True Deceptions (True Lies) (6 page)

“We’ll each have a garden salad, then the venison.” Simon squeezed her hand and smiled.

Cassie forgot to smile in return. He squeezed a little harder until she acknowledged him.

“Sounds good.”
Venison? Bambi? Darn him. Why couldn’t we start with scallops?

He nodded to the waiter, who hustled away.

Trying to pose as an attentive lover, Cassie leaned toward him to whisper in his ear. “I can’t eat deer meat.”

“Yes, you can,” he whispered back before biting her earlobe.

The moan leaving her mouth was not part of the act. If he continued to seduce her with his teeth, he’d have her on the floor, begging for him, before the salad arrived. She backed away and sighed.

Lifting her wineglass, Simon sniffed it, and then handed it to her. An odd gesture, but endearing anyway. “Drink.”

He picked up his glass and toasted to a successful mission. He savored his wine, but never let his eyes leave hers. She took a sip. The wine ran over her tongue, allowing the flavor to emerge slowly. Simon gave her an imperceptible nod. She must have passed one of his tests.

Headquarters had provided so little background on her new identity that she was unsure what to say to fill in the gaps in conversation. “This is a so romantic. Remind me again where we met?”

“At a party in Miami,” he replied.

“I love Miami.” She did love Miami and had spent a few months there for General Atomics.

“I know.”

“That’s right, you know everything about me. What’s my favorite ice cream flavor?”

“You don’t eat ice cream…but you do allow me to coat you in it and lick it off.” His voice deepened as though he could taste it, taste her.

In response, her stomach fluttered, making her want to skip dinner and go straight to dessert. She bit her lip to keep her feelings at bay. She could fall hard for this controlling, hard-edged hulk of a man, despite knowing every seductive word and action toward her was business as usual for him.

Simon refilled her wineglass to three quarters full, leaving his glass half empty. She wanted to slow down with the alcohol, but Simon was very persistent. No one had ever ordered her to drink more than a glass of anything before. At least the wine was a good vintage. The salad came and went without complication, despite the cheese and the buttermilk dressing. Her hunger and her need to prove her professionalism trumped her ethics. That would have bothered her normally, but Simon’s overpowering presence and a bloodstream full of whatever red wine she was drinking won out over her principles.

Simon bumped his hand into a water glass. Cassie’s hand shot out to stop it from spilling.

“Good catch,” he said, but he didn’t look too apologetic about his mishap. Perhaps men like him didn’t feel the need to apologize for klutzy moves. Women like Cassie, on the other hand, over-apologized for things that weren’t even their fault. She needed to act more like Simon.

The waiter presented their main course with a flourish. He even stood over the table waiting for them to take a bite of their food.

The thought of venison, however, destroyed her appetite.

“Eat, angel.” Simon cut her a piece and held the fork in front of her mouth.

“I’m not hungry,
honey
.”

The waiter glanced at Simon and then at their water glasses. If he could have fled, he probably would have sprinted away.

Simon smiled and reached out with his other hand to beckon her closer to him. “Let’s just say it’ll make me really happy to see you eat and enjoy what’s on your plate.” His expression became earnest with a minor threat mixed in. “Seriously.”

Cassie silently apologized to the deer for being involved in its slaughter and promised to donate more funds to PETA next Christmas. Then she took a bite. The meat, covered in a heavy mushroom sauce, melted in her mouth. She wanted to hate the flavor, but continued to chew until the piece disappeared. Simon handed her the glass of wine, waited for her to swallow, and then encouraged her to take another bite. The waiter smiled at Simon and departed.

She sipped wine in between each successive bite and ignored the gorgeous man next to her, who was busy devouring his own meal, no doubt content in his manipulation of her cravings. In less than fifteen minutes, her dish was empty.

Their waiter stood next to her to clear the plate. “Did you enjoy the meal, madam?”

She really did, and hated herself for it. “Yes, thank you. My compliments to the chef.”

Simon didn’t acknowledge her comment, but focused on the waiter. “Two cappuccinos and one of your chocolate tortes, Martin.”

“Coming right up, Mr. Dunn,” he said before rushing away.

