Chapter 13
Chapter Thirteen
She’d miscalculated. She’d also fallen asleep.
Simone’s eyes flew open, and she jerked upright.
She had not meant to sleep. She had certainly not meant to fall asleep in Ryan’s bed, of all places.
But the man had given her the best two orgasms of her life and she’d been all blissed out and sated, so closing her eyes for a moment had not seemed like the worst crime in the universe.
She’d miscalculated.
Sex with him had seemed…harmless enough.
Harmless. What a ridiculous word to describe anything related to Ryan Quinn.
But, at the time, she’d thought, why not?
Why not have sex with him and get this mad, driving need out of her system?
Why not treat herself to one fabulous time after the nightmare she’d experienced?
Why not find out how good it could be with him, before she vanished from his life without a trace?
Because she would vanish. It was just a matter of time before she had to schedule her big, disappearing act. And it had seemed like such a waste to disappear without finding out just how good she and Ryan could be together.
Spoiler alert, he was very, very good.
So good that she’d come twice. That her whole body had surged and hungrily followed his every command. So good that she could swear she still felt him, inside of her.
But unease trickled through her veins and the afterglow was definitely fading because not only was Ryan not in the bed with her…he wasn’t in the bedroom at all.
Miscalculated. She’d been blissed out on the fabulous sex and he’d…he’d…
Ryan opened the bedroom door. He walked in, wearing his black dress pants and seemingly nothing else.
Appearing sexy and rumpled with his tousled hair and the tattoos that she’d wanted to lick—but had not been given the opportunity to do so—looking so badass on his skin.
But then Ryan lifted his right hand, and she saw that he was holding the broach and the earrings. Her broach and earrings.
Jaw locking, he stared straight at her. “I think it’s time we talked about these, don’t you?”
Simone said the first thing that came to mind, even as unexpected betrayal and pain knifed through her. “You bastard.”
Ryan blinked.
She glared. She also jumped out of bed, naked, and fought the rage that swelled inside of her.
“How dare you go through my things!” Then, because she could not have this conversation—correction, argument, fight, whatever—while she was waving her breasts at him, Simone yanked a sheet from the bed and wrapped it around her body.
She secured it between her previously waving breasts and stormed toward him. “How. Dare. You.”
He blinked again. “I went in your room in order to get a change of clothes for you. Thought I was being kind because I’d broken the button on your pants.”
He’d broken the button? She did not remember that event occurring. Then again, she barely remembered him stripping off her pants. Heat of the moment and all that.
“How was I supposed to know you’d hidden these items inside the pocket of your new black pants? They fell out when I lifted the pants out of the suitcase that Jezebel brought over for you.”
Imperiously, she held out one hand. “Well, now that you have found my items, how about returning them?” Simone wiggled her fingers.
His gaze shifted to the broach and the earrings. “There were so many items worth more in the gallery.”
“Um.” As if she was not aware of that fact.
“Yet you took the broach and earrings. Only these two items.”
“How incredibly observant of you.”
“And you are determined to keep them.”
“And you seem determined not to put them in my outstretched hand.” Once more, she wiggled her fingers. “I don’t know if anyone has told you this before, but it is incredibly rude to fuck a woman and then steal from her immediately afterwards. That’s down right villainous behavior, FYI.”
He put the broach and earrings in her palm. His fingers lingered against her hand. “I’m not stealing from you.” His gaze swept over her face. “I’m not going to be a villain in your world.”
“That remains to be seen,” she muttered. She pulled her hand away from his and immediately curled her fingers over her prize.
“You were hired to steal those, weren’t you?”
What was this? A post-sex interrogation?
“I was not stealing.” Her chin notched up.
She’d backed away from him, and the sheet trailed over the floor.
“I was retrieving items that Frederick had taken illegally. In case you missed it, Frederick is a bit of an asshole. That whole gallery of his? Plenty of stuff inside was stolen art work and jewelry.”
