Kiss Me in the Moonlight (Destined for Love: Europe)

by Lindzee Armstrong

  “Don’t spend it all in one place,” Nick said and jogged into the trees.

  Maybe he’d been going about this all wrong. What if it wasn’t someone on the diamond smuggling team that had leaked the intel, but someone working with the drug side of things? His head pounded with each footfall through the dense forest. Something still didn’t fit.

  He needed to find out more about this Racer character.

  Nick burst through the tree line and onto the pathway surrounding the lake. He slowed his pace, not wanting to draw attention. The docks were fuller than they had been during his confrontation with Paige. The sun neared the top of the sky, and he knew without looking at his watch that soon the bus would be loading.

  Deal with Paige. Fix his relationship. Find out who the leak was. Avenge Devin’s death. And he only had three months in which to accomplish everything.

  The honking of car horns and bustle of shoppers on the main street of Titisee drowned out the sound of tourists laughing as they rowed into the middle of the lake. Nick wandered down the main road, peeking his head into shops and hoping to see Paige. He tried to place himself in her situation—imagine how he’d react if their roles were reversed. A lump formed in his throat. Learning she had a life he knew nothing about would be devastating.

  He caught a glimpse of the flirtatious girls outside a restaurant, giant cones of different flavored eis in their hands. Maybe if he bought Paige one, she’d forgive him. He smirked as he imagined chasing her down, the chocolate ice cream a puddle thanks to the unforgiving sun.

  Then again, it certainly couldn’t hurt.

  Evie and Ryan stepped out of a Christmas shop, their tense postures immediately attracting Nick’s attention. Evie’s arms were folded, her strawberry blonde hair falling over her face. Ryan said something, moving his hands wildly as he spoke.

  Evie pointed to another shop, and Ryan held open the door. They both disappeared inside.

  Interesting. It seemed like sneaking out hadn’t helped the fighting.

  Nick crossed the street and opened the shop door. An impressive collection of hand-carved wooden tankards splayed out on the tables, but Evie and Ryan were nowhere to be seen.

  Nick nodded at the bored shopkeeper behind the counter, a round woman in her thirties with tired eyes. He caught a glimpse of movement behind a tall shelf near the back of the room.

  “It’s not as bad as you make it out to be,” Evie’s high voice said.

  “You’re right—it’s way worse.” Ryan’s words were harsh.

  “College starts in three months. That’s not too long to wait it out.”

  What were they waiting out? Nick picked up a tankard, pretending to examine the castle carved into it.

  “You know they’ll convince you to stay home somehow,” Ryan said. “He’s not going to let you move into the dorms.”

  “He’ll hurt my mom if I don’t.”

  So there was abuse going on at Evie’s home. Nick strained to hear better, his stomach coiled with anger.

  There was a rustle of fabric, and Nick caught a glimpse of Ryan through the racks, his arms wrapped around Evie.

  “I can’t stand the thought of you going back there after this trip,” Ryan said. “Let’s talk to my dad. He can help.”

  “No,” she said. Nick could hear the tears in Evie’s voice. “It’s killing me to imagine what he’s doing to my mom while I’m gone. He was furious she let me go on this trip in the first place. It’s so much money.”

  “You didn’t pay for it—I did,” Ryan said. “Well, my dad did.”

  Nick raised an eyebrow. He hadn’t realized Ryan came from such a wealthy family.

  “Same difference to him” Evie’s voice dropped. Nick couldn’t hear what she mumbled next.

  “I love you, Evie,” Ryan said, and there was a desperation in his voice that Nick recognized only too well. “I can’t let him keep hurting you.”

  “Let’s not talk about it anymore. Come on, help me pick a postcard to send to my mom. Something that’ll let her know I’m okay, but that won’t make Steve beat her to a bloody pulp.”

  Nick’s hand fisted reflexively. He shifted, and the butt of his gun pressed against the small of his back.

  Evie and Ryan moved around the shelf. Nick slid behind it, holding his breath and praying they hadn’t seen him. They spoke to the person at the cash register, paying for something—a postcard, Nick assumed.

