Chapter 4
With her life.
The words were difficult to relate to in several ways. Or maybe Sophia had no interest in believing them. She wasn’t even certain her partner could be trusted with her safety, but as she sat across from Pierre, she was beginning to question several aspects of her profession and her passion.
Dinner on the French Riviera, the sun setting over the ocean. She was forced to admit, she was enthralled by the ride in his sleek Ferrari as well as the conversation.
David had called, assuring her that the convention in Belgium hadn’t changed schedules in any manner and that Stephen Wallace was slated to make an appearance in two days.
His flight had also arrived as anticipated, the man renting a car immediately after.
At this point, there didn’t seem to be anything out of the ordinary.
Except for the CEO’s disappearance.
It was vital that she pretend she wanted to go to the club, no matter how many reservations she had. She could find herself in a terrible predicament, even life-threatening. There was no way of determining when the assassin was going to make a hit or where, and she had to be prepared for anything.
At least the picture David had sent of Officer Renier had confirmed Pierre’s identity. Then why wasn’t she feeling entirely comfortable?
She made certain her purse was never far from reach given she had no other choice but to bring her gun.
There were too many red flags with no solid information and she certainly wasn’t going to be unprepared if Mr. Wallace made an appearance.
She’d thought of several excuses if Pierre found her weapon, although none of them would necessarily keep her from either forfeiting it or answering questions she wasn’t prepared to answer.
Very few civilians carried a Sig, her weapon of choice.
“Who are you really, Pierre?” she asked as she sipped on the last of her wine, twilight settling in.
“Just a man with an interest in a beautiful lady.” He smiled after his response. When she didn’t respond, he shrugged. “This is a temporary gig, I guess.”
“You mean securing a casino?”
“Monte Carlo. Everything in my life right now. I was trained in the military, which brought me here. Quite frankly, I never had any desire to uphold the law. I mean at least in the terms of catching the bad guy.”
“I thought you were the bad guy.”
“You really believe that?” Pierre leaned over, folding his arms on the table.
He was so damn boyish-looking in the candlelight, even though everything about him screamed of his rugged and carefree nature.
She was caught off guard how much she’d missed the closeness of just having dinner with someone she cared about.
Holy hell, no. She couldn’t actually care about this man after what he’d done to her.
She bit the inside of her cheek, hiding behind her glass as she brought it to her lips.
He’d managed to see right through her in ways other men hadn’t.
She’d layered herself with protection after one horrible breakup, pretending she didn’t need a man in any regard.
“You aren’t the man you say you are. That much I do know. I’ve been around the block more than once, Pierre. I’m very observant.”
“Given your job as a thief?” he teased.
“This was a foray into fulfilling a certain level of danger I crave. I have no intentions of continuing. Gambling isn’t my thing.”
“Then what is your thing?”
He seemed genuinely interested. “I love animals, walks on the beach, and a fabulous glass of cabernet as I read a good novel in front of a fire. I’m a simple girl at heart.”
“Hmm… A girl with a troubled past who finds solace in being very much alone. That sounds like something I would say.”
He’d been checking up on her. Well, if he really was a member of the police force, that would fit his job description. “I’ve had my issues. Haven’t we all?”
“You are very right. We’ve all done things we’re not proud of but if we learn from our mistakes, we can certainly grow in life. Sometimes even in love.”
This was perhaps the most truthful statement he’d made. “Sounds like a man scorned.”
“Sounds like a man burned.” He lifted his glass, polishing off his wine, his eyes never leaving her.
“Then we have something in common after all,” she half whispered, trying her best not to inhale any more of his cologne. The scent was unlike anything she’d ever experienced, intoxicating in a manner that left her wet.
“Do you want to talk about it?”
“Not in the least. The past is the past. Maybe coming here was all about an adventure, tossing away the life I thought mattered.”
He slid his hand across the table, intertwining two of his fingers with hers. “A broken heart is the very reason to make significant changes in our lives. What do you do in America?”
