Even the two guards were eyeing them funny now. She was starting to wish she had a weapon. If things went bad, they were in trouble.
“Alina,” Trevor said softly as he tightened his arm around her waist and tugged her closer. “Now’s the time for you to sell the newlywed thing.”
She opened her mouth to ask him exactly how he suggested she do that when he pulled her even closer.
She wished she could have said it was years of CIA training that took over and made her kiss him. But that wouldn’t have been true. Instead, it was a totally different kind of instinct. The kind that made a woman want to kiss a hot guy.
She weaved her fingers possessively into his dark hair, parting her lips and inviting his tongue in to play. Trevor slid one hand down her back, molding her so tightly against him she could feel the outline of every muscle in his amazing body.
“Mr. and Mrs. Hoffman.”
It took a minute for Teddy’s voice to register, and when it finally did, Alina reluctantly stepped away from Trevor. She swayed a little on her feet, suddenly breathless. If Trevor’s arm hadn’t been around her, she might have melted into a puddle on the floor. She’d never been affected by a kiss like that before.
Teddy smiled at them. “I’ve started you with a hundred-thousand-dollar line of credit. If you step this way, security can clear you. Then I can take you in so you can start enjoying your evening.”
I was already enjoying my evening, Alina thought.
Trevor looked at her, his mouth curving into a sexy grin, as if he’d been thinking the same thing.
Teddy and the two guards might have thought the flickering yellow glow that rimmed Trevor’s eyes was a reflection of the light. But Alina knew better. As he stood there gazing at her while the guard waited with the handheld metal detector, she couldn’t help but wonder what that flash of gold had meant.
* * *
Trevor couldn’t believe how badly he wanted to bail on the mission and spend the rest of the night kissing Alina. He’d thought she was attractive the first time he’d seen her, but holding her in his arms and feeling her body against his, knowing she wasn’t wearing anything underneath that dress, damn near made him burst into flames.
But then he remembered he might be only a few feet away from the man who’d built the bomb that had killed John. He couldn’t let this opportunity to get something on Thorn slip away, not after all the work Skye and Evan had done to track Shishani down. He owed John that much at the very least.
He took a deep breath and got his inner animal under control. He hadn’t been quite sure about bringing Alina with him tonight, but Skye had convinced him that he stood a much better chance of getting into the place with the cover she’d concocted. Flat-out, a lone man trying to weasel his way into a private gambling establishment was an uphill battle, no matter how rich he was supposed to be. Besides, Skye had already created their fake identities and set everything up. According to her, it had been too late to change the plan. Trevor was pretty sure she’d been working him.
In the end, though, Trevor hadn’t needed anyone to twist his arm to get him to go along with the plan. His head still wasn’t a hundred percent sold on his new partner, but his gut told him to trust her.
“Just hand your credit chit to the dealer at the first table you choose,” Teddy said as he escorted them into the private gaming area.
Trevor thanked the man, fighting back the growl clawing its way out of his throat as Teddy gave Alina a long, lingering look before he walked away. The urge to rip the guy’s face off for having the balls even to lay eyes on her was so strong, his claws actually extended.
He cursed under his breath and forced them back in. His animal nature was merely trying to lay claim to someone who didn’t belong to him. Alina was his partner, not his wife. That kiss, amazing as it had been, had just been part of their cover.
“Chill the hell out,” he muttered to himself.
“What was that?” Alina asked, raising her voice to be heard over the cheering at the nearest craps table.
“Nothing,” Trevor said. “I was just saying it’s nicer in here than I imagined.”
She turned slightly to survey the room, giving him a nice glimpse of cleavage. Couple that with the intoxicating pheromones she was putting off, and it was enough to make his inner coyote howl.
Get a fucking grip! What the hell is going on in your head?
“Is that him?” Alina asked, pulling Trevor out of his daydreams.
Trevor dragged his gaze away from her and looked over to see Shishani standing at one of the craps tables, dark eyes intent on the bets his fellow gamblers were placing while he sipped the drink in his hand.
“Do we keep an eye on him until he leaves, then follow him?” Alina wanted to know.
Trevor shook his head. “No. As much as he likes to gamble, he could be here until this place closes. I sure as hell don’t feel like waiting around that long to talk to him.”
“You have a better plan?” she prompted.
“Yeah, I do. One that revolves around you and your distracting beauty.”
