ShadowsofNight Read Free Page A

careful.
    “Keep it that way or I’ll pull your ass from this
assignment. Is that clear?” His tone grew sharp.
    Wow, wasn’t expecting that. “Crystal, Sir.” She held
his penetrating gaze without flinching.
    He moved closer. His expression softened slightly. “I know
I’m being tough on you, Hayes, but we just lost a couple agents in New York
recently. I don’t want that to be you too. These are perilous times.”
    “I heard what happened. They won’t get the drop on me. Don’t
worry.” She’d keep her cool.
    “You’d better hope not. Those bastards have keen senses and
can read most humans like a book. You can’t let your guard down for a moment.”
He stepped even closer as his eyes traveled the length of her body.
    “Something wrong, Sir?” She knew what that hungry expression
meant. It wasn’t happening again.
    “I think you look beautiful dressed in a skirt and heels.”
    “What—this costume? That’s all it is. Don’t get used to it.”
Clearly she’d have to find a way to somehow extricate herself from the trap
she’d created by allowing Cain in. It didn’t help that the wall she’d built
around her emotions made it hard to accept praise from the opposite sex,
especially if they had to do with her looks.
    “Is there a problem with me giving you a compliment?” He put
his hands on his hips.
    “I’m not the girlie type, Sir, so yeah, I do kind of take
issue with it.” She rolled her eyes to make light of her comment.
    “You’re still a woman, Em.”
    She hadn’t forgotten. “I’m a soldier first, Sir.” Emma shot
him a dry look and pushed past him. She had a single-minded purpose, and this
wasn’t it. His appreciation of her femininity wasn’t part of the mission. The task
at hand was the only thing she was interested in at the moment.
    He forced a smile. “You always keep those who care about you
at bay.”
    Somewhere in the room, a cell phone rang.
    Ah, perfect timing. She was eager to go—before her
boss decided to pull her off the assignment over his growing attachment and
what she feared was an unnecessary need to keep her safe. She walked over to
her purse to fish out her cell.
    “Emma here,” she replied. “Yes, we’re coming down right now.”
She hung up the phone, stuck it back in her purse and headed for the door.
    Cain blocked her path. “Wait, I’m not finished.”
    “Can we make this quick? They’re waiting for us downstairs.”
She tried not to let her irritation show but her patience was running out.
    “I want you to wear this.” He placed a transmitter on her
lapel.
    Has he lost his mind? “You’re not serious? If they
find this on me, I’m toast. Keep it.” She pulled it off her jacket and slapped it
into his palm.
    “I’m not giving you a choice. Wear it or I’m taking you off
this assignment.”
    When she spoke again, her tone was hard. “Why do I get the
impression this has nothing to do with my capabilities as an operative, but
your personal issues with me taking the assignment? I can handle myself. I’ve
proven it time and again. The Network hired me because I came with a special
skill set. Can we go now?”
    “I care about you, is that so wrong?”
    “No, it’s not wrong. But it isn’t a good idea either. We had
a fling. It was fun but let’s leave it at that, okay?” She tried not to be a
bitch but she knew they shouldn’t have gotten involved.
    “You’re such a hard-ass, Agent Hayes. Sometimes I think you
want everyone to believe you have a set of balls hanging between those pretty
little thighs of yours.” He smirked.
    She stepped closer and slid her hands over the planes of his
chest and his breath hitched. “Why? Because I’m not some little crybaby bitch who
needs her clit stroked to feel loved? Yes, I do like a good fuck every once in
a while—but I don’t need you hanging off my tit, Sir .” She dropped her
hands and took a step back.
    Shit, did she really just talk like that to her commanding
officer? She never