Undercover Love

by Lucy Score

  “It’s probably because no one in the building likes your ex-fiancé,” Michael said, patting her hand.

  “He’s kind of a douche,” Mitchell agreed over the rim of his glass. “He never held the elevator for us.”

  “And remember when he first moved in he parked in 2B’s space for two weeks because it was ‘closer to the door,’ until he got a cease and desist letter from the HOA?”

  Ashley smacked herself in the forehead a little harder than necessary. “I mean seriously, how is it that everyone was aware of that except me?”

  “Honey, everyone has to learn it the hard way,” Michael sighed, tilting his glass at her. “It takes balls to stay in the same building. It’s going to send the girlfriend into a hissy fit.”

  Ashley nodded morosely.

  “So, what are you going to do now?” Mitchell asked.

  “That’s the thing,” Ashley sighed. “I have no idea! I’ve always known what was next. And now, my whole life comes to a screeching halt and I don’t know where to go from here.”

  “Maybe that’s just what you need, then. Something unplanned. Something that’ll sweep you away.”

  Something like Jason Baine?

  Oh crap.

  The Jason Baine she was supposed to text hours ago to let him know she was home safe. Where the hell was her phone anyway?

  Ashley excused herself quickly and weaved her way through half the building’s tenants to get to the spare room. Not finding her phone on the first dig, she upended her purse on the bed. She dove for it as it tumbled out of the bag.

  Shit. Thirteen texts and six missed calls.

  Ashley sat down on the bed to work her way through them. She ignored the handful from Steven reminding her that his name was on the loft, not hers, and that technically, she couldn’t kick him out of his own home. He would figure out sooner or later that it was safe to go home.

  She was reading through Jason’s texts when the phone rang in her hand. Startled she dropped it and had to fish it out from under the bed before answering.

  “’Lo?”

  “Ashley? Are you all right? Where are you?” She smiled at the worry in his voice. He really did care about her.

  “I’m fine. Totally fine.”

  “Where are you? Have you been drinking?”

  “Yes, a lot. Do I sound in-ee-bree-ated?” She congratulated herself on her perfect enunciation.

  “You sound drunk and muffled.” He sounded angry.

  “Oh, that’s because I’m partially under a bed. Hang on.” Ashley wiggled into a seated position. “Is that better?”

  “Where are you?”

  “I’m at the loft, silly.”

  “Jesus, Ashley, my team saw Steven and Victoria leaving the building this morning. I thought they kidnapped you or killed you!”

  Ashley giggled. “That’s hilarious, Jason. No kidnapping here. I got home and they were all naked in my bed, so I threw a bunch of things at them and put ketchup in her purse and made them leave. You know I’m homeless now? I was going to stay in a hotel, but Mrs. Menifield invited me to happy hour, and now I have a place to stay!”

  Jason was silent for a few seconds. “Mrs. Menifield. Does she live in your building?”

  Ashley nodded.

  “Ashley.”

  “Huh?”

  “Does Mrs. Menifield live in your building?”

  “Yes.”

  “And you moved out of your place and are staying with her?”

  “Yes,” Ashley nodded. “She has a spare room. It’s decorated with kitties.” She plucked at a pink kitten pillow.

  “What about all your stuff?”

  “Oh that,” she waved dismissively. “The movers took it to storage today.”

  “I see.”

  “I’m sorry you were worried. Everything is fine.”

  “And you and Steven are done?”

  “Yep. Oh,” Ashley exclaimed a little too loud, “Speaking of Steven, how was your meeting with the investigators? Are they going to investigate?”

  She heard the quiet sigh. “They want to meet with you.”

  “Me?” Nerves fluttered in her belly.

  “They just want to talk to you about what you know about Steven’s activities.”

  “Do they know about us? How does that make all this look?”

  “They haven’t asked those questions yet. And I don’t think the truth is going to change whether or not they choose to investigate.”

  “Do I have to talk to them?” Was this ever really going to be over?

  “I don’t see a way around it, Ashley. I’m sorry.”

