Charmed: A Masters and Mercenar - Lexi Blake Page 0,61
stare threatened to burn a hole through her. “Your way or the highway, huh, Nina?”
She hated the fact that she had to fight back tears. “In this, yes it is. I believe we agreed to that when we began. When we realized the situation we were in, I agreed to try a relationship with you only because you agreed that I was in charge of the mission. You should understand I never would have touched you if I had realized who you were for this very reason.”
His expression had softened and there was a clear look of panic on his face, as though he finally realized he’d gone way too far. “Hey, I wasn’t pushing you away. Damn it, Nina, I’m doing this to protect you.”
Tag’s face had darkened, the first time during any of this that she’d been worried about what her boss would do. “Did he tell you he didn’t know who you were that first night?”
“He didn’t.” She didn’t want to explain this, but she owed her boss something. “I still thought I was going in with his father, and I honestly hadn’t studied up on the rest of the family. I knew David Malone had two sons and Michael worked with the Dallas team, but I hadn’t met Michael. I probably should have read a dossier on him when I agreed to the mission. I have now.”
“Why would you?” Tag countered. “He wasn’t part of the mission. I’m not accusing you of anything. You were doing your job and you had every right to sit in a bar when you weren’t working and hook up with whoever you liked. But I assure you JT knew exactly who you were. My assistant even told him where you were staying. I asked Genny to bring him up to speed because I knew we didn’t have much time. She sent JT a dossier on you. I waited to send you his until I knew he was going to do the job. You’d had a long flight. I assumed you would be asleep, which is why you didn’t get that info until the morning. But he knew.”
He couldn’t have. “I only gave him my first name. I came on to him.”
“I wanted to talk to you,” JT said, not quite meeting her gaze. “It had been a rough day and I needed to meet you. And then you were sitting in the bar and you were so beautiful.”
Her stomach sank. “You knew who I was when I hit on you.”
It wasn’t a question. It was blatantly obvious she’d been had. He’d known exactly who she was and he’d lied to her.
It was the one thing she’d asked him not to do. Well, that and treat her less than she was.
“I knew we had chemistry, and you wouldn’t have given us a chance if you’d known,” he said quickly. “Nina, baby, you hit me like lightning, and I know you felt the same way. The job didn’t matter.”
“It mattered to me.” She needed to get out of here. She knew it wasn’t professional, but she had to get away from him, had to think her way through this.
It was happening again. She was trading her job, her reputation, for some good sex and a modicum of affection.
She wasn’t ever going to learn.
“Ian, I’m going to do some prep work and write up a report of my observations of our suspects. Should I do that while I’m watching the client or were you and Alex serious about staying here?” She didn’t even look JT’s way.
“I think that’s an excellent idea. We should all get some sleep. I’ll let Michael know to be on standby,” Ian replied. “We’ll stay here but you have to stay here, too. I’d love to get you another room or let you go to the office, but we don’t know who’s watching.”
She wanted to be away from JT, wanted some time alone to mourn what had just happened, but she understood what Ian was saying.
She almost prayed they ended up taking Michael with them. If they managed to convince JT to go through with the mission, she would have to hold hands with him and look like they were in love.
It would be torture.
“I’ll take the smaller bedroom.” At least they were in a ridiculously large suite and she had options.
“You can have the master,” JT replied.
“Thank you.” She turned away because she wasn’t about to argue.