“Like the Claudel.”
“Right. Yes. Like the Claudel. Sticky Fingers Frederick had that piece taken when a certain Italian businessman refused to back a project of his last year. You refuse Frederick, and he finds a way to get revenge on you. He’s rather petty and vindictive like that.”
Ryan sucked in the side of his cheek, as if thinking, then said, “Frederick screwed over your real employer. You’re retrieving the property that was taken, aren’t you? Taken in one of Frederick’s ‘petty and vindictive’ retaliations?”
Close. Though this heist was purely pro bono because she owed the person who would be getting the broach and earrings. “I’m not turning these items over to the CIA. I’m keeping the broach and earrings. Consider it payment for my cooperation with you and your spy friends.”
“I have no intention of taking them away from you.” His hands went to his hips.
The move made his muscles flex. The dragon on his forearm rippled. The dragon’s claws stretched.
Do not look there. He’s trying to distract you with his tats.
Her breath whispered out. “Great to know.”
“Who is your employer?”
“I have no employer.” She turned away from him.
“Dammit, don’t lie to me!”
Oh, he did not want to go there with her right now.
“I have no employer,” Simone repeated as she looked back at him.
“Sometimes, I do things out of the goodness of my heart.” Call her a giver.
“Ready for a shocker? I have a heart. I care about people.” Not a lot of people, granted, but certainly some.
“Well, of course, you fucking care. Your soft heart is why you told me to run when you should have been yelling for me to kill your enemies.”
Her whole body turned toward him, slowly.
“When you were being shoved toward the van, you told me to run.”
“Did I?” Careful words.
“Yeah, you did.”
“You didn’t run.”
“Fuck, no. I will never leave you behind.” He closed in. His hand lifted and skimmed over her cheek. “Baby…”
His voice had gone extra deep and rough and the endearment just seemed to pierce her.
“You aren’t some wicked thief. I get that. You made mistakes with me.”
“I have not. I don’t make mistakes.” Now he was just being insulting. This after-sex experience was not as blissful as she’d hoped. Granted, it had been a while since she’d been in an after-sex situation, but she didn’t remember the experience being as fraught with conflict.
Ryan quirked a brow. She tried to keep looking at his face, but her traitorous gaze liked to keep darting down to his tats. Such a shame that she had not gotten to lick them.
Woman. Focus. “Fine,” she huffed. It was time to put the blame where it belonged. “I should have checked the gallery more thoroughly on my second visit inside.”
“Visit?” Ryan seemed to strangle on the word.
“Uh, yes, visit. My first visit was with you. Remember, when you set off the alarm?” she inquired sweetly.
He grunted.
“Anyway, I wasn’t quite as mission-oriented as I should have been during my second visit.
I should have checked the perimeter more thoroughly.
I should have realized Alexei was inside.
” A visual of his dead body flashed through her mind.
Her grip on the broach and earrings tightened.
She’d never forget taking them from the dead man.
Her shoulders rolled back. “You distracted me. So the mistake rests entirely on your shoulders. Your fault.”
Ryan’s lips parted, but he didn’t speak.
“I don’t get caught retrieving targets. You distracted me and…okay, why are you smiling?”
Because he was. His lips had just curled up in the most heart-stoppingly gorgeous grin. The grin lit his dark eyes. Took him to a whole other level of handsomeness. Damn him.
“I’m smiling because…” His deep voice seemed to sink right into her. “You just admitted that you’re utterly and completely fascinated by me.”
“I did no such thing!” Simone remembered her words. She’d said nothing about being fascinated with him. Zero about that.
“Yeah, you did.” A nod. “Never been distracted before, super high success rate—”
“I’d had a one hundred percent success rate until you stalked into my life.”
“You were the perfect thief, but I got into your head. Got into your body, too.” He winked at her.
She frowned harder at him. “Retrieval specialist,” she corrected.