  She sighed. “When?”

  “Tomorrow if possible.”

  “OK. I work until 6.”

  “I’ll schedule it for 6:30 at my office.”

  Ashley was quiet.

  “Has Steven tried to contact you?”

  “A couple of times, mainly just to tell me I don’t have any right to throw him out of his house. I imagine he’s back now, unless he decided to stay with Victoria.”

  “Tell me if he doesn’t leave you alone. OK?”

  “I will. So what are you doing tonight?”

  “You mean now that I don’t have to track down your kidnappers? I’m going to go talk to my grandfather and his lawyers about what needs to be done as soon as the investigation is underway.”

  “I’ll be thinking about you,” she said before she could stop herself.

  “I’m always thinking about you, Ashley.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

  She fiddled with the bangle on her left wrist and took a deep breath before pushing through the frosted glass doors of Baine Security. There was nothing to be nervous about. She was just meeting with federal investigators. No big deal. It was going to be totally fine.

  Then why did she feel so guilty? She wasn’t the one attempting to commit a crime.

  She smoothed the skirt of her poppy-colored wrap dress and tugged the hem of her navy blazer down. At least she looked put-together on the outside.

  As instructed, Ashley bypassed the front desk and headed to Jason’s office. Mona greeted her warmly and guided her down another hallway. “Don’t be nervous,” she whispered when they paused outside a set of doors. “You’ll do just fine.”

  Ashley gave her a weak smile. She hoped Mona was right. She entered the room and wondered briefly if vomiting all over the plush carpet would hurt the investigation.

  Jason stood at the head of the glossy table, deep in conversation with a tall man in a rumpled suit. Eli, who was busy pouring a glass of water for a striking dark-haired woman engrossed in a stack of folders, spotted her first.

  “Ms. Sapienza. Thank you for joining us. I understand this is a very difficult time for you.”

  She felt the warmth of Jason’s gaze fall on her, and her cheeks flushed. His expression betrayed nothing, but his eyes burned. “Ashley.” He moved toward her and took her hand in both of his.

  It was a small gesture of affection. She wasn’t sure if he was sending a message to her or the investigators.

  He squeezed her hand before releasing her. “I’d like to introduce you to Lenore Lewis, deputy director of the enforcement division of the SEC.” The woman in the charcoal sheath dress glanced over her reading glasses and nodded. “And this is Deion Davis. Mr. Davis is an investigator.”

  The man extended his hand and shook hers warmly. “Thank you for coming in, Ms. Sapienza. We appreciate your time on this matter.”

  “It’s nice to met you both,” Ashley nodded. At least Deion didn’t look too scary. The scare factor of Lenore was yet to be determined.

  Jason pulled out a chair for her and then took the one next to her. Under the table, his knee pressed against her leg.

  “Ms. Sapienza,” Lenore removed her glasses and set them down on the paperwork, “this is just an informal inquiry to see if an investigation needs to take place. Are you comfortable talking to us without a lawyer present?”

  Ashley glanced at Ja
son and then nodded. “I think so.”

  “Very well then, let’s start from the beginning.” She put her glasses on again. “When did you start to think your fiancé was up to something?”

  Ashley took a deep breath and dove in.

  She spent the next hour answering questions and clarifying the timeline. Sticking to the facts that Jason had coached her on, she felt reasonably comfortable. Her voice faltered a bit when she explained the catalyst to her ending the relationship. “I don’t think I really believed it until I caught him red-handed.”

  “An understandable reaction,” Lenore said simply. “Now I think there’s only one last question and we can release you from all this.” She gestured with perfectly manicured hands and nodded at Deion.

  He cleared his throat and consulted the notebook in front of him. “Ms. Sapienza, if you could just clarify what your relationship to Mr. Baine is.”

  Ashley felt Jason stiffen imperceptibly beside her. “I’m sorry, you’ll have to clarify which Mr. Baine we’re discussing. Since there are two in the room.”

  A chuckle went around the table. Even Lenore cracked a smile.

