“And yet it won’t be.” She stared for a moment. “Is it so horrible to touch me?”
She wanted to play this way? He reached over and hauled her across his lap, his arm going around her waist to keep her there. “For the mission. This doesn’t mean anything, Maggie.”
She relaxed in his arms, her hand coming up to stroke his face. “It certainly doesn’t mean I’m not still mad at you.”
Her nearness was a fucking drug. He couldn’t help but breathe her in, let the soft silk of her hair brush against his cheek. She felt right sitting on his lap. He liked that she wasn’t some waifish supermodel. She was stunningly gorgeous, but she was solidly built, with hips and curves and breasts he wanted to see more than he wanted his next breath.
He’d thought Deanna had ripped him apart. What would this woman do to him? He hadn’t been able to keep a normal woman satisfied, much less a freaking goddess.
“Ben, talk to me,” she whispered, her cheek against his. “Not about the op. We know the op. Talk to me about your life.”
“I don’t have a life outside of work.” He should set her back in her seat and concentrate on the op, but she was right about one thing. He was a mess. He needed to calm down or he would fuck up, and this job was all he had. “How are Tasha and Dare doing? Do you ever see him?”
Her smile turned… How to describe it? Bouncy? Happy? Like a flower opening to the sun. “They’re doing so well. Dare found a job at a security company and the Agency is open to letting him come with Tash when he would be good cover for her. Not anything dangerous, of course, but Tash is mostly logistics and gathering intel.”
When she got like this all he could think about was what a happy wife she would be. What a happy life he could share with her. When hisday was shitty, Maggie could smile at him with that sunny expression and it wouldn’t be so bad anymore. “I heard they got engaged.”
She clapped her hands, and she wasn’t a deadly agent. She was a teenaged girl at a boy band concert. “I’m a bridesmaid. It’s so exciting. Let me tell you everything.”
He let his chin rest on her shoulder and listened, wishing this could be his life.
* * * *
The gala was in full swing as Kenzie walked into the glittering ballroom, her hand in Ben Parker’s.
If only they were here to enjoy the beauty of Croatia, the elegance of a ball. He looked like Prince Charming in his tailored tuxedo. She’d already straightened his perfectly placed bowtie just so she could feel like they were connected.
Her twin sister was a menace. Poor Ben. He was traumatized, and he didn’t even realize she wasn’t the one who’d done it. He likely thought she was some weirdo with a split personality.
“Mr. and Mrs. Packson?” The guard looked down at the invitation. “Can I see some identification?”
Ben pulled out his Agency-approved passport that showed he was an American from California. If anyone looked, he had a nice place right in the middle of Silicon Valley where his latest start-up was located. “Of course.”
The guard studied it and handed it back with a solemn nod. “I apologize for the delay, but we can’t be too careful these days. My employer would like to welcome you to the gala. Please enjoy yourselves.”
Ben brought her hand up to his mouth, kissing her with what seemed like great affection. “We will. Thank you.”
He had his full American accent on, and she missed the Canadian one. She wanted to get him to sayehorsorryso she could hear those sweet, rounded vowels. Maybe if she got him talking about hockey…
“Well, you seem to have put him in a good mood,” a sarcastic voice said in her ear. She wore a small communications device that connected her to her team. Ben wore one that connected him to Tim. But that hadn’t been the voice she’d expected to hear.
She frowned and glanced up at Ben, though he couldn’t hear what was being said in her ear. “I thought Lou was running this one.”
She kept her voice low, but they would be able to hear her. She couldn’t simply come out and ask why the hell her twin was watching when she was supposed to be back at the safe house, far away from here so there was no chance of Ben finding out there were two of her.
“Lou is at the site. I busted into the feeds,” Kala admitted. “You had comms off in the car. Did you forget what that asshole did to Lou? Are your girl parts in charge tonight?”
She thought seriously about turning them off again. She kept her face a careful blank.
Ben wrapped an arm around her, his voice barely a whisper. “Is it Tash? Does she have anything?”
Well, she couldn’t say no, it was her asshole twin who had a burr up her butt about the Canadian. Like didn’t her sister want her to be happy? If she ever got her shit together with Cooper, Kenz would be thrilled.
Of course, Cooper had never placed her sister’s best friend in danger.
Kenzie had never actually had a friend like Lou. For a long time that friend had been Kala, but after they met Lou, so much of her twin’s energy and affection went to her. And Kenzie never complained, never tried to oust Lou because she knew Kala needed her.
She just wished Kala needed her sister, too.