“Be careful, Simone, or I might just sneak my way into your heart.” He paused. “Like a thief in the night.”
Instantly, she retreated. One step. Two. Three and the back of her leg hit the nightstand.
His brow furrowed. “Are you running from me?”
No. Maybe. “You’re not getting into my heart.”
His smile was gone. He looked away from her. “Yeah, I get that. Relax. I wasn’t looking for some undying declaration of love.”
Her heart raced far too fast.
He lifted his right hand and yanked his fingers across his jaw. “Know what? This chat has been derailed.”
Why would her heartbeat not slow down? And why did her cheeks feel hot?
“Let’s get back to the fact that I know you’re not some wicked villainess with an icy heart,” Ryan directed.
“Why do you keep talking about my heart?”
“Maybe because I want it.” He blinked.
“What?” She’d heard wrong.
But he looked just as shocked as she felt. And then—
A bell rang. The doorbell to their suite.
“Saved by the bell,” he groused. “Uh, I’ll be right back.”
He’d be back? “Who is at the door?” Before he could exit the bedroom, she bounded toward him and grabbed his arm.
Slither.
That would be her sheet. Fluttering down. Leaving her naked. Right in front of him.
His gaze held hers. A muscle flexed along his jaw. “I think you just lost something,” Ryan said.
My heart. That’s what I’m afraid I’m losing. He’d come way too close to the truth with his words before. Because…
She didn’t get involved when she worked her cases. She’d known that she was walking into dangerous territory on the first date with him. She’d known going out with Ryan Quinn was a mistake and yet…
He’d made her laugh during their first date. He’d been so courteous. She’d felt an undeniable spark when they touched. So she’d taken a risk and gone on a second date with him.
Which had led to a third.
And then he’d saved her life. He’d killed for her. Never, ever had she expected someone in this world to kill in order to protect her.
Which brought her to the incredible sex they’d just had. And to the realization that…
Oh, damn. I am falling for a spy. Something that was awful and terrible because the man lied for a living. Figured that when she finally fell, it would be for a man who was just an illusion.
“Please, allow me.” With those low, deep words Ryan bent. He picked up the fallen sheet. Brought it up her body. His fingers skimmed over her stomach. Over the curve of one breast. Back up.
She’d gone statue-still.
His breath seemed labored. His stare blazed. But he carefully wrapped the sheet around her and tucked it between her breasts.
His fingers lingered for just a moment, and then he stepped back. “Room service.”
Her whole body ached.
“It’s room service ringing the bell.” He squared his shoulders. “You didn’t get to finish your chocolate mousse at the restaurant because I was in such a hurry to fuck you.”
Yes, he had been in a hurry. Only fair, she’d been in a hurry, too.
“So I ordered a delivery for you. Thought you might like to have your dessert.”
That was actually sweet.
“I’ll handle it.” He disappeared.
She stared after him and tried to figure out what in the world she was supposed to do.
Not fall in love with him. Certainly not that.
This was a mission for him. Nothing more.
They were not supposed to fall in love. They were just going to lure out the bad guys and get the job done and go their separate ways in life.
No happy ending. No big relationship. No—
A gunshot blasted.
One, then another.
She screamed, searched for a weapon, and grabbed the lamp because it was the only thing she saw. Then Simone went scurrying toward the sound of the gunfire.
Apparently, the bad guys had already found them.
And she was not going to let Ryan fight alone.
Also…
Don’t you dare be dead, Ryan! Don’t you dare.
She’d never forgive the man if he was dead.
Her steps were soundless. At least, she tried to make them soundless. She hurried down the hallway, keeping her body as close to the wall as possible. Not like she wanted to present a target. She wanted to save the day. Not wind up dead.
And Ryan…
Don’t you dare be dead. Do not be.
Simone peeked around the corner. Horror filled her as she took in the scene, and, with a sharp cry on her lips, she rushed toward Ryan.