Dangerous Assignment (Aegis Group Book 4) Read Free Page B

been nursing the same glass of wine since he left her—he could tell because of the hard water stain on the bottom of the glass and the bartender always poured drinks into new glasses.
    “You ever been to this part of the world before?” He slid onto the stool next to her.
    “For work, never pleasure.”
    “What kind of work?”
    “This.” She flicked her fingers toward the corner booth the fake Mr. and Mrs. Smith had occupied earlier.
    “Done it long?”
    “Long enough.”
    “Where you from?”
    “New Jersey.”
    “Ah, a Jersey girl. Never spent much time in Jersey. Any particular part?”
    “Princeton.”
    “Like, Princeton University, Princeton?” College towns like that took money. Judging by the way her suits were tailored and her taste in wine, he was confident that she’d been well-off for most of her life.
    “Correct.” She ran her finger over the edge of the glass.
    “Never made it through school. Always stuff to do.” He shook his head. It was his second regret in life. School might have meant a different future for him, but the Navy had given him everything. He didn’t have a lot of complaints.
    “I find that hard to imagine. You , doing stuff ?”
    “Abigail, are you poking fun at me?”
    “I would never dream to poke at the fragile male ego.”
    He tossed his head back and laughed. Her answers were slippery non-answers, and yet he liked her. There was something about her…something he couldn’t shake. He just…liked her. And that made her dangerous. Especially to him. Luke knew when it came to women he had blinders on. Which was why months after Dianna had disappeared, he’d still looked for her.
    “You could always stroke it a little, see if it gets bigger.” He wiggled his eyebrows, and she finally laughed outright, putting her hand over her mouth.
    “Does that line actually work?” she asked.
    “I don’t know, ask me in the morning.”
    “I suppose women do like your pretty face. What is it your friend calls you?”
    Luke rolled his eyes and groaned. God had blessed him with the looks he’d given another.
    “Idris Elba,” he muttered under his breath.
    “The actor? Hm.” Abigail tilted her head to the side. “I can see the resemblance, but you’re rougher around the edges.”
    “Thank you…I think.”
    “It was a compliment.”
    “You can keep those coming.”
    “To stroke your fragile male ego?”
    “Exactly.” He turned toward her, propping a foot on the lowest rung of her chair.
    It was time to take a gamble.
    He was going to tell her.
    At some point he’d already decided that, but it’d taken him longer to accept the decision, probably thanks to his track record with women. But she was different. Whoever Abigail was, he didn’t want to see her burned by these people. She wasn’t the kind of woman in the market for rescuing. And she had a right to know, so she could watch her back.
    “Lean toward me like you’re interested in me. Really interested.” He lowered his lids and turned up the wattage on his smile.
    “Now why would I do that?” She tilted her chin down and her lashes made one, slow wave at him.
    That look was killer.
    In this moment, damn. She was something else.
    “Because I want to tell you a secret.” He reached for her hand and she allowed him to pull it away from her glass. Their gazes remained locked while he—for the hell of it—brought her knuckles to his lips and kissed one, two, three, all four of them.
    Damn, he’d love to kiss the rest of her, too.
    She turned the slightest bit toward him and leaned in closer.
    “What secret would that be?” she asked.
    Was it hot in here? Or was it just the way she was looking at him?
    Maybe it wasn’t an act.
    “I know Mr. and Mrs. Smith’s real names.”
    “Oh?” She turned her hand in his, until their fingers could twine together. She leaned closer and whispered in his ear. “That’s one thing you shouldn’t say out loud. The staff gives them a wide berth. What else do you