Undercover Pursuit. Susan May Warren

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СКАЧАТЬ and while she seemed capable on paper, meeting her in person had him second-guessing the entire assignment. Really, I don’t need your help.

      And now she looked at him with unadulterated horror on her face, as if he’d just propositioned her.

      Luke had been to Cancun before. The first time was a spring-break trip in high school that he barely remembered. Not that he really wanted to remember anything from those days. Still, he didn’t recall the small houses amidst towering resort hotels, palm trees and cracked sidewalks, dusty children playing in dirt lots, but maybe no one saw the back alleys of Cancun unless they really looked.

      “I really do know what I’m doing. This isn’t my first time around the block.” He smiled, trying to lighten things up. Somehow, he’d gotten off on the wrong foot with her. Maybe because he kept sticking the other one in his mouth.

      She looked even more offended, her eyes blinking. “Well, I’m sure it’s not.” Then she closed her mouth and turned away from him, shaking her head as if trying to dislodge his words.

      What sort of penance was this? So maybe he shouldn’t have mouthed off when his boss, Chet Stryker, asked for volunteers for a mission to Cancun. “Hey, I need a tan, Chet.” Did the guy not know sarcasm when he heard it?

      Only, maybe the joke was on him, because in the six-hour turnaround where he threw something that resembled swim trunks and wrinkled dress clothes from the back of his closet into his bag, he hadn’t even considered he might end up working with a snow queen.

      Hopefully she packed her sunscreen, because the woman wore the hue—and demeanor—of Minnesota in January.

      But he wasn’t here to be just an accessory, thanks. This was just as much his mission as hers. And, despite Miss I-Work-Alone’s confidence, the woman needed someone to watch her back as she pretended to be a bridesmaid. She’d be busy enough inserting herself into the bridal party of Lucia Romero, bride to Benito Sanchez, nephew of Augusto Sanchez, wanted drug lord and human-trafficking terrorist—and esteemed member of the guest list.

      Lucia, a former law student, had been playing loving girlfriend to Benito for three years just for the chance to apprehend Augusto. And now, someone was trying to kill her. She needed people around her who she could trust to keep an eye on things until Augusto showed up to the wedding and the good guys used the opportune rare appearance to swoop in and nab him.

      Hence, Lucia had turned to her old friend Chet Stryker and his international-security team. But Stryker International needed a few more female operatives on its team, because its only official female member had a severe bout of morning sickness.

      Although, Mae, Chet’s wife, had nearly gotten on the plane with Luke this morning anyway. Even when Chet told her he’d brought in an accomplished freelancer to partner with Luke. A real pro, no problem. Stacey Meyer.

      A pro who preferred to work solo, according to her file. Her description, however, hadn’t quite done her justice. Sure, the woman beside him didn’t exactly qualify as striking, but she had a prettiness about her, something simple and muted that could probably get her in and out of countries unnoticed. She wore her brown hair in a messy ponytail, some of it waterfalling around her face, and her intense green eyes suggested she could turn a person cold with a look. The way she seemed to scrutinize everything, from the driver to the landscape to Luke, as if taking in every detail…yes, he had no doubt she knew how to do her job alone. But too bad. “Listen, I know this isn’t your first choice. Frankly, it’s not mine, either—”

      “What, there were other choices? A lottery?”

      “No. I mean, I volunteered. But I was also the only one available.”

      “Nice. I didn’t realize you guys were in such demand.”

      What had Chet gotten him into? “I stay pretty busy.”

      She widened her eyes a moment, a flare of something he might normally peg as panic.

      “Please, just stay away from me.” She looked down at the space between them, then scooted more toward the window and crossed her arms and legs. A knot of offended female pride.

      Or…maybe this was about the job. She probably feared that he’d take advantage of his role as her fiancé.

      Staying away might be a little difficult if they hoped to pull off this charade. Yet, because she was still staring out the window, still shaking her head in a sort of disbelief, he lowered his voice. “Listen, I’m a good guy, really, and I won’t take advantage. And I know I’m not who you expected, but I’m not interested in anything but doing my job. We’ll just get it done and go home.”

      She turned, and just for a moment she looked as if she might slap him. “How can I thank you for that ever-so-sweet warning, and for being willing to do this oh-so-offensive job? What would the world do without heroes like you?”

      Ow.

      But that’s what did it. The last thing he needed was a hotshot agent who had to run her own show. “Listen, I’m not just here to watch,” he said, slipping into his navy SEAL bark. “I’m here for a reason, same as you, which will probably include not only being near you, but probably even touching you.” He spent a little extra time on the word touching, just because of the priceless expression on her face. He probably shouldn’t have smiled, though.

      “You’d better just be watching. I can give you my deathbed word that there won’t be anything but watching going on, buddy.” She shot a look at his hands as if they’d wandered somewhere. “Touch me once and you’ll pull away a nub.”

      Oh! Uh. No, he hadn’t meant—now he felt like a letch.

      Which made all the anger dissolve. He wasn’t that guy. She actually looked as if he’d offended her, her eyes reddening just a bit. So much for the iceberg agent.

      “Look, I’m sorry—”

      “Let’s just get to the wedding and try to stay out of each other’s way.”

      “Yeah, that’s going to work.”

      She took a breath, and it trembled on exhale. “I really, really don’t need an escort, you know. No matter what anyone says.”

      Oh, he wanted to punch something, hard. “I’m not sure you quite cleared that up for me.”

      “Jerk.”

      Just swell. They’d have to start acting like a couple soon, because the moment they got on the island, Sanchez’s men were sure to be watching. “You could try to cooperate.”

      “Cooperate. You want me to cooperate. Okay, this is me, cooperating. I’m the queen of cooperating.” She drew in a long breath, then bit her lip and, if he wasn’t mistaken, she tried not to…cry?

      And right then, he had the strangest urge to push that errant dark caramel curl of hair away from her face, turn her toward him. Look right into her eyes.

      Look who wasn’t as tough as she thought.

      Interesting. He wasn’t sure what buttons he’d pushed, but something had her rattled.

      He and Chet were going to have a long chat when he got to the resort. But he’d come a long way since the navy had discharged him for his temper, СКАЧАТЬ