Her mind shifted to the entire cover that had been developed overnight, one she’d been forced to learn far too quickly. “I have a little business in Florida.”
“A professional woman. No wonder you’re so savvy.” He cocked his head, his gaze sweeping ever so slowly down from her face to the necklace she was wearing.
Sophia fingered the locket, the picture of a fake pet somehow comforting. With her schedule, she’d never been able to even own a pet. Hell, plants died within the first two weeks.
“May I?”
“Of course.”
He moved from his chair, crouching down beside her.
As his hand wrapped around her locket, she took a series of deep breaths.
The slight brush of his fingers gave her a series of quivers, her pussy tingling.
He carefully opened it, peering at the picture of the Golden Retriever. “And who is this handsome buck?”
“MacGyver.” They hadn’t named the dog, only provided her with the concept. The name seemed to suit.
“A master in his abilities to thwart a criminal. I like that. He suits you.” Pierre fingered the picture for a little too long, lingering in a way she knew he wanted the touch more than the information.
“He’s loving in a way the majority of humans will never be.
No matter what kind of a day I’ve had, he greets me total adoration.
He allows me to stain his fur with my tears and never complains when I don’t feel like playing ball.
I can be me around him, no fear of being told I’m stupid or lazy.
He’s accepting of his mommy dog in a way no one else could ever be.
” She slipped her fingers to her mouth, fighting back tears for some ungodly reason.
What the hell had she just spouted off? A load of crap.
But her heart ached at the thought.
“You are very right. There is no other kind of love like from a beloved animal.”
Her mouth was suddenly dry, her nipples fully aroused.
She gathered the scent of her cream trickling into her already damp panties.
This wasn’t the best shape for her to be in, but she could tell by the single bead of perspiration sliding down from his forehead that he was just as turned on as she was.
Maybe more so.
“I had a dog once, so I understand what you’re saying,” he said in a faraway voice. “He was everything to me. I adored him. While he really belonged to my brothers as well, the dog thought I was his owner, following me everywhere.”
There was such sadness in his eyes, the kind that couldn’t be manufactured. “What happened to him?”
Pierre stiffened, moving back and finally settling back into his seat. He poured the last of the wine from the bottle into their two glasses before answering. “My father had him killed.”
She was stunned, completely uncertain of what to say. “I’m… sorry.”
He swirled the wine in his glass before lifting his gaze once again. “Don’t be. Nothing good ever lived in our house and nothing ever will.”
The tension furrowing into every muscle in his body was easy to see, the hurt remaining on his face. “Parents can be very cruel, even more so than some of our enemies.”
This seemed to draw him out of his sadness, although his grin was restrained. “We have more in common than we realize, lovely Ashley. What kind of business?”
“A bakery. I always loved to bake when I was a child.” If this was ever challenged, she would fail the test completely. She’d never baked a thing in her life that she hadn’t burned to a crisp.
“That sounds wonderful.” His expression darkened once again as he turned his attention to the ocean. “I miss my former life, but you can never go back. Maybe I should come to America one day and help you run your bakery.”
“And what qualifications do you have? I only hire professionals.” She laughed when he lifted his eyebrows.
“Pizza? Maybe we could expand.”
She held out her hand, trying to break the odd tension. For some crazy reason, she was enjoying the hell out of herself. “Deal.” The moment they shook hands, she was lost in the man. In his prowess. In his attentions. In his sexuality.
In his dominance.
A series of images swept across her field of vision, a happy couple with not one but two beautiful Golden Retrievers, walking hand in hand through a park on a cloudless day.
She’d never been one to fantasize, at least not about a perfect relationship complete with a house and a white picket fence.
She wasn’t into marriage, her parents’ nasty divorce a reminder that there was no such thing as true love. Why now? Why this?
The electricity was almost overpowering, searing every nerve ending as the white-hot heat sent a blazing trail straight into her pussy. She took several deep breaths, attempting to focus on anything else, but the draw was unbelievable, leaving her unable to focus.
“Are you all right?” he finally asked.