A Covert Affair (Deadly Ops #5)(32)

Because those kisses had stirred up too much inside him. He’d made a decision today that he wasn’t letting her push him out of his life again. Not before he got some damn answers, some closure at least. But he wanted more than that; he wanted a place in her life. Didn’t matter that she had no idea who he really worked for or that he had no idea why she’d ended things between them; if they could get past those hurdles, he wanted to see if what they’d once had was still real.

They were virtual strangers after so many years apart, but seeing her again had woken up way too many emotions inside him. He couldn’t just walk away. Hell, three months ago when he thought he might die in that bombed-out Metro Station, he’d vowed to look her up again. Then he’d chickened out and kept putting it on the back burner because he was too afraid to know if she’d settled down with someone. To have her thrown back in his life again, on the job no less, felt like fucking fate. His attraction to her certainly hadn’t changed. If anything, it was even more incendiary.

He’d wait to push until after she got an invite to Mercado’s and the team had the intel they needed. Once her part in this was done, he was taking the gloves off and getting some damn answers.

“You’re sure he or his security guys won’t be able to tell something is different with my phone?” she asked Elliott. Amelia perched on the edge of one of her couches where Elliott was closing down one of his laptops.

“Not even if they take your phone apart or scan you. I’m simply using your phone’s wireless to hack into his system. Because of the security he has in place at his residence, I can’t route in to it any other way.” Elliott’s voice was steady, his words matter-of-fact.

It seemed to have a soothing effect on Amelia. She smoothed a hand down the skirt of her dress and nodded once, as if to herself. “Okay.”

“You can do this.” Nathan crossed over to her, hoping he sounded reassuring. If Mercado was involved in taking these women, Amelia needed to be ready for tonight. He was certain she had been until he’d opened his mouth.

“Thanks.” She stood from the couch and he was aware of Cade, Elliott, and Maria quietly heading to her kitchen.

Nathan was thankful for the little bit of privacy.

She wrapped her arms around herself. “What if I don’t get an invite to his house?”

“If you don’t, then you don’t. We’ll get inside another way. There is always another way.” Mercado had tight security and they’d looked into using a cleaning service or something similar to infiltrate, but as of now that was out. He was very conscious of who was in his home. Smart, but damn annoying.

She pushed out a breath. “Okay. I needed to hear that. And there are worse things than going on a date to a nice restaurant, right?” Her expression grew slightly pinched. She didn’t seem scared, just nervous.

He hated that she’d potentially be in harm’s way, hated it bone deep. He didn’t care about protocol or keeping his distance. He pulled her into his arms, tugging her close. To his relief, she didn’t protest, just slid into his embrace, wrapping her arms around his waist as she laid her cheek against his chest. He loved the feel of her against him, the perfect way she fit. And he loved the subtle show of trust she was giving him. He set his chin on top of her head. “If you want to back out, you can. There’s still time.” He wished she would.

“No.” She didn’t even pause as she stepped back to look at him. Her response wasn’t exactly a surprise. The Amelia from his teenage years had a stubborn streak a mile wide. When she decided on something, she didn’t often back down. “This is the smart choice. He asked me out before this operation even started and I have no connection to any government agency. He won’t suspect me. And I need to do this. For Danita. If she’s still alive . . .” She trailed off, her jaw going tight for a moment.

Yep, that was the Amelia he knew. Seeing her so determined to take part in this warmed him from the inside out. Not caring that his teammates were in the other room, he leaned down and crushed his mouth to hers. Some primitive part of him needed to leave his mark on her before she went out with another man. Fake date or no, he didn’t care. Even though it made him feel vulnerable, this would show her that this wasn’t part of his cover. His feelings for her were real.

She let out a small squeak of surprise but didn’t pull back for even a second. She melted into him, arching so that her breasts rubbed against his chest while her tongue danced with his.

He wanted to find the nearest flat surface, hike her dress up around her hips, and bury himself inside her. His body practically trembled for her. He started to slide his fingers through her hair but stopped, using control he didn’t know he had. Mercado would be here in an hour; she couldn’t look as if she’d just been with another man. Breathing hard, he stared down at her, pleased that she looked just as affected as he felt. She also looked surprised by the kiss. Her lips were slightly swollen, but Nathan knew it would fade by the time her date got here. Even thinking that she was going out with someone else left a sour taste in his mouth.

“I need to go,” he rasped out. He hated leaving her, but on the off chance Mercado showed up early, the man couldn’t get a whiff that anything was out of the ordinary. That meant the team had to clear out, including him.

Swallowing hard, she nodded. “Okay. When . . . when will I see you again?” She whispered the words.