The Bossy Prince (Rugged and Royal #3) - Lili Valente Page 0,13

you and wouldn’t want you to fall in with a…”

I trail off, but there’s no point in leaving the obvious unsaid. I am who I am, and up to this point, that hasn’t been a man who’s had successful long-term encounters with the fairer sex.

“Well, by a relationship failure,” I add sheepishly. “Like, um…me.”

She smiles. “They have absolutely nothing to worry about. I’m not looking for a relationship.” She claps me on the shoulder as she reaches past me for the door. “And I find you repulsive. No offense.”

She’s halfway across the room before I process the insult.

When I do, I bite back the challenge on the tip of my tongue.

I would bet my right hand Zan enjoyed our kiss, but that’s neither here nor there. I’m not out to prove Zan wants to jump my bones or to confess I’d love to jump hers.

My mission is simple: get us out of each other’s hair before we do something stupid—like hurt our families, blow our cover, or damage our careers. We’re fire and kerosene, combustible for certain, but best kept far apart for the safety of ourselves and others.

“See you in the morning,” I whisper as she reaches the door.

She glances over her shoulder with a sigh but gives me a tepid thumbs up before poking her head out to make sure the coast is clear.

A moment later, she vanishes, disappearing down the hall to her own room.

She’s clearly not thrilled about pretending to be my girlfriend, but at least she’s on board with the plan. Now we just have to take down the head of one of the world’s largest criminal organizations without killing each other, and we’ll be home free.

The fact I’m more worried about surviving my partner than the man we’ll be targeting isn’t a good sign, but things could always be worse.

As if to prove it, Sabrina and Andrew choose that moment to begin making loud, passionate, drunken love to each other in the room on the other side of mine, ensuring I go to bed with every pillow on my mattress pulled over my head and a sour feeling in my stomach.

I tell myself it’s the buttered popcorn I ate earlier, but deep down, I suspect that I’m envious of my brother.

I’m jealous he’s found the woman of his dreams, that she doesn’t have any professional conflicts of interest keeping her from his bed, and that she doesn’t want to murder him. Dead. Preferably with her eyeballs.

Chapter Five

From the texts of Alexandra Rochat

and Blaire Bendel, Co-Director of Union Ten

Blaire: Thanks for getting back to me so quickly. Nadia is off for a few weeks, so I’ll be your contact for this one. I hate to interrupt your holiday fun, but you know how it is. Trouble doesn’t take a day off, so neither can we. I assume you’re on an encrypted line.

Zan: Of course. And it’s no problem at all. I’m not much of a holiday person. More a captive to my family’s annual madness.

Blaire: Ah, yes. And it sounds like you’re in for double the madness this year. How’s that going? Nick seemed to be having fun when I chatted with him

earlier, but that man would grin through a root canal.

Zan: It’s been nice. And convenient for planning the mission.

Blaire: Right. About that… I wanted to touch base with you before we move forward. It’s not too late to get someone else on this one. Virginia is wide open until February, and she’s already bored with laying low in Croatia. I can have her meet Nick in Bali. I know close-contact undercover operations aren’t your favorite, and there’s plenty of work to be done in Zurich.

Zan: Thanks, but I’m actually looking forward to this one. I think Nick and I will make a good team.

Blaire: Really? I got the impression, when we last spoke, that he wasn’t your favorite.

Zan: I was frustrated that we got in each other’s way in Romania, that’s all. But now that we’re working together, I’m sure we’ll be fine. And I don’t mind close contact work. I only struggled with William in Barcelona because of the…odor issue.

Blaire: Oh, yes. That poor man. And poor you! I had no idea his halitosis had grown so severe. I hadn’t met with him face to face in years until we interviewed him for the regional director’s position. Just between us, Neville and I agreed Will should stay close to his home office from now on, at least until the issue can be