You Only Love Twice (Masters and Mercenaries #8)(21)

He got to his knees, his hands going to her ankles. He touched the skin there. “Does it hurt?”

“No, but it’s not comfortable. Jesse, I’m not going anywhere. If nothing’s happened yet, then maybe I have more time than I thought. I need to talk to Ian. I need to make him understand that you’re in danger since you don’t seem to get it.”

He was in definite danger, but he was fairly certain no one was planning on blowing him away through his office window. It was made of bulletproof glass. He reached into his pocket and came back with his knife. He carried it with him as often as he carried his SIG. He flipped the blade open and then gently sawed through the tie, releasing her right foot. He let it go and immediately leaned back because he wasn’t an idiot. She’d lied to him before. If she kicked out, he wasn’t leaving his head there to get taken off. And if she did, then he would put her on her ass and she would quickly learn he wasn’t playing things her way anymore.

She sat there, holding out her left foot. “Please? I told you, I’m not going anywhere for now. I will slip away eventually. I have to, but not until I’m certain you understand what kind of danger you’re in.”

He leaned in again and released her other leg. He closed the knife and slipped it back in his pocket before reaching for her ankle. There was a thin red line where the zip tie had chafed. “I got it too tight.”

“It was fine.” Her voice was quiet, her body utterly still as he moved his hand up to her calf.

“How much of it was a lie, Phoebe? If you already planted your bugs, why did you keep coming to my place? How many other team members have bugs? Did you babysit for Li and Avery so you could bug their place?” He ran his hand over her skin, tightening briefly and then moving on. He ran his thumbs along her muscles, up to her knees and then back to her feet.

She moaned a little before she replied. “I didn’t do that. I was only watching you, Jesse.”

Because he was the only one the US government thought might be working with jihadists. He was the only soldier they thought had been turned and twisted. There was even a part of him that understood, but it was buried under her betrayal. He could have handled it coming from anyone but her. There had been a time when he would have willingly opened himself up in an attempt to prove he was still faithful, but that time was past.

He wasn’t a soldier anymore. He was Ian’s man and Big Tag had asked him to find out who Phoebe was working for. He was going to do it.

“I get it. You wanted to watch me so you could find out if I had any contact with operatives in the Middle East.” So smooth. So reasonable. He sounded like he really understood. He let his hand drift further up this time before coming back down to her feet. “Flex them for me. I want to make sure you didn’t lose circulation.”

“Jesse, I know you’re not in touch with anyone from that time.” She flexed her foot like a good girl, her voice tentative as though she wasn’t sure what to make of him. “I’ve watched you very carefully. I know you’re not involved in anything.”

Good. He wanted to keep her off balance. “Did you have to play me the way you did? I would have just been your friend.”

Honesty. She was right. A kernel of truth was always good when playing the spy game. It was something he’d had to learn the hard way. He’d always viewed himself as muscle, but maybe he could change. Maybe he could be more than the guy who took the first bullet.

She leaned over, her hands finding his hair as she forced him to look up at her. “It wasn’t like that. Not in the end. Li and Charlotte are right. I came to care about all of you. I got a little lost here. I liked who I was when I was around you. I just liked being with you.”

He stood and it wasn’t lost on him how close they were or how she’d been forced to move her legs apart to accommodate him. He didn’t give her any space. “I liked being with you, too, but you always put me off. I thought you wanted me to kiss you at first. The chemistry was there. It was there from the moment I saw you. Do you know what I wanted to do to you the first time I saw you?”

She shook her head.

“I wanted to eat you up. I saw you standing there that first day I came to McKay-Taggart and you were wearing a yellow dress and that little white sweater and I thought you looked like sunshine. I cornered McKay and asked if you had a boyfriend. That was the first day I brought you coffee, but what I really wanted to do was get my hands on you.” Definitely no lies there. He’d thought he’d seen pure sweetness. He’d wanted to cuddle her and kiss her and take care of her. He thought he’d found someone who needed him.

He still wanted to eat her up.

“That’s not a good idea.” The words came out on a breathy sigh, and he couldn’t miss how her nipples were hard against the filmy material of the dress she was wearing.

“No. It’s not, but then I’m not known for being an idea man. I have to follow through on the ones I do have.” He lowered his mouth to hers and hoped he could remember he was a man on a mission.





CHAPTER FOUR





Phoebe was pretty sure she couldn’t breathe. He was so close, his lips hovering over hers. All it would take to push him away or draw him closer was a simple raising of her hands, but she was caught. She knew what was right. Push him away. Don’t let this happen. Don’t let the last man to seriously kiss you not be James. Don’t.