Chapter 40
FORTY
My hair is big.
My dress is tight.
My heels are high.
I’ve got Demi in my ear and a laundry list of safety measures in place, but still, I’ve never felt worse about an assignment than I do as I walk through the door of the far-too-fancy restaurant.
“Sit at the furthest bar seat from the entrance,” Demi reminds me.
Yesterday, when we scoped the place out, we determined that one had the best vantage point, both to see and be seen.
Instead of speaking, I walk toward the seat and settle in, smiling at the bartender and ordering a seltzer in a cocktail glass.
She smiles kindly, then goes off to make my bed as I take in long, deep breaths, trying to seem casual and to slow my heart down a bit.
A minute later, Tyler texts that he will be meeting Levi here in about ten minutes, and my stomach lurches once more, despite everything working according to plan.
When they arrive, Tyler will point me out as Rome’s now-ex, and then conveniently leave to take a call.
The hope is that Levi will come over on his own, unable to resist the opportunity to rub salt in Rome’s wound.
Otherwise, I’ll be making my way over to him and flirting my ass off.
My mission is to convince him to let me add my number to his phone, at which point I will enable Airdrop for Demi, who will work her magic to fully access his phone and any related cloud accounts.
Easy peasy.
Except every time I think about it, my stomach aches, the nauseous feeling almost inescapable.
The truth is, I’m terribly unqualified for this. While I might be the Chameleon, able to become anyone I want, I never did nail being able to be hot and flirty and a sex kitten the way Josie has.
It probably doesn’t help that Rome and I have been separated for three days, and Phil is insisting that I not get into a truck until a full week has passed since the crash, something I didn’t bother to tell him was terribly misogynistic, since I know he set no such precedent for Rome.
So I’ve had nothing but time to sit and think about all the ways I could fuck this up and had absolutely nothing to distract me.
It also doesn’t help that my inbox has been flooded since the announcement of our “breakup.” I had to hand my phone over to Demi to monitor and reply to emails and DMs as needed.
When we made the plan, I thought I would be completely fine, able to do this just this one time, even if it’s so far out of my wheelhouse. But as I sit at the bar, my hands clammy and heart pounding, I worry that I might not be able to.
All these thoughts spiral through my mind as my breathing becomes tighter, and abruptly I stand, giving the bartender a wave.
“Can you watch my seat for me? I need to use the ladies’ room.
” She winks and nods, and without another word, I move toward the back of the restaurant, probably a bit faster than would be natural, but I don’t have the presence of mind for that.
“I don’t know if I can do this,” I say under my breath, but when Demi’s voice enters my ear from the unseen earpiece, I know she heard me.
“What do you mean?” I enter the bathroom, lock the door behind me, and rest against it, running my hand through my hair.
“I mean, I don’t know if I can do this!” I grit, sounding thoroughly panicked even to my own ears. “I am not this person!”
“Yes, you can, Lana,” Demi says. “And yes, you are. You’re Lana. The Chameleon. You can do anything, be anything.”
“I’m the Chameleon, not the Maneater! I’m going to fail, and he’s going to know we’re onto him. We need a backup. We need—” There’s a knock on the door, and I open my mouth to tell the intruder that it’s occupied before a voice filters through.
“Let me in, heartbreaker.”
Rome.
Rome is at the door.
Frantically, I unlock and open the door and see a man in a dark hoodie with his head down. When he slips in and pushes his hood back, Rome’s handsome face grins at me as he locks the door behind us.
“I’m cutting your mics, but we have about five minutes until they’ll be here,” Demi says, not sounding as agitated as I would have anticipated.
“Got it,” Rome confirms, but his eyes are on mine, taking me in from head to toe. I do the same, desperate to see him after our short break. The feed in my earpiece goes quiet, and I take in a deep breath.
“Jesus, Lana,” he murmurs, taking my hand and pulling me a bit closer as his eyes roam my body. “Damn.”
“You like?” I say with a small smile, my panic starting to fade with his mere proximity.
“It’s way too hot for Levi, that’s for sure.”
“I promise I’ll wear it again,” I say, giving him a shaky smile.
“What’s wrong, baby?” With his question, I’m reminded why I’m here, and the nerves come rolling back in.
“I can’t do it. I’m not this person. I’m not a flirt.
I’m not hot and sexy and manipulative. I’m going to let everyone down.
I—” Before I can finish my rambling, his lips come down to mine, pressing hard and fast and shutting me up.
