“Don’t apologize.” His gaze locks on to my breasts. “You can touch me anywhere you want.”
I give him a shy smile. “I’ll take you up on that offer when we’re alone at your office. I mean…if it’s safe there. Will there be cameras?”
He shakes his head. “No. Surveillance isn’t allowed in my department.”
Sweet.I won’t have to work around a camera recording my movements once we’re in his office.
“Good,” I say, putting my palm back on his thigh.
He licks his lips. “As soon as you finish that drink, we can go.”
I pick up the glass tumbler on the bar and tip it back, taking several long swallows. I ate right before meeting Tom here to help me hold my alcohol better. I didn’t finish either of the two drinks Tom ordered me, so I’m still in control.
“I’m ready when you are,” I say, setting the glass on the bar.
He leads me to his sedan in the bar’s parking lot, and my heart pounds nervously as he drives to his office. To calm myself, I focus on flirting with him.
I can do this. As long as Tom thinks I’m interested in having sex with him, his guard will stay down. I’m trained for this. I’m a professional.
Nothing I tell myself takes away all the nervous energy. As Tom scans his ID card through several doors, all of which click locked again when we walk through them, I’m aware that this operation is actually more dangerous than my work at the Loft.
All I have to do at the club is play the part of a wannabe badass. Here, I’m stealing from another intelligence agency—one with many layers of security.
We have to pass through a checkpoint with two guards. They both give me a look, but they turn dismissive when they see I’m with Tom. After that, we take an elevator up to the building’s sixth floor, and Tom scans his ID to open the door to his office.
It’s small, with used Styrofoam cups and candy wrappers littering the desk. There are no photos or personal touches because Tom’s work is his life.
“Alone at last,” he says, grabbing my ass and leaning toward me, his open mouth reminding me of a fish.
A fish with really bad breath.
“So this is where you do your work?” I spin to look at the computer. “It’s incredible, Tom.”
“Yeah, I know. And you know what else is incredible?”
“Hmm?”
He takes my hand and puts it on his crotch, groaning. It’s all I can do not to pull away.
“Oh, it’s sohard,” I say breathlessly.
“Because of you, Sally. You wanted to touch me back at the bar, and here’s your chance.”
“I can’t wait. But first…didn’t you mention some champagne?”
“Oh, right.”
Tom walks over to his desk and opens a drawer. He takes out a bottle of cheap champagne and looks around for cups.
“I’ll just go grab some cups from the break room,” he says, walking toward the door.
He’s in a hurry. As soon as he’s out the door, I slip off my shoe, a chunky dark heel, and slide open the small compartment in the hollow bottom of the heel. I take out the white pill, close the compartment, and set the pill in my palm, making a relaxed fist to hold it in place.
I’ve just gotten my shoe back on when Tom returns.
“You look nervous,” he says, furrowing his brow at me.
“Just…excited.” I tuck my hair behind my ear.
