by Jo Leigh
“My thoughts exactly. He was on the down-low making the call, no one else in sight. But that doesn’t necessarily mean he’s kept it secret. Suspicious, though. I think he’s going to meet someone at seven-thirty tomorrow morning. It could be a phone call, but I doubt it. I’m gonna go running with Angie at seven, circle around his bungalow. See if we can’t get eyes on the guy or a license plate.”
“Don’t get caught.”
“Yeah, I needed that reminder, me being a rookie and all.”
“What the hell’s wrong with you?” She snorted. “Your job is to play the loving couple. Our best shot at nailing these bastards is you getting targeted. I’ll get the info to Parker and the rest and see what they come up with.”
“Good.” He rubbed his temple. Naturally she was right. “Thanks.”
“So how’s it going with Angie?”
“What do you mean?”
Jeannie puffed some air at the receiver. “I mean, how’s it going with Angie?”
Ryan opened his mouth, then closed it, editing his thoughts. “Fine,” he said. “Fine.”
The huff of air was replaced by a derisive laugh. He knew that laugh all too well. “What?”
“Took you a hell of a long time to get to fine, kiddo. What’s going on?”
“Nothing. You know. All that touchy-feely crap. Ira wears an aloha shirt, okay? There are bean bag chairs.”
“That’s swell, but how’s it going with Angie?”
“She’s not you,” he said, hating that it sounded a lot like the way her kids whined about going to bed. “I was ready for you.”
The silence that came back at him wasn’t the friendly kind. It made Ryan nervous, and he found himself pacing, but still sweeping his surroundings for anyone who could be listening in. He shouldn’t have to explain his discomfort, not to Jeannie. She’d spent a lot of time ragging on him about how they were going to be his longest relationship, how with women, he was made of Teflon, sliding in then sliding out, no fuss, no muss. Jeannie understood that he wasn’t built for romantic relationships. She didn’t make him want things he shouldn’t.
“It’s the touchy-feely stuff, right?” she asked. “We figured there was going to be a lot of physical contact.”
“We weren’t wrong.”
“Okay, so today you realized that this wasn’t theoretical, that you’re undercover as a married man. The way I see it, you have about three hours left to freak out about it, and then you’d better get your act together, Ryan. Seriously.”
“I’m not freaking out.”
“Yeah, you are. I can’t say I blame you. If the situation were reversed, and they’d stuck me with any other guy on the team, I’d have been a mess. Privately. Because I would know that my feelings are the last thing on earth that matter for the rest of the week.”
“Well, you’re a damn saint, Jeannie.”
“Fine, be pissed at me. Just remember that you’re the one who wants Washington so badly. You’re the one who’s determined to play Ryan Ebsen down to his short hairs. You two are going to touch each other. A lot. You’ll have to kiss a time or two. And you’re sleeping next to her. If junior won’t behave, you have exactly one option. You keep it in your pants. That’s it. There’s not a plan B or a deal you can work out. Everyone’s counting on you. Because you’re the man in the spotlight. If anything, you need to make it easier on Angie. She’s taking one for the team, and don’t get smart with me, because you know what I mean. It was brave of her to step into this part with zero prep.”
He scraped his teeth over his lip, then put the phone down while he slugged the padded back of a weight machine. Then he put the cell to his ear again. “Well, hell, when you say it like that...”
“All righty, then. Where are you, in the fitness center?”
“Yeah.” He heard the relief in her voice, and it made him more determined than ever to get his thoughts in line. “You know it’s not about Angie, right? This would be a problem with anyone who isn’t you.”
Her pause told him he should’ve left well enough alone. “Yeah, I know. Look, my tribe is going to revolt if I don’t give them sustenance. You, work out. Hard. Think whatever you need to, then get clear. Get focused. Eye on the prize, kiddo. Eye on the prize.”
