by A. V. Asher
Her hand moved to his cheek. “Alec, stop,” she said, interrupting his ramble. “I get it.” Her thumb played with his temple.
Christ. The way she was looking at him, Alec had to remind himself that they were both playing a part, nothing more.
“Is he turned this way?”
Alec nodded.
Mercedes tilted her head and pressed her lips to his. The kiss was soft and slow. Alec’s body flooded with heat, and he leaned into her, knowing this wouldn’t last. Wanting to seize more. She took her time, running her hand up his neck and into his hair. Then her tongue swept his, an unexpected invitation for him to do the same. He couldn’t help but respond. A whisper of a moan came out of her.
Fucking hell.
His heart was thundering when Mercedes ended the kiss. Alec rested his forehead on hers, inhaling slowly. Her fingers remained intertwined in his hair, but she made no move to withdraw.
“Think that will work?” she whispered, her chest lifting with each panting breath.
“I think so.” Clearing his throat, he leaned back to look her in the eye. “I’m sorry we had to . . . you know. Especially after last night.”
Mercedes shook her head, giving him a smile. “Don’t be. Kissing you is the easy part.”
Alec’s heartbeat jumped to his throat. “Is it?”
“Yeah.” Mercedes looked at his mouth and looked away. Leaning over, she picked up her wine and settled against him again, the smell of her hair filling his senses. “The hard part is knowing it isn’t real. That’s what I’m adjusting to.”
Alec tried to think of something to say, but the words wouldn’t come. She was right. Kissing her was a glimpse of a life he’d been missing out on. Letting her believe it meant nothing was killing him.
Chapter Thirty-One
A soft breeze brushed Mercedes’s cheeks. She turned her face up to take in the rays of the sun. Her bare feet dangled off the edge of the bridge, the current of the river surging under her.
“How’s the fishing today, lass?” Mercedes jumped at Alec’s voice, but she didn’t turn around. She didn’t know how the fishing was. Had she ever fished here before? She didn’t even know how to fish.
His steps were quiet as he came up behind her, touching her. The warmth of his hands on her shoulder made her sigh. Mercedes couldn’t help leaning back as he massaged her tense muscles.
Alec’s hand slid past her collarbone and gently caressed her neck. Fingers guided her head toward him. She let him, wanting the feel of his lips on hers.
“You’re a fucking whore.”
Her eyes snapped open, and she gasped. The river was gone. She was in her room. Jason’s icy glare loomed over her.
Mercedes screamed, trying to kick. Her body was made of lead.
“Alec!” she cried. “Alec, where are you?”
Fingers clenched around her jaw, digging nails into her flesh. “What was I supposed to do, huh? I had to do it. You left me no choice. I had to.”
Jason pushed his hand down, forcing her head toward the fireplace.
Alec’s lifeless blue eyes were staring at her, his body bruised and twisted. A hand clutched at his torn throat. Blood covered his hands and arms, soaking the rug on the floor.
No, no, no, no!
“Look what you made me do,” Jason’s voice growled in her ear. “Why did you do that?”
“Alec!” she screamed.
The hand tightened around her throat. The next breath wasn’t coming. She had to fight. Her fist struck out, but he caught it.
“Christ, Sadie. Breathe.”
She couldn’t.
“Breathe,” he said again. “Darling, you have to breathe.”
The grip on her throat released. She gasped. It was impossible to fill her lungs. The weight on her body pinned her down.
“Sadie, open your eyes. Look at me, lass.”
Forcing her eyelids to open, she couldn’t see anything in the darkness. But he was here. She could feel him.
Alec.
Sitting up, her fingers grappled at Alec’s neck. He gave a little cry of surprise, but he let her feel around.
“Are you okay?” Her voice came out shrill.
“Yes, darling, he’s not here. It was a dream.” Alec was speaking to her in a low, soft tone. She inhaled deeply, taking in as much air as she could. “Watch your eyes.” He leaned away from her, and the room was flooded with the soft light of the bedside lamp.
