“Like I said,” Force said easily, “you’re the best undercover cop I’ve ever seen.”
Mal breathed out, the air oddly hot. “As flattering as that is, getting close to a lonely woman, or even a sociopathic one, if you’re right about her, doesn’t require much undercover skill.”
“I’m aware.” Force turned back toward Mal to face him head-on. “There’s more to your assignment than just getting close to Pippa Smith.”
“You want me to seduce her,” Mal muttered, his head starting to pound.
Force snorted. “You wish. Man. Why did you go there?”
Mal blinked. Because he’d wanted to go there, obviously. “Explain.”
Amusement glimmered in Force’s eyes for the briefest of seconds. “Hey. You can do that part of your job any way you want. Become her confidant. If that takes multiple orgasms, I’m sure you’re up to the task.”
Mal’s chin lowered as his anger stirred. If he told Force to stop talking about Pippa that way, then Force would know he had him. “If you can’t provide three orgasms at a time, why bother?” he drawled. “What’s the second part of my so-called assignment?”
Force’s amusement disappeared. “We want you to infiltrate the cult, of course.”
Mal stiffened. “What?”
“Yeah. As yourself.” Force glanced at the still silent staring war going on between soldier and canine and then focused back on Mal. “An ex-detective drunk who’s fighting demons every night and drinking them away every day. You’re the perfect mark for a cult. Especially one with a terrorist bent.”
Mal’s lungs seized, but he kept his expression placid. “You want me to join a cult and also get close to a former cult member without letting those two worlds collide.”
Force nodded. “Like I said, you’re the best. If anybody can do it, you can.”
Mal stared at the man, no longer curious. About anything. His last assignment had nearly killed him. This one, this one would take everything he had. “Nobody is that good.”
“Well, then. I guess we’re about to find out,” Force said. “Right?”
Chapter Five
Pippa smoothed her hair for the tenth time and waited by the back door. Wait. That was too eager. She studied her sparkling-clean kitchen. There was nothing to do. Should she go outside to meet Malcolm? Or should she wait for him to knock on the door?
Geez. This wasn’t a date, for goodness’ sake.
Sure, she’d put on lip gloss and a bright purple sweater. That didn’t mean anything. Except that her very handsome neighbor was about to show up and walk their property with her. What if he asked her questions again?
He wasn’t a cop any longer, but surely he could tell if somebody was lying. She’d gotten pretty good at it, but she was no expert.
His sharp rap on the back door made her jump. She turned and strode over to pull the heavy sliding glass open. “Hi.”
“Hi.” He smiled, but his deep green eyes remained serious. A small cut was surrounded by a purple bruise on his temple from the night before. Today he wore a faded black leather jacket over a white shirt and worn jeans. “You might need a coat.”
She shook her head and moved toward him. “This is a warm sweater.” She’d paired it with dark jeans and her rain boots. “I’ll be fine.” Though it was nice to have somebody worry about whether she’d be cold or not. Why had she stopped dating so long ago?
Oh yeah.
But this was different. He was her neighbor, and he seemed to have no interest in exploring the world out there. She smiled at him and moved outside, turning to shut the door.
He beat her to it, easily sliding it closed again with one hand.
Once again, his strength gave her the flutters. Those green eyes didn’t hurt either. “How’s your head?” she asked, peering way up into his face.
“Tough as ever.” He grinned. His lips were firm and curved just right. He looked like a guy who could kiss.
She ducked her head to hide a blush and turned to start walking. It had been way too long since she’d flirted, and she was probably looking like a complete dork. The good news was that she’d investigated him online during the day, and he really was an ex-cop. So he wasn’t here to find her. She was still safe. Should she tell him she’d read the newspaper articles about his bravery? About how he’d brought down an entire mob family? Or was that something he wanted to forget?
“What are you thinking?” he asked, gently taking her arm as they crossed from the wet grass to the forested land.
