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“You should have told me you were coming, Zoe. I would have brought you over.”
“Maybe next time,” she said. She nudged Spence’s shoulder. “This is Spence. Spence, meet Ron. He’s the HR director at Melbourne Solutions.”
She hadn’t given Ron his last name, even the fake name they’d been using. Interesting. Maybe she’d gotten hints that Ron wanted more and didn’t want to give him any more information about Spence than she needed to.
Spence extended his hand. “Nice to meet you, Ron.”
“You, too, Spence.” He squeezed Spence’s hand a little too hard. Spence didn’t react, and Ron finally let him go.
“Zoe said you recommended this pub and this band. Can’t wait to hear them,” Spence continued.
“Yeah, they’re really good. Especially Stephanie. She’s got an amazing set of pipes.”
“Looks like they’re getting ready to start,” Zoe said. “You here with anyone?”
“I know a lot of the regulars. They’ll start showing up pretty soon.”
“Have a good evening,” Zoe said, clearly dismissing him.
Spence saw another flash of anger, then Ron nodded. “You, too, Zoe. Spence.” Then he returned to his seat at the bar.
Spence watched Ron out of the corner of his eye, making sure not to be caught looking. He knew how to watch someone without the other person realizing it. After several minutes, the HR guy turned to the couple beside him and began talking to them. They acted as if they knew Ron, and soon they were deep in a conversation.
A woman walked into the pub by herself and took the empty seat on the other side of Ron. Tall and slender, she had red hair, lighter and shorter than Zoe’s. She swiveled to face the band as she hung her purse from one of the hooks beneath the bar.
A few minutes later the band began playing, and Spence relaxed against the back of the booth, watching and listening to them. Ron was right. They were amazing, especially the lead singer. The woman was an entertainer. She had everyone in their part of the pub singing along with her and calling out requests. Several women were dancing in the open space by the door. Everyone was focused on the band.
The band segued into the Heart song “Alone”, and he couldn’t look away from Stephanie. Everyone else in the pub was focused on her, as well. When she got to the chorus, something about getting you alone, Spence glanced at Zoe. That’s all he wanted right now -- getting Zoe alone.
Oh, my God. He was so into Zoe that he’d forgotten he was on a job. Forgotten that he was here to protect her from Davies.
He draped his arm over Zoe’s shoulder again, but he was done with the teasing. He needed to be able to stand upright and walk out of this place. He needed to focus on his job.
And maybe they both had to dial it back, especially when they were in public. When his brain was fogged with lust, he might not notice Davies.
Zoe clearly felt the same, because she’d set her hand on his thigh, but didn’t let her fingers creep toward the danger zone.
Out of the corner of his eye, Spence saw Ron lean over and say something to the woman who’d arrived earlier. She smiled, nodded, and replied to him. After a few minutes, they were deep in a conversation.
Ron was slick. He moved fast. Spence was pretty sure he’d have the woman’s phone number before the end of the evening.
Ron glanced over toward their table. Making sure Zoe had seen him with the woman?
But then the woman glanced at the door and her face lit up. She leaned closer to Ron and spoke, nodding at the couple who’d just arrived. He smiled. Shook her hand. She smiled back, then turned away.
Spence kept watching the door, but Davies never showed up. They must have shaken him when they exited the parking garage from the back. He settled into the booth to watch Zoe enjoy the music. They’d been lucky tonight. They’d managed to escape Davies’ surveillance, but he hoped she knew this wouldn’t happen every night.
As if she’d read his mind, she leaned close. “Thanks for letting me come here tonight,” she said. “I’m really enjoying this. So much that, after Ethan’s caught, I’ll probably come back here.”
“Feels like a friendly place,” he said, and a tiny sliver of disappointment shot through him. He wouldn’t be here with her to listen to this band next time. After he caught Davies, he’d go back to Montana. Have a week of R & R, then Mel would send him out on another job.
That was the way he wanted it. The way he liked it.
But as he glanced at Zoe, he had a moment of regret. A moment of wishing he’d be in Seattle to bring her to Dooley’s the next time this band was playing. Sit in this same booth with her and play their games.
He swallowed hard and shoved the thought away. He didn’t do relationships. No long term. Nothing more for him than fun and games.
Even Zoe couldn’t change his mind about that.