It took a moment to adjust. The makeshift bed came into focus. It was empty, the pooling blood gone.
“It felt so real.” The sweat chilled her skin, and she shivered.
“Aye, I could tell. You’re safe now.” Alec pulled her against his chest, and she gratefully complied. He held her until her muscles eased.
“Do you get them a lot? The dreams?”
“Yeah, a few times a month, maybe? Although it is always worse right after an . . . incident.” She pulled away from him to sit up straight, stretching her back and wiping her tearstained cheeks. “Did I say anything?”
“You just kept screaming my name.” Mercedes’s eyes went wide. Alec winced, a flush overtaking his cheeks. “That came out wrong.”
She gave a little chuckle despite herself. “I’m so sorry I . . .”
Mercedes didn’t get to finish her apology. A pounding at the door stopped her.
Alec was off the bed like a shot.
“Who is it?” he called.
“It’s Gavin and David, Mr. Cameron. One of the other guests said there was a disturbance up here. Is everything alright? May we come in?”
Shit.
“Aye, of course. Just a tick,” Alec called. Turning to Mercedes, he said, “Fix the bed.”
Mercedes leapt off the bed and hastily gathered his bedding from the floor. Tossing his pillow next to hers, she threw the thin blankets into the closet as Alec opened the door.
“Is everything alright in here, sir?” Mr. Kennison asked.
Alec’s voice was friendly and apologetic. “Aye, Eliza had a nightmare. We’re so sorry to have disturbed your guests.”
“Where is she?” The edge in David’s voice made it clear he didn’t believe it. “Can we see her?”
Alec’s shoulders tensed.
“I’m right here. Come on in,” Mercedes said, touching Alec’s back to move him out of her way.
Gavin Kennison’s brows were furrowed in concern, but David was glowering at Alec.
They stepped into the room and looked all around them.
“I’m so sorry. I’ve suffered from horrible nightmares since I was a kid.” Mercedes wrapped her arms around Alec’s waist. Suddenly, she was acutely aware he wasn’t wearing a shirt. “I didn’t mean to wake the whole house. This is so embarrassing.”
Both of the Kennison men sized them up.
Gavin frowned. “Where did you get all those marks, lad?”
Mercedes’s gaze was pulled to Alec’s abdomen, peppered with dark bruises. He wore the bandage on his chest from the knife wound.
“I’m training to be an MMA fighter,” Alec said without hesitation.
David’s frown deepened, but he said nothing.
“Well, I’m glad you’re okay. We’ll let you get back to your evening. Come on, David.”
David met Mercedes’s eyes as if trying to determine if she was hiding some horrible injury. His gaze shot to Alec, expression hardening. Alec didn’t look away, the tension between the two, ready to snap.
David turned back to Mercedes. “If you need anything, you only have to ask.”
“Thank you. I promise everything is fine.”
Alec’s lips were pressed together tightly as he waited for them to pass through the doorway. When the door was firmly locked, Alec turned and leaned against it.
He looked exhausted.
And no wonder. He’d been sleeping on the freezing floor and woken by a crazy woman screaming her head off at one in the morning.
Guilt for all he was going through for her swelled in
her chest. “I’m sorry.”
He walked to the bed and grabbed his pillow. “You had a bad dream, Sadie. It’s not your fault.”
The contrast between Alec and Jason struck her once again. They handled every aspect of their lives differently.
Mercedes walked to him, took the pillow from his hands, and tossed it back on the bed. “No more sleeping on the floor.”
He grimaced. “I’m fine on the floor.”
“No, you’re not.”
“Sadie, I’m . . .”
“It’s uncomfortable and cold and really unnecessary. You can’t do your job if you’re dragging ass all day. We’re perfectly capable of keeping our hands to ourselves.” She pulled back the comforter on the bed. “Get in.”
Alec looked at the bed and back to her. He opened his mouth to speak again, but she raised her eyebrows. This wasn’t up for discussion. She couldn’t stop her nightmares, but she could help him get the rest he needed.