After a brief goodbye, he shoved his phone in the correct pocket, then went to the elliptical, set it for maximum resistance and started pumping. The key was control and focus. He was better at that than anyone he knew. Completely capable of putting away any feelings he had for Angie Wolf while still giving the performance of his career. Dammit.
6
ANGIE SAT ON THE EDGE OF the whirlpool bathtub, the steam from her shower redolent with the cucumber scent of her body wash. Liz Copper was front and center on Angie’s iPad. In the background was the interior of Liz’s SUV and the ambient sounds were a random car horn or an airplane. Liz could have been halfway home by now instead of listening to Angie whine as she sat in the Bureau parking lot.
“Hey,” Liz said, “I’m sorry, but I don’t understand the problem.”
“It’s Ryan,” Angie said, her jaw clenching with the need to be quiet. Ryan wasn’t in their room, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t come back any second. “I completely forgot myself and what I needed to accomplish. I kissed him. I’m not supposed to do that. I’m supposed to be in character, not wanting to jump the guy I work with five days a week. For God’s sake, Liz, you know how risky this part is, and we’re on day one.”
“Again,” Liz said, so calmly Angie wanted to punch her. “I don’t see the issue.”
“Stop it. You’re not dense.”
“You are, apparently. Look, Angie, this is one week out of your life where your future depends on you acting as if you love the man you’re supposed to be married to. The more the lines blur between you and your character, the more effective you’re going to be at playing the part.”
Angie’s head reared back. “That’s insane. And inappropriate. And...and wrong.”
“Why?”
“Because when this week is over, I have to go back to L.A.”
“Not for long. Look,” Liz said, leaning closer, making her head look very big. “You’re attracted to him. A lot. I was there at that Halloween party, remember? I saw the way you two looked at each other. So use it. Make it work in your favor.”
“That’s not right.”
“Have I ever advocated using someone like that in real life? No. But in this case... Think of it as pulling a Ryan. Trust me, he’ll be thrilled. At least until he finds out you’re going to D.C. instead of him, but hey, all’s fair when seeking promotions that will pull you up several rungs on your career ladder.”
Angie sighed, her instincts battling for dominance. “Let me get this straight. Are you saying that I should seduce him? While on the job?”
Liz blinked a little. “I’m not saying you should. I’m suggesting that in this case, it wouldn’t be a bad thing to go with the flow. He wants you, you want him, that’s a fact. The only reason you two haven’t already gotten together is because of the job. Well, now the job is to convince two marriage counselors that you’re hot for each other. Think of it as method acting.”
“There’s something fundamentally flawed about what you’re saying, I know there is.”
“Kiss him again tonight. If it feels wrong to go farther, stop. But if it goes to the next step, don’t beat yourself up for it. That’s all I’m saying.”
If it had been anyone else, Angie would have already laughed off the idea and moved on. But Liz really did know her better than anyone else. She was protective of Angie. Had been since their first year in college. “Okay. I’ll let you know what happens. But I have to get out of this bathroom. For all I know he’s right outside the door.”
“Good luck,” Liz said, then she was gone, and Angie put away her tablet. Her gaze moved to her reflection as she went to the door. She’d dressed in Angie Ebsen’s clothes, a sheer white camp shirt over a silk tank, with winter-white jeans,
the russet belt the only color in the outfit. It would have looked better if she’d been more tan, but she didn’t actually live the life of an heiress.
She did have to play one, though, so it didn’t matter whether Ryan was on the other side of the door or not. Now, if she could only erase her entire conversation with Liz.... Instead, she set her shoulders and walked out, ready to face him, face whatever the night would hold, but thank goodness she was alone. Her gaze went to his note. No indication of what time he’d written it, but even if he had spelled it out she couldn’t begin to guess when he’d return.
Her stomach rumbled. No wonder, it was coming up on eight. She figured they’d go to one of the hotel restaurants, be seen together, maybe find the others in the bar, after all. She’d put on makeup.
Unsure what to do now, she thought of cracking open the minibar. She still didn’t think the Bureau would pick up the tab, but she did get a per diem.
