There was more whooping on the other end of the line. “Honey, he's so into you. Even if he doesn't remember. This is some love shit.”

  There was no way I was entertaining this line of conversation. “No, this is some chemistry shit. We find each other attractive. How do you do it? You've been on missions where you have to pretend to be the girlfriend of someone. How do you pretend and not get a little affected?”

  Tabatha sighed. “Honey, that's very different. Sure, maybe I find my fake person attractive. But I look at it like an acting job. You and Lachlan actually have a thing, so it's going to be harder for you to separate fact from fiction.”

  “That was the last thing on earth I wanted to hear from you.”

  She laughed softly. “I'm sorry. I wish I could give you, if not good news, easy news. But there is no easy news. You two will just need to figure out your feelings.”

  “That's just it. I'm trying to ignore my feelings, thank you very much. There was nothing wrong with Elsa and her conceal-don't-feel methodology.”

  “Yes, but we all know how that ended up. Stuffing your feelings is never good. You have to look at them and deal with them properly. And in your case dealing with it might involve just shagging him and getting him out of your system.”

  I laughed. “You're no help.”

  “I'm sorry. I shouldn't tease you. But I do think you should shag him. Because orgasms are good for everybody. And it will be like a reset. Maybe that can be your starting point.”

  I groaned and rolled around in the bed, pulling the pillow over my face. “This was not helpful.”

  “On the contrary, I find this very helpful. Now I have the play-by-play. So how are you going to play it when you see him this morning? Cool, casual, completely unbothered? Or are you going to really lean in, give him another smack on the lips and see what happens?”

  “You would really like that wouldn't you?”

  “I would actually.”

  I rolled my eyes. “No, I am going to play it cool. This is a mission. And I need to remember that. This isn't real, and I can't have Lachlan.”

  “Well, if you insist on being boring, fine. You wanted my advice, and I gave it. Enjoy this time. Really lean in. Get him out of your system, get some orgasms in, then go back to your normally scheduled programming.”

  “Ugh. That doesn't help Tabs.”

  She laughed. “Look, I’m mostly teasing. But enjoy it. Experience what it's like to actually be in a relationship. Think of it like a test run, minus all the ghosting and mediocre boys.”

  I hung up with her on a laugh and forced myself to climb out of bed. I couldn't hide in there all day. I was going to have to face him. And it would probably be best if I acted like I wasn't one giant walking hormone when it came to him.

  Saffron

  "Are you okay?"

  Something was off with Lock. When I’d come down for breakfast, he’d been uncharacteristically quiet.

  Lock watched me carefully. “Yeah."

  "Are you sure? You seem off." He looked fine, but he was quieter than usual.

  “I'm good. You good?"

  Last night had been intense. I wasn't ashamed to say I’d had two cold showers since he’d kissed me. Today, he was acting off. I needed to figure out what the hell it was, because tonight was a party that Massimo and Graciella had invited us to. I needed him on his game. But first, I needed to get my brother up to speed. ”Totally good.”

  There was something like resigned reproach in his eyes when he said, “Good. Let’s go.”

  An hour later, we were meeting in the Royal Elite conference room. Jax started the meeting a little late with an apology. "Sorry we're late, everyone. Ariel had a last-minute thing up at the castle."

  Zia nodded and quickly dialed London. Gabe answered with his typical, "Webb."

  I almost had to laugh at my brother. He was so predictable. “Gabe, it's us."

  There was a part of me that thought there was some warmth in his voice, but I could never tell. "Saff, you all right?"

  “Yeah, we're fine. We're just calling in for a status check."

  "Tonight's the party, right?" he asked.

  “Yes, the plan is we'll go to the party, find a reason to get into the bedroom, and plant a bug in the cupboard. Lock will take care of the balconies, providing we have access. Back up will also be Jax and Zia. Saint will be our waiter. He’ll give us our kill code if we have to abort. The ultimate goal is to get into the library."

  Gabe listened to me silently. “Don't take any unnecessary risks. This is just surveillance."

  I clenched my jaw, trying to dissipate the annoyance at his admonishment. “I understand the assignment, Gabe."

  “Good. Anything we get, make sure we've got photos on everyone."

  "We're on it. We'll have additional help tonight too. Queen Penny and Ariel will be in attendance."

  "Make sure the whole team knows the abort code."

  “I will make that determination in the field," I said through clenched teeth.

  Jesus, even from thousands of miles away, he was still trying to control exactly how I managed everything.

  "How is Lock managing?"

  I tried not to grumble. And despite his surly demeanor today, he was helpful by jumping in.

  "Lock is fine. Listening to Saff. Staying the hell out of trouble. Mostly lending my name and trying to be a billionaire dick so I can play the part."

  "Massimo's believing it? You two are old chums?"

  “Yeah. Although, I will say, I don't love his fixation on Saff."

  I scowled at him then. What the fuck was he doing?

  Gabe's reply was tense. "What fixation?"

  I stared at Lock. "Our new recruit thinks Massimo is fixated on me. That isn't accurate. We will proceed with the mission as outlined."

  My brother's voice was hard. “Do we need to pull you?"

  "No. And remember, I’m the lead agent in the field."

