by Lexi Blake
Alex groaned and dropped his head down to the bar.
JT only half listened as Big Tag gave him way too much information. His mind was on the mission. His mission.
He was going to win her back. He had to because he’d realized nothing mattered more than Nina. Not even his fear of losing her.
Chapter Nine
Nina looked out over the beautifully decorated lanai and wished she was in a good place with JT because this island was seriously romantic. But they weren’t here for romance. He was holding court with a group from his leadership team and she’d spent the last few hours trying to get to a mental place where she could be cool and collected. It had been a full day since she’d learned he’d lied to her, and she wished that knowledge made him even a little bit less attractive. He was dressed in slacks and a white button-down sans tie for this welcome cocktail party. Before they’d come down, she’d been forced to watch him walk around without a shirt on as he’d listened to Deanna go over a seemingly endless list of notes she’d made concerning the cocktail party they were about to attend. JT’s assistant hadn’t cared that they’d been running late and he needed to get dressed. She’d simply followed him around the big suite while he’d changed and stood outside the bathroom door when he’d needed some privacy.
Now Deanna was the one standing beside him, a glass of wine in her hand because Nina couldn’t make herself do her damn job.
“I give it a month and the English chick is back in London,” a woman said to her right.
Nina went still. There was a large potted palm tree between her and whoever was talking. It concealed her and allowed her to listen in.
“I don’t know. I think she’s pretty,” another feminine voice said. “She actually reminds me a little of Ava Malone.”
“Only because she’s British,” the first woman argued. “She definitely doesn’t have Ava’s instincts. If someone like Deanna got her claws into David Malone, Ava would have sent her packing long ago. I don’t know what’s happening, but I suspect Deanna will get rid of the Brit in no time at all.”
Unfortunately, she wouldn’t have a chance to set Deanna straight because in a couple of days she would be back on a plane to the States, and on another one to England not long after that. She didn’t have a reason to stay behind.
“Would you like a drink, Ms. Banks?”
She heard a sharp gasp and turned. The gasp had come from the gossiping women while the question was from someone who should have known better. The CIA operative named Drake stood in front of her, dressed in his server’s uniform, a tray of drinks in his hand.
Even as she could hear the women moving away, she sent Drake a look to let him know she didn’t appreciate the interference. But she could use a drink. “Yes, I’ll take a martini. Gin. Up with a twist.”
It looked like she would need it.
He frowned and tipped his tray her way. “But I have piña coladas.”
“Then you’re useless to me.” She glanced back and JT was busy listening to an older man talk about the best golf courses. All three of their suspects were in the room, and it didn’t look like they would be going anywhere. She could take a moment to check in with her team.
She strode toward the back of the large room to the big bar where Sandra Croft was mixing drinks. Luckily, everyone in the group seemed to be busy with their conversations. There were waiters winding through the party with drinks and appetizers, and no one was sitting at the bar. Sandra looked up from her blender and smiled Nina’s way, sliding a martini glass in front of her.
They were alone with a good fifty feet between them and the party, so she hopped onto a barstool. “Thank god. I was worried I would have to drink those overly sweet things.”
Sandra gave a prefilled container a nice shake and poured the drink over the twist of lemon that completed Nina’s favorite cocktail. “I know what you like. I also know that you and the mister don’t appear to be getting along.”
“Yeah, I noticed that, too.” Drake had followed her though he still had a tray full of piña coladas he’d been offering the guests. “I thought you were supposed to be engaged.”
“And I thought you were supposed to be discreet,” she shot back. “I was listening to that conversation.” She looked to Sandra. “They were gossiping about my chances of surviving Deanna.”
“Oh, I think they would be surprised at what you could do to that one.” Sandra went to work pouring out some more drinks. “Though I think they’re wrong about the assistant. I’ve been watching her all night. I don’t think she’s into JT. I think she’s into her job, but not her boss. She doesn’t look at him that way.”
“There’s a way to look at someone?” Nina asked.
“Yes,” Sandra said with a chuckle. “It’s this look of complete longing and desire. If you want to know what it looks like, I’ve got a mirror for you.”
Nina rolled her eyes and took a long drink. “You’ve been talking to Taggart.”
Drake frowned. “What is that supposed to mean?”
“Talking. Conversing. It’s when two or more people exchange words,” Sandra said. “In this case it was on a conference call. Hutch was there, too. That boy can eat. I thought he kept that candy on his desk because he wanted the kids to like him. I don’t blame him. Tag’s twins can be mean and bribery works with them, but he can pack away the sweets.”
Drake raised a brow. “I was asking what you meant by Nina’s got a look of longing. Because she better not be longing for the billionaire. Not in real life. Is that why you’re not over there doing your job? You know they’re all gossiping about why you and your fiancé have been so distant.”
“She’s been here for all of four hours,” Sandra shot back. “Leave her alone. Do you know who isn’t doing his job right now? It’s you. People won’t wonder why the new girl is sitting in the back talking to the bartender, but they might wonder why the new girl, the bartender, and some random waiter are having a meeting. Go, little boy. Serve drinks.”
