True Deceptions (True Lies) (10 page)

The transfer of the green boxes filled with arms and ammunition lasted twenty minutes. One of the men on Simon’s team gave him a thumbs-up, indicating the correct contents in each of the boxes. By nightfall, the weapons would reach their destination in the middle of Africa. Teodor always came through, which was why he worked so well with Simon. They trusted each other more than normal business associates would in this field.

Still standing near their cars, Jarek, his phone to his ear, strode over to Teodor, speaking in Ukrainian with a sense of urgency. Simon had no clue what he was saying, but Alex understood Ukrainian. He’d rely on her translation.

When Jarek hung up the phone, he turned back to Simon, ignoring Alex. “We have a problem. Bio’s been detained by Ground Forces patrolling the area. They may be moving in this direction.”

Alex gave Simon a subtle nod, affirming what he’d said.

Shit. Someone must have alerted the authorities to extra activity in this normally quiet area of Bulgaria. Alex, in her condition, wouldn’t do well spending even a day in a prison cell. The risk was too great.

“Thanks for the heads-up. I’ll be in touch.” As a safety precaution, he needed to fly Alex away from here with the cargo, instead of driving her back to the hotel. He called Derek, the pilot of the Mi-17, and told him to wait. They had two more passengers. “Care to see Greece this afternoon?”

Alex shrugged, as though deciding on a restaurant for lunch. They trotted across the field. She moved well despite the heels. Both ducked under the rotors. Two of his men assisted them into the back of the helicopter.

Once inside, she yelled over the noise. “Henry is going to kick your ass for the delay.”

“This is the safest way home. He’ll respect my decision.” Simon leaned back on the bench and buckled in. Alex was wrong. Henry wasn’t going to kick his ass. He was going to murder him.

T
he deal had not gone according to plan. At one p.m., Cassie and Henry boarded a plane for Heathrow without Alex and Simon. Where was he? She didn’t want to worry, but her entire existence had become braided into Simon’s life. W
ithout him, what would she do? Where would she go? Watching Henry attempt to contain his anger toward Simon didn’t help calm her frazzled nerves.

“I will never allow that irresponsible pain in the ass to so much as talk to Alex again, never mind see her, and if he dares to show his face in Oxford—or Ripon, for that matter—he’ll need a wheelchair to leave.” Henry raged on and on and on. He provided gory details on the torture he was going to inflict upon Simon, and cursed more than an English gentleman should.

Several passengers stared at him, and it wasn’t with admiration or respect.

“Shhhhh. If the flight attendant asks you to leave the plane, I’ll say I never met you before in my life.”

He glared at her for a split second and then his expression softened, and the furrows between his eyebrows almost disappeared. “I’m sorry for taking this out on you. You did nothing wrong except fall for the wrong man.”

Fall for Simon? Ha. He was her boss. And yes, he was gorgeous, smart, full of confidence, and endlessly fascinating, but he had too many secrets, was too much of a control freak, and… a ton of other stuff that made him completely inappropriate for her.

Falling back to the story they used in public, she shrugged and sighed. “I’ve always thought he was kind of sweet. A true romantic.”

“You must not get out much.” He then went back over all of Simon’s faults and never once mentioned Alex. Perhaps he was focused on Simon to keep himself from worrying about his wife. It made sense, because the question of Simon’s safety clouded Cassie’s thoughts and made her sick to her stomach.

When she and Henry finally arrived in Oxford, they received a text message from Simon. He told them he and Alex had been delayed but were on their way. That was it. No other details. She and Henry sat in silence in his study. Although happy that Simon and Alex were safe, they weren’t back home. So, more waiting. Cassie drank wine, and Henry drank Scotch. The sun faded, the moon rose, and Cassie’s fear destroyed her attempt to appear rational.

Henry gripped the armrest as though he had someone by the neck. “I hope you’re not too attached to Simon. His life expectancy is now down to about two hours.”

“Do you think they’re all right?”

His mouth twisted into a frown. “Although Simon is one of the most competent people I know, there’s always danger in what he does.”

“If you’re so mad about Alex taking part in the assignment, why did you let her go with him?”