  I could almost see his jaw tensing from here. "Saff, we're not taking risks with your safety."

  "No, but I’m the agent in the field, so I’ll make the determination."

  Lachlan scowled at me. What the hell was his problem? Everything had been fine yesterday. I'd have to ask him about it later because I did not have time for his attitude right now.

  "Have we heard any chatter on our actual targets?"

  Lock sighed. "No, but we've got a keen ear. All the intel so far has to do with his businesses. As far as we can tell, legitimate ones. He's doing some entertainment management thing. Presumably for Graciella, but I know the Ignos, and there's no way that's on the up and up.”

  “Fine,” Gabe said. “Keep doing what you're doing. We'll find a way. We know wherever Massimo is, Drake isn't far behind."

  I shivered just thinking about him. But I squared my shoulders and resolved to get my job done. My team was counting on me.

  When we finished with my brother, Jax nodded at me. "Would you like more men tonight?"

  "No. I know you guys have to assess security for the queen. I don't see any problems. It's a party. But obviously, have as many men there as you think you need to have."

  “I'm not worried about the queen. Penny can handle herself. We're only there to make Sebastian happy. Ariel and Penny make a hell of a team on their own, so you won't have to look out for them. She may look like a fairy princess, but she's not bad at hand-to-hand combat, and she will be armed."

  I blinked slowly. “I knew, she was a Royal Guard, but I guess I assumed she wasn't combat trained."

  Jax and Zia chuckled. Zia's smile was broad. "Oh, you don't know Queen Penny.”

  As we left Royal Elite, I couldn't shake the feeling something was wrong with Lock. Every time I snuck a glance at him, his jaw was tight, a frown marring his forehead. I headed to the driver's side, but he shook his head and scowled. “I'm driving."

  I tried again. “Is there something wrong?"

  "Nope. Nothing."

  “You've been weird since last night."

  “I'm not weird." His response was terse.

  "Are you sure?"

  He turned to me then. "Question, how did you get assigned to me?"

  I frowned. “Gabe. He assigned me to you after our initial debacle outside of the bungalow.”

  “So before then, you didn't know me?"

  I frowned. "What's going on?"

  “I just assumed you'd seen my file or something."

  I shook my head. “I had no idea you even existed at Rogues until you tried to put me on my arse."

  "Almost managed it too."

  “You wish," I said, rolling my eyes.

  For a moment, the teasing was back, the effortlessness. But when we climbed back in the car, he was all tense again.

  "Do you feel uneasy? Did you see something? You have to talk to me."

  “I'm just trying to figure out why this is your first mission."

  I frowned. "We're doing this now?"

  He nodded. “Yeah, we're doing this now."

  "Well, do you want to start driving so I can fill you in with all the boring details while we're on the road?"

  He frowned at that and started the engine.

  "When my parents died, I wasn't twenty-one yet. I couldn't fully step into the legacy, and honestly, I don't like to admit it, but Gabe’s right. I don't think I am ready. I want to be ready, and God, being a field agent has been all I have dreamed about my entire life, but I was too young. And now it's like I can't get any experience because Gabe never lets me out of his sight. But suddenly, you turn up, and you get this fun mission."

  "Well, it's not exactly a walk in the park. I think I was chosen for it because of my school connection with Massimo.”

  He started to ease out onto the king's road and hit the brakes. "But Antonio, he's the big bad. Papa evil. And then his second in command, Drake Webster."

  I shuddered. "He killed my parents. Antonio ordered it, but Drake carried it out. Massimo is below Drake in the pecking order. He doesn't know anything. And for the most part, he's been kept out of the family business. Drake isn’t blood, but he’s the adopted heir to the arms dealer throne."

  Lock cursed under his breath. "And that's why everyone's tense when we talk about the Ignos. I didn't fucking know."

  I turned to face him then. “I get the impression you're trying to ask me something? Like you’re uneasy with this."

  He shook his head. "No. Not with the mission. It’s you. You, make me uneasy. We’re the problem."

  16

  Saffron

  Okay, I was nervous as shit.

  Especially given what he’d said. We’re the problem.

  God, how were we going to get around this tension? We needed to figure out a way around it or we wouldn’t make it.

  As we stepped into Massimo Igno's party, I was hyper-aware of every move, every angle, what the job was. My comms had been hidden in my lipstick and when I’d gone to the loo, I’d slid it into my bra, pulling my braids forward to cover just in case. When I stepped out of the loo, Graciella was waiting for me. "Oh, there you are."

  "Ha, sorry, I was just in the loo."

  "Wow, you look gorgeous." She looped her arm through mine. “You must tell me what your hair stuff is. It smells divine."

  "Um, it's pretty ordinary. It's shea moisturizing conditioner."

  "Maybe it's not your hair stuff but your perfume. What do you wear?"

  "Oh, it's this perfume my mother used to wear. She had it custom made."

  "Of course, it's custom made. God, that's not even fair. Do you remember the perfumery? I have been trying to hunt that scent down since we met the other day."

  "Trust me, I’ve tried. I just know she always wore it."

  "Ugh, is it one of those things you can call her and ask?"

