Page 6 of Deadly Alliance

Chapter Three

Emme threwher bag on the bed as she surveyed what would be her home for the next few weeks. The house was lovely, located on the outskirts of town, in a relatively quiet area. It was a detached two bedroom, built roughly thirty years ago if she had to guess. The best bit was it was at the end of a cul-de-sac, tucked away in the corner and backed on to the River Wye.

Looking out of the window she saw her ‘gardeners and maintenance men’ aka Jace and Owen, who were, in fact, fitting crude alarms along the property. They needed to make them seem crude or chance tipping off the perpetrator. The mission was starting as Shane was going to play the role of protective new husband.

Thinking of Shane made her skin flush and left her feeling too hot for her clothes. Something about the way he looked at her made her body tingle with need. It wasn’t like he looked at her with open desire, more like open hostility, but now and then, she caught what she thought might be desire in his gorgeous blue eyes.

Speak of the devil, she thought as she felt him behind her. How can I pick out his scent already? He stopped close to her back and she tried not to react to him. He already thought of her as a useless child, she didn’t want him thinking she was going to throw herself at him too.

Taking a breath to calm herself she turned to face him. “Do you need something?” she asked and for a split second, something flashed in his eyes but then it was gone, as if it had never been there.

“The table is booked for us at the Left Bank for eight pm,” he replied. A frown marred his face and she wondered what she had done to piss him off this time. She swallowed her reaction to his nearness and resisted the urge to step back; she could not show this man how he affected her, or he would have her thrown off the op.

“Okay, I’ll be ready.” She looked out of the window as his eyes bored into her as if he could see the way he affected her.

“Good,” he answered as he stepped back before walking out of the room.

Emme let out a shuddering breath and checked her weapons. Lucy had given her some very slick little toys, a stiletto heel that had a blade inside, a lipstick that was pepper spray and a very cool thigh holster to wear under skirts and dresses to hold a knife.

Then there was the small, empty box that was on the dresser next to her make-up bag. Shane had given it to her earlier. Emme hadn’t been sure what to say when she’d opened the box and saw the platinum wedding ring and emerald cut diamond engagement ring sitting in the box. She had sucked in a breath at the sheer exquisite beauty of the rings.

When he had gently taken them out and taken her hand lightly in his, slipping the rings over the knuckle of her fourth finger on her left hand she’d had to stifle the urge to throw her arms around him. It had felt so real that she had to remind herself it wasn’t. Of course, they had fitted like a glove. Instead, she had thanked him as he nodded awkwardly and left the room. Having those rings on her finger would undoubtedly take some getting used to but they would make a statement and that’s what they needed to catch the monster they stalked.

She unpacked her clothes next and chose a khaki green pencil skirt and cream sleeveless blouse for their date night and then went to shower. Drying off, she ignored the noise from the shower in the other room and concentrated on making herself look like a newly married woman in love.

Pulling on cream lace boy shorts and a matching balcony bra, she sat in front of the mirror to curl her hair. Putting it up she left wisps down in a romantic style that looked sexy and at the same time elegant.

She was just pinning her last curl in place when the door opened and Shane walked in. Their eyes clashed in the mirror and he froze with his hand on the door handle. His eyes swept her body slowly, lust filling the blue depths, making them darken before he snapped himself out of it. “Sorry, I should have knocked,” he said quickly as he backed out closing the door.

Emme’s pulse drummed in her throat as she remembered the look in his eyes. He had definitely wanted her, and the thought made her smile, even though it shouldn’t. This was the chance she had wished for. To prove herself capable, not fall in lust with some sexy as sin older guy with an attitude problem.

Emme finished her make-up and dressed, adding some chunky silver jewellery which Will had given her to wear when she couldn’t wear her watch. The bracelet would monitor her the same way the watch had, it wasn’t as efficient, but it gave them some security. Finally, she slipped on the black stiletto knife heels which made her ass look amazing.

She checked her phone and saw the post Will had put on her social media account about how she could not wait to start her married life with a date night. She quickly snapped a selfie and posted a picture of her ready to go out with her ‘lush hubby’.

Grabbing her purse, she left the bedroom and walked down the stairs to face Shane. Moving through the hallway she found him in the living room, and she almost tripped when she saw him. Fuck, he’s hot!

He had showered, his damp hair was swept back and curled slightly in the heat. Dark navy, almost black dress trousers were paired with a crisp white shirt which was open at the collar and revealed a strong, tanned, muscular throat.

He let his eyes travel over her slowly and she felt her nipples bead at his attention. She stood still as he looked at her trying not to let on how it was affecting her, but, of course, he noticed.

Shane stalked closer like a panther, all sleek muscle and controlled movements. Stopping only a whisper away, he slid his arm around her waist and pulled her to him. She stumbled slightly, and her hands came to his hard chest, her body flush with his hard one. The evidence of his reaction to her pressed into her lower abdomen.

“You look beautiful, wife,” he said with a smirk and then he kissed her. It was gentle and yet firm, not hard and dominant as she thought it would be. It ended before it began and when he pulled back, he looked as shocked as she was at the intensity of it. He let her go as if he’d just found out she had the plague and moved across the room.

When he turned to look at her again his face was a composed mask. “You’re a better actress than I thought, you almost made that believable. Anyone watching would think we are newlyweds, not strangers.”

Now she understood, it had been a test to see if she could pull this off, not because he’d wanted to kiss her.

Shane grabbed his keys and wallet from the side and slipped it into his pocket. “If you’re ready let’s go, I don’t want us to miss our table.” He was acting utterly unaffected by the kiss that had made her pulse hammer with want for him. Her gaze slid lower as he walked to her and she saw the evidence that he was far from unaffected in the hard ridge in his trousers. She felt her lips twitch with a smile that she tried to hide and followed him out the door.

* * *

Walkinginto the Left Bank restaurant, her hand in Shane’s felt strange but not as odd as she had thought it would. He hadn’t said a lot in the car on the way, just a couple of short replies to questions she had asked about the mission.

It was a shame he was so hot and could kiss like the devil because as far as she could see he was a complete asshole in every other respect. She had no idea how she was going to get through the next few hours of scrutiny while pretending to be a woman completely in love.

Emme caught a glimpse of a few familiar faces as she entered the restaurant, mainly people she knew from school. The Olsen twins were over by the bar and attracting loads of attention from the ladies. Zin on his own was a sight to behold but two of them was more than the female population of Hereford could take.