He had expected the kiss to be simple and fleeting, but it was neither. The tangle of emotions that sparked inside him was anything but simple. He felt her sway toward him, and his arm slipped around her waist in a gesture that felt as natural as breathing.
He didn’t notice anything but her.
When he pulled back, her cheeks were flushed, and he sensed her confusion. A little overwhelmed himself, Noah shifted his hand from her back to her elbow to help support her while she adjusted her weight to lean on her cane. “Come on. Let’s go get your ammunition. I think we can both use some fresh air.”
“Yeah.” She focused on her cane and let out a quick breath. “I think you’re right.”
Chapter 13
Kelsey tried to pay attention to the introductions Cheryl offered when she arrived at the staff meeting on Friday morning, but images of Noah kept popping into her mind with annoying frequency. She reminded herself of the reason she was working in this office and considered the potential consequences of not unearthing the mole in the intelligence community.
Cheryl continued to introduce the six other people in the room. Several of the names were already familiar to her, a result of her studying personnel files earlier in the week. The list of potential suspects had already shrunk significantly, leaving only two possibilities in this office, Randy Carnes and Eli.
Randy approached her now. “So you’re the new girl.”
“Just filling in for a few days,” Kelsey responded, giving Randy a subtle appraisal. His clothes were more upscale than she would have expected of a government employee his age. His hair was stylishly short and his aftershave expensive. She knew from his personnel file that he had recently been promoted to a GS12 and that he was twenty-nine, the same age as Noah.
“Well, I hope you enjoy your time here, no matter how short,” he said with entirely too much charm.
“Thanks. I appreciate that,” Kelsey said, noting that Eli was watching them guardedly. She took a seat beside Cheryl as Scott, the branch chief, started on his weekly updates. As one of the analysts started on a tangent about their lack of travel funds, her thoughts turned to Noah once again and she indulged the memory of their time together last night.
She supposed she should have seen the change in their relationship coming, but it had been so long since she had spent time with a man with whom it was even possible to form a relationship that she had been afraid to hope he might want more than just friendship.
After the kiss they had shared in his kitchen, they had gone to the shooting range and spent more than an hour punishing their targets. When they shopped together afterward, Noah had acted like nothing had changed between them. Her insecurities had started to prey on her, and she worried that perhaps he regretted the kiss they had shared, right up until he dropped her off at her house. Then he had leaned down and kissed her good-bye, and her world had started spinning again.
She didn’t remember feeling like this the last time a man had kissed her. Of course, that had been a long time ago, when she thought James Duckett was the man she would be with forever. But forever had only lasted eleven months and thirteen days.
Having been burned before, she was leery to let herself look beyond the moment, but she couldn’t deny that she was looking forward to seeing Noah again tonight.
The battle over the travel budget continued to heat. “How are we supposed to do our job adequately when we have no ability to travel to the regional conferences?”
“Regional conferences are intended to support our field personnel. Bringing in headquarters personnel is not only expensive, but it also creates additional security risks,” the branch chief said in a tone that left no more room for argument. He then turned to the next item on the agenda, his focus shifting away from the woman arguing about travel money and toward the rest of the group. “Has anyone identified any problems in our hot zones?”
“We have some suspicious-looking shipping manifests,” Eli said without preamble. “We tracked a freighter heading for Turkey and found that it made a stop in Abolstan. The water line indicates that while it dropped off some cargo in Turkey, the majority of the cargo was offloaded outside of Bharat.”
“Do we have any idea what it was carrying?”
Cheryl answered with a shrug. “Chatter in the region has been pretty constant, but we haven’t seen movement of any key players.”
“What about you, Randy?”
“Nothing so far,” Randy replied. “We’re still trying to recover from the loss of our asset in Salman’s camp.”
“Any luck deciphering who was feeding information to Gregory Bealton?”
“Bealton was notoriously paranoid,” Randy told him. “I can’t find anyone who knows who his source was.”
“Seems like he had reason to be paranoid,” Cheryl muttered under her breath.
“Regardless, Bealton’s source provided us with information about Salman Nassar’s movements, possible business partners, and even some family data. It had to be someone living within Salman’s compound.” He flipped a page on his notebook. “One of our local snitches did say that the tutor hired to teach Salman’s daughters disappeared around the same time Bealton was killed. It’s possible she’s the source we’re searching for.”
“Who is she?”
“Taja Al-Kazaz. She’s the daughter of a prominent businessman out of Saudi Arabia.” Randy stopped, but it was apparent he had more to say.
“Is something wrong?”
“It’s just that when I read this woman’s bio, it’s exactly what I would have written had I made up a cover story.” He shrugged. “When I looked for her family to see if she might have gone to stay with them, I was told that her father was out of town on business and that no one else was available to speak with me.”
“You think she could be one of ours?”
“I don’t know.” He shrugged. “If she is, she’s probably dead, killed at the same time as Bealton.”
“Cable her name out to all of our stations. Let’s see if anyone knows who she is and where she is now.” He pushed back from the table. “If anyone finds anything, I want to hear about it right away.”
