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  I sighed. "Fine, I guess. It was rougher than I thought it would be."

  "If you need some time off, we could have you call in sick to Evans. I can get some temporary help."

  I shook my head. "No. I prefer to work. Besides, you don't get sick days on a mission."

  Ariel grinned at me. "There's no crying in baseball."

  I lifted a brow. "What does that even mean?"

  Her jaw dropped. "A League of Their Own. It's a classic."

  I shrugged. "Don't know it."

  "Oh my God. We're going to have to resolve this immediately. Matter of fact I'm making a note."

  I shrugged. "If you say so."

  "I know Jessa went with you. From the looks of it, you guys bonded?"

  How did I put this? "Yeah. She was — helpful."

  She studied me for a long moment and then sighed. "Roone, look. I gave you shit for the way you were handling the Jessa thing. But I get it. You are who you are. You have a certain code about you. I know it's tricky because she's Sebastian and Lucas's sister. I know it's awkward because clearly you guys have some serious chemistry."

  I shook my head. "I know how to do my job."

  "Of course you know how to do your job. We wouldn't be on the same team if you didn't. You recognize Sebastian gave you the highest position of trust on his team. To look after his family, literally to take care of them. He sent you to New York for Lucas. And he sent you here to London for his sister. A sister who knows nothing. Lucas at least understood what was at stake. That's a great deal of trust. So, you being all in your feelings about, whatever… not being in charge, about not being good enough, or whatever the hell is going on with you. You need to can it. If anything, he trusts you more than he trusts me. I'm just the bestie who comes with his wife. Package deal."

  I frowned at her. "He trusts you."

  She shrugged. "I know he does. I'm damn good at my job. I demand it. And you know full well how the king feels about you. I'm watching you tear yourself up, pretending you don't like this girl. But you do like her. And you're also worried about her. And you want to do the right thing. So you know what's it like to hold the weight of the world on your shoulders, just your shoulders, because obviously you would be the only one strong enough to handle it."

  I frowned. "I never said that."

  "You think you have to say that? You're a soldier. You don't say much. You deflect anything that's real feelings. But I see how you look at her. I saw it the first day. I get it. It's the lying that’s getting to you. She doesn’t know the whole truth. But she knows most of the truth about you. All I'm saying is if you're into it because you're into it great, you don't have to try to pretend. If you want her, you want her. It'll be a little bit tricky, but I think we can all manage that."

  My jaw clicked. "It's all well and good for now. But first, it's going to hurt her when she finds out the truth, and second, Sebastian's not going to be as cool as you think he is."

  "Well, why don't you give him a chance?"

  "Because when you give people a chance they disappoint you."

  "Has Sebastian ever disappointed you?"

  I frowned. "No but — "

  She shook her head. "You have known him since you were eleven years old. In all that time, has he ever disappointed you?"

  I gnashed my teeth together. "No. But, there was never a scenario like this where he'd have to look at my shortcomings."

  Ariel laughed. Tossed her head back. "What shortcomings? You have been his protector, his friend. If anything, I'd want you for my sister if I had one. I'd be like, 'Date that guy, he can protect you, he would do anything to keep you safe. He will literally go to the ends of the earth. He will keep you from drowning.' We all know how you saved Lucas. He was toast because he wasn't thinking."

  "Yeah, that's another thing. When you fall in love you make stupid decisions."

  Ariel shrugged. "Yeah, I can't argue that one. I’ve watched people do some dumbass shit. Hell, I've done some dumbass shit myself. But you know what? You like her. And from the looks of it, she actually likes you too. So if you can like her and keep her safe, then why don't you? It's silly, watching you try to keep yourself so rigid. Your moral code is excellent. It's kept you alive. It keeps other people alive. There's no ambiguity with you, which is great. But, it also keeps you alone. I'm just saying, if you actually like the girl, and if she actually likes you back, then make that line nice and gray. Because life's too short. The both of you know that. So go ahead pretend you don't like her. Pretend you don't want her. That's fine, no skin off my back. But if you're going to insist on honesty and transparency from everyone around you, the least you could do is provide the same."