Drake’s jaw tightened, but he picked up his tray. “I’m not joking, Blunt. Don’t fuck this up with feelings.”
Sandra shook her head. “He’s a little asshole, but I’ll get him in line in the end. Now tell Auntie Sandra what went wrong with the billionaire. Was he bad in bed? Because I wouldn’t be surprised. That boy is so pretty he doesn’t have to be good in bed. I’m working on that with Drake, too. Pretty boys need to try harder.”
“He’s incredible in bed,” she replied before Sandra’s words really sank in. “Wait. What? You’re sleeping with the…” She lowered her voice. “You’re sleeping with your young coworker?”
What she wasn’t saying was you’re sleeping with the CIA guy who could turn out to be truly dangerous. And also happened to be young enough to be her son.
Sandra shrugged. “There’s actually not a lot to do here, and Hutch and I decided it would be an excellent way to keep track of him. One of us had to do it and Hutch was surprisingly whiny about his personal sexual preferences. So I took one for the team. Why? You want him? Because he’s not great at oral yet.”
She choked on her gin but managed to get it down. Working with Sandra was always full of surprises. “No. You should keep that going. It’s obviously working since he’s out peddling piña coladas and we’ve got a chance to talk. Is everything in place?”
“Of course it is,” Sandra replied. “Hutch is watching us right now. He says hi and he wants to know why you broke it off with the hottie, too. He’s in my ear, but he’s also got eyes on us.”
So Hutch had taken over the security system. She’d noted the multiple cameras that covered the resort. She’d also made sure their suite with one bloody bed was bug free. “How does Hutch feel about the rest of the staff?”
“He ran reports on everyone working at the resort. They’re all solid, almost all local,” Sandra said. “With the exception of a couple from the mainland, but they’ve all been here for six months or more. I feel comfortable the other side doesn�
��t have any plants on staff. Now stop evading the question.”
She should have known Sandra would be a bit like a hound who’d caught a scent. She wasn’t about to let it go. “We have a difference of opinion. We ran into a spot of trouble, and we didn’t agree on how to handle it. He tried to call off the mission.”
“Ah, so shit got real and he got scared. I’m going to assume it was fear for you because he’s a man and he doesn’t understand that we can shoot guns, too.”
“I don’t think it’s the shooting part that he minds, but he does seem to take exception to my getting shot,” Nina explained. “Apparently he finds my job distressing.”
Sandra’s eyes rolled. “And he broke it off with you over that?”
He hadn’t exactly broken things off. He’d tried to talk to her. It had been a lucky thing for her that they hadn’t been alone on the private jet or she wasn’t sure what would have happened since every time the man looked at her she threatened to melt. “No. He tried to stop the mission or leave me out of it. I broke it off with him.”
“But you’re here so you obviously won that fight. Why break it off with him? Unless he’s a sore loser. I kind of thought you were into him.”
“I was. I still am.” Nina glanced back over her shoulder and he was nodding at something Jordy was saying. Deanna stood at his side, yawning as though she was bored as hell. “But he lied to me. He knew who I was and pretended not to because he knew I wouldn’t sleep with him if I’d known we were going to work together.”
“But you probably would have,” Sandra pointed out.
“No, I wouldn’t.” She’d thought about this all night long. She’d sat up in her lonely bed and wondered if she would have been able to resist him if he’d decided to seduce her. Would she have turned down those lips on hers? Told him she didn’t want those big hands on her body? Perhaps not, but the choice had been taken away from her and the choice was the whole point.
Sandra shifted and looked around her. “You sure about that because he’s pretty hot.”
She didn’t need to go there. Deflection was her friend, and the truth was she needed to do her job. “Do we have any information on our pickup man?”
Sandra looked like she wanted to argue but she merely sighed and moved on. “We know he’s on the island.” She glanced to her right, nodding. “Aren’t you supposed to be working?”
Greg Hutchins eased behind the bar. He was carrying a tool kit. He was not much older than Drake, but somehow he seemed more mature. There was a calmness about the man they called Hutch that she found soothing. “I need to move the camera over the bar. It’s not getting the coverage I want. I thought I could bring our friend up to speed while I work. No one should question it since it’s my actual job.”
Sandra went to work on another batch of piña coladas. “Anything new?”
He went up on his toes and started playing around with the small camera that covered this section of the bar. “Yeah, he’s definitely here on the island. Our spy came in on a fake passport. He flew from Seoul, but we think he was in North Korea last week. I got off the phone with Tag a few minutes ago and he’s found some interesting tidbits in the world of banking. Looks like the assistant recently took out a five-thousand-dollar loan, and yet that money isn’t in her account. She’s either got a secret one we haven’t found yet or she made a big purchase in cash.”
“Or she hired someone for a job they don’t want on the books.” Like running them down the night before.
“That’s what I was thinking,” Hutch said. “But I also know the other two have some very complex monetary situations. They’re both old money, and old business money at that. I’m going to have our forensic accountant take a look at it, but I think we’re going to ID our suspect in person before we track them down financially. I’m taking the late shift the next couple of days and if I see anything, I’ll give you a call. Sandra and I are in constant contact, and we can’t seem to ditch the kid.”