  I cleared my throat. "No, unfortunately, my mother died a couple years ago."

  Her face fell. "Oh gosh, I’m so sorry. Listen to me going on and on about perfume. I’m sorry, that was insensitive."

  “It's okay, you couldn't know."

  Except, it wasn't okay.

  Why was she obsessed with my scent anyway?

  Lock's obsessed with it too.

  Yeah, but his obsession didn't annoy me at all. Hers, did.

  "Why don't you come out to the balcony. This is quite a crush of people. You know Massimo… He loves to be social."

  "Okay."

  She led me to the side balcony, and I knew that if he'd been able to put his coms in by now, that Lock had me. I wasn't getting lost. Still, I couldn't help but feel uneasy. It was hotter out in the balcony that she led me to.

  "So, why don't you tell me about your relationship with Lock? You two seem so in step. It must be that flush of honeymoon, right? He's hardly left your side since he walked in."

  “Yeah, I mean, we do like each other a lot."

  "And you met at a party, right?"

  I was very careful to recite the exact story. I added a few slight embellishments as a normal person telling the story would, but I was careful. She was prodding, and I wanted to know why.

  “I mean, he must have been one hell of a playboy before you caught him, right?"

  "That's... You know, that’s what I hear. But with me, he's so different."

  “Yeah, that's what I say about Massimo. I changed him."

  I blinked slowly, fighting against the urge to say you can't change a person, because that's what Saff would say. But here, I wasn't Saff. I was Saffron. “I mean, that's what love can do for you, right?"

  “You guys are such a sexy couple. It's just so delicious watching you together."

  I frowned at that, unsure of where she was going, but I let it go. In my com, I could hear Lock's choked laughter and then he muttered, “I told you I was sexy.”

  I resisted, just barely, the urge to roll my eyes.

  “I mean, you two are young. I feel like getting married young means that you're a little wilder and a little more open to everything, you know?"

  I had no idea where this was going. Graciella still had her arm wrapped around my waist. What was she doing?

  Her hand stroked my hip, and I frowned at the contact because I wasn't usually comfortable being touched by someone. "Um, yeah, you know, Lock always does push me to think outside my comfort zone."

  “I love to hear that because Massimo has me doing the same."

  "Oh, really? Like what?"

  I kept the conversation going the best I could, because at the end of the day, she was giving me yet another place I could bug. We reached the edge of the balcony and I gently slipped my finger into my clutch, palming the little keys that held the listening devices. “I mean, you're young too. And God, you're a movie star."

  "Only in Spain. I haven't really broken into the international market yet, but I’m working on it."

  "That's honestly impressive. I'm still trying to figure it out. I work at King Media for Lachlan’s family."

  "Right, King Media. Let me guess, you're in marketing or something where the cute girls hang out?"

  I ground my teeth together. “You guessed it."

  "Ah yes, young and impressionable. I could see the appeal."

  “I don't understand."

  “You know, powerful men do love a young and impressionable woman around."

  “I suppose so." Where the hell was this going?

  Lock's voice was in my com. “Incoming."

  "There you are, Graciella. And our guest of honor. I was just talking to your husband, reminiscing about our days at Eton and some of what we used to get up to."

  "Oh, you know, he doesn't really talk about his school days much."

  "I wouldn't imagine he would. You know, he was a bad boy then."

  I shuddered at the way he said it. “I'm sure he was."

  “Graciella, why don't you be a dear? I left my drink."

  I knew I didn’t want to be left alone with him. "Oh, I’ll get it. I want to check on Lock anyway."

  Massimo wrapped his arm around my waist where Graciella’s had been. "No, you stay. I want to get to know you better."

  I swallowed hard. This was not good.

  When Graciella was gone, he turned his attention to me. "She's beautiful, yes?"

  “Graciella? Yes, but of course she is."

  “You know, before she was an actress, she was a model. And she was a muse at Valentino."

  “I didn’t know that. She's stunning, of course."

  He frowned at the door she’d just slipped through. “Yes, of course she's stunning. You know, sometimes I wonder, how people get married."

  I shifted in his hold.

  "Um, I suppose they just do? You find someone you love and off you get."

  “Yes, but how do you know? I always feel like you have to sample all the goods."

  I tried not to purse my lips at his use of the word goods. "Well, when you find the right person, maybe you feel like you need to stop sampling."

  “I hate to think people get married and lose themselves entirely. You can't even recognize them for who they once were," he said.

  “I'm sure that happens more often than not." Once again, I tried to escape his hold. The way he was holding me was too close. Too familiar.

  "Don't you worry that Lock will be unfaithful?"

  I swallowed hard. "That’s not even a question.” I had a strong conviction when I said it. I just knew him. When Lock was in, he was in. He’d made that clear the night we spent together, and that was it.

  "Ah, Graciella always worries that I’ll be unfaithful, so she's even agreed that we're open, did you know that?"

  My brows lifted slightly. "Well, for some people that works."

  "Would it work for you?"

  I blinked slowly. "No. I'm far too jealous. And Lock is quite demanding. He almost extinguishes all the oxygen in the room. He's all I can see."

  He leaned in close to me. "He's a lucky man."