  She had a point. Hell, what was I really supposed to say? I don't like her? I did. She was smart and funny, and half my day revolved around getting to see her and getting her to say something outrageous to me. Hell, I goaded her just to see if she'd do it.

  And sure enough, she always rose to the occasion with a retort or a flip off. But there were still rules.

  Well sometimes, rules were made by dumbass rule makers.

  As we finished our breakfast, I tucked our conversation aside. I might not think it was a good idea, but Ariel had a point. I wasn't fooling anyone. And maybe I could keep her safer if I allowed myself, even just for a moment, to get a little bit closer.

  24

  Roone…

  The Tillerman gala brought out all of London’s bold and beautiful. I’d helped a little with the preparation, but it had been mostly Jessa and Chloe since they had the contacts from the previous years.

  Champagne was flowing, the food was sublime, and Jessa made it all appear seamless and effortless.

  “Mate, you need to stop staring at her. Evan is gonna blow a gasket.”

  I dragged my gaze off of Jessa. “I’m not staring.”

  “Yes, you are. The two of you are doing that eye-fucking thing across the room. Keep it in your pants, would you? I don’t think boss man is going to like it.”

  I scoffed. “You think he’s a problem for me?”

  Ariel chuckled under her breath as she tapped away on her phone. “Potentially. We are still under cover, remember? That little thing where you pretend to work for him so that you can stay close to her and keep her protected? If he fires you, it makes your job that much more difficult.”

  I nodded and ground my teeth. “Yeah, I remember.”

  “It’s the whole reason why we’re here. If her boss is behind the break-in at her flat, he’s more dangerous than a basic run-of-the-mill stalker, which we could handle, but we need more information. So, I’d rather we remove him the legal way and not because you kicked his ass so badly he has to be put into traction.”

  “All of that does have a certain appeal.”

  “Super funny. Little Roone standing down now?”

  I rolled my eyes. “Everything is under control.”

  The hell it is. Mostly because my pants would not contain the erection I’d had for half the day. I had to get my shit under control. It turned out I was just as bad as Lucas. I’d been sent in to protect the princess. I was an idiot.

  I was falling for a girl I couldn’t have.

  “If it helps, I think she’s into you too. But seriously, you need to stop because if dipshit number one is actually a stalker, you have a problem. It means he’s unstable, which means he could do anything, which means he could spook her, which means you and I will be S.O.L., so get it together.”

  She was right. I did need to get my shit together.

  Remember what’s at stake. Remember what your job is.

  And I did remember. But she was in the room, so the humming buzz under my skin was all about her. I followed her into the hall. “Where are you going?”

  A smile teased her lips.

  Dick: Hello beautiful.

  Me: Shut it.

  “Emily Winthrop came this way. I wanted to grab her before things got real crazy.”

  “You’re not trying t
o ditch me to go and get a proper burger, are you? The food is abysmal. Take me with you.”

  Her gaze shifted around to the stairwell. “Follow me. I know where the good stuff is in the kitchens, three floors down.”

  “Now you are speaking my language.”

  In the stairwell, she paused and turned around. “Or were you just looking for an excuse to get me alone?”

  A growl escaped before I could stop it. I was an idiot. “This is such a bad idea for so many reasons.”

  She swallowed hard. “Who are you telling? All the reasons. So bad. All the bad ones.”

  “You’ve been watching me today.” I closed the distance between us.

  “Someone has to keep an eye on you before you steal all my clients.”

  This is stupid. You’re going to get yourself caught.

  The problem was I didn’t give a shit. I wanted her so bad I ached with it. Every cell, every muscle. I almost didn’t care about the consequences. “You lured me in here with the promise of palatable food.”

  She blinked up at me. “Would I lure you in here? I’m not a villain. I’m sweet. I swear.”

  I grinned down at her. “The hell you are.”

  She shrugged. “Okay, a little sour too.”