He sighed. Shaking his head, he crawled into the bed, and she laid the covers on him. Mercedes stoked the fire and added another log before she got in.
She’d thought the bed was huge, but with Alec in it, it seemed so much smaller.
“Sadie?”
She turned to him, the firelight dancing on his face. “Hmm?”
“When this is all over, I want you to promise me you’ll seek some help. You’ve experienced a lot of trauma. There’s no doubt it has left its mark on you. A great therapist can help.”
“The dreams usually get better on their own.”
“They might ease, but it’ll be so much easier if you talk to someone.” He eyed her sympathetically. “I had to do a lot of work when I came home from the war. And later, we did some training to spot the signs of PTSD.”
Mercedes scoffed. “It’s not nearly as bad as that.” The comparison was ridiculous.
Alec turned his body, so he was facing her. “So, what you’ve gone through wasn’t traumatic?”
“It was. But it’s not as bad as war.”
“You’re minimizing what happened to you.”
“No, it just isn’t the same.”
“I mean, I only saw a couple of my mates die; that was hard. And they shot me in the chest, which hurt a lot. But I got to stay at my mum’s house, and my little sister stole Dec’s shortbread biscuits for me. I made a full recovery and went on with my life. Other people had it much worse, so getting shot wasn’t so bad.” He smiled wryly. “See, I can do it too.”
“Point taken,” she conceded.
“I don’t think you’ve realized it, but you’re experiencing it right now as we speak. This place is beautiful, but we aren’t on holiday.”
She hadn’t thought of it that way. Her survival mode had kicked in long ago. She was dancing between terrifying moments.
“Just promise you’ll look into it. Okay?”
“Okay.”
Alec stifled a yawn. “Good. Now don’t hog all the blankets, aye?”
Mercedes snorted. “Just stay on your side of the bed, McKinley.”
“No promises.”
He didn’t stay on his side of the bed.
Mercedes awoke pressed against a solid, heated mass. It took a moment before she realized it was Alec’s back. Although her arms were tucked between them, she was pretty much spooning him.
Ugh. She rolled her eyes. How did I end up the big spoon?
Not only that, she was inches from falling off the bed.
Good lord, man. Were they going to need a pillow barrier between them?
Clearly, he wasn’t used to sleeping with someone else. The thought gave Mercedes a little tinge of happiness. If that were the case, she’d take teetering off the edge every once in a while.
She snuggled against him. He felt so good. So warm and strong. Mercedes might not be able to move much, but she was certainly cozy. And really, she didn’t take the time to appreciate his toned back nearly enough.
She’d stayed too long. Her mind was consumed with ways she could wake him up and end their “professional” relationship.
Time to put some distance between them and let the man sleep.
Proud of herself for getting out of the bed without tumbling to the ground, Mercedes quietly dressed and added a touch of makeup. She stole one more glance at Alec before she slipped from the room to let him rest.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Alec woke to the sound of a vacuum whirring back and forth in the hallway. He blinked, not making much sense of it. Their room was much too dark to have the cleaning service working already. He looked to Mercedes and found only the edge of the bed.
How the hell did I get over here?
Lurching up, he realized he was alone.
“Sadie?”
Nothing.
It was already nine-thirty. His heart shot to his throat. How long had she been gone? Jesus, anything could have happened to her.
He dressed as quickly as he could. Wrenching open the door, he saw the little sign refusing cleaning service hanging on the handle. Mercedes had wanted him to sleep in? He didn’t know if he should find it sweet or be irritated she’d left without telling him where she’d be.
Alec bounded down the stairs and scanned the lobby. A handful of guests were milling around, but she wasn’t amongst them. He turned to head to the dining room when the music stopped him. It was much too loud and clear to be played by a sound system. He sighed with relief.
She’d found the library.
