The Spy Who Wants Me

by Lucy Monroe

  “You’re kidding. That’s great, isn’t it?” Beau asked when Elle didn’t look quite as enthused as he thought she should.

  “It gives us a place to start, but we can’t rule out the possibility that this attempted breach is unrelated to the first one. The problem is, too many people at ETRD know more than they should about the top-secret projects.”

  Beau had to agree. “We have a pretty open work environment.”

  “If you want to prevent this sort of thing from happening again, that has to change to an extent.”

  “I can see that.”

  “Good.” Elle opened her little laptop and pulled up a file. “My associate is doing additional research on the initial parties interested in the plans. Even if he does find a South African connection, we can’t dismiss the other potential buyers as possible players in this case as well. The threatening man’s country of origin may have nothing to do with the case at all.”

  She wasn’t going to leave any stone unturned in this investigation and, knowing that, Beau felt a lot better about the safety of employees at ETRD. “Thank you, Elle. I’ll admit, I was pretty pissed when Frank and Mr. Smith told me they were letting you come in under the guise of a security consultant, but it worked out for the best.”

  Elle opened her mouth to answer, but her cell phone rang. She grabbed it and answered, “Elle here.”

  Someone with a deep voice spoke on the other end. There wasn’t enough bleed for Beau to tell exactly what was being said, though.

  “Great. You’ve got the address for the GPS. Okay, see you then.” She hung up. “That was Nitro. He and his wife are on the way here from the airport.”

  “Nitro? He’s named after an explosive?” Beau asked.

  “It’s his nickname. He’s an explosives expert, but that’s only a small part of his training. Like I said earlier, he and Josie are the best of the best.”

  “How do you know them?”

  “The associate who is doing the research on the possible suspects, he worked with Nitro and his partners on a case. They made a strong and favorable impression on him. Ever since they opened their doors as security specialists, I also made it my job to know about them. They’re good and they’re honest. They were mercs that specialized in extractions.”

  “A dangerous job,” Beau said.

  “Yes. It pays well, though—if you live long enough to spend the money you earn.”

  “Wow,” Chantal said, patently impressed.

  “So, this couple will be watching over her,” Mat said with satisfaction.

  “They’ll be protecting both of you.”

  Mat just shrugged, but Beau was glad Elle had made the distinction. “This cloak-and-dagger shit is over our head, buddy,” Beau said.

  “Not to interrupt what would no doubt be a fascinating debate on whether or not Matej needs bodyguards just as much as I, but I don’t want to meet the Black Eagles for the first time with wet hair. I’m going to go make myself a little more presentable,” Chantal said.

  Mat kissed the side of her head. “You’re always presentable, sweetheart. A little wet hair can’t detract from your beauty.”

  Chantal didn’t even roll her eyes at this blatant flattery. She smiled, like she thought Mat could walk on water if he tried hard enough. “I’m still going to dry my hair.”

  She led Mat from the kitchen, both of them smiling all goofy-like.

  Beau couldn’t imagine a woman looking at him like that, especially not Elle. She didn’t do adoration, though he had a feeling Kyle had seen a side to her that she hid from most of the world.

  Elle had returned to her computer, but she looked up when the other two were gone. “So, you’re glad that I’m on the case now?”

  “You bet, sugar.”

  “But you were angry before, when you knew I was coming in…only you were fine with pretending not to know who and what I am.”

  “Not really. I thought all the subterfuge stank to high heaven, but I’m not the one who calls the final shots at ETRD.”

  “No, that would be the mysterious, irritating Mr. Smith.”

  Beau sat down across from Elle and took a sip of his now lukewarm tea. “I’m not sure why you’re so angry with him. He wasn’t any more untruthful than you were. It’s not like you came to management and just told them the government wanted to inventory our projects and determine how effective our security is.”

