Page 53 of The Spy
"He warned Jennings not to think with his cock."
"Probably too late for that,” I quipped.
Gabe smirked. "Not sure I can blame him."
I tilted my head and stared at him. " Should I get my knives back out?"
"You're welcome to try," he said with a grin.
The truth of it was I could get a swipe in on Gabe, but I would only get the one. When Gabe fought, he was ruthless.
Sparring with him was an exercise in making your teeth rattle. He didn't care how hurt you got if it meant taking you down. It made him a terrific agent because he would always put the greater good over himself. However, when you cared about him, that was terrible. Saff was always worried about him. Especially now that he'd gained an ally with Lachlan. Because Lachlan wouldn't say no. Ever.
"Anything else?"
"There was something about a Miller file. So listen closely if that comes up." He handed me the cloner. It looked like a phone. "Here you go. Remember, you have to be careful."
"I know. Clone the phone. Casually leave it on but face down. Get him talking about family histories. Act as if I’m embarrassed to overshare. I can do this."
"We've got Devlin and Legend in the restaurant. If anything goes wrong, you walk up to the bar, ask for a very dirty martini, and they’ll get you out of there. Do you understand?"
I licked my lips and nodded. "Yeah, I guess."
I turned to leave, and he grabbed my elbow again. "Are you sure you’re okay?"
I lifted a brow. God, the man was so stupidly beautiful. But he wasn't quite so pretty that you'd have to worry about sharing your moisturizer with him. The stubble on his jaw gave him a rugged edge. And God, the way he smelled. Every time I was around him, all I wanted to do was lean in and sniff his skin. Ocean breezes, evergreens, and a hint of spice.
Saff had said that it was his sandalwood soap. But there was something else just uniquely Gabe. I never could figure it out. Either way, he smelled incredible, and I needed help because he was my commanding officer, and this was never ever going to happen. While Saff and Lachlan, and then Saint and Kaya could break rules, none of them had tried to hump their boss, which really was bad for a career.
"I'm good. Besides, if I'm in here too long and he's watching, he's going to get ideas. And I would rather he didn't."
"He can get all the ideas he wants, but he's not touching you." Gabe said that through a growl and my brows lifted. He meant it.
I was perfectly safe on this mission. Gabe was here, and he'd make sure that Tate did not touch what was not permitted.
My problem was I was supposed to allow him something to touch. But the idea made my stomach turn because Jennings Tate was not the man I wanted.
The man I wanted was standing right in front of me, but I couldn’t have him. The chasm between us yawned.
When I turned to go, once again, Gabe stopped me. I turned, shifted on my feet, and muttered, "What?"
His gaze searched mine. "Something's wrong with you. What is it?"
I frowned at that. For the second time in two days, a man who had no business being able to see through to my vulnerability had taken notice. Why had they taken notice?
"Nothing."
"I'm your handler. If you need something in the field, you have to tell me. I can't read your bloody mind."
But I couldn't tell him.
For starters, if this thing with my sister was a credible threat, I needed to keep him away from it. Saff too. If this was a credible threat, I was compromised and was going to have to walk off this mission.
Until I knew that to be true, I was going to do the job to the best of my ability. It would really help me if my teammates weren't doubting my every move.
"I'm fine. Let's just get this over with."
He nodded slowly. "I'm serious, Tabs. If he touches you, I will kill him."
