She had given herself a brief and rare reprieve from work while waiting for the Proteus team to arrive tomorrow afternoon. The schedule included an assessment of the agent tagged to the undercover op by Cedric, then in-depth planning of the op followed by intense training to ensure every team member knew their role. The most important team member, the UC, would unknowingly help her figure out if Nomar Ortiz was hiding within the confines of El Sombro’s cartel. She already had a backup plan in case Cedric’s guy fell short of their standards, which she suspected he would.
But tonight, she didn’t want to think about the undercover operation or punishing Nomar for putting a bullet in Aurelia’s head.
She wanted a break from her life.
“Can I get you anything else?” The bartender asked, intruding on her internal monologue. She glanced up and caught him eye-fucking her. He was handsome but didn’t look a day over twenty-five. Too young for a woman like her, knocking on the door of forty. Still, her ego appreciated the boost his attention was giving it.
It wasn’t lost on her that she looked a lot younger than her actual age. She had good genetics, healthy eating, and a workout regime that rivaled a professional athlete’s. Plus, she’d been told more than a few times that she was a pretty woman. Not model gorgeous, but definitely could turn a head or two.
So why shouldn’t she accept the attention of a hot young stud? It had been too long since she’d allowed herself any fun. All the years of being alone, bouncing from one operation to another, had taken its toll. A void echoed in the quieter moments of her life that wasn’t about physical solitude but the absence of a real emotional connection with someone outside the team she worked with daily. There was no place for emotions when agents’ lives were on the line, and there were criminals to take down.
When she allowed herself to feel, like now, under the warm glow of the bar lights and the attention of a stranger, the loneliness still stalked her. The craving for a genuine connection was impossible to ignore. But tonight wasn’t about solving the complexities of her heart or the conundrum of her single-lady life. It was about enjoying a fleeting moment of escape. Tonight would be a small reprieve from the fortress she’d built around herself. A brief dance with what could be, even if it was an illusion.
Jemma tossed back the remainder of her piña colada, then pushed the empty glass toward the bartender. “How about you get me another one of these?” A slow smile spread across her lips.
“I can get you that and much more,” the bartender said, growing bolder, no doubt from how she returned his gaze.
“Or you can get her another piña colada and one for me as well.” A deep voice rumbled from behind her, sending warmth pooling between her thighs.
She exhaled slowly, wondering what magnificent specimen of a man could have such a sexy voice.
The man added, “Make that to-go.”
To go?
What the hell?
Or maybe … why not?
She had ample training to put the man in his place if things went awry. The guy wouldn’t know what hit him.
So, why not be spontaneous?
This could be interesting …
Swiveling around on the bar stool, Jemma laid eyes on the man, and her heart damn near stopped.
Special Agent Rocco Forrester.
What the hell?
His official photos and surveillance photographs of him in action had been scattered throughout the files Cedric emailed her yesterday. The fact that he was handsome couldn’t be denied, but the photos did little justice to the man standing before her.
Despite how movies portrayed them, undercover agents didn’t usually look like they walked off the pages of GQ, nor did they have bodies worthy of the cover of Men’s Fitness.
But Rocco was … all of that and more.
Handsome with rugged masculinity and refined sensuality.
Everything about him set her nerves ablaze, almost short-circuiting her brain. She drank in the sight of him. His blonde textured hair was cut short, styled into messy peaks, and balanced with a smooth, subtle fade on the sides. He had the classic lines of a square jaw that oozed masculinity. His body was to die for. Tonedand defined muscles that refused to be hidden under his casual clothes.
Her gaze lingered on his cupid’s bow lips. The idea of kissing those lips intruded on her thoughts, rattling her. He was the closest thing to perfection she’d ever seen.
But it was the vulnerability she glimpsed in his intense brown eyes that was the problem. He had the look of a man who’d left a trail of satisfied but broken-hearted women in his wake, but his vibe was different. A caring gentleness lingered beneath the surface of this man that she hadn’t expected to see.
“Hope you don’t mind joining me for a walk, Ms. Winters.” Despite his polite and respectful tone, the words landed like a command. At least he didn’t pretend he didn’t know who she was or that they were destined to cross paths in two days.
“I’m off the clock tonight, Mr. Forrester,” Jemma said, then turned her back on him.
