Maddie shook her head slightly, banishing the image of her father’s shocked, crestfallen expression when he’d learned the truth about Jacob. If Maddie had had any doubts about her decision to join the Alliance as their first female member, her father’s expression would’ve removed it.
But being around Jack was turning out to be a lot harder than she’d expected.
When she’d joined the Alliance as an initiate, she’d asked their commander not to team her up with Jack. Until now, Commander Asher had honored her request, putting her together with other members of the Chicago commandery while she was in training. But after eight months, he apparently thought it was time for her and Jack to move on.
Fair enough.
“Penny for your thoughts,” Jack drawled from where he leaned against the wall, framed by the soft white light in the foyer of her suite.
“It’ll cost you more than that.” She kicked off her black leather pumps and wiggled her toes on the plush carpet before heading toward the bedroom to unpack. But she came to an abrupt halt when she stepped inside.
The room easily accommodated the luxurious king-size bed, a bureau, and a breakfast table situated in front of French doors that opened onto a balcony. Nearly everything was stark white except for the occasional splash of color, and yet the room was surprisingly warm and inviting. On the table was a vase full of yellow roses, their scent drifting to her even from across the room. If she hadn’t been on a mission, it would’ve been nice to snuggle up under the down duvet and forget the world outside these four walls.
Oh, yeah . . . definitely the champagne crowd . . .
It sure beat the hell out of the living quarters back at the Chicago compound. Unlike some of her brethren who’d served the Alliance longer and had earned a house in the exclusive gated community, Maddie was confined to living in a small apartment and training in the network of rooms in the compound’s underground bunker until she’d proven herself.
“And what’s the going rate for the thoughts of a beautiful woman?”
Maddie started, her hand reflexively going toward the hidden gun in the holster built into her jacket. “Jesus, Jack! You scared the crap out of me.”
He strolled into the bedroom, hands in the pockets of his iron-gray slacks, slowly taking in the room before leveling his gaze on her. “This reminds me of—”
When his words abruptly broke off, she frowned. “Jack?”
He offered her a sad smile. “I was just thinking of when we spent that weekend in Vancouver. Reminds me of our suite.”
Heat lanced through Maddie’s body at the mention of that weekend. It’d been a secret romantic getaway for her birthday—the first of several trips they’d taken to sneak away from her father’s watchful eye. And each of the trysts had been incredible, breathtaking—in so many ways. But the Vancouver trip . . . well, that had been when she’d realized just how much pleasure a woman could stand.
Unsure of how to respond and not trusting her voice just then, she turned her back on him and tried to focus on unpacking. But she could feel the weight of his gaze, the heaviness in the air between them as if he wanted to say more but knew he shouldn’t.
Finally, she heard him clear his throat, breaking the silence. “I suppose I should go to my room and see where Finn is on procuring our evening wear for the gala.” He grinned. “Have to look dapper if I’m going to distract our reporter friend, and I’m not entirely sure I trust Finn’s sense of fashion.”
The heat Maddie had felt a moment ago faded in an instant, and a stone-cold dose of reality nailed her right in the gut. She’d almost forgotten what Jack’s role was supposed to be on the following evening.
“Oh. Yeah. Probably a good idea.” She forced a smile and turned back to her unpacking, her movements jerky and angry as she snatched her belongings out of her suitcase and tossed them on the bed to sort through later. “Although, I can’t say I trust my sense of fashion any more than Finn’s. It’s been quite a while since I had to attend one of Dad’s political events. I’m sure my girlie skills are a bit rusty.”
“Don’t worry,” he assured her. “You’d be beautiful dressed in rags.”
She shook her head. “This wassucha freaking mistake. I don’t know what the hell Will was thinking . . .” She was reaching in for the last of the ammunition for her Glock when Jack leaned in from behind her, taking hold of her hand.
“Maddie,” he whispered, his breath warm against her neck, bringing goose bumps to her skin. When she hesitated, he added, “Please look at me. I’m not the enemy.”
She swallowed hard, trying to control her breathing and not give away how having him standing so close affected her, how having his body crowding hers, his grasp on her hand loose as his thumb smoothed against her skin, made her head spin with deliciously decadent thoughts.
She turned to face him, immediately realizing that was a mistake when she averted her gaze only to find herself staring at his lips. “Jack, we just need to get through this mission. Then we’ll figure things out, some way to work together without . . .”
He lifted her chin with the edge of his hand, his attempt at his usual sexy, crooked grin now tinged with sorrow. “Without dredging up old memories? Not possible.”
“Then what the hell are we supposed to do?” she demanded, her frustration and confusion nosing toward max capacity. “We can’t ignore the past, but we have to move forward, Jack. Period.”
Jack nodded solemnly. “You’re right. I think we just need to get something out of the way.” Before she could ask what he meant, he took her face in his hands and pressed a hard kiss to her mouth. She was so startled by the suddenness of it that every muscle in her body went stiff. Then the blissful warmth she’d always experienced with Jack flooded her veins, and she melted into him, her hands drifting up to rest against his chest, where she could feel his heart pounding in time with her own.
But the moment his lips softened and he sank into the kiss, he broke away, setting her at arm’s length. “There,” he said, his voice gruff. “Awkward moments ofnottalking about the colossally large elephant in the room are over.Nowwe can move on.”
She heard the doubt in his voice that was no doubt reflected in her weak, “Yep.”
He studied her for a moment longer, his brows coming together briefly in a troubled frown before he regained his composure and strolled toward the door of the bedroom, every step dignified and purposeful. The man commanded a room even when there wasn’t really an audience.