  That humming vibration I always felt with her intensified. The closer I got, the more euphoric I became. The buzz was skipping over my skin, licking at my synapses. I couldn’t stay away. It didn’t matter what it was going to cost me, I had to have her, even if it was just a taste. Even if it was just for now.

  Damn straight, it would just be for now. You’re not good enough for her and you know it.

  Sebastian will definitely know it. And soon she will too. I felt like an impostor.

  You are an impostor.

  I shoved those thoughts away and focused on the woman in front of me. If I was going to hell, I might as well go in a blaze of glory.

  I took her hand and dragged her down another two flights of stairs, so we’d be less likely to be discovered.

  “So are you going to ask me or not?”

  Her gaze went to my lips and then she whispered, “Kiss me.”

  Relief coursed through me. “About time.” And then I slid my lips over hers and pressed her to me as she moaned. For now, she was mine. She just didn’t know it yet.

  The kiss went from a meeting of the mouths to a desperate attempt to fuse our bodies. In that moment I would have killed to lift up her dress and sink into her bare. I backed her up into the corner of the stairwell, bracketing her in with my big body. Then, bracing my hands on either side of her face and angling her head so I could deepen the kiss, I teased her lips with the tip of my tongue until she parted them. I slid my tongue in on her sigh.

  Even as her body melted to mine, my brain tried to register a warning. Do not get too close. You can’t keep her. But as I licked into her mouth, I refused to heed the warning.

  My hand scooped down her back and made contact with her ass, drawing her closer to me. The hard ridge of my erection throbbed against her belly, and she moaned into my mouth.

  I levered myself lower and wound my arm round her waist. Understanding what I wanted, she wrapped her legs around me. I growled as her tongue slid over mine, gliding against it as she worked her heated core against my erection.

  This was so stupid and dangerous and out of order. But fuck if I could stop it.

  Quickly, I pressed her more firmly into the shadows, and she realized she had to extend no effort to hold on. All she had to do was keep her legs around me, and I did all the work of holding her up. Slowly, as if I had all the time in the world, I devoured her lips. My tongue dipped playfully into her mouth.

  Jessa dug her hands into my hair I slid my tongue in and out of the warm depths of her mouth in time to my hips rocking into hers. Or maybe that was her rocking her hips into me? All I knew was that I wanted to be closer to her heat. Feel the delicious way our bodies fit.

  With every stroke of my tongue, she moaned, and I took what I wanted from her. Everything she was willing to give.

  I cupped her face as I sucked on her bottom lip, teasing her, my thumb gently stroking her cheek. My other hand skimmed up her torso, then stopped as it reached the start of her deep ‘v’ of cleavage. Jessa drew in a shuddering breath and arched her back into me, waiting for me to touch her. Gently, my thumb traced where the material met flesh. She tried to pull me closer, but she had no leverage and was at my mercy as I drove her slowly insane. When my thumb finally nudged aside the flimsy material, her double-sided tape put up no fight. When the fabric gaped, exposing her pebbled nipple to the air, she shivered, and I groaned.

  “Fucking gorgeous,” I whispered against her lips. I sucked her tongue into my mouth before slowly drawing back again. With her eyes still closed, Jessa tried to follow my lips, but I held the back of her neck firmly. Eyes heavy with lust and longing, she dragged them open, the question ready on her lips.

  I watched her with clear need and fire in my eyes, but my gaze held hers. I needed to see the connection to convince myself it was real. Still holding her gaze, I rolled her nipple with my thumb and forefinger, gently plucking. Fuck me, she felt like satin. “Damn. You are so fucking soft.”

  “Oh, my God. I, I—”

  I drew a slow circle around her exposed nipple. When I spoke, my voice was ragged. “I want to taste you here.” I rocked my erection against her center and added in a whisper, “I'm going to taste you here too. In fact, I'm going to spend the majority of my time here, exploring every inch of you with my tongue.”

