Only Her Undercover Spy

by Cami Checketts

  “What?” She straightened and looked offended.

  She was tugging him in much too fast. Watching how kind, fun, and smart she was on those monitors had made him want to be with her. He needed to step back, evaluate, plan, and most of all, pray. Maybe then he could share … some things. “I need some time,” he said.

  “So you don’t want to date me?” She put a hand on her hip and tossed her hair sassily, but her eyes revealed that he’d hurt her.

  “I don’t want to hurt you, Iris, and I’m very interested in you, but you have to understand you’re asking a lot of me.”

  His words seemed to help a little bit. “How much time do you need?” she asked, biting at her fuller bottom lip.

  “Hopefully, I can share more with you tomorrow, and then maybe we can make a plan to date?” The words were more optimistic than he felt about the situation, but he wanted to be with her, more than he’d ever wanted to be with someone before.

  “Okay,” she said simply. Giving him a sweet smile, she turned and walked away.

  Devon watched her go, wishing he could chase her down, share all of his secrets, and then kiss her until the sun shone tomorrow. He passed a hand over his face, and after he heard her door close, he walked slowly back to the lodge. Please, Lord, a little help here.

  Chapter Eight

  The next day passed more slowly than any of the previous week. Devon woke early to exercise, but sadly, he didn’t see Iris on the trails or at the gym. When he wasn’t watching the men on the monitors, he watched her. Did she know he was watching her? She was cuter than ever. Could he share everything with her tonight? Would she be satisfied with a partial explanation? He’d prayed hard last night, but so far, no inspiration had come.

  As nighttime fell, Antonio and his guards were predictably settled in their rooms, and Devon felt he could go walk Iris home. Was tonight the night he would be able to share with her, kiss her, and tell her how irresistible she was to him? His heart thumped quicker.

  Falling to his knees, he said a heartfelt prayer. Peace and warmth washed over him. There were no words of inspiration or direction on what to say to her, but he had a sense that it would all work out and that he could trust the Lord, and maybe he could trust Iris too. She was genuine and sweet, and she loved the Lord. If ever he could trust someone besides his family, it was Iris.

  He stood and noticed that she was closing down her computer. Pocketing his phone and key card and shoving his gun in out of habit, he hurried out of his room, down the hall, and down the stairs.

  He reached the huge patio off the back of the resort and found her standing there, looking beautiful in a fitted shirt and skirt. “Hello, beautiful,” he said, hoping it sounded suave and not out of breath and lost over her like he felt.

  “Hiya, handsome,” she said, smiling sweetly at him. Tilting her head, she asked, “You up for a walk?”

  “Sounds better than being pushed in a lake.”

  She laughed, and he hurried to her side. She reached out her hand. Devon took it, and her touch filled him with that same warmth and peace he’d felt after his prayer. The timing was right.

  They walked away from the resort and toward her and Grams’s cabin. Iris told him about her day, and he wished he had something exciting to share about his. As they stopped on the gravel road by her cabin, she asked, “Did you decide you can share more with me so we can maybe date?”

  Devon smiled and gently brushed her hair over her shoulder. “I’ve been praying about it, and I feel I can share some things with you.” He couldn’t share all. He didn’t want to hurt or endanger her or risk messing up this job.

  “Thank you. I have an idea,” she said in a quiet but excited voice.

  “Okay?”

  “Grams has a canoe tied onto our dock. We could row out into the lake and talk where no one could hear us.”

  Devon’s heart was racing now. Alone, with this woman, on a canoe on the lake at night? Yes, please. Yet before he got in a position where he couldn’t react quickly, he needed to check. “Can you give me a moment?” he asked.

  She nodded. “Of course.”

