Page 43 of Untamed Sinner

His grin widens, and he says low enough so that only I can hear him, "Well, well, well. I knew it. I told Harper you two were a thing."

"We're not," I grit out truthfully despite myself—despite what I just did.

"Sure you're not." Luke saunters in with all his unassailable charm. "If this isn’t a surprise, Mandy."

"Bennett." She doesn't move from the stove. She doesn’t even look up. She just flips the eggs like this is a perfectly normal breakfast. "I’m making breakfast for Archibald and me. Want some?"

I go still. "What did you just call me?"

"Archibald." Mandy's voice is pure sweetness as she plates the eggs.

Luke's eyebrows shoot up. "Wait. Your name is Archibald?"

"No, it’s not." I look at her sternly to hide my amusement.

"He's sensitive about it," Mandy says, setting a plate on the counter. "I keep telling him it's distinguished."

"It's not my fucking name." Archibald. I shake my head as I get a mug and pour Luke a cup of coffee.

Luke laughs, the kind of full-body laugh that makes his shoulders shake. "Oh man. Harper is going to love this. Archibald Hendricks. That's⁠—"

"My name is not”—I set the cup down in front of him with a loud clop—"Archibald."

"Sure, Archie." Luke wipes his eyes. "Whatever you say."

Mandy smirks at me over the rim of her coffee cup, and I want to bend her over the counter and fuck that smug look right off her face. Instead, I pour myself more coffee and join them at the table.

But I can't focus. All I can smell is Mandy over the coffee, all I can think about is the fact that she's standing three feet away from Luke wearing nothing but my shirt.

I want him out. Now.

"So, Archibald.” Luke shoots me grin as he shovels food onto his fork. “You want to tell me what you two were doing at Turner's place, or should I guess?"

"We have a situation," Mandy says calmly. "I need help with a problem, and Hendricks volunteered."

"Hendricks never volunteers for anything. He must really like you." Luke's expression shifts, humor fading into something sharper. "What kind of problem?"

"Classified,” I say. I don’t think Mandy would be susceptible to his charm, but I don’t want to chance it.

“I heard you were commissioned to locate Mandy,” he says, looking at me shrewdly.

Mandy holds her arms out. “And here I am. He’s good at what he does.”

“I bet.” Luke raises his brow as he faces her. "Does Lily know you're here?"

"Lily knows I'm safe," Mandy says smoothly. "That's all she needs to know."

Luke studies her for a long moment, then nods. "Fair enough. If you need help⁠—"

"No," I say.

Both of them look at me.

"This stays contained," I continue. "The fewer people involved⁠—"

"If we tracked you," Luke interrupts, "other people can too.”

He's right. If Blackthorn's surveillance caught us, then Ashford's people could have done the same. I've been so focused on Mandy—on keeping her close, on not touching her—that I missed the operational vulnerability.