“Apparently Sandra’s giving him lessons,” she replied wryly.
Hutch frowned Sandra’s way. “That was her choice. I tried to tell her I could plant some bugs he’ll never find, but she chose to go this way. You know he’s young enough to be your son.”
Sandra rolled her eyes. “My daughter is way older than Drake. You have to get them young, Nina. You’re right to dump that pretty boy. He’s what? Thirty-two? You know what they say about old dogs. My little puppy there is learning lots of new tricks.”
Drake set his tray down. “Tricks? What new…” He flushed. “Seriously? I didn’t think we were going to talk about that. Like that’s private.”
“Not if I get you in a club it won’t be. I think you’ll like a little humiliation play.” Sandra replenished his supply of fruity cocktails.
“I will not,” he said in a way that made Nina think he might. He picked up his tray and turned. “People are talking, Ms. Blunt. And they’re watching you.”
Then it was time to go. She picked up her martini and turned, bumping into a mass of muscle.
“Hey, I think we’re about to go in to dinner.” JT loomed over her. “We should probably sit together.”
“You should definitely sit together,” Drake said under his breath before he stalked off.
“He’s a handful, but look at that tight little ass,” Sandra said with a sigh.
JT’s eyes widened.
Nina found she couldn’t hold out on him. She’d hated not talking to him all day. She’d gotten used to their friendship, to the easy way they seemed to fit together.
It was only a few more days. She could survive being close to him. She slid her arm through his. “Come on. Take me to dinner where your assistant will shoot daggers my way, and later on I’ll tell you all about Sandra and her May-December romance.”
“I’m not that old,” Sandra groused. “May-October, maybe…”
“I’m going to need that story,” JT said, his free hand coming up to cover hers. His voice went low. “But he’s right. I do think people are talking about us. I think I’ve come up with a way to stop them.”
“Holding hands should help.”
“Or we could give them something else to talk about. I mean, that’s kind of our job, right? I’m supposed to distract them so you don’t seem threatening in any way, so they think you’re only here because I couldn’t stand the thought of leaving you behind.” He’d stopped right at the edge of the crowd and she found herself being turned from his side until she was standing right in front of him, looking up into the greenest eyes she’d ever seen.
All day she’d managed to keep some distance between them, but she was now reminded of how much chemistry they had. Her body didn’t care that he’d lied to her, that he’d tried to get her kicked off her own op. Her body only remembered what it felt like to be skin to skin with him.
His hands came up, cupping the sides of her face. “It’s for the mission.”
She found herself nodding. Yep. For the mission.
He lowered his head and his lips were on hers.
The whole world seemed to drop off, and all that mattered was the heat that flashed through her. His fingers wound in her hair and she felt surrounded by him. He turned the kiss deep and utterly carnal, his tongue surging into her mouth and coaxing hers to dance.
One of his hands moved down her back to her waist, pulling her in even closer so she could feel the hard planes of his chest against her breasts, crushing her deliciously to him.
He kissed her one last time and then whispered. “That should do it. I think if I kiss you like that a few more times, there won’t be any doubt as to how much I want you, how much I am unwilling to give you up. For anything.”
He moved to her side again, and there was a lazy smile on his face as Deanna stood staring at them, one hand on her hip.
“If you’re done, we should go in to dinner,” she said, her irritation plain.
“Oh, I’m not done. Not even close.” He brought Nina’s hand up to his lips
. “But I’ll behave for now.”
His fingers tangled with hers and he started toward the dining room.
She suddenly had the unnerving feeling he wasn’t talking about the mission at all.
She took a deep breath because if JT had decided to fight dirty, she wasn’t sure she could win.
* * * *
It was all about sex. That was how he would get to her.
Dinner had flown by. He was sure it had all been delicious, but it hadn’t mattered. It could have been undressed kale salad with a bit of dirt clinging to it for all he’d tasted the food. All he’d been able to think about was her, but then that was pretty much his whole life right now. Nina twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.
He wasn’t sure how he would get through the next few days without making a complete fool of himself since everyone could tell how crazy he was about her.
And everyone could easily see she wasn’t that into him.
“I think dinner went well,” Nina said, emerging from the smaller of the bathrooms. She’d taken it over before he could convince her to stay in the master bedroom.
“Did it?” He hadn’t gotten ready for bed. He’d walked in, wanting to talk to her only to have her disappear, but that was what she’d been doing since the moment she’d found out about his lie.
She hadn’t walked away because he’d acted like an ass about her job. She’d walked because he’d lied to her.
She’d brushed out her hair and taken off her makeup. She was gorgeous with makeup, and she was gorgeous without it. He was rapidly discovering he liked every single version of the woman in front of him. He wanted her whether she was wearing a sexy cocktail dress or the cotton pajama bottoms and tank top she had on now.
“I learned a little more about our suspects, though I don’t think at this point it matters,” Nina said, keeping a careful distance. “Hutch is staying up and he’ll be monitoring the security feed. Sandra is monitoring Drake since they’re worried the tech might disappear if we let him roam.”
