behind her, and she jumped. Turning, she took in the man lounging against the
heavy oak. The scent of wild male filled her feminine apartment. “You have a death wish,” she muttered.
Nathan lifted an eyebrow, muscled arms crossed. “You going to kill me?”
The man had no clue how tempting the thought suddenly became. “No, but I’m being watched, and
maybe they’re waiting for you to show up.” She slipped her arms out of her coat. Lying to him kept her on
full alert, while the guilt of doing so leavened her limbs.
“I saw the two men watching you,” Nate said, rolling his eyes.
“Lucky you.” Darn it. She’d been unable to spot them. “Get out of town, and I promise I’ll find out
what I can about the kill chips.”
His eyes darkened to a dangerous gray. He’d ditched the contacts. “Your promise doesn’t mean much to
me.”
Hurt chilled her throughout, partially because he was spot on. “I’m sure that’s true.” Lying to him about
her plan with the senator was a mistake, but even so, she threw down the gauntlet. “But you don’t have a
choice.”
“Don’t I?” he asked, his voice lowering to a softness that was all the more deadly for the low tenor.
She shivered, and not from fear. The tone he used… she’d known it well. Southern promises and
heated nights. Her nipples sprang alive, and her sex softened. “I’m telling you, the commander has people
watching me.”
“I know.”
Was he crazy? “You won’t be able to hide from them for long.” Sure, he was trained, but so were the
men watching her.
“Sure I will. Especially with this cover as Jason McGovern from the technology firm you’re working
with.” His gaze warmed as it traveled from her feet to her face. “In fact, we’ll be seeing a lot of each other.”
“No, we won’t.” Panic awakened inside her on the heels of raw desire. “They might be waiting for you
to show up, and I’m bait.”
“Why would you be bait?” he asked, no expression crossing his chiseled face.
Not because he still loved her, obviously. Pain cut into her, and she rubbed her stomach. “I’m your way
in, and you know it. They know it. We all know it.” She shook out her umbrella. “Now get out of my
apartment.”
“No.” Curiosity glinted in his eyes.
Her hold tightened on the wood as she lifted the umbrella. “Don’t push me, Nate.”
His arms dropped to his sides. “Or what?” he drawled, male cockiness in full force.
She swung. God help her, she knew better, but she did it anyway. With all her strength, with all the
emotion she was tamping down, she swung the umbrella full force at his face.
He caught it easily in one hand, pivoting and trapping her against the door. Over two hundred pounds
of hard muscled male pinned her in place.
She’d forgotten how quickly he could move. Her breath panted out while her knees weakened.
He stared down at her, fury glinting in his eyes, a vein standing out along his neck. “What did I teach
you?” he ground out.
She blinked. “What?”
“Self-defense. What’s your first lesson?” Anger rode every word.
The door cooled her back while the warm male vibrating with temper heated her front. “Um, to aim for
the neck or eyes?” What was his point?
“Exactly.” He stepped into her, still glaring. “Swinging an umbrella at a guy like me? Never let temper
put you in more danger.”
Her mind swam. He was angry because she hadn’t really tried to harm him? She couldn’t deal with the
confusion on top of everything else. “What do you want from me?”
“Answers.” He tossed the umbrella to the floor.
There was no way to physically kick him out. Her shoulders slumped along with her spirit. “Fine. Do
we have to talk here in the entryway?” she asked.
“No.” He stepped back to allow her to hang her coat in the closet by the door. “I put noodles on.”
She stilled. He cooked dinner? Almost in a dream, she followed him through the small apartment
heavy oak. The scent of wild male filled her feminine apartment. “You have a death wish,” she muttered.
Nathan lifted an eyebrow, muscled arms crossed. “You going to kill me?”
The man had no clue how tempting the thought suddenly became. “No, but I’m being watched, and
maybe they’re waiting for you to show up.” She slipped her arms out of her coat. Lying to him kept her on
full alert, while the guilt of doing so leavened her limbs.
“I saw the two men watching you,” Nate said, rolling his eyes.
“Lucky you.” Darn it. She’d been unable to spot them. “Get out of town, and I promise I’ll find out
what I can about the kill chips.”
His eyes darkened to a dangerous gray. He’d ditched the contacts. “Your promise doesn’t mean much to
me.”
Hurt chilled her throughout, partially because he was spot on. “I’m sure that’s true.” Lying to him about
her plan with the senator was a mistake, but even so, she threw down the gauntlet. “But you don’t have a
choice.”
“Don’t I?” he asked, his voice lowering to a softness that was all the more deadly for the low tenor.
She shivered, and not from fear. The tone he used… she’d known it well. Southern promises and
heated nights. Her nipples sprang alive, and her sex softened. “I’m telling you, the commander has people
watching me.”
“I know.”
Was he crazy? “You won’t be able to hide from them for long.” Sure, he was trained, but so were the
men watching her.
“Sure I will. Especially with this cover as Jason McGovern from the technology firm you’re working
with.” His gaze warmed as it traveled from her feet to her face. “In fact, we’ll be seeing a lot of each other.”
“No, we won’t.” Panic awakened inside her on the heels of raw desire. “They might be waiting for you
to show up, and I’m bait.”
“Why would you be bait?” he asked, no expression crossing his chiseled face.
Not because he still loved her, obviously. Pain cut into her, and she rubbed her stomach. “I’m your way
in, and you know it. They know it. We all know it.” She shook out her umbrella. “Now get out of my
apartment.”
“No.” Curiosity glinted in his eyes.
Her hold tightened on the wood as she lifted the umbrella. “Don’t push me, Nate.”
His arms dropped to his sides. “Or what?” he drawled, male cockiness in full force.
She swung. God help her, she knew better, but she did it anyway. With all her strength, with all the
emotion she was tamping down, she swung the umbrella full force at his face.
He caught it easily in one hand, pivoting and trapping her against the door. Over two hundred pounds
of hard muscled male pinned her in place.
She’d forgotten how quickly he could move. Her breath panted out while her knees weakened.
He stared down at her, fury glinting in his eyes, a vein standing out along his neck. “What did I teach
you?” he ground out.
She blinked. “What?”
“Self-defense. What’s your first lesson?” Anger rode every word.
The door cooled her back while the warm male vibrating with temper heated her front. “Um, to aim for
the neck or eyes?” What was his point?
“Exactly.” He stepped into her, still glaring. “Swinging an umbrella at a guy like me? Never let temper
put you in more danger.”
Her mind swam. He was angry because she hadn’t really tried to harm him? She couldn’t deal with the
confusion on top of everything else. “What do you want from me?”
“Answers.” He tossed the umbrella to the floor.
There was no way to physically kick him out. Her shoulders slumped along with her spirit. “Fine. Do
we have to talk here in the entryway?” she asked.
“No.” He stepped back to allow her to hang her coat in the closet by the door. “I put noodles on.”
She stilled. He cooked dinner? Almost in a dream, she followed him through the small apartment
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