  “I can tell you that if my grandson doesn’t have the sense to have his eye on her, I certainly do,” Eli said with an exaggerated wink.

  “Your grandson has more than enough sense and a terrible sense of timing,” Jason said mildly. “Ms. Sapienza and I are involved. We were not at the beginning of all this, but we are now. Do you anticipate this posing a problem with moving forward?”

  Lenore studied first Jason and then Ashley for a long moment. “Let’s hope not,” she said finally. “As long as you can prove that you never met before the party, I don’t believe it will be too much of a sticking point.

  Ashley sighed quietly. It wasn’t the best answer, but it wasn’t the worst, either. “So what happens next?” she asked.

  Lenore interlaced her fingers. “The information you’ve brought to our attention warrants looking into. I can’t tell you how long that will take. It could be weeks or even months. However, the cooperation of Mr. Baine and the rest of the company should help speed things along.”

  “Will I have to testify?”

  “It’s a definite possibility. Would you be willing to?”

  Ashley nodded. “You can compel me to testify even if I wasn’t, right?”

  “Yes, but it’s much easier on everyone when witnesses are willing.”

  “Is there anything else you need me to do now?”

  Deion chimed in. “Not at this point, Ms. Sapienza. Mr. Baine has offered us his services for the investigation, but your part is over for now, unless you come across any new information.” He shuffled his papers and closed the folder. “Our investigators work quietly both to ensure that evidence isn’t destroyed, or in the case of false information, reputations of individuals and firms remains intact. So the less you say about this, the better.”

  “I understand. Thank you for hearing me out.” She stood and Jason rose with her.

  “If you don’t mind, I’ll see Ms. Sapienza out.” He didn’t wait for agreement, but put his hand on the small of her back and guided her out of the room.

  Once in the hallway, Ashley allowed herself to sag against the wall. She blew out the breath she felt like she had been holding for an hour. “I’m so glad that’s over.”

  Jason put his hands on her shoulders. “You did a excellent job, Ashley. I can’t thank you enough. My family owes you everything. I owe you everything.”

  He pulled her against him and Ashley breathed him in, running her hands under his jacket. Jason looked up and down the hallway and pulled her into another door. It was a smaller, more intimate conference room with a round glass table and tall bookcases flanking the lone window.

  He leaned against the door to close it, and Ashley heard the quiet snap of the lock. “Don’t you have to get back in there?” she asked, eyebrow raised.

  “I have a few minutes.”

  The dove for each other. His mouth crushed into hers as she frantically worked his jacket free. “We can’t do this here,” she murmured against his mouth.

  “Definitely not.” His hands streaked up her sides under her blazer. She worked one arm free and then the other and dove back into the kiss. They stumbled backwards into the table.

  Jason yanked the tie on her dress open and freed her breast from the cup of her bra. His palm teased her sensitive peak.

  Ashley reached for his belt. This was insane. These were not the actions of a normal, sane person, who had just been interviewed by investigators, she warned herself. But it didn’t matter. The only thing that mattered was Jason’s hands and mouth on her.

  Ashley pulled the zipper down and slid her hand inside. He was ready and waiting for her.

  “We have to stop.” He said it desperately as her fingers closed around his shaft.

  She ignored him, working his length with swift strokes. He groaned against her ear and Ashley found herself being spun around. He forced her down, bending her over the table. The cool glass shocked her bare breast.

  Jason spread her legs with his knee and slid her dress over her hips. Bared to him, she felt his hand gently trail over her exposed curves.

  At his mercy, she should have felt submissive, but Ashley only felt power.

  “What you do to me,” he whispered, as his slid his palm reverently over her cheek trailing around to her hip. His fingers gripped the cotton edge of her thong, pulling it down her thighs. He left it there, just above her knees and leaned into her, over her.

  Ashley pushed against him when she felt his erection nestle at the junction of her thighs.

  His arms snaked around her, grasping her breast and freeing the other. And with a deft thrust, he was inside her.

