he thinks I didn’t mention the phone call, he might trust me more. Or, he might think I’m gullible enough to trick.”
Wilder shook his head. “He knows you aren’t stupid.”
“But he might think I’m too weak to see him for who he really is.”
“So you didn’t believe him then?” he asked.
I wanted to believe everything my father said, but something told me I shouldn’t. The fact he was involved in this life at all and never mentioned it to me was a red flag. He put me in danger every day and never gave me a warning. “I trust you more, I guess.”
He nodded. “Good. You’ll stay alive longer that way.”
***
I played a video game with Daniel in the living room while we munched on snacks. The agents and I took turns watching him, so he never felt alone. He was always entertained, so he didn’t seem as sad as he was when he first arrived here.
Ben walked into the room, not possessing that charming smile I’d come to expect. “What did you and Wilder do all day?”
I nearly jumped out of my skin when I heard how angry he was. “We went to the beach.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know. Just to hang out.” I set the Game Boy aside, and Daniel kept playing. I left the living room and walked up to Ben so Daniel wouldn’t have to listen to our conversation.
“Just to hang out?” he asked incredulously. “Since when does Wilder just want to hang out?”
“I don’t know. He just told me to go, and I went.”
He cocked an eyebrow. “You aren’t really the kind of woman to blindly follow orders.”
“I’m a little more responsive when it comes to my boss.”
He crossed his arms over his chest, looking sexy even when he was angry. “I’m not buying it.”
“Buying what? What did you think we were doing?”
“Was that a date?”
I laughed because it was the dumbest thing I’d ever heard. “No.”
“Seemed like it.”
“It wasn’t. Wilder was just being…Wilder.”
“You’re telling me you don’t find it the least bit suspicious that he wanted to take you to the beach for the day? T
hat guy does nothing but work around the clock.”
“What are you suggesting?”
“I think you know,” he said coldly.
My eyes narrowed. “I really don’t. Why don’t you just spit it out, Ben?”
“Come on. The guy is trying to get with you.”
“Wilder?” I asked incredulously. “Trust me, he’s not.”
“Then explain what today was.”
“Actually, I can’t really explain that. But Wilder hasn’t changed. He still wants to be available and detached. Maybe he’s a little jealous of us, but that’s too bad. He picked his road, and I’ve picked mine.”
Ben’s anger quickly began to fade away. “At least we’re on the same page.”
“If he is jealous, that’s just stupid. He doesn’t want me, but he doesn’t want anyone else to have me? That’s the mentality of a two-year-old.”
“He still drinks from a bottle.”
I chuckled at the image of Wilder drinking from a bottle of warm milk.
That handsome smile spread across his face once he saw me laugh. “You’re cute when you laugh.”
“Yeah? You’re cute whether you laugh or not.”
“That’s right… You think I’m crazy hot.”
“Look, I was forced under torture to say that.”
“But you meant it.” His hands moved up, aiming for my sides like he was about to tickle me again. “Right?”
I eyed his fingers warily, knowing what was coming. “Okay, I meant it.”
“Good.” He lowered his hands and came closer to me, his lips moving toward mine. “Looks like you aren’t going to be tortured tonight.”
“But I hope your hands will be all over me anyway.”
He grinned from ear to ear. “Now we’re talking.”
Chapter Three
I woke up after a great night of sleep. Ben’s sexy body was wrapped around mine, and the sheets smelled like him. The natural heat from his body kept me warm throughout the entire night. I was satisfied many times last night, and I couldn’t believe I’d gone so long without getting any action.
It wasn’t difficult to make me come.
A knock sounded on the bedroom door.
“Ugh…” Ben tightened his hold on me and breathed into my neck.
“Let’s just pretend to be asleep.”
