A Covert Affair (Deadly Ops #5)(26)

“Yeah, just . . . nervous about a date.” Better to be honest about everything that she could right now. It wasn’t as if she was worried Mercado was watching her movements, but according to Nathan and Cade, she needed to act as if he was at all times. There was no room for error.

Manuel’s eyebrows rose. “Same man from last night?”

“Uh, no.”

His bushy eyebrows rose even higher, a seemingly impossible feat. “Two men, two different nights? It’s about time you started dating,” he said before she could respond, approval clear in his voice. “You’re young—you need to enjoy yourself more.”

“Manuel, get your ass up here!” his wife shouted, making Amelia smile as he moved into action, practically jumping.

Feeling more relaxed, she took a bite of the empanada and had to bite back a groan as the melted cheese and spices hit her tongue. She’d been too nervous to eat breakfast, but this should help her find her balance before Nathan arrived. Comfort food was always a smart choice.

Instead of doing her normal rounds with the customers, she headed back to her office, mainly to hide. Before she’d even sat, Tessa, one of her weekend hostesses, popped her head in.

“Hey, boss, there’s a man here to see you. Says he’s picking you up for a date.” Her grin turned mischievous. “If you don’t want him, I’ll take him.”

Amelia was surprised by the sharp stab of possession that punched through her. Especially since Tessa was in freaking college and clearly teasing. But when it came to Nathan, logic didn’t come into play. The man had her twisted up, same as when she’d been a teenager. “Thanks, I’ll be up there in a sec.”

Tessa’s smile remained in place as she nodded. “Sure thing.”

Standing, Amelia picked up her purse and took a deep breath. She could do this. This whole “phase one” was simple. Or at least Cade and Nathan seemed convinced it was.

The walk through the kitchen and then through the dining room area took longer than she’d wanted. She stopped to talk to two servers having a crisis, then to greet a few regular customers. By the time she made it to the hostess stand, she found Tessa and another server—who should be working—standing behind the hostess stand staring at . . . Nathan’s ass.

Sweet Lord. There was a lobby area right when customers entered and he was leaning against the frame, his broad back to them, looking down at something. Probably his phone.

“Shouldn’t you two ladies be doing something?” Amelia whispered as she came to stand behind them.

They jumped, cheeks pink with embarrassment, when they turned to face her. They were both taller than her, even in her heels, so she put her hands on her hips as she looked at them. She gave them her best “boss stare,” which wasn’t very intimidating at all.

Tessa cleared her throat. “We were just—”

“I know what you were doing and I don’t blame you, but get back to work,” she said in a mock whisper, sidestepping the stand. The second she did, it was as if Nathan sensed her.

Or maybe he’d known she was there all along.

When he turned and pinned her with that dark gaze, her entire body flared to life, her nerve endings sizzling with raw awareness. She wondered if it was sad that a single look from Nathan got her hotter than pretty much all foreplay with anyone else. At least he seemed just as affected as she felt.

For a moment anyway. His gaze swept over her quickly, but with an undeniable hunger, before a charming smile slid onto his face. She thought it looked a little fake but didn’t care. Maybe this was part of his role as Miguel Ortiz—a criminal looking to do business with Mercado. Nathan hadn’t actually gone into many details about who Miguel was supposed to be. Just that he was a businessman visiting and hoping to buy up some real estate. As his date this afternoon, she would be clueless about his shady dealings.

“You look beautiful,” he murmured, reaching out and clasping his hand around her hip. His fingers flexed, digging slightly into her. The move was so bold and a little unexpected as he pulled her close. Taking her even more off guard, he leaned down and brushed his lips lightly over hers. It was a cliché, but sparks went off between them. A simple touch of lips shouldn’t affect her so much, but that deeply buried need for him took on a life of its own, desperate to taste more of him. She wanted to melt into him, to part her lips and allow him entrance.

Her fingers barely skimmed over his hard chest, the material of his suit jacket soft. She couldn’t seem to do any more, though. It was as if her brain had forgotten how to function.

She stood there, rooted to the spot, until he murmured, “Relax, this is all part of our cover today.”

His words were like ice water right in the face. He’d just kissed her as part of their cover. Okay, she wasn’t stupid, he’d probably felt something, but he hadn’t done it because he’d wanted to, he’d done it for his cover. That brief brush over her lips and she didn’t want to relax, she wanted to take all his clothes off. Peel that charcoal gray suit off him and kiss every inch of his ripped, naked body.

Instead of indulging in that insanity and getting arrested for public indecency—and tearing open old wounds—she took a small step back and smiled as she slid her arm around his waist. “I’m ready if you are.” Or she’d thought she was. This morning everything had seemed so easy, and though she wasn’t having second thoughts, it was overwhelming.