Code Name: Nanny (SEAL and Code Name #5)(53)

“Go away, Gabe. I—can’t do this.”

He bit back a curse, and then his hand settled gently on her shoulder. “You think I don’t know how it feels?” He laughed grimly. “Trust me, you’re wrong.”

“How could you know? You’re perfect, strong, every inch of you.” Heat flared in her cheeks. “I’ve seen your body, remember? You were using my shower, and there wasn’t anything I could miss.” She shook her head. “I don’t want to talk about this.”

Maybe talking would help . . . at some point. But not now—not with this man who had a knack for reaching inside her and seeing what other people didn’t see.

“Your call.” His hand lifted from her shoulder. “But I’m hoping you’ll change your mind.” He picked up a fresh towel and draped it over her shoulders. “By the way, which field office do you work out of?”

She didn’t answer.

“I don’t suppose Mulvaney is your real name, either.”

“You know how this works.” Her voice was suddenly tired. “Going undercover means just that. You keep the lies simple and everyone gets the same story. It’s the only way you stay focused.”

A muscle flashed at Gabe’s jaw. “I know the rules, Summer. Hell, I wrote a few of them. But the trick is knowing when to break the rules.”

She couldn’t stop herself from searching his face. Something whispered that she could trust this man, and he’d never let her down. “The rules are made for a reason. Breaking them isn’t an option.”

His face was unreadable. “I used to think so, too.”

She pulled the towel from her shoulders. “And now?”

“And now . . . I have to go.” He shoved his hands into his pockets. “The natives are camped out next door and they’re getting restless.”



“Did you see her scars?”

“Of course I saw them.”

Sophy leaned forward, hugging her legs. “How do you think she got that way?”

Audra went to the bathroom and found a dry towel for Sophy, who was dripping on Gabe’s couch. She didn’t have a clue where you got scars like the ones on the nanny’s arm, but she knew it had to be from something terrible. “Gee, I don’t know. Maybe I’ll ask her,” she snapped.

“You mean it?”

“Of course I don’t mean it. You saw how upset she was in the pool. That’s why neither you nor I are going to bring this up again.”

Sophy frowned, petting Liberace, who was curled up on her lap. “You’re acting different. What did you talk about with Ms. M?”

“Nothing important,” Audra said airily. “Just women stuff.”

Sophy’s eyes widened. “Like about boyfriends and thong underwear?”

Audra stared at her sister. “What do you know about thong underwear?”

“I know that Tiffany Hammersmith wears them, but I think they’re stupid. I mean, when you sit down, they’d scratch like anything.”

“They’re not supposed to feel good,” Audra said importantly. “They’re supposed to look good.”

“But they’re under your clothes. Who’d see them there?”

Audra rolled her eyes but managed to bite back a sharp comment.

“Oh.” Sophy sat up a little straighter. “So you call up your boyfriends and tell them what you’re wearing. For underwear, I mean. Like in phone sex.”

“What do you know about phone sex?” Audra demanded. “Don’t tell me Tiffany Hammersmith told you about that, too.”

“Only a few things. Most of them didn’t make sense.” Sophy chewed her lip. “I mean, why would you want to make moaning noises over the phone while you took off your clothes?”

“Never mind,” Audra snapped. “And I don’t want you talking to Tiffany anymore. Not ever, understand?”

“She has a pink Hello Kitty purse,” Sophy said wistfully.

“Forget about her purse. Not ever,” Audra ordered sternly, the way only an older sister can.

“Then you have to explain about phone sex.”

Audra made a strangled sound. “Just watch Buffy and be quiet, will you?”

Sophy stared at the television thoughtfully. “Do you think Buffy has phone sex?”

Snorting, Audra pulled away Sophy’s towel and wrestled her to the floor. Liberace shot out of reach as the two girls rolled around on the rug, tickling each other without mercy, which was how Gabe found them when he opened the door a few minutes later.

“Hey, what happened to the two sweet-tempered honor students I left in here? Did someone kidnap them?”

Sophy appeared from beneath a towel, grinning ear to ear. “It’s us, Gabe. We’re still here.”

“Thank goodness. You had me scared. It’s time for you two to get cleaned up and dressed before your mother gets home. I’ll go up to the house with you.”

Sophy’s smile faded. “Isn’t Ms. M coming?”

“Soon as she dries off, sugar.”

“Is she . . . mad at me?” Sophy’s lower lip trembled.

“No. But I’d say it’s up to Summer to decide if she wants to talk about what happened.”