Deadly Testimony (Safeguard #2)(59)

And the shoes.

He’d picked this dress out from a rack at one of the shops around Pike Place Market though. She had no idea how he’d spotted it or known how it would look on her. Then he’d found her the shoes. At first glance, they’d been simple black pumps. Then Kyle had lifted the pair to show the heel and the pale cream silk with black lace ribbons tied in a tasteful bow. They were elegant. Sophisticated. Feminine.

Everything she loved about a pair of shoes and exactly the opposite of what most people would assume she’d wear.

They were what he thought she could be when most people only saw what she did for a living.

“Thank you.” She smiled at his reflection in the mirror.

He raised an eyebrow. “You’re getting better at taking a compliment.”

She lifted a shoulder, left bare by the cocktail dress. “You’re getting better at giving real ones.”

He stepped closer to the mirror, and her, adjusting the lapel of his suit. The man did clean up well. Good suits had something in common with military uniforms. They could make a person look sharp. But it took a certain kind of man to put it on and own it. He might not be a soldier by her terms of experience, but he was a man of action and having him at her side tonight was actually a welcome comfort. Her nerves were steady and she didn’t have the itch between her shoulder blades urging her to constantly look around to see who might be creeping up on her.

“Why the sudden frown?” Kyle placed a hand on her shoulder, the heat of his touch seeping through her skin.

Her nipples tightened slightly in response and she firmly told her libido to rein it in for the next few hours.

She looked at her reflection in the mirror again and blinked. Her face had gone neutral. Blank. It was one thing to know you wiped your expression to hide your thoughts and it was a completely different thing to catch a glimpse of yourself doing it. Not bad. Just...a learning exercise.

Turning up the corner of her mouth she gave a slight shake of her head. “A girl could get used to the idea of having you around. It’s a dangerous concept.”

He gave her a playful leer. “Am I that distracting?”

Turning to face him, she flicked an imaginary speck of dust off his shoulder. “Maybe. Not the issue though. You put people at ease. It’s a hell of a skill. But I can’t afford it.”

His expression faded slightly. “It’s not my intention to distract you or take your edge away.”

“You don’t.” She wanted to reassure them both. “I won’t let you.”

Somehow the silence after her statement echoed in the hotel room. Awkward wasn’t the word for it.

“I’ll make sure I’m on point.” She wanted to clarify. Wanted to take away the words that sounded too much like a rejection. But it wasn’t as if he’d made a long-term offer. So why was she suddenly stumbling over her own words? “You be sure to follow the instructions I gave you. No horsing around.”

He chuckled. Of course he’d get up to a few things.

It was a risk, taking him along. But Kyle had a couple of good points. He was safest with her and he also helped her blend into the kind of crowd this social event was expecting far better than if she went in there alone. Definitely less predictable than her trying to infiltrate the catering staff. Their pursuer probably didn’t know her face. Since this was a masked gala, they wouldn’t recognize Kyle’s behind the solid black domino he’d acquired and there was a low likelihood they’d anticipate him making an appearance in any case.

To be on the safe side though...

“Let’s get some of the gray streaked into the sides of your hair.”

Kyle scowled. “Is it really necessary?”

“It’s about stacking the deck in our favor.” She waited. “The people after you have you pegged for midthirties. They won’t be looking for a silver fox.”

“That might be the closest you’ve ever come to saying you find me irresistible.” When she only huffed at his statement he sighed and shrugged out of his jacket. “I probably should’ve anticipated this before I got fully dressed.”

“True.” She reached into her duffel and came out with the hair chalk. Easy application and it did wonders to change a person’s look in seconds. Just as easily removed for another quick change later. She tossed it to him.

“It’s a good thing this is one of my older bespoke suits.” Kyle caught the package of hair chalk neatly. “I’ve lost a few pounds over the last few days. Otherwise, the bulletproof vest would mar the fit of my suit noticeably.”

“Fortunately, not a primary concern for tonight.” He’d looked very good as far as she was concerned and she felt better having him wear the vest all the time. Wouldn’t save him from a head shot, but it was protection from most shots taken at him.

“Perception is always a primary concern.” He tossed the argument back over his shoulder as he stepped into the bathroom. “Sometimes you don’t want people to notice you, sometimes you do. There are times to be recognized as the center of attention and others when it’s more advantageous to skirt the sidelines. The point is, you always want to have optimal control over how you are perceived.”

True. A skill some people worked on for years and one she hadn’t gotten the hang of yet. “You have a point there.”