Kelsey struggled not to show any reaction to Scott’s directive to have his team start looking for her. Clearly, Gregory had protected her identity well, and it seemed that the only people who knew that she and Taja were one and the same were Lewis Tate and Graham Endicott.
Just as the meeting was winding down, the door across the room opened. Once again, Kelsey expended great effort to keep her emotions hidden. Standing in the doorway was the man she had once hoped to marry.
James didn’t look much different from the last time she had seen him nearly five years ago. His dark hair was still cut short, his body long and lean. His eyes swept past her at first, zeroing in on Scott.
“I’m sorry to interrupt, but the director wanted me to pass this information on to you.” James continued into the room and handed a thin file to Scott.
“Thanks, James. I appreciate it.” Scott opened the file, glanced at the contents. “Are you available to brief me on this now?”
James nodded.
Scott stood. “Okay, everyone. That’s it for the moment. Let me know if any of you uncover any leads on the tutor.”
Kelsey followed everyone else’s lead and stood. That’s when James turned toward her, recognition lighting his eyes. Scott apparently noticed where James’s attention had fallen.
“James, have you met Kelly yet?” Without waiting for a response, Scott continued with the introductions. “Kelly Park, this is James Duckett. He works liaison for the Middle East region. James, Kelly will be working here on the Middle East desk for a few days while she waits for her next assignment.”
James nodded a greeting as though they truly hadn’t met before. Then he turned his attention back to Scott and motioned to the door. “Did you want to meet in your office?”
Scott nodded and followed James out of the room. Kelsey lingered in the conference r
oom for a moment, not quite sure what emotions she was feeling or even what she was supposed to feel. James seemed to be doing well for himself, and if he still harbored any ill feelings against her over her initial assignment with the Agency, he certainly hid it well.
Reminding herself that she had a job to do, she listened to the casual conversations swirling around her. Eli and Cheryl chatted with the girl who had argued about travel, and then Cheryl headed for the door and her cigarette break. Unable to sense anything out of the ordinary, Kelsey started back toward her desk. She had gone only a few yards when Randy caught up to her. “How do you like this office so far? Eli isn’t giving you a hard time, is he?”
Kelsey gave him a deliberately confused look. “Why would Eli give me a hard time?”
He shrugged. “He isn’t always the easiest person to work with. I worked your job last year. Maybe you’ll have better luck working with him than I did.”
“So far, so good.”
“Great. Hey, a few of us were going to swing by Charley’s tonight after work. Did you want to join us?”
“I’d love to, but I’m undercover. I don’t think Scott would be too thrilled with me going to a known CIA hangout.”
“You’ve been overseas too long. It’s made you paranoid.”
“Not paranoid. Cautious.”
“How about lunch, then? Say eleven thirty? I think we have a few new additions in the cafeteria since you last worked at headquarters.”
“Sure.” Kelsey motioned toward her cubicle. “I’d better get back to work.”
“Okay. See you in a bit.”
As Randy walked toward his cubicle, Eli approached. “Let me guess. You’re going out with Randy.”
“Just meeting him for lunch. Why?”
“I’m surprised he didn’t pull his ‘Come hang out with everyone at Charley’s.’”
“I gather everyone isn’t going to Charley’s tonight.”
“No, but that’s his usual ploy to start dating the new girls in the office,” Eli told her. “It usually only lasts a few weeks, but unfortunately, it rarely ends well.”
“You don’t care much for Randy?”
“We have different opinions on what works to get the job done.”
“How so?”
“I’m a strong believer that we need a few well-placed assets to help us interpret data correctly. He thinks that we should rely more on electronic surveillance and then send in agents after we identify a potential problem.”
“You like to take a preventative approach rather than a reactionary one.”
His posture relaxed slightly. “Exactly.”
“Eli, I agree with you,” Kelsey told him simply. “And I’m sure you’ll make a good field agent when your turn comes.”
Now he looked slightly confused. “Thanks.”
“I don’t suppose you want to join Randy and me for lunch today? You know, to make sure he doesn’t think it’s a date.”
“Sorry.” Eli shook his head. “You couldn’t pay me enough to spend my free time with that guy.” A hint of a smile lit his face. “But if you need me to call you back to the office early . . .”
Kelsey laughed. “I think I can suffer through one lunch, but thanks for the offer.”
* * *
“Noah, did you want to break for lunch?” Devin asked from the desk across from Noah’s.
Noah looked up from the forensics photos from the shootout and glanced at his watch to see that it was nearly one. “I think I’m going to work through lunch today. I brought in some leftovers from dinner last night that I can heat up.”
“Okay. I’m going to grab a sandwich. I’ll be right back,” Devin told him. “We can start looking at those immigration photos over lunch.”
Noah nodded and continued working his way through the stack of shootout photos. He had reviewed the forensic reports earlier, and he still had a new batch of phone records to analyze. Immigration had narrowed down when the men killed in the shootout had entered the country, and Noah hoped that searching through the photos of everyone who had passed through customs that day might lead them to Medrano’s men who had survived. Of course, that was assuming they all entered the country at the same time.