  Devon walked a few paces away and opened his phone. It had seemed fine today, for the dunking it had taken in the lake yesterday. He pulled up several camera angles of the penthouse. All three men were still in their separate rooms, watching their televisions. He should be safe to go on a canoe ride. It wasn’t like his client owned him or his time. They asked him to deliver information and sometimes get involved to bring down a criminal. He could still accomplish that tomorrow. Tonight, he was going on a canoe ride and somehow telling his secrets without telling his secrets, and—if anybody in heaven loved him—kissing this beautiful woman.

  Chapter Nine

  Iris felt her heart thumping faster and her skin prickle with awareness as Chris brushed past her on the dock, then waited, steadying the canoe while she climbed in before climbing in himself. She felt like they’d taken a step back in time and she was in some nineteen-twenties movie as he grabbed the oars and rowed them surely and swiftly toward the middle of the lake. All she needed was a dress and parasol, and the sun would have to be up. She was pretty sure that in those old movies where the strong man rowed the admiring woman out in the lake, it wasn’t after ten p.m.

  The moon was a little thicker than a sliver tonight and reflected prettily in the water. The stars were on fine display, and lights from the cabins danced next to the shore and in the water. It was hard for Iris to pull her gaze from Chris. With his T-shirt fitting him very nicely and him rowing with both oars, he cut a mighty nice picture. Most people struggled to row at first, but Chris was a natural. His strong jaw and well-formed lips were tempting her. She wanted to brush her hand across his jaw and brush her lips across his—okay, maybe more than a brush of the lips.

  She tried to mentally slap herself. This man was a spy. He’d all but admitted he was James Bond. He was handsomer and more well-built than James Bond. She wondered if he was as good of a spy. Or was James Bond considered a secret agent? Hmm.

  Neither of them said anything as the oars sliced through the water and the boat slid easily away from shore. When they were quite a distance away, he stopped rowing.

  “You don’t think we can be heard out here?” she asked.

  He shook his head. “We’re at least five hundred yards from shore, and the normal intelligible outdoor range of the male human voice in still air is one hundred and eighty meters, or approximately two hundred yards. We should be fine, if we don’t get in a yelling match.” He smiled.

  She grinned as well and held up her hands. “No promises.”

  “Well, just don’t push me in the water again. Two dunkings yesterday was more than enough.”

  “Wimp,” she teased, though there was nothing wimpy about this man.

  He chuckled and leaned back against the rear of the boat. That was the advantage of his seat, whereas hers had no back rest.

  She wrapped her hands around her legs and said, “So I can start drilling you with questions?”

  “You can start.” He blew out a long breath. “I don’t want to lie to you, Iris. Truly, I want to share all with you. But if I cannot answer, I will tell you that, and no amount of prying is going to change my answer.”

  “I guess that’s fair.” Though she didn’t really like it. She liked him, and she wanted to know him, not some fake persona. Her eyes widened, and her first question came out in a rush: “Chris Wilson isn’t even your name, is it?”

  He stared at her. “No, ma’am,” he whispered.

  She wanted to beg for his real name, but first she had something else to ask. “You say ma’am and sir a lot. Did you grow up in the South?” He didn’t have a Southern accent, but as a spy, he’d probably been trained to talk in a way that blended in.

  He shook his head. “I grew up close to San Francisco, just like I told you. I went to college in Georgia, and then most of my military time was spent on bases in the South as well.”

 
“Did the military lead you to the dark path of a spy?”

  He smiled. “Yes, ma’am.”

  “So, like … army intelligence?”

  “Yes.”

  He didn’t seem willing to share much more, so she went a different route. “Can you tell me about your family?”

  His blue eyes lit up. “Now that’s an easy one. I have two older sisters, two brothers-in-law, four nephews, and two parents who should write a book on being involved and loving.”

  She forced a smile. Her dad could write a book on deserting those who cared for him. She tried to remind herself that he’d been devastated by her mom’s death, but it still hurt too much to dwell on the knowledge that she and her brothers weren’t enough for him. “Four nephews sounds fun.”

  “It’s a party. Wrestling and football nonstop with my little men.” He smiled fondly.

  “Do you see them much?”