Henry snorted. “I couldn’t control her anymore than I could alter the orbit of the moon.” He took a sip of Scotch, tapping the glass with his index finger. “Regrettably, marriage doesn’t give me ownership of her person. She had a reason for going with Simon, and I trust her. Simon, on the other hand, has his own agenda.”

She wanted to assure Henry of her own trust in Simon, but what did she really know of him? He never showed fear. He hated incompetence. His inner and outer strength provided her security and protection, but if he had to choose between her safety and finishing an assignment, would he pick her? Probably not.

Henry led Cassie to Simon’s room to sleep. Why would Simon have a room at his friend’s house? The men must be closer than she realized. She remembered he’d gathered a few things from the room when they’d first visited. His black and steel furniture created a forbidding environment, the complete opposite of the warm colors in the rest of the house. Some black and white cityscapes decorated the walls, but nothing personal. No photographs, no books, nothing that revealed Simon’s essence. Or maybe it did. Even the bland, beige walls of the London flat had more warmth than this place. Cassie preferred colors.

Someday she wanted to buy a small farmhouse and fill it with bright blue and white furniture and colorful quilts. She could work in a small office that doubled as a guest room and watch her children grow up in a peaceful environment. The man she married someday would have to prefer a simple life and not one filled with guns. Although Simon’s image popped into her head, he didn’t fit in her dream future. His world was too stark and cold for her and, although she melted when he touched her, she couldn’t see him wanting such a domestic situation with her or anyone else. The image of him in a colorful kitchen, cooking some wonderful meal, however, soothed her mind as she fell asleep.

In the morning, Henry made her breakfast. She didn’t want the bacon or eggs, so she picked at some toast and drank two cups of coffee. As she helped Henry with the dishes, the Range Rover arrived. Simon opened Alex’s door and walked to the house at a slow, methodical pace. He wore the same dark outfit as the day before. Alex, now dressed in sneakers and jeans, held on to Simon’s arm. As they came closer to the house, the fatigue from their journey became apparent. Alex had dark circles under her eyes, and Simon needed a shave. Despite their disheveled appearances, the cloud over Cassie’s mood lifted. He was safe.

“Thank God.” Henry ran out the back door.

He hugged Alex tight and gave her a quick kiss on the lips. It was a lovely sight—until he pivoted and punched Simon in the gut with his left fist. Simon didn’t move to block the hit. His face tightened, however, and he winced. The two men exchanged tense words with each other. Simon nodded at Henry and continued walking past him into the kitchen, his right arm tucked into his stomach.

He went straight to Cassie, looking like a soldier returning home from war. She was unsure what to say, so she remained silent.

His hands rested on her shoulders. “Are you all right?”

“Me? What about you?” Was he really worried about her?

“I’ve been better.” Those beautiful blue eyes rotated away from her. “I’ll grab our things. We’re leaving.”

“Do you want some coffee or breakfast?”

“No. We need to leave and give Alex and Henry some space.”

Henry and Alex remained in the backyard embracing each other and talking. When they finally came in through the backdoor, their conversation became more animated and hostile.

Alex crossed the threshold first. “Stop worrying. I won’t go with him again. I promise. Not my best idea, but I needed one last adventure before the baby arrived.”

“You want an adventure? I’ll give you enough thrills to last a lifetime. You don’t need to fly all over Europe, risking your life.” Henry followed her to the table, where she snagged a piece of bacon. His face suddenly whitened, and his eyes widened. “You’re pregnant?”

“And you’re going to be a dad.” Alex whipped around, stood on her toes and kissed Henry on the chin.

Terrific.
Alex was brave and calm under pressure, fluent in a million languages, an expert on art and gems, married to an earl, pregnant, and Simon’s first choice for a partner. Nothing could have made Cassie feel more inadequate.

Henry’s face colored again, this time into a flaming red. For the first time since Cassie met him, he sounded angry with Alex. “You took off on a dangerous adventure when you’re carrying our child. Are you insane?”

“I want to be a responsible mother, so I’d never go off like that after the little guy arrives. Simon’s timing was perfect. How could I turn him down?”

She stopped him from answering by tugging his lower lip with her teeth until he lifted her off the ground. They kissed long enough to make Cassie agree with Simon’s decision to leave as soon as possible.

