Actual Stop (Agent O’Connor #1)(12)

“Hey, Meaghan,” a voice called from the hall. “Can you come read this over for me?”

Meaghan’s smile was flat. “Excuse me. Duty calls. It was nice to see you again, Allison. Good luck.” She breezed out the door and disappeared before I could think of an excuse for her to stay.

Allison refocused her attention, and the force of her gaze settled heavily on me as if it had actual weight. Her smile widened even more, and she sauntered farther into my office, her movements and posture radiating confidence and purpose. Her eyes seemed to bore into mine, and she exuded sexuality.

I was having a hard time remembering how to breathe, and the dull roar I was hearing had to be my own blood rocketing through my veins. My head was too full of thoughts all of a sudden, and it was hard to get a firm handle on any one in particular. Not that it would’ve mattered. None of them would be remotely helpful in getting me through this conversation with dignity. I attempted to ignore the useless litany and appear unaffected. I didn’t think it really worked, but I tried.

Allison shut the door behind her without averting her gaze, and I gulped, marveling at the effect she still had on me. It’d been more than four years since Allison had ended our affair—not that I was keeping track—yet an excruciating ache still pierced my chest every time I thought about her, every time anyone even said the name Allison, whether they were talking about her or not. The hope that my agony would eventually subside flickered through my head, there and gone in an instant.

“Don’t I get a hug?” she asked finally. Her soft voice with its slightly teasing edge made me bristle.

Refusing to comply would only make me look petulant and immature, so I rose from behind my desk and wrapped my arms around her. For a moment, I closed my eyes and allowed myself to take in her familiar scent, a combination of shampoo, perfume, and her naked skin that still made me want to bury my face in her hair and never let go. I pulled away and resumed the much safer position of having a desk between us. Straining to find normalcy in a situation that presented none, I gestured to the chair opposite my desk. “Have a seat.”

“Thanks.” Allison settled herself across from me, her face still alight with some secret I had yet to figure out. “How’ve you been?” Her low intonation was intimate. It spoke of our history together, the history she’d thrown away as if it’d meant nothing to her. That tone sparked a painful fury inside me.

“I’ve been fine. How about you?” I struggled to keep my words from sounding sharp, but even I thought I sounded a touch huffy.

Her smile never faltered. Was this all some sort of game to her? “I’ve been great, thanks. How’s your family?”

“They’re doing well, thank you. And yours?”

“The same as always. Mom’s busy with some committee or another, and Dad’s just now realizing that his rush into retirement means he has to spend more time with Mom.”

“Mmm,” I murmured, noncommittally. “Glad everyone’s well.”

The silence stretched out for a time, heavy and viscous. Allison continued to smile at me, and I continued to let it annoy me. Again, my stubbornness kicked in, and I refused to be the first one to speak. After years of no contact whatsoever, she’d sought me out. It was up to her to drive this conversation. It was her show. Besides, I’d said plenty to her the last time we’d spoken, during which I’d made a complete fool of myself, crying so hard I was barely coherent and insisting I’d love her forever. She had the majority of my dignity. No way in hell was I just going to hand her the rest.

“So, I just had a chat with your boss.” Allison’s demeanor became distinctly more businesslike.

“Better you than me.”

Allison’s brow furrowed, and her expression became confused. “I thought you liked the SAIC. He certainly seems fond enough of you.”

I sucked in a startled breath and willed my own countenance to remain completely neutral. I hadn’t realized she’d been talking about the Special Agent in Charge, although that did make more sense. “Oh, I thought you meant Mark. What’d you talk to him about?”

“I’ve requested that you be my field-office counterpart for the visit.”

I blinked and stared at her for a long moment waiting for the punch line to what was obviously an extremely unfunny joke. There wasn’t one. “What?”

“You heard me.”

Sure, I’d heard her, but her statement had made no sense. How could I be the field-office counterpart for a POTUS lead? I was in PI. In this squad we only did intelligence advances. Ever. I couldn’t think of one good reason to alter that policy. Not only that, but the bosses didn’t generally allow the PPD leads to handpick their counterparts. Something about this entire situation felt off to me, and I didn’t even try to hide my suspicion.

“Why?”

Allison waved in an offhanded way. “They thought that since we have so little time to complete this lead, it’d be in everyone’s best interest for me to work with someone I’m comfortable with. The SAIC agreed. And here we are.”

The last thing this disaster was sure to be for either of us was comfortable, but I didn’t think pointing that out would help. “And whose brilliant idea was this?”

“Mine. But I ran it by my SAIC, who called ahead and floated it to Flannigan.”