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“Francesca Giordano,” Jasmine corrected though she suspected Ace knew exactly how to pronounce the name but was poking fun at her. “The idea is to get Christos to invite me to the compound.”
“And if he doesn’t?” Ace asked.
“Not an option. I have to make him want to invite me to the compound, one way or another.”
“He might expect more than a chance to share a drink with you.”
Jasmine snorted softly. “If he gets me onto the compound, he can expect all he wants. I don’t plan on delivering anything more than, Thank you, give me my scroll and I’ll be on my way.”
“If it’s so hard to get into the compound, it has to be equally hard to get out.”
Her jaw hardened. “One step at a time. I need to locate and obtain that scroll.”
“I’m used to planning ingress and egress on a mission,” Ace said with a frown. “It can mean the difference between life and death.”
“You forget.” Her chin rose. “I was with the Sayeret Matkal. I’ve learned that no matter how expertly you plan and practice, nothing ever goes according to the plan. You have to roll with the punches and reevaluate on the fly.” She laid a hand on his arm. “We don’t have much time.”
He covered her hand on his arm and squeezed gently. “No. We don’t have much time.”
“How are you with all this?” she asked.
He shrugged. “I’m here to help any way I can. You heard me...I’d even wear the dress if it gets me into that compound.”
The taxi stopped in front of the store Jasmine had requested.
Ace slipped out of the back seat, rounded to the other side and opened Jasmine’s door. “Madame.” Ace held out his hand.
Jasmine laid her palm in his.
He wrapped his fingers around her hand and helped her to her feet.
She stumbled on the curb and pitched forward.
Both of Ace’s arms encircled her and held on until she’d regained her balance.
Her cheeks heated as she stared up at Ace, in no hurry to leave the safety of his arms. She had no desire to step out on her own. This was her place, her person. If she could, she’d stay there forever.
Forever.
Eli didn’t have forever.
“We need to hurry.” Jasmine stepped around Ace, grabbed her suitcase handle and rolled it into the store as if shoppers always rolled their suitcases into stores.
The clock was ticking on Eli’s life. She had to get her hands on that scroll. It was her only bargaining chip.
Chapter 5
Ace followed Jasmine to the store, moving slowly and looking around at the people on the sidewalks or passing by in cars.
He’d been shocked when Swede had informed him that Jasmine’s Eli was her son.
What had he expected? He hadn’t seen the woman in four years. She wouldn’t have waited around for him.
He rubbed a hand against the ache in his chest. Inside, he laughed. The irony wasn’t lost on him. He’d gone from jealousy of the stranger named Eli, who Jasmine was so obviously in love with, to being jealous of Eli’s father.
Ace had always imagined a future with a wife and children in it. After meeting Jasmine, his imagination had filled in the blank faces with hers, a little girl with black hair and green eyes like her mother’s and a little boy with brown hair and brown eyes like his.
Even after he’d given up hope of ever finding Jasmine, his dreams of a family had included them.