  What was he supposed to do with this information? Evie was eighteen—a legal adult, free to live her own life. But if someone was hurting her, she deserved an out. He chewed on his lip. This was police work, not agent work—he was completely out of his depth.

  Maybe Paige would know what to do.

  Nick eased out of the building, keeping to the shadows as he trailed Evie and Ryan back to the bus.

  Paige waited on the hot pavement, watching the teens board. She smiled at Evie and Ryan, then climbed onto the bus after them.

  Nick crossed the parking lot, keeping his walk casual. He made his way down the aisle, relieved to see that the seat next to Paige was empty.

  Layla leaned against the back of a chair while she and Paige talked.

  “Hey, Nick,” Layla said. “Did you have fun?”

  “Sure.” Nick slid around Layla and slipped into the seat next to Paige.

  “What are you doing?” Paige hissed.

  Layla looked back and forth between them, grinning. “No, it’s fine. I wanted to sit with Tyler anyway.”

  Tyler walked from the back of the bus, as though summoned. “Everyone’s here.”

  “Great,” Layla said. “We’ll talk more later, Paige.”

  Layla and Tyler made their way up the aisle, claiming empty seats near the front. The bus lurched forward as the excited chatter of the kids bounced off the ceiling.

  “I thought it was pretty clear I needed space,” Paige said through clenched teeth.

  “I need to talk to you.”

  She put a hand to her head, rubbing at her brow. “I appreciate the explanation, Nick. Really, I do. But this” —she moved a hand back and forth between them— “is too much.”

  A knife twisted in Nick’s chest, but he shrugged it off. “That’s not what I want to talk about right now. I’m worried about Evie and Ryan.”

  Paige’s posture instantly straightened, her blue eyes bright and alert. “Did you catch them trying to sneak off again?”

  He almost wished he had. “No, but I overhead another interesting conversation. Something’s up with Evie. I think there might be domestic violence at home. What do you know about her?”

  “Oh no.” Paige’s lips turned down in a frown. “I don’t know much about her, to be honest. We mostly talk about history, and she doesn’t mention home. I know Ryan comes from a fairly well-off family, though. All I know is that his dad’s a businessman, whatever that means.”

  Nick pursed his lips. That fit—Ryan had said he paid for Evie’s trip.

  “Do you really think Evie is being hurt?” Paige asked. Her face was pale.

  Nick thought of the shadow he’d seen on Evie’s collarbone the night the couple tried to sneak out. He should’ve recognized it immediately for what it really was—a bruise. She’d worn long pants and jackets the entire trip.

  “Yeah, I do.”

  “We should confront her. Maybe we can help.”

  Nick was already shaking his head. “That almost never works. There’s always someone the victim is trying to protect. Let’s just keep an eye on them and stay close.”

  Paige’s eyes clouded. “I guess so.”

  Nick nodded and sank back against the headrest.

  “I’m not ready to deal with the other stuff yet,” Paige said.

  “Okay.”

  “I’m only going to let you sit by me if you agree not to bring it up.”

  “Okay,” Nick repeated. He was smart enough to know not to push her on this. Not yet.

  “Fine then.” Paige turned, angling her body to face the w
indow. She peered out intently, watching the forest fly past as they drove toward Interlaken.

  Nick closed his eyes. How had he gotten himself into this mess? And how was he going to fix it?

  The past few days in Switzerland had lasted an eternity. Paige kept a close eye on Evie and Ryan, while simultaneously working hard to avoid Nick.

  A government agent. How was she supposed to move forward with that information?

  The clang of cowbells rang over the mountain as Paige strolled down the path, reveling in her solitude. Vibrant green grasses waved gently in the breeze, and the city of Interlaken spread out far below her, the homes now the size of a doll’s. She desperately needed to recharge after spending so much time with noisy teenagers, and this seemed the perfect place to do it.

