“Straight to the meeting?”she asked, driving toward the security gate.
“Unless there’s somewhere else you’d rather take me,” Schumacher said, his tone unmistakably flirtatious.
“There’s an accident on the 405, so traffic is backed up on the I-5 getting into town.We’ll be cutting it close without any stops.”Her tone was brisk and professional even though there’s no way she could have missed his meaning, skillfully sidestepping the issue and shutting down his efforts in one breath.
She was incredible.Absolutely incredible to be so poised and professional with a client like Schumacher, only days after nearly being gunned down on her previous job.
“All right, whatever you think is best,” Schumacher said, giving her what Tristan assumed was his version of a charming smile as he leaned back against the leather seat.“So, Agent Edwards.What got you into this line of work?If you don’t mind my asking.You could be one of Charlie’s Angels.”
Cassie met Tristan’s gaze in the rearview briefly before responding.“Not at all.But if you don’t mind, I’d prefer to focus on my driving.”
Tristan bit back a smile as Schumacher’s grin disappeared, replaced by a look of confusion, as if he couldn’t figure her out.Cassie was awesome.
“Of course,” Schumacher finally said, and pulled out his phone to scroll on it with a bored expression.
Traffic was bad, but the rest of the drive was blessedly silent.They arrived at the downtown high-rise with just a few minutes to spare, and Cassie turned into the underground parking garage.
“Meet you up there,” Tristan said to her when she stopped near the elevator bank.
He escorted Schumacher inside it and faced forward as they rode up to the floor where the meeting was being held.“She’s pretty uptight, huh?”Schumacher said.
Tristan’s gaze shot to his in the mirrored panel in front of them.“What’s that?”
“Agent Edwards.”
“Not at all.She’s a professional.”Hopefully that made it clear he wasn’t going to tolerate him talking shit about her.
Schumacher grunted and adjusted his tie.They didn’t speak as the elevator climbed to the top of the building or on their way down the long hallway to the conference room.Outside the wall of wide, tinted windows, downtown Seattle spread out below them in a neat grid pattern that flowed down to the deep blue of Puget Sound in the distance.
Tristan saw him into the room and then returned to the reception area, using the lull to message the office and update them.At destination downtown Seattle.Client in meeting.
And he’s an asshole, he thought to himself.
Next, he shot off a quick message to Gavin.How goes it?
Three dots appeared.Good.Smooth sailing.No trouble.How’s Seattle?
Gray.Client’s a sleezy, sexist asshole though.He could say it to his twin.
Fun!Enjoy.
What he’d enjoy was putting the bastard in his place.Or watching Cassie do it before he could.Hot.
It was another forty-five minutes before she stepped off the elevator.She smiled in greeting, making his heart kick hard against his ribs, her long legs eating up the distance between them.“Did I miss anything exciting?”she asked, coming to sit in the chair next to his.
“Nope.How’s the hotel?”
“Fine.Everything’s good to go.”
They both looked up in surprise as the conference room door opened.A dozen men in suits filed out, including Schumacher.He was laughing with the man next to him.
That was short.
Cassie and Tristan both stood.Schumacher slowed, giving Cassie another up and down that was just this side of tolerable.“Ah, here’s my security team,” he said to his colleague.“I paid extra for the most beautiful agent they had.”He winked at Cassie like he thought he was giving her a compliment.
She didn’t bat an eyelash.Tristan was impressed that she kept her cool.
“Are we going straight to the hotel?”she asked.
