Page 2 of My Temptation

My eyes continued to the man next to him, and I almost sighed out loud in disappointment. He immediately reminded me of the men I’d worked with at the FBI, but he wasn’t trying to hide his disdain.

When Striker only glared at me, Jax moved on, but his tone seemed annoyed. “Beside Striker is Kyle.”

I grinned when Kyle, who had been leaning his chair back, dropped it down and smirked. I immediately recognized him as the fun one of this group. “Hey, Mila. I heard you play in my neck of the woods.”

So this was the master of all things tech who Jax bragged about. We had that in common, considering my specialty had been surveillance before I was sent undercover. “I heard the same. Looks like we’ll be spending some time together.”

“Looking forward to it.”

When he winked, I shook my head, but I enjoyed the playful banter. He would make this switch easy for me, and I already looked forward to working with him.

“Kyle,” Jax barked beside me, but Kyle only wiggled his eyebrows, telling me he’s made it his entire mission to piss off his boss frequently.

I shifted my attention to the man on the other side of the table when Jax spoke again. “That’s Ethan. He builds and installs systems with Brody.”

“Hey, Mila,” Ethan said.

His deep voice slithered over my skin, surprising me when I felt a flutter low in my belly. For a moment, our eyes locked, and the force of my initial attraction slammed into me. I’d never experienced that before; I would’ve remembered it if I had. It was a powerful sensation, and I wondered if everyone around me felt the same heat. My eyes slowly traveled over his dark hair and eyes before landing on his full lips, and a shudder rolled through me. I’d never had a type, and after my experiences the past few years, I’d written off the idea of any man. Yet this man intrigued me. Not only had he gotten my attention but he’d also stirred something in me I hadn’t expected.

And couldn’t seem to ignore.

When the silence in the room became obvious, my mind jolted me back to where we were, and I realized Jax was waiting for me to respond to Ethan. “Nice to meet you, Ethan.”

I needed to look away, which became even more apparent when he didn’t. I was used to being ogled since I was usually the only woman in the room.

I’d always hated the ogling.

But I didn’t hate his stare.

In fact, that one moment made me feel more than I had in years.

“Next to Ethan is…”

I quickly shifted my attention, hoping that no one had noticed our eyes had lingered just a little too long. When my attention landed on a familiar face, I couldn’t contain my surprise. “Nick?”

He grinned. “Never thought we’d work together again.”

I shook my head, recognizing the man I’d worked closely with on my last assignment. The man who saved me from losing myself entirely in that brutal place. He’d disappeared after our assignment was complete, and I assumed that the friendship we’d built while undercover had ended. “I had no idea you were here. I thought you were still with the Bureau.”

“You know each other?” Brody asked, and we both nodded. “How?” He focused on Nick. “And why didn’t you mention that last week?”

“I didn’t know her real name was Mila.”

“He wouldn’t,” I jumped in to explain, recognizing the suspicion in Brody’s voice. It was easy to see he did not like surprises. “I didn’t reveal my real name to other agents because of who my father is. I didn’t want any special treatment.”

“Who’s your father?” Pike asked.

“Sam Kavanaugh?” Striker growled before I could answer, and I shifted my attention to him, not surprised when I saw the disdain had already grown into something even worse.

Hating I needed to explain anything to this man, a man who reminded me too much of my past, I continued but didn’t hide my disregard for him. “I went by my middle name and mother’s maiden name to eliminate any doubt about my abilities. Nick knew me as Elizabeth Warner.”

Striker scowled. “The people who hired you knew exactly who you were.”

I watched him for a moment, his face morphing into the various faces of the men I’d worked with who’d doubted my abilities because of my gender, and anger washed over me. I pulled it back, used to having a tight leash on my emotions, but I had no doubt if anyone looked closely, they’d see it. “I was hired because of my qualifications.”

“I’m sure other candidates were just as qualified.” He threw back at me.

“I’m sure they were.” I stared at Striker a moment longer while disappointment overwhelmed me. I’d been excited about this opportunity, and even with the nerves I’d been experiencing, I knew I could get a fresh start here. I loved the idea of living in this little town in North Carolina permanently. The only good thing that had come from my last assignment was being sent to this town. New Hope. It just sounded like a place that could help me get back to who I’d been and someone I could be proud of again, but I wasn’t working with men like Striker anymore. I’d already given them too many years of my life.

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