Between Love and Honor (Men of the Secret Service #3) - Tracy Solheim Page 0,54
clothing. “That might have been my fault.”
He stopped what he was doing and slowly lifted his gaze to meet hers. His expression demanded the truth. “How so?”
“It was an accident really.” She exhaled wearily. “Someone was supposed to hand off the card to Alexi just as we arrived at the White House dinner. I was there to intercept it. Except the lights went out.”
“Tsk, tsk, Brit. Only a poor spy blames the elements,” he teased.
She tugged at his hair. He flicked a nipple with his thumb in retaliation. Her back arched at the pain and pleasure of it.
“You thought I had it.”
His quietly uttered words felt chilly against her flushed skin. She could only imagine the assumptions he was jumping to.
“You were right beside us when the power went out.”
“So, yesterday when you came to the marina, it wasn’t to talk things out. You were looking for the micro card.”
Her belly quivered for a different reason now. Ben didn’t bother hiding the disappointment from his words.
“Yes,” she whispered. “I didn’t realize Alexi would put things together so quickly. I thought I could grab it and disappear.”
“Disappear?” He dipped his chin and rested his head on her belly.
They were quiet for several long heartbeats before she gently threaded her fingers through his hair and began massaging his scalp.
“I had to protect you. I didn’t want to hurt you any more than I already have,” she whispered. “I’m sorry he stole your AI.”
He jerked his head up. His face contorted with anger. “Sorry he stole my AI?! He tried to kill you, Quinn. Throw you away like you were garbage.” He pushed up with his good arm and loomed over her. “Do you have any idea what it was like to almost lose you a second time? Can you even conceive what it did to me?”
“Ben—”
“No!” he said. “Don’t say another word. It doesn’t matter how I felt. Because all the time, you were going to grab the damn card and vanish. Again.”
With a grunt, he rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling.
“That’s not fair.” She pushed the words out past the lump in her throat shame had lodged there. “I had no control the first time. My mother had to move quickly to avoid being discovered with the evidence against Alexi’s father. She wasn’t expecting to get her hands on it for another week. I would have stayed if I could have. I wanted nothing more than to go to prom with you. And if you don’t believe that, then you don’t really know me as well as I thought you did.”
She studied his profile as he seemed to ponder her words. One of the things she loved most about him was his fairness and his ability to see all sides of an equation.
“That doesn’t explain this time.” His jaw was clenched so tightly, she was surprised he could get the words out.
“I didn’t want you to find out who I am,” she admitted quietly. “What I’ve become.”
He angled his face toward hers so they were nose to nose again but with their cheeks resting on the mattress. “Are you serious?” Reaching over he intertwined his fingers with hers. “Quinn Darby, I hate to tell you this, but I’m a little bit in awe of who you are. What you’ve become is a badass British secret agent.”
The tightness in her chest eased. Of course he would see the good in her. In what she was. It wasn’t in his nature to be judgmental. Yet another thing she cherished about Ben. The list of reasons why she adored him was growing longer and longer.
Her lips relaxed into a sly smile. “Just a little bit in awe, Mr. Bond?”
With a mischievous grin of his own, he rolled back on top of her and settled his hips between her legs. “Yeah. Did I mention I also find it very sexy?”
She wrapped her arms around his waist. “You haven’t seen the depths of my talents,” she teased.
His nostrils flared. “Perhaps a demonstration is in order.” He planted a chaste kiss on her mouth. “Because I’m going to need those talents if we’re going to get my AI back. Are you in?”
“Are you kidding? I need to pay Alexi back for trying to drown me. And I still need to find that list.”
“Mmm.” He was back to nuzzling her neck again, much to her delight. “I can help with that problem, too. I know exactly where the list is.”