Somewhere, there was a hint of what Medrano was up to, and Noah preferred to find it before he left the comfort of his office for the new taskforce.
His stomach grumbled, and he pushed his work aside. He retrieved his lunch from the refrigerator in the lunchroom and popped the bowl of chicken curry into the microwave. After refilling his water bottle at the nearby drinking fountain and heating up a couple pieces of the Indian fry bread Kelsey had made, he headed back to his desk to find that Devin had already returned. Noah gave him a look of sympathy when he noticed the cold-cut sub he’d ordered at the deli downstairs, the same lunch Noah had ordered himself far too often.
Devin looked up when he caught a whiff of the exotic spices that accompanied Noah into their office space. “What are you eating?”
“Leftovers.” Noah set his lunch out on his desk and settled down in his chair.
“From where?
Noah took a bite and closed his eyes as he savored it. “From home.”
“But where did you order it from?”
“I didn’t order it.” He took a bite of bread before adding, “A friend of mine made it.”
Devin lowered his sandwich to his desk and stared at Noah. “Okay, Noah. Who is she?”
Noah took his time chewing and swallowing. “What?”
“Who’s the new girlfriend?”
Noah hadn’t really thought of putting a name to his relationship with Kelsey, but girlfriend had a nice ring to it. Not ready to discuss such matters with his partner, he arched an eyebrow. “Are you seriously going to interrogate me just because my lunch is better than yours?”
“Absolutely.” He waved a hand toward Noah’s food. “I don’t suppose you’re going to share that, are you?”
Noah rolled his eyes and put a piece of fry bread on a napkin. “Here, but that’s all you’re getting.”
Devin stood and took the few steps necessary to take the offering from Noah’s hand. He bit into it, and his eyes widened. “This is really good. Seriously, Noah. Who is this girl?”
“Just a neighbor. Her kitchen is being remodeled, so she’s using mine for a while.”
“And how old is this neighbor?”
“Twenty-eight.”
“Good looking?”
“Back off, Byers. You aren’t going to get the chance to hit on her.”
Devin took Noah’s comment with a philosophical shrug and a grin. He leaned back in his chair and finished off the piece of bread Noah had given him. Then he picked up his sandwich and wrinkled his nose before looking up at Noah once more. “Think you can bring more leftovers on Monday?”
Noah chuckled. “I’ll see what I can do.”
Chapter 14
Kelsey changed out of her work clothes and put on a pair of jeans and a lightweight sweater. Noah had told her to dress casually for their date tonight, but he hadn’t told her where he was taking her. All she knew for sure was that he’d told her not to eat dinner and that he was picking her up at seven.
She supposed it was odd that though she and Noah had, in essence, been dating for a week now, tonight felt like their first date. Odder still was how they had practically fallen into this relationship, though she wasn’t quite sure how to define it. She certainly felt like they were past the “just friends” stage, but she knew she wouldn’t be comfortable calling him her boyfriend.
With a shake of her head, she slipped her shoes on. Whatever they were to each other, she was determined to enjoy their budding romance. Not only did she love spending time with Noah, but for the first time in years, she also felt like she was rediscovering who she really was.
Her stomach flipped nervously when the knock sounded at her door. The moment she pulled it open, Noah leaned toward her and greeted her with a brief kiss. “Are you ready?”
<
br /> “I think so.” She stepped onto the front porch and locked the door behind her. When she noticed the anticipation on his face, she added, “It would help if you would tell me where we’re going.”
“It’s a surprise.”
She gave a startled gasp when he leaned down and scooped her up into his arms. Her purse swung wildly from her arm, rapping Noah in the back, and her grip tightened on her cane. “Noah! What are you doing?”
“Helping you to the car.”
She couldn’t help the laughter that bubbled out. “I think you’re crazy.”
“You’re probably right, but I thought it best for you to know that about me early on.” He carried her down her front walk and out to the driveway, where he had parked his car. Then he deposited her gently beside the passenger door before pulling it open for her.
As soon as Noah slid into the driver’s seat, Kelsey asked again, “Where are we going?”
“You’ll see soon enough.” Noah put the car in gear and pulled out onto the street. He motioned toward the Hendersons’ house, where Miss Patty was taking advantage of the mild weather and pulling weeds in her flowerbed. “How long do you think it will be before Mrs. Henderson tells your parents we’re dating?”
“I think that all depends on whether she has Mom’s and Dad’s cell phone numbers.”
“I have to think she doesn’t. Otherwise your brother would have already shown up again.”
“You’re probably right.”
Noah turned down a back road often used by the locals to get to the freeway. “Has he always been protective of you?”
“Not really. I was such a tomboy growing up that he never really worried about who I hung out with until I got to college.”
“What happened then?”
“Good boyfriend followed by a bad breakup.” Kelsey shrugged. “What about you? Any old girlfriends who are going to be giving me evil stares? Besides Heather, that is.”
“Not from around here,” Noah told her. “You’re really the first girlfriend I’ve had since moving here.”
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