Simon turned his blue eyes toward her. If he leaned over and kissed her, she’d kiss him back. How could she resist? How could any woman resist him? She sighed and took another sip of her wine, probably her fourth glass.

A self-satisfied smirk graced his face, like a vampire who was watching his victim’s first kill. “You liked it.”

“Only because you ordered me to enjoy it.”

He brushed her hair back behind her ear. “That’s a good enough reason…for now.”

Chapter Six

D
inner was a test. Simon had pushed Cassie’s boundaries as far as he could. She did what he’d told her, even as it went against every fiber of her being. Her willingness to follow his orders proved he might be able to keep her alive after all.

He lifted her into his Range Rover and buckled her up. He’d carefully observed her limit with alcohol. Two glasses. After that, her reflexes and attention faded. Three glasses put her at risk of doing
something stupid, and four took her over the edge, too easily seduced. Simon, however, preferred women who were sober and consenting.

He’d monitor her intake from now on to make sure she never exceeded her “stay alert—stay alive” limit. It wasn’t Cassie’s inability to say no worrying him. It was his colleagues’ desire to diminish the capacity of those around them.

“Thanks.” She rolled her head toward him but never lifted it from the headrest. Her eyelids fluttered, then closed. She was out cold within a few minutes of the drive from Notting Hill. A restless sleep, but at least she wasn’t singing pub songs and asking him personal questions. Not that he would have answered.

The trip to Oxford would take an hour or two depending on traffic. Driving provided him time to think and plan the next few weeks in their assignment…as long as he didn’t glance at the blonde beauty passed out next to him. She could break the concentration of a Tibetan monk.

Even seven sheets to the wind, she was captivating. Every male in the restaurant had focused on her alone when she’d walked by their tables. Yet she didn’t have a clue how her appearance affected the men around her. Pauline deserved a lot of credit. She’d transformed an innocent surfer girl into a sexy companion every man in Simon’s world would love to possess. Her looks would both help his assignment and hinder it. He’d have to watch her everywhere they went. The men Simon did business with had no problem taking what they wanted, consequences be damned.

Forty-five minutes into their journey, Cassie stirred.

“Simon?” She swiped at his shoulder, missing it. Her hand fell between them, motionless.

“I’m here.” He reached out, rested his hand on her thigh, and squeezed, more to comfort her than to seduce her.

“My stomach hurts,” she whispered.

“You ate a lot tonight.” And drank a lot.

She sat up with a jerk and covered her mouth. “Pull over.”

“Now?” In the middle of the motorway?

“Now.”

Fifteen minutes later, Cassie, cleaned up from their emergency stop, was drinking a ginger ale to settle her rebellious stomach.

“I’ll never eat like that again.” The strain in her voice gave Simon pause, but once on this path, she’d committed to going all the way. No U-turns permitted.

“When you and I are finished together, and you’re safely tucked back in your little office, you can live on lettuce and potatoes.” He left his hand resting on her leg. She needed to become comfortable with him. She needed to trust him. “Until then, you eat what I eat.”

She shrugged as though she didn’t have a say in the matter anyway. She didn’t, so her cooperation was a bonus. “Can I ask where we’re headed?”

“Oxford. I have some business to take care of. You’ll wait in the car.”

“That’s fine.” Her eyes closed again, and silence returned.

His job would be easier if she remained asleep. He cut the engine, double-checked his gun, and looked over at her one more time. Her innocence and beauty made him ache for something he swore he’d never desire again.

“Goodnight, angel.” He kissed her on the forehead and headed toward the familiar brick house.

Two white cameras pointed into the yard to warn intruders of the security system. If the owners were smart, and they were, they’d have two hidden cameras near the others. The large ones warded off people with no bravery or brains, and the hidden cameras recorded the movements of those who assumed the destruction of the visible cameras would cover their crimes.

He tossed a small stone at one of the cameras. It hit the lens, but didn’t shatter it. He waved in the same direction and then used his key to open the back door. With a minimal amount of noise, he slipped into the kitchen.

He strode past the large stove where he’d cooked hundreds of breakfasts and countless dinners and stopped at the refrigerator to grab a beer. Home. Or as close to a home as possible for a person who had stayed off the radar most of his life. This place had always been a haven away from his work, but now he needed to find a way to convince the people he cared most about to assist him with a quick transaction. A simple arms deal would reassure his suppliers and potential buyers of his ability to deliver after such a long absence.