  “First of all, if I had done so, Frank would have denied access just like he did when the request came through other channels.” Elle sat tall, all evidence of her earlier confusion wiped so completely, it might not ever have been there. If he wasn’t sure of his own memories, he’d wonder if this woman was capable of freaking out at overhearing her brother’s amore, like she’d done. “Second of all, I didn’t come to assess your security; I came to improve it. Trust me, I will.”

  “Good. It obviously needs it.”

  “Yes, it does.”

  “So, you think our government has the right to know what private enterprise is doing in its research and development departments, to spy on its own people when that information isn’t forthcoming?” He wasn’t trying to start an argument with her, though that could be fun, but he really wanted to know.

  “I think someone has to watch out for our nation’s safety.” Her clear gray eyes shone with certainty. “And yes, sometimes that means spying on our own people.”

  The tea wasn’t half bad almost cold. It was some kind of pomegranate something. “How does that make us any different from a totalitarian regime?”

  “My job doesn’t necessitate the subjugation of U.S. citizens, or stealing from them. The difference between an agency like mine overseen by a democratic government and a totalitarian regime is what we do with the information when we get it. We are charged with protecting the interests of our nation’s scientists, as well as their safety. We do not dictate what they research or even what they do with the results of that research.”

  “But you try to keep it from falling into dangerous hands.”

  “Yes, to the extent that we can do so without compromising a citizen’s constitutional rights.”

  “You really believe in what you’re doing, don’t you?”

  “Yes.”

  “Even if it requires you to make trade-offs with your personal integrity.”

  Elle’s game face was giving nothing away. “I guess it depends on how you define that.”

  “You’ve spent your life lying to your family. Your brother doesn’t even know the name of your agency.”

  “That’s need-to-know information and he doesn’t.”

  “Doesn’t it bother you? They love you. You’re so close.” A lot closer than he was with his parents. “And yet there’s this big chunk of your life you can’t share with them.”

  “I’m aware of that, but it doesn’t change who I am. What I do. My parents and baba aren’t going to approve of me being a black-ops federal agent any more than they approve of me being a security consultant. Where I work isn’t an issue for them because it’s not in the field they believe I should have pursued.”

  “Mat is proud of you.”

  “More than I believed he was, yes.”

  “Elle, he thinks you rock.”

  That made her smile. “Don’t tell him you said so. He’ll feel like he has to refute it.”

  Beau laughed and shook his head. “Little sisters can be such a pain.”

  “Mat’s said that many times. I’m not sure what the problem is. We’re a lot easier to have around than big brothers.”

  “I’m sure my sister would agree, but Mat and I know better.”

  “Because you’ve had a big brother to compare to.”

  “You know I haven’t.”

  “Well, I’ve got a little sister, and believe me, she’s a lot easier to deal with than my brothers.”

  “Sure, you say that now, sugar, but you just wait. Little sisters are a time bomb waiting to happen.”

  Elle laughed out loud.
“You are insane.”

  “Nah, just experienced. Tanya was easy as pie until she started dating. It’s all been downhill since.”

  “You are so full of it. You love what she’s doing with her life.”

  “I love her. Just like your parents love you. Doesn’t matter what you choose to do with your life.”

  “That’s not how you sounded a few minutes ago.”

  He wasn’t her family, but then neither was he a judgmental asshole. “I met you knowing you were lying to me from the start. I didn’t like it. The dishonesty didn’t match the woman I perceived you to be, but then that’s part of the cover, isn’t it?”

  “I’m not sure what you are accusing me of.”

  “I’m not accusing you of anything, sugar.”

  “That’s not what it sounds like.”

  “I’m just saying, you must cultivate a trustworthy demeanor for your job.”

  “I am trustworthy.”

  “Depends on your definition, I guess.”

  “Don’t throw my words back at me.”

  “Why not? They’re true, aren’t they? You and me, we define personal integrity and trustworthiness differently.”

  “Do we?”

  “Yeah, I think we do.”

  “You spent just as much time lying to me as I did withholding all of who I am.”