  She bit her lip to keep the moan silent. His hands squeezed reflexively as he drove into her again and again. Short, sharp thrusts, each one eliciting a soft grunt from him.

  He was lost in her.

  Ashley rocked her hips back to meet him. Harder. Faster. Their skin slicked with sweat. Her nipples pebbled against his palms.

  He brought a hand between her legs and stroked. The first shudder of his release, deep inside her, brought Ashley to her own.

  “My God, Ashley. How do you do this to me?” He whispered against her shoulder, tremors still consuming them.

  Straightening, he ran his hands down her sides. “Are you OK? Did I hurt you?”

  Ashley sighed against the table, her breath fogging the glass. “You’re going to have to clean this before your next meeting in here.”

  Jason slapped her lightly on the butt before pulling her back to standing. “Have dinner with me tonight.”

  She turned to face him. “Yes.”

  He framed her face with his hands. “Where do you want to go? I’ll take you anywhere.”

  “Your house. I’ll make dinner.”

  Jason dropped a kiss to her mouth. “Perfect. Wait —” He looked concerned. “Can you cook?”

  “Very funny.” She tied her dress back into place and smoothed the skirt over her legs. “I’ll be at your place at 7. Don’t be late.” She patted his cheek and swept out of the room. “Try not to look like you just had sex when you go back in there,” she called over her shoulder.

  CHAPTER THIRTY

  Nothing was going to ruin her mood, Ashley thought as she floated across the garage to the elevator. This was a new beginning for her. And one worth being excited about.

  She heard her name called from a row over and waved to Michael and Mitchell as they approached.

  “Well someone looks smug and happy right now,” Mitchell teased.

  Ashley felt her cheeks flush. “It’s a beautiful spring evening. What’s not to be happy about?”

  “That’s not a spring evening smile,” Michael said, pointing at her face. “There’s only one thing that puts a smile like that on someone’s face.”

  Ashley laughed and stabbed the elevator button. “What have you two been doing today?
”

  Michael held up shopping totes overflowing with produce. “Farmers market. Mitchell saw a documentary on juicing this weekend.”

  “It’s going to be amazing.” Mitchell hugged the tote.

  “Yeah. Kale juice. Amazing.” Michael rolled his eyes.

  Ashley laughed.

  The doors began to close but halted when a man’s arm thrust through the opening.

  Steven. And Victoria.

  Ashley stepped back against the wall, her breath leaving her.

  “Oh, goodie,” Victoria hummed. She gave Ashley a once over and turned her back on her.

  “Uh, we can take the next one,” Steven said, backing out of the car.

  “No, we can’t.” Victoria grabbed his arm and pulled him back in.

  Michael and Mitchell moved to flank Ashley while Steven crowded closer to the button panel.

  “How about I cook you a nice, romantic dinner tonight,” Victoria purred to Steven, wrapping her arm through his.

  Michael cleared his throat dramatically.

  “How’s your cough, dear? I thought it was getting better,” Mitchell winked at his partner.

  “Bitch,” Michael coughed into his hand. “Horrible person. Ugly shoes.”

  Victoria shrieked and lunged at him. Steven caught her inches before her blood red nails raked across Michael’s face.

  “Pathetic skank,” Michael coughed even louder.

  Mitchell patted him on the back. “Come on, how about we get you some nice, romantic cough medicine.”

  Steven was too busy trying to contain the irate Victoria to notice when the doors opened and the three of them exited in a fit of laughter.

  ###

  Ashley arrived at Jason’s promptly at 7. She rang the bell and shifted the load in her arms. Jason opened the door immediately.

  “What’s all this?” he asked, reaching for the box and bags she carried.

  Ashley side-stepped him and hurried through the door. “You answered the door about one second after I rang the bell. Were you hovering?” She set everything down on the foyer table.

  Jason pointed to the chair in the foyer that had a tablet and bottle of water next to it. “I was waiting for you.”

  “That’s very sweet,” she said, rising up on her tiptoes to kiss him.