  Nick still wanted her—he’d made that abundantly clear. And her heart ached for him. But he was a different person to her, now. She wasn’t cut out to be the girlfriend of a spy.

  Paige stepped off the path and lay down on the cool grass. She closed her eyes, inhaling deeply. In. Out. In. Out. She focused on relaxing each muscle in her body and listened to the sound of each breath. The sun beat down on her. A blade of grass tickled her arm. Birds chirped quietly in a nearby tree. She forced her mind to go blank and let herself feel.

  “Beautiful, isn’t it?”

  The voice was quiet and familiar, and Paige didn’t startle at the sound. Somehow, she’d known he’d find her here. She squinted against the sunlight, and Nick peered down at her.

  “What are you doing?” he asked.

  Paige sighed and sat up. “I was enjoying the peace and quiet.”

  “That’s definitely in short supply these days. I’m going to miss the kids when they leave, but it’s hard to think when they’re around.”

  Paige couldn’t agree more. To her surprise, she’d grown close to quite a few of them—including Evie—and would miss them when they went home in another week. But their constant energy drained her.

  Nick sank onto the grass beside her. “There’s nothing like this in D.C.”

  Paige laughed. “What, you’re not a fan of the concrete jungle?”

  “I much prefer this. I mean, look at it.” He thrust out an arm.

  In the distance, a tram hung suspended in the air as it made its way up the mountain. Paige had dug her nails into her palms the entire ride. The tram had swayed in the breeze, making her stomach clench in fear. She’d cringed as the goth kid and giggly girls pressed their hands against the glass, exclaiming over the beauty of the world below. She’d met Nick’s eyes across the tram and wished she could bury her face against his chest until they were safely on the ground.

  “This kind of reminds me of the nature preserve I took you to,” Nick said. “Not the mountains, but the wildflowers. The fields were purple with them. Remember?”

  Paige ducked her head, her cheeks hot. She remembered, all right. “Yeah. That trip was just fantastic.”

  A low rumble burst out of Nick. He held a hand to his mouth, shoulders shaking. “I had no idea you hated nature so much.”

  “I grew up in classrooms, not camping in the Wild West. We can’t all be Rambo.”

  Nick’s shoulders continued to shake. “I thought you were going to have a heart attack when that moth landed on your shirt.”

  Paige had screamed, running around the clearing until Nick had grabbed her and insisted the moth was gone. “It was big enough to be a bat.”

  “That tiny thing? It was probably more scared than you were.”

  “It ended up being a pretty good night.” Paige couldn’t keep the wistfulness from her voice. Nick had taken her back to the city. They’d watched the sunset from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, locked in each other’s embrace.

  He’d gotten a phone call just as the sun sank below the horizon, shattering the magical moment. His mom had a flat tire and needed help. At the time, she’d gone gooey over what an obviously devoted son he was. Now she wondered if he’d really left on some sort of spy mission.

  A fly buzz around her head. Paige flinched, batting it away.

  Nick chuckled. He reached out with one hand, catching the fly mid-air. He tossed its body into the grass.

  “How often did you lie to me while we were dating?” she asked.

  Nick frowned, resting his arms on his legs. “Only when necessary. I always told the truth when I could. I hated keeping things from you.”

  “If we’d kept dating, would you have eventually told me the truth?”

  Nick clasped his hands together, shoulders hunched. “The rules were different then. I was on an undercover mission—I couldn’t tell anyone who I was without permission from command. Even now, I’m walking a gray line.”

  Tears pricked at her eyes, and she looked away. “That’s a no, then.”

  “I didn’t say that.” He gently grasped her chin, forcing her gaze back to his. “But I spend most of my time undercover. Command wouldn’t have granted permission unless we were engaged.”

  Paige couldn’t look him in the eye—engaged. They’d only been dating four months when he left.

  “Did you think about us getting married?” she asked, her stomach tied in knots. She certainly had, and all too often for a relationship that was still in the beginning stages.

  “Yes. I worried a lot about how you’d react to the truth. Life with a spy isn’t easy. When the mission came up, I wondered if it was fate’s way of telling me to let you move on.”