  His smile faltered. “Not as much as I’d like. Every few months, I escape for a visit.”

  “I bet they miss you.” And maybe they all felt as deserted by Chris, or whatever his name was, as she felt by her dad and brothers. Not that she really blamed her brothers. There wasn’t a lot of opportunity in the valley to create a million-dollar construction business, be a Hollywood stuntman, play professional hockey, or be a smokejumper, unless a dreaded forest fire got too close. All four of them came to visit regularly.

  She did blame her dad. She could understand how hard it was to recover from her mom’s death. She also could relate to wanting to fly somewhere warm in the wintertime, but this valley was paradise. She was sure the Caribbean was as beautiful as the pictures he occasionally texted to her, but was it out of line to hope he’d come home and visit? Ten years was a long time to not have a hug from or a talk with her dad. Especially considering how close they used to be. Of course, whenever Grams, Iris, or Uncle Jay asked him to come, his only response was that the plane flew both ways. Her brothers understood about her panic attacks and never asked her to leave her safety net, visiting her as often as they could.

  “Of course they do.” Chris spread his hands wide, and the muscles in his shoulders flexed. “Who wouldn’t miss all of this?” His blue eyes twinkled mischievously.

  Iris laughed, even though staring at his muscular body made her throat feel dry. “Who indeed?”

  “What other questions do you have?” He seemed relaxed and unfazed as he reclined against the back of the boat. “They’ve been easy to answer so far.”

  Iris lifted her eyebrows and asked a non-easy question she felt she had the right to know. “What job are you here for? Are my people in danger?”

  He straightened, and his eyes shuttered. “Your people?” he questioned.

  She gestured around the lake at the town and the cabins and her resort. “My people. This is my town. These are my friends. It’s always been peaceful and happy here. They cannot be in danger.” Her voice was too intense, almost shaky, but she had to make sure the people in her town were safe. Only once, ten years ago, had danger come to their valley. She had been the recipient of that, and she’d survived the attack better than she had her mother’s death and her father’s abandonment. Clinging to that tree, she’d found herself grateful she’d escaped that man, but mostly she’d prayed that her dad would turn around and come save her. He never had. Instead, her brothers and the people in this town had come for her, rescued her. She’d take the brunt of the pain and fear again if it could protect the innocent people she loved.

  “I can’t tell you about my job, Iris, but with the people involved, there would definitely be danger to your town … if I wasn’t here.”

  “You think pretty highly of yourself.” She liked his confidence and the fact that he was willing to protect others.

  “No.” His gaze intensified on her, and she felt like they were the only two people in the world. “But I swear to you I will keep you safe.”

  Iris caught a breath and put a hand to her chest. She wanted to gush her gratitude, but instead she whispered, “And everyone at the resort and in my town, you’ll keep them safe too?”

  “Yes, I will.”

  “Thank you,” she managed.

  The water lapped against the boat and the stars twinkled down at them, but neither Iris nor Chris moved. Finally, she felt she had to say, “I don’t want to compromise whatever job you’re on, but maybe if you could give me some hints—who you were after—I could keep myself and others safer.”

  He studied her, then finally broke from her gaze. Focusing on a large cabin with all the windows lit up, he said quietly, “If I can give you any details that will protect you, I will do it. Though I’m an independent contractor and my own man, I cannot risk compromising the target.”

  “Can you tell me why they’re in my valley?”

  “The people I’m watching are assumed to be drug runners and possibly traffickers. I believe they’re here to scout out and set up distribution points.”

  Her blood ran cold. Drugs? Human trafficking? In her valley? No! “Are they staying at my resort?”

  He simply stared at her, and she knew the answer. Her mind raced through her current guest list. Eighty-five suites, but almost all had two to four occupants. It was a large list to think through: families, honeymooners, and couples on a getaway. There were a few groups of young men using the lodge as a base for backpacking adventures. Could they be scouting out rendezvous points for drugs or trafficking? What about the Italian millionaire, Antonio? She’d researched him the night he’d arrived. He looked like an upstanding businessman, but who knew? She supposed even a couple who appeared to be happily married could be a front for horrific business activities.

