Page 84 of Public Enemy, Undercover Lover

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“Why not? I bet you look hot when you dance.”

“Andrew…” he warned. The music wasn’t as loathsome as some clubs; there was actual music playing with lyrics, not mindless beats, but still. “I don’t dance.”

“Come on,” Andrew ignored his protests, using his hands to move Isaac’s hips for him.

Isaac wasn’t buzzed enough for this behavior, but Andrew was so adorable, grinning at him and biting his lip as he shimmied closer. His whole body rocked to the beat of the music, thigh muscles taut beneath his jeans and shirt unbuttoned enough to reveal flashes of pale skin. He turned them so he could see the hallway over Isaac’s shoulder, shifting effortlessly between focused professional and having all his attention on Isaac.

That damn grin. That lithe, tantalizing body. Isaac couldn’t resist and fell into step with him, Andrew soon pulling their hips closer until they were grinding to the driving beat.

The rest of the crowd fell away, men and women in various pairings. No one minded them. No one cared. For a moment, it was just them, and the music, and the brief glance of Andrew’s eyes beyond Isaac to make sure their quarry hadn’t arrived. Eventhat didn’t ruin the moment, that they were working, because they were always at their best in their element, and even better lately—in their element together.

“I told Dalton everything,” Isaac said.

Andrew’s eyes shot wide.

“Well, not about the sex, but… he knows everything else.”

“You’re okay with that?”

Isaac nodded, feeling like there were several other things he should be saying, but he had no idea how to begin. Andrew looked the same, unsure what to say with the music pounding around them and so many moving bodies.

And then he glanced over Isaac’s shoulder again, and his expression hardened.

“Get Steve.”

“What?” Isaac whirled around, but whoever Andrew had seen must have already slipped into the back. “I thought we were doing this together.”

“We are, but I have to go in first. I saw who it was,” he said simply and pulled away with such fierce determination, Isaac couldn’t deny him as he dashed quickly through the crowd.

ANDREW

Andrewcouldn’tbelievewhathe’d seen—whohe’d seen—but there was no doubt once he noticed the bob of golden-brown hair, the diminutive stature, and remembered the flash of tan skin Dalton had mentioned. He followed the figure into theback, a large but mostly empty room, with only one occupant, already knelt over the bag of money.

“And I thought that article was low,” Andrew called, watching the person stand up rigid with their back to him. “I knew you had little integrity, Liv, but I didn’t think you could be a part of something like this.”

Her shoulders slumped, a second bag at her feet that had to contain the research she’d stolen from Dalton. And then she turned.

“…Candace?”

Face pinched in apology, Candace pulled the wig from her head and let it drop to the floor. “I figured better to be safe in case someone I knew was here.”

“That’s why there were no hairs at the thefts… And you went in naked to avoid fibers?”

“It worked, didn’t it? Pretty freeing too,” she said with a wry smile.

“How could you do this?” He surged toward her. “Especially to Dalton!”

“I was trying to protect Dalton,” she countered. “I recognized his name right away. I didn’t know he was Ford’s son then, but if someone else had taken the job, Dalton might have gotten hurt. This way, I was able to keep an eye on him.”

“And still make money off him. What about the other jobs? This has been going on for weeks!”

“Because of Ford!” She darted to meet him, emphatic and pleading. “He was ruining us. We’d barely gotten off the ground, and he was ruining everything. Without some extra cash flow, we’d already be under. I just needed this one last job.”

“You were going to frame him,” Andrew realized. “That's why you were so against me working with Ford. You needed him to be your scapegoat.”

“Yes. The end. No more Ford Security, no more stealing, just us, doing this like we planned.” She reached for him, but Andrew lurched out of her grasp.

“We didn’t plan this. I wanted to do this on my own. With my best friend, but the right way, without any help from Steve, or shady dealings. You wanted to bring down Ford, but now, you’re bringing us down too.”