Somehow, despite everything, it eases the vice in my chest. When he pulls back, he sets his forehead to mine, giving me that cocky, tipped smile I love so much.
“Baby, you are all for those things and more; you just have to believe in yourself.”
“Shouldn’t you be telling me not to do this? That it’s too dangerous and that we can do it another way?” I ask, part of me wishing he would, even if I know I would resent him for it. He furrows his brow at that.
“For one, it’s not dangerous, because you know what you’re doing, and Demi and I are going to be watching you the whole time.
But other than that, I would never tell you what to do, Lana.
I trust you. This is your job—you know what you’re doing.
You’re great at your job. Would you ever tell me not to race? ”
“Of course not, I—”
“Then I will never tell you not to do anything you want to do. Period. My little daredevil needs a man who supports her, not one who holds her back.” I melt a bit under his words.
“Now, about not being right for this —you and I both know you love putting a man in his place. You love conning them, letting them think they won, and then snapping like the viper you are. This isn’t any different.
” He holds me close, shifting our bodies until my back is to the door.
Then he presses a kiss to my lips, as chaste as that press is, but it feels anything but.
“Do you know how much seeing you on the job like this turns me on? It’s fucking nuts, Lana. Bonkers.”
“Yeah?” I breathe.
“Mm-hmm,” he murmurs. “Doesn’t help that you’ve been refusing to sleep in my bed.” I gasp as his hips move forward, pressing into mine, and I can feel him hard for me.
“We had to sell it,” I whisper. But I can barely think, as his hand is sliding up the outside of my thigh, pushing my skirt up a bit before brushing the back of his knuckle against my center over my underwear.
“Have you touched your pretty pussy since I last had you?” he asks.
“No,” I say, swallowing as I shake my head. “No. Demi and I share a room; that would be—” I gasp as his finger slides under the elastic, over my center, pulling wetness up to my clit.
“I did. Every night, I jacked off thinking about you taking my cock.” He slides a thick finger inside of me, and my head falls back, his lips kissing the stretch of skin exposed on my neck.
“Sucking me off. That sweet sound you make when I eat you out, the way your pussy feels right when you come.” I groan at his filthy words and tighten around his finger.
“Rome.”
“Come hell or high water, you’re going to be in my bed tonight, Lana.”
“Yes,” I whisper, nodding, eyes drifting shut. I can’t focus on anything, not what he’s saying, or why I’m here, or—
Then he’s gone.
His hand is gone, his lips are gone, the warmth of his body against mine is gone, except for his hand on my waist, holding me in case I fully lose control of my knees. His grin is wide.
“Now go, baby. Make him pay for keeping you away from me.” I blink, not understanding for a moment. When it finally clicks, I slap at his shoulder.
“That was mean,” I grumble as his hands slide my dress down over my hips, straightening it. His thumb wipes along my bottom lip, though the kiss-proof lip stain Demi put on me won’t have moved. He just wants to touch me, a sentiment I can relate to.
“I know. But it distracted you, didn’t it?
” I glare at him, and he smiles wider before leaning in and pressing his lips hard to mine.
“Go, baby. They’ll be here soon.” I roll my eyes before slipping out of the bathroom, knowing he’ll probably wait another minute.
The bartender smiles at me as I return and pours me a new soda as I sit down.
I take it appreciatively right as my earpiece comes back on.
“He’s here,” Demi says, her entire voice and demeanor changing as she locks into investigator mode. “Walking in the front door, scanning the room.” I take in a deep breath to settle my nerves.
“You’ve got this, baby,” Rome says low, suddenly in my earpiece as well, and with it, the nerves settle.
I take a sip of my drink, then sit back, making sure I’m visible from the front door and from the table Tyler is seated at.
I feel eyes on me as Levi walks in, and I count to thirty before looking over my shoulder.
His eyes are glued to me, and I give him a small, friendly smile, trying to look surprised before turning around.
My heart is racing, but I know I can do this. I have to do this, so I do.
I flip my hair.
I cross my legs.
I push my chest out.
I take the world’s smallest sips of my drink while Demi keeps me updated on what’s happening.
One minute in, he asks Tyler if it’s me sitting at the bar.
Two minutes in, he’s giving me a sideways glance, fully distracted from what Tyler is saying.
Three minutes in, Tyler gets a call, and Levi takes a picture of me.
“Ew, he’s so gross. Who does that?” Demi says.