  “If I’d had a choice, I wouldn’t have.”

  “You think that’s not true for me too? You think I like keeping my real job from my parents, refusing to tell my brother the name of the agency I work for? I made promises when I hired on at TGP and I keep those promises, even when it’s hard. That’s part of my definition of personal integrity.”

  “Point taken.”

  “I don’t lie unless I have to, but yes—sometimes it is necessary. That doesn’t mean I can’t be trusted.”

  “You mean I can trust you to have my back, but the bad guys had better be on their toes.”

  Her lips quirked at that, but she nodded. “Exactly.”

  “You lied to me about why you were here.”

  “No, I didn’t tell you the entire truth of why I took the assignment at ETRD. I did not withhold information that could cause you harm.”

  “You don’t think so?”

  “I know so.”

  “You don’t think spying on my company for the government harms me?”

  “Not with the motivation behind doing so that is part of my agency’s charter.”

  “You’re pretty amazing, Elle.”

  “In a good or bad way?”

  “I’m leaning toward good.”

  “Should I be flattered?”

  “You tell me. Does my opinion of you matter?”

  She looked past him, her gray eyes filled with a distant expression. “It shouldn’t.”

  “But?”

  “It does.”

  “I don’t think I could do what you do.” But if someone was going to do it, Beau was glad it was somebody like Elle.

  “I don’t think so either.” She stood up and walked toward the front of the house.

  He followed, not sure how he felt about her easy agreement. “What’s going on?”

  “Nitro and Josie are here.”

  “Did they knock?” He hadn’t heard anything, but he’d been concentrating on her.

  “No. I heard the car coming up the street. I assume it’s them. Regardless, it doesn’t hurt for me to check it out.”

  “You’re giving me a hard-on here, sugar.”

  Her fluid movement forward checked for a bare second, then continued. “Not going there.”

  “Maybe not right now. Unlike your brother, I’m not into exhibitionism.”

  “He didn’t know I could hear.”

  “But later? We are so going there, over and over again,” he said, ignoring her defense of Mat.

  Elle muttered something, but the only word he caught was arrogant. He was getting to her. He let a satisfied smile curve his lips.

  She checked out the window by the door without turning on the hall light. “It’s them.” She turned and headed back toward the kitchen.

  “Aren’t you going to let them in?”

  “I told them to park in the garage. They’ll come in through the kitchen.”

  “Say something else in that no-nonsense, superspy voice. I might just come in my jeans.”

  “That’s definitely more than I wanted to know,” Mat said from the top of the stairs.

  “Nonexhibitionist. Right,” Elle grumbled.

  “At least I’m not roaring out my orgasm loud enough to shake the rafters.”

  “I knew they heard.” Chantal’s voice sounded both exasperated and embarrassed.

  “I could have stubbed my toe,” Mat said.

  “I wouldn’t mind stubbing my toe like that—as long as Elle was in the room too,” Beau said.

  Mat and Elle let out identical sounds of exasperation.

  Beau caught Chantal’s gaze as she came down the stairs with Mat. “Isn’t that cute? Matching sister and brother growls,” he said.

  Chantal giggled. “That’s not the only thing they have in common. Did you notice how clean Elle’s apartment was?”

  “Yep. And they’ve both got that tall-gene thing going.”

  Chantal stopped at the bottom of the stairs. “I like it.”

  “So do I.”

  “They’re both really smart too. According to Mat, it’s a family trait.”

  Beau nodded. “Princess is pretty loud when she stubs her toe too.”

  Elle made a sound of pure frustration and slammed into the kitchen.

  “You’d better watch yourself there, cowboy,” Mat said. “She threw me earlier. Didn’t break anything because I’m her beloved brother. You, she might put out of commission for a while.”

  “I may be from Texas, but I’ve never been a cowboy. As for the other, I’m up for any kind of wrestling Elle would care to engage in.” Literally. He might have been teasing Elle about his arousal, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t real. He was as hard as a rock.