The kitchen light flashed on. A small woman with the face of a fairy, dressed in an oversize men’s flannel pajama top, ran toward him, zipping up her jeans. Her brown hair and pink streaks fluttered behind her.

He braced for his deserved pounding.

“You bastard. How dare you disappear and not tell us?” Her booming American accent ricocheted across the room, yet her frown quickly transformed into a smile. She propelled herself into his arms and gave him a hug.

He pulled her close, relieved to see her healthy and safe. “You look good. How are you feeling?” he murmured into the top of Alex’s head. Last time he’d seen her, she’d been beaten into unconsciousness and had broken bones and bruises in every part of her body. From the way she sprinted toward him, her leg must have healed as well.

“Fine. What about you? Henry’s been worried.”

“I wasn’t worried.” Henry, wearing the flannel pajama bottoms that matched Alex’s top, leaned against the doorframe and smiled. “I figured you’d headed to a beach somewhere with a beautiful woman in one arm and a bottle of vodka in the other.”

“Something like that.” Simon released Henry’s wife and went over to him, extending his arm to shake hands and then slapping him on the shoulder. “Congratulations on your wedding. Sorry I missed it.”

“It would have been nice to have my brother there, but I had enough to deal with that day with Alex’s father. He insisted she was lowering her standards to marry me.”

“Understandable. You are only a professor and an earl. He could probably buy both Oxford University and your castle in Ripon without making a dent in his cash flow.” As Simon recalled, Henry and Mr. Northrop’s first meeting had begun with a fight between Henry and his future father-in-law’s security guard.

Alex hopped up to sit on the island and crossed her legs. “We appreciated the gift.”

He’d returned a painting he’d taken from Henry for a sting operation—an action he’d always regret, as it put his family in danger.

“Something borrowed and something blue.” If he could make it up to them, he would. Now, however, he needed to borrow something even more important to Henry than the painting. “I’m really sorry. About everything.”

“Apology accepted. Right, Henry?” Alex stated.

Henry just shook his head and headed across the room to stand next to Alex. “You’re a bloody idiot sometimes. We all could have been killed.”

“But we weren’t.” She pulled him closer to her and caressed his shoulders. “No harm, no holding grudges.”

Her leg bounced up and down as she continued to hold her husband. Henry had picked a hyper wife, but a truly good one. Simon envied him.

Henry focused on Simon. “Are you home for a while? You’re always welcome here.”

“There’s no way I’m moving back here and disturbing this love fest. I have a flat in London.”

“Are you still with Nicola?” Alex asked, peeking around Henry. It was her way of finding out what had happened to her. She wasn’t authorized to find out, and he hoped she wouldn’t push for information.

“No. She left me.” He’d kept his former partner’s identity hidden from Henry by referring to her as a long-term girlfriend. He’d never gotten around to introducing them. Alex, however, had met her the week Nicola had died. His failure to save her still ripped at his soul and numbed his heart. Only the bleak remnants of a one-sided love story remained.

He pushed his thoughts away from his past and focused on his present, and the sleeping beauty in the car. He’d never fall for a partner again. The pain wasn’t worth the benefits.

Alex jumped down from the island and grabbed sparkling water for herself and a beer for Henry. When she looked back at Simon, she gave him a slight nod. She’d respect his wish to keep Nicola a secret.

Simon threw them his trademark grin, the one he barely used anymore. “I’ve replaced her with a gorgeous blonde named Cassie.”

“Will we ever meet her? Or will she be another phantom girlfriend?” Henry asked.

“It depends.” He hoped she’d stay sleeping in the car. Bringing her here had been a stupid idea. If she met Alex and Henry, she’d be one step further entwined in his life. He didn’t want or need attachments. He needed sex with a nameless beauty, one who didn’t work with him, and a solid business relationship with his partner.

They spent several minutes sharing details of the wedding and non-details of Simon’s time away. Between Henry’s classes at Oxford University and his and Alex’s work with the Ripon Women’s Group, a charity for battered women and their families, they’d settled into their marriage with ease.