She forced a nod.“I am.”
His eyes narrowed on her for a second or two like he was trying to pry the information directly from her brain using nothing but the sheer force of his will.She was ashamed to admit it almost worked.She squirmed a little.But fortunately, he gave up before she could spill her guts.“I’ll go double check everything,” he muttered before wandering off to the garage where his impressive collection of extra surveillance equipment lived.
Tenley was quiet for all of ten seconds before she said, “Soooooo…you just realized you were falling in love with Mr.Tall Dark, and Dour out there, huh?”
Hadley slapped a hand over her mouth when a dismayed gasp escaped her.Son of a bitch!The last thing she needed was Cole rushing back in here like Sir fucking Galahad.When hedidn’trush in and vault over the counter, she hissed, “Don’t say awordto him, OK?The timing is, well, it’s atrocious.”
Tenley snorted.“Honey, if everyone waited until the timing was right to fall in love, the human race would die out.”
“I know.It’s just that…”
“Let me take a guess,” she said.“He’s a grumpy loner, and even though your chemistry—and I’m guessing, the sex I’m sure you two had recently—is smokin’ hot, he thinks he’s not a good a relationship bet, so you made some kind of it’ll-only-happen-just-this-once agreement, and now that the agreement is done, you’re horrified to find that you have indeed done theonething he told you not to do and developed feelings for him.”
Hadley’s jaw dropped.“How the hell do you know all that?Are you apsychicthief?”
Tenley laughed out loud.“I’m not psychic.Just good at reading people.And you and the big guy out there are an open book.Besides, I have some experience with people who think they aren’t cut out for relationships, then get hit upside the head with the two-by-four of love.”
“Your husband?”she asked, sympathetic.
“No.I meant me,” she added wryly.“All the best criminals are loners.Falling for my husband made me rethink alotof things about my life and career.”
Hadley had so many questions she wasn’t sure what to ask first.She eventually settled on, “But…it all worked out, right?I mean, you’re happy?”
Tenley’s answering smile was damn near blinding in its sincerity.“I’m the happiest person you’ll ever meet, sugar plum.At least, I will be until you finally tell our favorite spy out there how you feel.I’m pretty sure he’ll take the title after that.”
Hadley considered that for a moment, then said, “You know how Cole said no one liked you?”
“I remember.”
“He was wrong.I like you.Imighteven love you a little.”
Tenley smirked.“Oddly enough, I get that a lot, too.”
Chapter26
Getting laid was supposed to help people relax.
Oh, how Cole wished that was the case.
Because he’d had more orgasms in the last twenty-four hours than he’d had in the past decade, and he was wound tighter than a Ravin R500 hunting crossbow.Which wasn’t even an apt description of what he was feeling right now.He was woundwaytighter than that crossbow.It was just the best metaphor he could conjure given the circumstances.
All he knew was that if Eric so much as sneezed on Hadley or gave her a stern frown, he’d tear the guy’s fucking head off.
Hell, he’d practically ripped the kitchen island out in an effort to get to her when he thought she’d hurt herself.And that was all because she’d made anoisehe didn’t like.
And it sure as shit didn’t help that she lied to him about it.
She’d insisted nothing was wrong.He knew her too well to fall for that bullshit.Hadley was upset and didn’t want to tell him why.Was she stressed out about having a sleeper agent and his wife over for dinner?Did she think he couldn’t or wouldn’t protect her if it came down to it?Or, scarier yet…
Did she regret their one-night stand agreement?
Fuck.He needed to get his head in the game.The only way out of this mission was through it, and the only waythroughit was to get proof that Eric was their guy.It was up to Cole and Hadley to buy Tenley the time she needed to search the house and plant the listening devices.He couldnotfall apart on the job and put the burden of the entire mission on Hadley’s shoulders.Again.
So, he shook off his concerns about Hadley’spotentialregret.That was something he could address later…when he’d also have to spend some time trying to remember why he’d insisted on that whole one-night thing in the first place.Why not a multi-night stand?Or multi-year stand.
Or a forever stand.
And this train of thought wasnothelping him get his head back in the game.Not.One.Bit.
