She followed his gaze. “The bracelet,” Alex whispered. “No wonder you gave it to me.”
And here I was, stupid enough to think he was merely being sweet.
“There’s a tiny mic hidden inside the clasp,” he confirmed. “I needed to be able to hear what Crawford had to say.”
“Why? Did you honestly think the guy would be soutterly mesmerized by my presence he’d start spilling his guts about his disgusting crimes?”
“Sometimes guys like Crawford let little things slip when their guards are down. They say things that would mean nothing to you but might make a huge difference in the investigation. I couldn’t risk missing out on the possibility he’d say something to incriminate himself.”
“You could have told me you were planning to listen to us.”
“You knew I’d be there, watching.”
“I thought that meant you’d be sitting at a table in a dark corner alone hiding behind your menu or something.”
Wasn’t that how they always did it in the movies?
“I was in a van parked across the street. And what difference does it make? If you’d known about the bracelet ahead of time, what exactly would have changed? Would you have held back your flirtation? Acted less interested in a man who literally sells innocent women for money?”
Alex shot him a searing frown. “That’s not fair, and you know it. You said to act normal. The guy was flirting, so I flirted back. I thought the whole point of keeping the dinner date in the first place was to make nice with the jerk so he wouldn’t grow suspicious.”
“Make nice, sure. Acting like you’re ready to invite him back to your room is something altogether different.”
The ridiculous accusation sent her jaw to the floor. “You didnotjust say that to my face.”
“Actually, I did.”
The jerk didn’t look the least bit sorry about it, either.
“Go to hell, Coulter.” She turned and stormed toward the door.
“Dammit, Alex.” He followed. “What’s the matter with you?”
“Me?”She swung back around with a glare. “What’s the matter withyou?I mean, seriously, Colt. Why are you acting this way?”
“What way?”
“Like an insanely jealous boyfriend, rather than some seasoned CIA spy.”
“I’m not acting jealous.” He blinked, his tone instantly shifting from accuser to defendant.
“Uh . . . yeah. You one hundred percent are.”
“Am not.”
“Are, too.”
“I amnotacting jealous.”
If she wasn’t so mad, Alex would have laughed at the juvenile back-and-forth that was so very them. It’s what they did. The bantered insults and typically benign jabs were commonplace for her and Colt. From the moment they met, they’d been as compatible as a tub of oil and water.
But something about this conversation was different. At first, she wasn’t entirely sure what was happening between them. The conversation had shifted, and deep down, she knew it was no longer about Gordon.
No, this was something else altogether, and as she studied his breathtaking stare, the shocking truth finally hit her.
“Oh, my God.”
“What?” Colt scowled. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
