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Omar was still trying to play games, but instead of calling him on it, Humphrey chose to appeal to his ego. “You set up the auctions. You invite who you want. You’re the man in charge.”
Omar’s smile indicated he’d scored with that last comment. “That is true. Very well, my friend. I will arrange the auction and contact you with the location. Just be sure that when you come, you bring a drive that does not do a disappearing act. Yes?”
Humphrey grinned. Omar was a slimy weasel, but he could be likable as long as you didn’t turn your back to him.
“Excellent. I’ll be sure to bring you a bottle of Balvenie Scotch to celebrate.”
Omar clapped his hands together with glee. “You know my weakness. Very well. We will drink it together after we make the sale.”
With a small salute, Humphrey walked out the door. He looked neither left nor right, knowing eyes would be on him until he entered the elevator. As before, the elevator doors opened like magic, and Humphrey stepped inside.
The instant the elevator doors closed, Ash spoke into the mic doing double duty as a cuff link. “We’re in.”
Chapter Six
Jules had been watching him for a while. For someone trained
in covert ops, Asher Drake was surprisingly easy to track. Of course she had studied him. Knowing everything about her targets was her number one rule. And she had learned everything she could about this man long before she’d accepted this job.
Orders from her new employer were simple, straightforward. Watch Drake. See where he goes, what he does, who he meets, what he says. Proceed with caution. Don’t approach, don’t engage. Not yet. Report your findings.
Couldn’t get much easier than that.
Of course, she had no intention of following orders, most especially the last one. Jules had engineered this job for her own purpose. If her employer found out her reasons, she would lose the job, possibly her life. The risk was nothing new to her, but there was the added benefit of doing the exact opposite of what she’d been told to do. Considering who her employer was, disobeying orders had never felt so good.
She was playing a dangerous game, one she wasn’t certain she would win. But she had no choice but to try. Some things were worth fighting for, and a few things were worth dying for. This was one of those things.
Besides, it could be worse. How many people would love to be sitting at a sidewalk café in the middle of one of the most beautiful cities in the world, sipping coffee and enjoying a delicious Dobos torte? Not to mention the sheer enjoyment of watching an unarguably gorgeous man.
Asher Drake’s physical bio said he was thirty-eight years old, six-three, weighed around two hundred ten, and had blond hair and blue eyes. The bio didn’t do justice to the man. It said nothing about shoulders broad enough to carry a grown man through a desert or a hard, athletic body built for strength and endurance. And blond hair? Not exactly. From this angle, the color was more of a summer wheat, but in the direct sunlight, she had counted at least four shades of blond, a little bit of brown, and maybe a hint of auburn. It was somewhat shaggy, as if he hadn’t had a cut in a while. The longish, unkempt style suited him. His skin was a light golden bronze. He had high, sculpted cheekbones, a sharp nose, and a chin squaring toward stubborn. She suspected that centuries ago, his Viking ancestors had conquered foreign lands and created new worlds. Asher Drake looked like he had inherited every bit of that power and arrogance.
The man was a demon in some people’s eyes, but in others’ he was a hero. She often wondered how he thought of himself. When he looked in the mirror, who and what did he see?
She and Asher Drake would meet soon. There was no other option if she was to achieve her goals. He could never find out her real purpose. She told herself her reasoning was sound. It wasn’t pertinent to her quest. She told herself that this job, while quite different than any others, was still just a job.
At some point, she hoped to believe it was true.
Either way, until it was done, until she was satisfied she had done all that she could, she would be sticking to Asher Drake like glue.
* * *
Ash drained the last of his coffee as he debated how to handle the situation. The lovely young woman following him obviously wanted something. He was used to being followed—he’d been under surveillance much of his adult life for one thing or another. He’d gotten accustomed to it, learned to accept it as a part of doing the kind of business he did. This was the first time he had wanted to introduce himself to his tail.
He couldn’t say what made him want to detour from the norm, other than this woman was different. Attractive, yes. Bordering on stunning. Hair several shades away from true auburn fell past her shoulders in thick, soft waves. She wore a long-sleeved, boat-necked dress of deep blue, and before she’d sat down, he’d caught a glimpse of truly spectacular legs. Her skin was fair, and even from here he could tell she had freckles on her face, shoulders—probably all over her body.
She looked altogether too wholesome to be doing this job. He supposed that’s why she’d been chosen—she looked like a fresh-faced innocent who might run at the first sign of trouble. He was quite sure that wasn’t the case. Innocents weren’t assigned to tail him. Didn’t matter what country or government was footing the bill, only a seasoned, well-trained operative would get this assignment. Which made her all the more attractive.
That was an anomaly in itself. He didn’t date, not really. He had a few female acquaintances he would see from time to time. Other than companionship and a few steamy moments to take the edge off, he liked that they expected nothing from him.
Since she had been assigned to follow him, this woman, wholesome or not, should know the score.
Standing, he threw down a handful of forints and headed her way. He saw the widening of her eyes as they met his. Yeah, he definitely wanted to get to know this woman.
* * *
Crap. Crap. Crap. He was coming toward her. Had spotted her. She had intended for them to meet, but not like this. And not this soon. She wasn’t prepared, wasn’t ready for their first meeting. How would she…
Jules shut down the panic. Just because it wasn’t happening the way she’d planned didn’t mean she couldn’t use it to her advantage. She was no neophyte, and this wasn’t her first rodeo. She was a professional and knew how to play the game.