At least the run had done her good. Of course, Liz’s “Go for it” pep talk had undone most of Angie’s calm. Thinking of seducing Ryan made her hyperventilate, but she could sit with the notion of seeing where things led. Being open to entertaining the idea that there could possibly be more than kissing between her and Ryan. Maybe.
She stared at the door, then at the fridge, then back at the door. It seemed ridiculous to wait for an unquantifiable time, and though she didn’t like interrupting anyone’s workout—tough. She got her cell, dialed Ryan’s.
He answered as the door to their room opened, his voice echoed in twin spaces. “I suppose you’re wondering where I am,” he said, smiling at her.
Eye-rolling was becoming something of a reflex. “You didn’t say.”
He still had his phone to his ear as she put hers back in her purse. When she looked up again it was to find him eyeing her, but not cynically at all. His gaze hovered over her chest for a few seconds then moved slowly down until he reached her shoes, yet another ridiculously high pair of strappy nonsense. With her heart thudding and praying he wouldn’t notice that she was utterly panicked, she found a smile that almost felt normal.
“They’re impossible to run in,” she said. “I’d break my ankle in five steps. I don’t know why they insist on putting TV cops in these high-fashion things. It’s absurd.”
He let his phone hand drift down as looked up. “To be fair, they only do that to the female TV cops.”
“Ha, ha.”
“You do look damn nice in them,” he said. His workout was all over him, and it was a good look. The sweat on his shirt reminded her of her own before she’d showered. The flush of his neck and face was pretty close to indecent. “Did the fitness center live up to the brochure?”
“Oh, yeah. You’d like it.”
“I’ll stop in sometime.”
“Whoever picked out your wardrobe did a hell of a job,” he said. “You could be about to step onto a yacht. Did you want to go meet the gang for drinks?”
“Dinner first would be nice. I’m starving.”
He nodded and headed for the closet. “Give me five minutes. Oh, and I overheard Ira making some impressive wagers with a bookie.”
“Really? Why a bookie?”
“My question exactly.”
As he gathered his clothes, he filled her in, and by the time he’d reached the bathroom, they’d gone over a quick half-dozen possible explanations. “I’ll call Parker,” she said, grateful beyond measure that the conversation had turned to the case and that she could breathe again.
“I spoke to Jeannie, already. She’ll take care of it.”
“You told Jeannie?” Angie wasn’t sure why that surprised her, but it did. There was no reason for him to hold on to the information until he talked to her, and yet there was a niggling pressure in Angie’s chest that felt too much like jealousy.
Ryan nodded, completely casually, as he should. “I’ll be right out. Why don’t you look over the menus, decide where you’d like to eat.”
The only thing good about this brand-new overwhelming awkwardness that had taken up every available cell in Angie’s brain was that she no longer felt weird about the kissing.
God, this assignment was going to kill her. The only way to survive would be to take it one second at a time, be present, stop projecting. They had a new lead, and who knew what else they’d find out next?
She just had to make sure she was in bed early enough to get some decent sleep. Then actually get to sleep. In the morning she planned on running. Then she was going to attend the morning yoga session, try to bond with Tonya. At the very least, the two of them shared a body consciousness that if played right, could lead to conversations outside the purview of the intimacy retreat.
Big stuff, all of it. She really did need to sleep. And to disregard all thoughts of Liz’s idiotic suggestion.
* * *
“I THINK WE SHOULDN’T even try to find Ira with his bookie,” Angie said.
Ryan stared at the big red 1:43 a.m. on the nightstand clock. It was hard to miss, lying on his side, facing away from Angie. “No?”
“We’ve been here one day,” she said. “Give it time.”
It wasn’t exactly easy to hear her, as she was lying on her side, facing away from him. And the way her words were slightly muffled, he assumed she had her mouth smooshed on her pillow. The same mouth he’d kissed a few hours ago. He had to stop obsessing about that. Twice he’d gotten hung up on studying her lips and lost track of the conversation. “I keep thinking we need to do more.”