  “See that, Josette? I’m not the only guy who likes to wrestle with his woman.” The man speaking looked like he would be as comfortable in a loincloth as he was in the dark camouflage pants he was wearing. Big, with Native American features, he had long black hair pulled back in a ponytail.

  The woman who came through the door after him was taller than Chantal, but only by a couple of inches. She kind of looked like Sandra Bullock, right down to the mischievous glimmer in her green eyes. However, she moved with the same fluid grace as Elle. Her dark tank top and snug jeans showed off muscle every bit as toned and developed as Elle’s too.

  “I bet Elle can take him down just as nicely as I do you.” The look she gave her husband said she’d be happy to prove it right now.

  Oh, man, she was a live wire. Beau bet those two had fun tying it up.

  “Beau’s not trained,” Elle said dismissively. She’d followed Josette Black Eagle out of the kitchen. They all stood at the bottom of the stairs at the back of the hall. “I bet it would take me less than ten seconds to have him begging for mercy.”

  Mat snickered, giving Beau a knowing look.

  It was a good thing Beau’s masculine ego was nice and healthy. Man alive, his princess could be vicious when she was riled.

  “I’ll take that bet, sugar. Plenty of defensive linemen made that same mistaken assumption. You might have me begging for something, but it won’t be mercy.” He winked at her. “You’re welcome to test that out tonight when you drive me home, though. Because, like I told you, I’m not looking to have an audience.”

  “Sounds kind of like Hotwire, doesn’t he?” Nitro asked his wife, sounding amused.

  She nodded and let him pull her in so she leaned against him. One of her arms went around his waist and she smiled at Beau. “Where are you from?”

  “Texas, ma’am.”

  “Ma’am? Oh, I don’t think so. You can call me Josie. Hotwire is from Georgia. You’v
e both got that honeyed drawl thing going, though.”

  “Now, there’s a world of difference between a Georgian accent and a Texas drawl. You just ask your friend.”

  She looked up at her dark-eyed husband. “Oh, they do sound alike and it isn’t just the accent.” She grinned at Beau. “If you say so, I’ll take your word for it.”

  “I so do.” He might have lived away from Texas long enough that his drawl had gotten less pronounced, but he didn’t sound like some Georgia cracker. No, sir.

  “Seems to me the South produces men who like to tease the women in their lives, though, no matter what kind of drawl they have,” Josie said.

  “It’s not just Southern men,” Chantal muttered with a significant look at Mat.

  Beau grinned at Josie. “Could be, ma’am. Excuse me, Josie. I only know I’m just a tad addicted to that fiery spark in Elle’s eyes.”

  Josie looked at Elle and shook her head in obvious sympathy. “He’s cruising, isn’t he?”

  “Yes.” Elle was giving him the death glare again.

  He turned up the wattage on his grin, not at all worried.

  Elle liked him, even if she didn’t want to admit it. After all, she cared what he thought of her. It’d be a sure bet that there weren’t a lot of people in her life that that was true of.

  Yep, he was going to take that gorgeous woman home with him tonight and show her just how much he appreciated all her attributes.

  Chapter 14

  Elle wasn’t sure if she wanted to kiss or kill the overconfident but too-sexy-for-her-own-good Texan. “We can meet in the kitchen or upstairs in Mat’s office. I think Josie and Nitro should stay out of the rooms at the front of the house except to patrol.”

  Nitro nodded. “Once we set up surveillance in them, we won’t have to do that either.”

  “Let’s meet upstairs. I’d like to get a feel for the house,” Josie added.

  Mat’s office boasted only a single desk chair, so they gathered on the floor in a circle. Somehow, Elle found herself beside Beau, their legs touching. She didn’t bother trying to move. He’d just follow her and make it blatant too. Besides, Nitro was on her other side and she didn’t exactly want to scoot closer to him.