Page 2 of To Catch a Sub

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Colette hid her free hand in the pocket of her long coat so Landon Malik wouldn’t see her tightly-balled fist, or the way she nervously ran her thumb over her knuckles.

Landon’s shocked expression—eyes wide, brows up—lasted only a moment. That was a shame, because he was sexy-cute when he was surprised.

Now dark brows were drawn together over equally dark eyes, his new expression calculating and intense. Still sexy, but sexy-dangerous, not sexy-cute.

Someday she’d get him to smile at her the way he had when they’d first met. Before he’d known who, and what, she was.

That smile had been straight sexy.

Landon rose slowly, as if worried he might spook her. “Colette.” It was almost a question. As if he still couldn’t quite believe she was here.

She couldn’t quite believe it either, but she needed Landon.

Her heart had been racing since the moment she spotted his dark head bent over his desk. Conning her way into the building and then up onto this floor hadn’t raised her heart rate, but he did.

Now that he was on his feet, a fresh jolt of adrenaline raced through her—the result of an uneasy mix of fear and attraction.

Fear, because she’d forgotten exactly how big he was.

Attraction, because she’d forgotten exactly how big he was.

Landon was dressed more casually than expected, in a knit collared shirt and dark pants. The knit fabric hugged the muscles of his shoulders in a way that made him seem more imposing than he would have been in the suit and tie she’d expected.

Maybe she hadn’t forgotten, so much as forced herself to disremember exactly what it was like to be in his presence.

Landon could, if he wanted, put people at ease, minimizing the clear physical danger a man his size presented with that devastating smile that crinkled the corners of his eyes. His air of command made people instinctively defer to him, while the smile bought their trust.

Not that he didn’t have the expressionless cop-face ubiquitous to law enforcement professionals the world over, when needed.

Right now he was neither smiling to put her at ease, nor wearing the blank expression.

Landon stared at her with an intensity and focus that made her look away. She pretended to study the diamond she’d dropped on his desk. It didn’t lessen the feeling of him watching her as if the rest of the world no longer mattered. Her body prickled with the certainty that she had his full, undivided attention. She had this strange urge to hold perfectly still, as if by not moving she might get him to focus on someone else.

Colette clenched her hidden hand tight, until her fingers started to hurt. Centering her tension there allowed her to gather herself and raise her head, then casually arch one brow.

“It’s good to see you again, Detective Inspector… No, I’m sorry, it’s not detective inspector anymore, is it? It’s good to see you again, Agent Malik.”

Landon was silent for a long moment, and if she’d been a less composed person, or a less desperate one, that silence would have made her nervous.

“Colette?” he finally asked.

“Yes, Agent Malik?”

“Why are you here?” He looked around as if double checking that yes, she’d walked right in to the Interpol offices.

She didn’t bother to hide her grin.

Landon’s attention returned to her, but now he wasn’t looking at her eyes, rather someplace lower. Her mouth? She licked her lip experimentally.

He inhaled slowly through his nose.

Yes, he was looking at her lips. That smoothed some of her jagged anxiety. He was still attracted to her, though undoubtedly he hated her too.

But now she was thinking about his mouth. His lower lip was soft and full. He had the start of a beard, dark stubble along his jaw and framing that very sexy mouth. She didn’t know if he was purposefully growing a beard, or had been working non-stop and hadn’t been home to shave. Whatever the reason, it made him look roguish and dangerous.

He was dangerous. And not just because he was the only member of law enforcement who’d ever come close to catching her.