  “And now?” she whispered.

  He brushed a hand along her jaw, making her skin tingle. “Now, I want you—forever.”

  Tears filled her eyes, and she blinked them back, looking away. She wanted so badly to take that promise and run off into the sunset with it.

  But reality would come crashing down around her soon enough. It was better to deal with the facts before her heart was any more involved.

  “You’re doing more than chaperoning kids in Europe this summer,” she said. It wasn’t a question.

  “Don has security concerns. Last summer, some kids were almost kidnapped.”

  Paige blinked, her breath catching. “What?”

  “I think it was just an unfortunate coincidence. I haven’t noticed anything suspicious, other than Evie and Ryan.”

  Paige shook her head, forcing herself to focus. “That’s not what I’m talking about. You get phone calls and disappear. You were gone for almost forty minutes at dinner in Colmar. Tyler spent an hour looking for you in Titisee, but it was like you’d vanished after we talked. He says sometimes he wakes up in the middle of the night, and your bed is empty. That’s more than protecting a group of high schoolers from a kidnapping that seems unlikely to ever happen.”

  He stared at her, his green eyes hooded and dark. Paige wrapped her arms around her knees, trying to stop the trembles that shook her body.

  “Don’t lie to me,” she said, her voice tight. “If you really love me—if you want even a prayer of us having a future together—you’ll tell me the truth.”

  Her heart pounded in her chest. The muscles in his arms were coiled with tension, his back hunched and face toward the ground.

  He was going to stand up and walk away. She took a deep breath, determined not to cry until he was gone. If he couldn’t be honest, she didn’t want him.

  It was better this way. Life with Nick would be a constant challenge—filled with secrets. It would be completely, utterly different from the quiet life she’d always imagined. History professors and government spies didn’t end up together. They were too different.

  “There’s a lot that’s classified,” Nick said. “But yes—I’m here for another reason, too.”

  Her head shot up, and she stared at Nick, hope blossoming in her chest. Was he actually going to trust her with the truth?

  “It’s not official agency business. In fact, if my bosses found out, they’d turn my suspension into a dismissal before I could blink. Helping Don wasn’t the only reason I came to Europe. Finding you
again was simply a bonus.”

  He was going to tell her. She picked at a blade of grass, tying it into a knot.

  “My last mission went bad,” he said.

  “The one where your partner died?”

  “Yes. Something about the mission struck me as wrong from the very beginning. When we got there …” He sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Well, it was an ambush. Men were falling right and left. The rest of us barely escaped.”

  Paige put a hand to her mouth, envisioning Nick dodging bullets. A sick pit formed in her stomach. He could’ve died.

  But he hadn’t. And now he was letting her in—giving her a glimpse of who he really was. He was being honest.

  It felt like the start of a new chapter in their relationship. Was it possible that a spy and history professor could have a happy ending?

  She could deal with almost anything, as long as he told her the truth.

  “The internal investigation turned up nothing,” Nick said. “But I know in my gut that someone at the agency betrayed us. I’m not going to stop until I find out who it is.”

  “And you’ll find that information here?” Paige asked. He was actively looking for danger, and it made her nauseous with fear. If they picked up where they’d left off, this would be her life.

  “It’s the only lead I have,” Nick said.

  “That’s why you were suspended.”

  “Yes.” His mouth quirked up in a smile. “My superiors don’t look kindly on agents who question their investigations. But I’ve got a friend helping me out. It’s better if I don’t tell you who.”

  “Be careful, Nick.” She placed a hand on his arm, desperation clawing at her insides.

  “I always am.”

  She wanted to beg him to stop searching—ask him to give up his career and build a nice, quiet life with her. But asking him to leave would be asking him to become someone different. He’d turn into a Nick she didn’t know. And she really wanted to know this Nick—the real Nick—better.

  She could be brave for him.

  He placed a hand behind her head, a question in his eyes.

  She gave the smallest of nods.