“Tonight was good,” Angie said, as if she was trying to convince him. “With Marcus in the restaurant, and then Tonya at the bar.”
“Yeah. But not for long enough, and honestly I couldn’t tell if they were being friendly or milking us for info. Well, most of us. Did you notice how Tonya physically stepped back when Zach started talking about the exercises? Tonya can’t stand him, which I get, but the important part is that it was amazingly easy to tell she couldn’t stand him. She’s not a very accomplished actor. Not that an extortionist has to be a good liar, but it would help.”
“Huh, no. I didn’t see any of that. I was occupied for most of that discussion.”
Yeah, he’d noticed. “I think Kyle and Olivia want a threesome with you.”
The sheets rustled and the mattress wobbled on her side. “What? Why would you say that?”
Angie’s voice was a lot clearer and nearer. Ryan had a quick debate with himself as to the wisdom of turning to look at her. So far, watching the clock had worked pretty well, but the clock wasn’t going anywhere, and he wanted to see her reaction to his observation. He turned. “How did you not notice?”
“We weren’t talking about anything. Restaurants in L.A. There was no mention of beds or sex or anything like that.”
He could make out her features thanks to the augmented moonlight. She’d taken off her makeup leaving her skin soft and not quite as pale as was recommended by the AMA. He probably wouldn’t have known that fact if he hadn’t seen her come out of the bathroom, but now, half in shadow, he wanted nothing more than to brush his lips over those smooth cheeks. “They were eating you alive,” he said.
“I’ll admit they got up into my bubble, but I would have noticed if it was anything more than that.”
“Would you?”
“What, you think I have no life experience? I’m not a kid.”
“Okay, okay,” he said, realizing too late that mixing this discussion with the ability to see her had been a stupid move. “I take it back. I was completely mistaken.”
She turned with a flounce and a punch to her pillow. He thought about what an idiot he was for bringing up the topic in the first place.
Then she turned again. “Why did you think so?”
The clock changed from 1:45 to 1:46. “It was the personal space thing. That’s all.”
“No, come on. That’s not why.”
“It is.”
She huffed.
He only imagined he could feel the warmth of
her breath on the back of his neck. “I don’t know. I guess I thought they were both checking you out.”
A sigh this time, then some kind of movement he didn’t want to know about. “They were doing that to you, too.”
He turned. “Kyle was?”
Angie’s mouth quirked up and so did her eyebrows. “Oh, really?”
Ryan mimicked her eye-roll. He knew she was messing with him because she’d already admitted to being oblivious, but he’d let her have her fun. “I’m wondering how I didn’t catch that. They were obvious as hell when they were looking at you.”
“Well, you were in no position to judge because you were bending over to pick up Tonya’s napkin.”
He grinned. Yeah, he’d picked up the napkin, but Angie was still full of bull. “Okay, that’s good information to have. Maybe we can use it.”
Again, she huffed at him, but this time it was somehow suggestive.
“Get your mind out of the gutter, woman. For the case. If the two of them are interested in some extracurricular activity, maybe I can exhibit some interest in return.”
She gave up the whole back-to-back business and her shuffling made him turn around. She ended up sitting cross-legged with her sleep T pulled over her knees. It was plain blue, nothing special and Ryan figured it wasn’t part of the disguise, but something she wore regularly.
“How,” she asked, “would you go about doing that?”
Ryan sat up, too. They were supposed to have come home on the early side so they could get some sleep before taking their six-thirty run. “Subtly. In the presence of at least one of our suspects.”
“That could potentially mean that you’d come on to Kyle four different times. I don’t care how subtle you are, that’s going to make waves.”
“We’re supposed to make waves.”
Angie shook her head. “Not the kind you’re talking about.” She sat straighter. “We’re supposed to be working on our marriage. Not looking for orgies.”
“Some would argue the added spice would keep the relationship more interesting.”
“Yeah, like who?” Her head moved, just a little, and he
