“He does,” I admitted quickly, needing him to hearunabashed truth in my words. Why would I have a reason to lie anyway? I wasjust a vapid undergrad meeting her new boyfriend at his dad’s event. I didn’tknow what was going on. Was I listening to the wrong conversation? Oh, sosorry. It was so easy to get lost here. Where’s the ladies room again? “His dadis with the bureau.”
“Oh, really? Me too.”
Duh.Ismiled at him. “No way. That’s so cool. I have to admit, I’m fascinated byeveryone here tonight. I’m taking a constitutional law class this semester andI have so many questions.”
His eyes turned flighty with the sudden urge to flee.“Yeah?”
“Yes,” I answered energetically. “Like income taxesfor starters. Illegal, right? So what is the deal with them? Also, mandatorycheck points. How is it not a blatant violation of our rights to set upcheckpoints and allow cops to search every car that goes through withoutprobable cause?”
“I, uh, I—”
“And what about the Patriot Act—?”
He held up a hand. “I’m going to stop you right there.I’m off the clock tonight. Sorry.”
I shot him an apologetic smile. “No, I’m sorry. I gotcarried away.”
Before he could say anything else, warm hands slidaround my waist and pulled me back against a solid chest. “There you are,”Sayer murmured, his lips brushing my ear. “I’ve been looking for you.”
I tilted my head back so I could check him out in thecrisp tuxedo he’d gotten for the event. I suddenly found it hard to swallow.Had anyone ever looked so good in a tux? My legs felt likeJelloand I was confident I was three seconds away from combusting. Clearing mythroat, I tried to focus on the potential mark. “I’ve been grilling poorMr…” Looking back to the agent still standing awkwardlynear us, I repeated. “Mr…”
“Payne.”
“Excuse me?”
His smile was shy, self-deprecating. “Mason Payne.”
I recovered, barely. “Nice to meet you Mason Payne.”
“And you too…?”
“Carolyn Cook. This is my boyfriend, Sawyer Prior.”
Mason reached for Sayer’s hand. “Nice to meet you.”
“Likewise,” Sayer said. “Thanks for keeping my girlcompany.”
“It was an accident,” Mason admitted on a laugh. “Ithought she was someone else.”
“Oh!” I pretended to be offended, all of us laughingat the mistake. “Well, thanks anyway. I appreciate your attempt at answering myquestions.”
“No problem. You two have fun tonight.” His smilestretched and I mentally predicted his next words. “But not too much fun.”
Sayer’s laugh was forced, tested by this agent thatwas kind of flirty, but also kind of suspicious of us. “Is there such a thing?”
Mason laughed again, a more hollow sound, and thenleft us to ourselves. Sayer turned me in his arms so I could throw mine aroundhis neck and greet him properly. We kissed hello, neither of us willing toforget the people standing around us.
“You look lovely tonight,” he breathed against mytemple. “No wonder you have feds hitting on you.”
Vinnie’s warnings crawled over my skin, pricking at myability to brush off his compliment. “Creepy feds,” I whispered. “I’m a minor.”
“Something to remember when I try to defile youlater,” he chuckled.
My stomach flipped and I wished I could see his eyesto know if he was serious. I used my vantage point to scan the room, hopingnobody was looking at us.
“Should we dance or something?” I asked Sayer.
His body tensed, his shoulders going completely stiff.His head whipped to the right, and to the left. “What the hell?”
