I Spy a Naughty Game

back. She’d probably already been debriefed and was home by now, sleeping soundly under an armed watch. Or Michael might have ordered her to stay here at the compound in one of the spare living quarters, where it was safer.

“Blaze!”

He jerked his head around and saw her jogging toward him, beautiful face lined with worry. He barely had time to hold out his arms, and she was in his embrace, alternately squeezing the stuffing out of him and peppering his face with kisses.

“Oh, my God! I’m so glad you’re all right,” she said. “When hours went by and you guys didn’t come back, I was beside myself.”

“You were concerned about me? After being kidnapped and held hostage by that asshole? No, baby, I’m fine. It’s you I care about.”

“I’m okay, but you’re most certainly not! What happened to your neck?” Frowning, she gingerly touched the red, angry four-inch line on his throat, caked with dried blood. “I didn’t notice this in the dark.”

“Just a scuffle with a scumbag. He lost.”

“I’d hate to see what he looks like. God, he could’ve killed you,” she said in a quiet voice.

“Well, he didn’t, and he won’t ever be able to hurt anyone again.”

“Like Dietz.” She gazed into his eyes. “You did apprehend him, right?”

Jaw clenching, he looked away. “No. We got inside the house, and he’d vanished, along with a couple of men. They must’ve had some sort of secret way out in case of discovery.”

She appeared as disheartened as he felt. “Damn that slippery bastard! What about the guards?”

“Got most of them, and they’re in the jail below, under double security because of the breakout. None of them are talking yet, but they haven’t yet been subjected to our brand of persuasion.”

“It didn’t work with Dietz,” she pointed out.

“No, but things are getting desperate. SHADO has been authorized by the president to use whatever means are necessary to extract the information. The gloves are off now.”

“I’m sure I don’t want to know what that means.”

“You probably don’t, but you may not have a choice. You’re involved, and I have a feeling Michael is still going to want you undercover, with or without me.”

“What’s that supposed to mean? Of course I’ll be with you.”

“There’s a good chance you won’t. Michael ordered me to remain behind when they went to rescue you. I happened to disagree.” Now that she was safe, he dreaded the thought of her working with anyone else, especially on this assignment.

“Oh, Blaze,” she groaned. “Why would you do something so stupid? I’m sure the team had it under control.”

He stiffened at her remark. “Sure. Except I’m the one who helped Byrd take out those three goons who were about to gun down you and your new buddy. Where is he, by the way?”

“J.C.? In recovery. They did surgery to remove the bullet, and he’s going to be fine. I wanted to hang around here until they’d let me see for myself, though.”

“Yeah, I’ll bet.” Okay, that came out more like a snarl than he’d intended. But dammit, it was quite a blow to learn she hadn’t been here waiting for him after all. Instead, she was here waiting on her new buddy — with whom she was apparently on a first-name basis. And was that guilt in those big blue eyes? Fuck.

“What’s wrong with making sure the man who saved my life is okay?”

“He saved your life? I think I might’ve helped just a little,” he growled.

“Of course you did! Don’t you think I know that? I just mean that J.C. doesn’t have anyone here for him. Well, not until the FBI or someone else arrives to stay with him and then take him home.” She gave him a slight frown. “Would you begrudge him when he watched over me the whole time and made sure I was safe?”

“No. But is that all he did?”

There it was. The guilty deer-in-the-headlights look. Ah, goddamn.

You reap what you sow, Kelly. What are you gonna do now, idiot?

“Never mind,” he said, holding up a hand. “It doesn’t matter.”

She wrung her hands. “Blaze, I’m sorry—”

“Don’t be. You did what you had to do… and so did I.” Her eyes rounded at that. Wasn’t True Confessions fun?

“You were with another woman?” she whispered, mouth trembling.

“No, not a woman.” He watched her figure it out, emotions playing on her face.

“Then what — oh.” She blinked at him owlishly. “Who was it?”

“I’m not sure I should say. It might make things awkward for him.” He sighed. “It wasn’t planned. We were both under an extraordinary amount of stress, and it just happened. I’m not trying to make an excuse, but we both had a need and took what we wanted. It wasn’t smart, and it probably won’t happen again, but I can’t change it.”

“You know, just a few weeks ago I wouldn’t have understood.” Her cheeks flushed, but she held his gaze.

“And now you do?”

She nodded. “Yeah. I guess we have a lot to talk about when we get away from here.”

“Do we?”

“Or not.” She shrugged, looking lost. “Hell, I never know what the rules are with you.”

“Is that what you want? Rules? With me in charge, and not just because of the assignment?”

“I said before that I was willing to give it a try, didn’t I?”

A flare of excitement shot through his blood, quickly tempered. “I want you to be certain, baby. If you’re not fully committed in here,” he emphasized, tapping the side of her head, “it won’t work.”

“I’m willing to kick my preconceptions to the curb and give it a shot.” Her tone was sincere.

“It can’t be only for me, though. You have to want it for yourself.” As much as he wanted this, she had to understand the difference.

“I’m not doing this for you, but for me. For us,” she said earnestly. “I’ve learned a few things about myself lately — that my world isn’t as black and white as I always believed — and I think I owe it to myself to explore them. Will it work? I don’t know, but I’m ready to—”

Whatever she might’ve said was put on hold as three men walked into the lobby. All three were wearing suits, one in particular appearing more rumpled and stressed-out than the other two.

Michael. Fan-fucking-tastic. Blaze might be fired and hiring out as a mercenary before this day was over.

“Agent Kelly,” Ross said coolly as the three approached. “These gentlemen are from the FBI and have come to see about Agent Collins. They’ll stay with him until he’s well enough to be transferred to another facility.”

You’re not needed here was what he really meant.

Blaze turned his attention to the pair of dour-faced suits. “Good. I can’t thank Collins enough for rescuing Agent Foster,” he said, indicating her. “She’s a damned fine lady and a valued part of our team here. I hope he’s not in trouble for doing the right thing.”

One of them pursed his thin lips. “He might’ve been, but we’d already received communication from him forty-eight hours ago that he believed he was under suspicion. The director was getting ready to pull him out.”

The guy didn’t sound real happy about it. Like he’d wanted Collins to be in deep shit. Some assholes were like that. “Good to know. Well, it was nice to meet you, but I’m going to get this scratch doctored, and then I’m out of here.” He glanced at Ross. “Unless you want me to see you after?”

“No, it’s late. You and Foster go home and get some sleep. I’ll see you both in my office at three this afternoon.”

Not as much time as he’d hoped, but he was lucky to get that much. His boss was so pissed, there was no way anyone could miss the signals. “We’ll be there. Coming with me?” he asked Emma.

“Yes.”

They started toward the check-in desk together, but Ross caught him by the arm. “You’re not off the hook,” he said, low enough the two Feds couldn’t hear. “The reason we’re not meeting now is if we do, I’ll fire your ass, and I can’t afford to lose an agent of your caliber. You get me?”