His expression asked,Why would you want to do that?“The three examples you've given are all okay. But let's limit it to those three.”
“What about pet names? Is that fine?”
“What did you have in mind?”
“Honey?”
He gave a taut sigh. “A little of that goes a long way, but I’m not opposed to you using honey from time to time if you think it’s necessary.”
“I do.”
“And you, Ms. Clare?” Dixon wanted to know. “What are you comfortable with?”
“All of the things Jude just agreed to. And he can call me sweetheart.”
“I'll allow the signs of affection you just discussed, but no others.” Shannon, who probably wasn't much fun at a kegger, did not appear to find Gemma amusing. “We have extremely strict rules against romantic relationships among our agents and witnesses, informants, suspects, and fellow agents during the course of an operation.”
“Understood,” Gemma told her. Though, actually, she didn't understand how Shannon had made the leap from their chat about craftingthe appearanceof a romantic relationship, to warning her against an actual one.
“I've participated in and run a number of operations,” Shannon went on. “Sometimes, when you go undercover, the line between what is real and what is acting can blur. If this operation is going to be effective, neither of you can allow that to happen. I need you both to remain clear-headed and discerning at all times. We can't have either of you straying too close to a boundary.”
No one spoke.
“Thoughts?” Dixon asked Gemma in a fatherly tone.
“Um, yeah. I get it.”
“Very good,” he said warmly. Him, she liked.
“Is there anything else?” Shannon asked.
Gemma thought it over. “No. That's all. Thank you for your time.”
“You're welcome,” Dixon said.
She wanted to say,Bye, honey!to Jude and give him the approved three-second hug, but she knew no one would find that funny but herself.
She walked back in the direction of her scooter with an image of Jude saying,“I'll protect you with my life”replaying over and over in her head.
She'd never had a real boyfriend who'd had that type of mentality toward her. Remembering Jude, and how he'd looked saying that, sent what felt like the streaking tail of a firework all down the center of her. Heat and sparkles.
Oh, no no no.
She had a boyfriend! And she'd literallyjustreceived a stern lecture from the FBI about why she couldn't stray too close to a boundary.
“I'm pleased,” Dixon said to Jude after Gemma vanished from view. “She has spirit, which makes me think she also has the bravery to pull this off. Plus, there's good rapport between you two.”
“I'm concerned.” Shannon gazed at Jude. “Your rapport with her is almost too good. To be frank, it feels like actual chemistry.”
Jude's muscles tensed. “We're both simply doing our part to fulfill our assignments. It's taken us several conversations to develop even the small amount of rapport we have.”
“You'll be careful?” she asked.
“Absolutely.”
ChapterEight
Gemma was a hometown girl who never wanted to live far from her family and thrived best in the community where she’d been raised. But none of that disqualified her from loving travel of all kinds. Short overnight road trips like this one to the city of Portland to meet with Professor Rusk. Long, rambling overseas trips.