“God, you’re going to drive me crazy for the rest of my life, aren’t you?” Henry dropped Alex on her feet and kissed her on the top of the head.

“I hope so.”

Simon came back in the room with their suitcases and prodded Cassie toward the door. “Let’s go, angel. Now.”

Alex ran up to Simon and hugged him, her head not reaching his shoulder. “Bye, Simon, and thanks for everything.”

He backed away as though pregnancy was contagious, or perhaps he was afraid Henry would take another swing at him. “Go take care of your husband. He’s going to need a shot of something strong to get him through this. And for the record, you’re fired for hiding important information from me.”

“Agreed. At least until Earl, Jr. is old enough to fend for himself.”

On the drive home, Simon stared out at the highway in silence.

Cassie needed to know. “Did you know she was pregnant?”

“She mentioned it to me yesterday.”

A tightening in her throat made her pause before asking the question she didn’t want the answer to. “And you didn’t stop the mission?”

His eyes narrowed, and he glared at her. “I’m not her keeper. Besides, she has better survival instincts than most agents in the field. If Henry weren’t her husband, I’d use her as back up any day. Pregnant or not.” His adulation of Alex never faltered. The woman could do no wrong in his eyes. He seemed to adore her like a precocious little sister.

And that’s when she formed the idea. Cassie could connect to Simon in a way Alex never could. She’d become his lover.

Chapter Eight

S
imon jumped in the shower as soon as he arrived in the flat. He was tired from the trip and his unwarranted worry about Cassie. The warm water sprayed over his back and eased his tension. He passed several languid minutes leaning against the wall and thinking about how prepared Alex had b
een for the trip, yet even the queen of cool found herself in a potential minefield for herself and her unborn child. Cassie, on the other hand, didn’t have any of Alex’s reserves. Would she panic when trouble unfolded for the first time, or would she stand her ground and adapt? From her reaction to Tucker’s gun, she’d probably shut down.

He stepped out of the shower, dried off, and shaved. If they were to succeed, it was time to use some of Cassie’s expertise. She could research the types of UAVs on the market, the cost, and the ability of a subcontractor to retrofit what they purchased to the specifications of their buyers. Then she could educate Simon. They had barely one week to get him knowledgeable enough to set up the transaction.

He made his way toward his bedroom with only a towel covering his bottom half. Cassie blocked his way. She’d changed into tight jeans and a low cut blouse. Sweet and sexy.

“Can I talk to you?” The hesitation in her voice didn’t bode well for the conversation.

“Now?”

She nodded and sucked in her bottom lip. He’d give up everything to spend one night with free access to those lips. She must have noticed his focus on her mouth, because her hand touched her lip in an attempt to remove a nonexistent crumb from the corner.

“I’m embarrassed to say I doubted your ability. But you not only succeeded, you also brought Alex back unharmed.” Cassie inched closer to him as though she’d abandoned veganism and was starved for a steak.

Was his pretty California girl coming on to him?

“So you’ll trust me from now on?” he asked, maintaining his position in front of her.

“I don’t have a choice.”

“Cassie, you always have a choice. Be decisive. React. Don’t second-guess every move you make. If you want something, take it.” He bated his breath to see what she would do.

Stepping forward, she placed a hand on his chest. He brushed his fingers across her cheek and felt her lean into him. The tilt of her head against his palm short-circuited his normal control.

“What if I want you?” she whispered.

He should refuse her. She was his subordinate, and sex could screw up their already delicate relationship. Or it could strengthen it. Maybe give her more confidence. And then what? When the assignment terminated, they’d each go their respective ways with fond memories. Perhaps.

“Like I said. If you want something, take it.”

She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and stepped forward, her mouth poised for a kiss. Who was he to deny her? He leaned in and pressed his lips to hers. She tasted of grapes. His gorgeous health fanatic. He deepened the kiss, indulging in her warmth, her feel, and her subtle reactions. Her mouth demanded more of him, and he complied. The connection tethered him to her.

Her hands dropped to the bare skin of his waist. A low moan left her lips, as her fingers tucked under the edge of his towel. Her touch sent his nerves firing.