  “Who do you work for?” she asked Chris.

  “Lots of different organizations.”

  “If you get the information you need, the good guys will come and take out the bad guys, right? Not that I don’t think you could do that single-handedly.”

  He nodded and smiled slightly.

  “I can help you.” She leaned forward.

  His mouth turned down as if he was worried that she’d combust. “No. I will not allow you to be in danger.”

  She shifted on the hard seat. She didn’t want to be in danger either. She’d tried danger, against her will, and she hadn’t liked it. “No, not like that. I mean I could give you access to the hotel’s security cameras and footage.”

  He grunted out a surprised chuckle that turned into a full-blown laugh.

  She leaned back, annoyed at his reaction, and said sniffily, “I apologize. I thought that might be helpful to you.”

  He stopped laughing but couldn’t hide his smile. “I tapped into your security cameras within hours of my arrival here.”

  Iris blinked in surprise. He was a spy. She didn’t know what she’d expected. “Oh,” was all she could think to say. But then comprehension of what he was saying rushed over her. “You’ve been watching me?” That made sense. That was how he knew exactly what time to walk her home each night.

  He looked her over, and it was a look full of heat and appreciation that made her want to fling himself in his arms. That would flip the canoe, but the risk of getting a dunking was nothing compared to the risk of losing her heart to this enigmatic man, who would leave her valley soon and probably never be back. “Yes,” he said in a husky whisper that made her flush with awareness. “I’ve been watching you, Iris.”

  She swallowed hard, wondering if he’d liked what he’d seen. “And?” she managed to ask.

  “And I like everything I’ve seen about you,” he murmured, all smoky and sexy with his gaze and his voice. “How hard you work. The way you treat people. That beautiful half smile you always have on your face. The way you move.” He paused as if to let that sink in, and then his blue eyes turned mischievous and he said, “And I’ve only caught you picking your nose twice.”

  “Ah!” She gave a gargled scream and moved to smack him, but the boat rocked dangerously. She stopped in mid-scramble and
gingerly sank back down into her seat. “When we get back to shore, I’m going to give you a good punch for that one. Grams taught me very well to always use a tissue.”

  He chuckled. “I’ll be waiting for that punch.” He looked out over the water and appeared melancholy. “We’d better get back. We both still have jobs to do in the morning.”

  “Okay.” She also didn’t want this time to come to an end.

  “Did you get enough of your questions answered?”

  “To satisfy my curiosity?” she asked.

  “To decide you’ll give me a chance to date you,” he returned.

  She tilted her head and appraised him, thrilled that this mysterious, tough, and handsome man wanted to date her. “Maybe.”

  “What other questions do you have?” he asked apprehensively.

  “What’s your real name?”

  Chris swallowed hard. Several moments ticked by before he said, “I never tell anyone my real name. It could endanger my family.”

  “Oh.” She couldn’t hide her disappointment, but she understood that reasoning. “I understand.”

  “Thank you.” He grabbed the oars and rowed steadily back to shore. He didn’t say anything, and she kept sneaking glances at him and wondering what he was thinking. He wanted to date her. That thought made her flush with excitement, but how did she date a super spy who would leave her without a backwards glance once the job was done? Her dad had left right after her mom’s graveside service, and he hadn’t come back for so much as a Christmas party. It had rocked her safe, happy world to lose her mom to death and her dad because he’d checked out of his family’s lives after losing the love of his life.

  Clinging to that tree, she’d prayed desperately, and the people she loved had come for her. She had only attempted to leave the valley a few times since. It hadn’t gone well. This was her spot; she was happy, safe, and well-loved here. Not even this incredibly appealing man could make her leave. She blushed at her wayward thoughts. He was asking to date her, not take her away to Venice.