  Jessa drew in a shuddering breath. Yes. She wanted it all. “I, I—”

  But I interrupted her by kissing her nipple softly. She tasted faintly sweet like the nectar of the rose scent she wore. It was like a hit of the most potent drug. “Shit, I don’t think I can stop.” I groaned against her skin.

  She arched her back. “Then don’t.”

  I drew her nipple into my mouth again, taking deep pulls. Heat snaked down my spine, making my skin tight and itchy. Jessa slid her hands into my hair and moaned as I sucked harder.

  I released her and let out a low growl as I panted. “Jesus, princess. I need to stop before I can’t.” As if to punctuate my words, my body pressed into her. I was so close to coming, and all I’d done was suck on her.

  She moved her head up and down. “More…”

  Dick: Yes, what she said.

  Fuck, if I listened to him there was no telling where I’d be.

  Dick: Inside the princess feeling her come around —

  Nope. Shit. We were in fucking public. However long we’d been there, I’d completely forgotten that I was on fucking duty. Fuck.

  Instead of my thumb teasing her nipple some more, I brushed the fabric of her dress back into place. My fingers kneaded the back of her neck. Why couldn’t I stop touching her? Gently, I slid my hands to her waist and picked her up again before setting her gently onto the ground.

  “What—I—”

  I cleared my throat loudly. “You pack a hell of a punch, Jessa.” I then took a very deliberate step backward.

  She was silent for a long moment as she stared at me. Then, as if her brain finally clicked online, she shoved at my shoulders. “Oh my God, we need to get back before anyone misses us.”

  “You okay?”

  She swallowed. “Yeah, I—you. That was…” her voice trailed.

  The smirk played on my lips. “Yeah, what you said. Let’s get you back.”

  “You know it would help if you didn’t look so damn smug.”

  I laughed. “Oh, princess, you haven’t seen smug yet. Wait until I give you at least three orgasms.”

  “You’re impossible.”

  “So you keep telling me.”

  Jessa…

  “Where are you off to, sweetie?”

  I wiggled in my dress, trying to adjust the stupid control thingamajiggy undergarments that had ridden up when I’d been busy snagging Roone. In public…like a god damn teenager. “H
onestly, if you must know, my Spanx are killing me. I need to take them off.”

  Ariel laughed. “Right there with you sister. I’ll come with.”

  “Okay, no big deal.”

  My gaze scanned the crowd for Roone. He was embroiled in some conversation with the media mogul, Frederick Brice. The two of them were chatting away as if they’d known each other their whole lives, so I was sure he’d be fine for a few moments. We might have reached an impasse, but it’s not like I trusted him with my clients now.

  Ariel followed me down the hall. Several other women were trickling the same way that we did. I tugged her down another hallway. “I think there’s one down here too.”

  She slid her gaze back toward the main lobby and then shrugged. “Okay, if you say so.”

  Sure enough, there was a bathroom. Unfortunately, it was only one stall. I went in while Ariel fixed her makeup, and I had never been happier to rip off a pair of control wear in my life. All this just to not have panty lines? It wasn’t worth it. I needed to breathe. My thighs, they needed air.

  I leaned onto the toilet for a moment. Just breathing deep. Finally, I staggered out in my heels and tossed the damn thing in the trash. “Oh my God, if I ever wear another one of these things again, shoot me.”

  “Weren’t you the one telling me I needed some of these?”

  “Yes, but I declare it too high a price to pay to not have panty lines. So freaking what?”

  Ariel laughed as she shuffled into the stall. “Amen, sister.”

  My phone rang, but I only had one bar. “Hey,” I said just as she started to moan and, I assumed, wiggle out of her undergarments as well. “I’m just going to take this right outside the door. I’ll wait for you.”

  She hesitated for a moment. “Oh, do you have to take that right now?”

  “Yeah, silly. I’ll be right out here.” I stepped out and answered. “Hello. Jessa McLean.” But there was silence on the line. “Hello? Hello?” I glared at my phone. I still only had one damn bar. But we were right next to one of the exterior doors, so I shoved it open and stepped outside into the darkness. “Hello?”