Alec rushed to the double doors, needing to see for himself that she was okay. Seeing her seated and playing stopped him in his tracks. Something about her changed when she played. Her face was softer, more relaxed. Every once in a while, she’d bite her lip. He could watch her all day long.
A handful of guests had stopped to listen, as had Cecily Kennison, who stood next to the piano.
Mercedes finished her song and saw him in the doorway. Her eyes lit up. “Hey, there you are. Cecily found me this morning and let me know they were happy to let me play whenever the library was free. Thank you for arranging that.” She beamed up at him.
He couldn’t help but smile too. “Of course.” He’d talk to her about not giving him a heart attack later.
Mercedes tilted her head at him. “You okay?”
“Aye, why?”
“Well, you’ve got this sort of wild look going on.” She gestured to his head.
Alec ran his hands through his hair, realizing it was mussed from bed. He flushed. “I ah . . .”
“Oh, don’t get me wrong. It’s a good look for you.” Mercedes looked to Cecily, who nodded her agreement.
When Mercedes’s eyes met his, he held them. The familiar spark of energy sizzled between them.
Cecily gave a delicate cough, breaking Alec’s attention. “Eliza said you were interested in the river cottage. We were using it as a vacation rental until recently. It’s a sweet little place. I could have my Da give you a tour later.”
“That would be great, thank you.”
Cecily stepped away from the piano but stopped and turned back. “Oh, I almost forgot. A package arrived for you at the front desk. You can stop by and pick it up anytime.”
Mercedes’s smile faded, and her eyes went wide.
Alec squeezed her shoulder. “I was expecting a package from work. Darling, why don’t you stay here and play. I’ll take care of some business and meet you back here when I’m finished?”
Mercedes bit her lip. Alec leaned down and kissed her. It was brief, nothing but a quick goodbye. But the feel of it lasted on Alec’s lips long after he had left the library.
After retrieving the package from reception, he took it to their room. Inspecting it, he was confident it was what he’d been waiting for.
He was right. Cressida had sent him a phone in a leather case. Turning it on, he found the only video conference line pre-programmed and called in. It took a few rings to answer. When she did, their screens remained black.
“This is Artemis. Pleas
e verify access code.”
Alec responded with the code that meant he was safe. “Isle of Skye. Confirm?”
“The River Seine.”
The screen lit up, and he turned on his camera. Cressida and Declan appeared on the screen. Seated at a desk, they looked to be in a rented house. “There’s no way anyone can trace this call so we can speak freely.”
“What’s your status? Is the team secure?”
Declan answered. “Aye, we’re all together. We can’t be completely dark, but we’re low profile. Mrs. Downey is managing daily operations at the office.”
Alec sighed with relief. He was going to need to give his assistant a huge bonus when this was over.
“The safehouse?”
“We’re working with the local police. But they haven’t been as . . . aggressive at investigating the incident as one might imagine.” Declan’s brows went up, letting the implication land.
Alec looked up at the ceiling. Fuck. Was there nothing that wasn’t compromised by these people? “Alright then. Tell me about Jason. What have you found?”
“We’ve had some breakthroughs on that front,” Cressida said. “But there’s a lot of work to do. We were right Alec, none of them are who they appear to be. Their organization is moderately sized, maybe twenty members total. But they’re active.”
“What’s their focus? Drugs? Trafficking?”
Declan shook his head and grimaced. “Nah, mate. Corporate espionage.”
Alec sat back in his chair, letting this wash over him. “Oh shit. How long?”
They didn’t have to ask what he meant. Cressida looked up at Declan. Alec didn’t miss the little shake of Declan’s head. They weren’t ready to share that yet.
“A while,” Cressida said. “But the timeline is unclear. As are their true identities. We’re almost there, but we need more time. I’ve arranged for us all to join you at your location in the next few days. Our goal will be to provide a full briefing then.”
Alec didn’t want to wait, but he nodded. “I already told Sadie that Jason was using an alias. It’s been tough on her. I want to know who the hell he is. She deserves to know.”