Page 14 of Tempting Alec

Alec clenched his fists, his mind racing. He understood Grier’s point, but the idea of putting their trust in the CIA, an organization that had already proven to be riddled with corruption, didn’t sit well with him. He had seen too much, experienced too much, to believe that they could rely on anyone but themselves.

“We stick with Cerberus,” Alec said firmly. “There’s nobody at the Agency I trust—present company excepted.”

Grier opened her mouth to argue, but then seemed to think better of it. She sighed, her shoulders slumping slightly. “All right,” she conceded, though her tone was far from convinced.

Alec turned away, not wanting to get into a debate about it. They didn’t have time. As they prepared to move out, he glanced at Grier, noticing for the first time the dark circles under her eyes, the lines of exhaustion etched into her face. She looked worn out, physically and mentally, and Alec’s gut twisted with guilt.

The night before had been intense, passionate, and Alec had given in to the heat of the moment, losing himself in her. But now, in the cold light of day, he couldn’t help but feel like he had taken advantage of her vulnerability, of the stress and fear they were both under. She needed rest, not more pressure, and he had pushed her even further.

“Grier,” he began, his voice softer now, “you’re exhausted. You need to take it easy.”

Grier shot him a surprised look, then shook her head. “I’m fine, Alec. We need to keep moving. I can handle it.”

Alec frowned, her words doing little to ease his concern. He felt a surge of protectiveness, a desire to shield her from the dangers they were facing, and it caught him off guard. He wasn’t used to feeling this way—his focus was always on the mission, on getting the job done. But with Grier, things were different.

It both comforted and unsettled him, this unfamiliar urge to look out for someone other than himself or his team. He didn’t want to see her hurt, didn’t want to push her to the breaking point. But at the same time, he knew they didn’t have the luxury of slowing down, not with the walls closing in around them.

“Just promise me you’ll speak up if it gets to be too much,” Alec said, his tone more insistent. “I don’t need you pushing yourself to the point of collapse.”

Grier met his gaze, her gaze softening. “I promise,” she said quietly.

Alec nodded, knowing she was right, even if he didn’t like it. They had to keep moving, had to stay ahead of the forces hunting them. But as they set out into the forest, Alec couldn’t shake the worry gnawing at the back of his mind. Grier was strong, smarter than most people he knew, but she wasn’t invincible. And the thought of losing her, of failing to protect her, was something he couldn’t bear.

He pushed those thoughts aside, focusing on the task at hand. They had a long road ahead of them, and the stakes were higher than ever. Alec had to stay sharp, had to keep them both alive. But as they made their way through the dense undergrowth, Alec found himself glancing at Grier more often than he would have liked, the protectiveness he felt for her growing with every step.

And that, more than anything, made him uneasy.

Chapter 7

Alec

Alec moved through the dense underbrush with practiced ease, his eyes scanning the surrounding forest for any signs of movement. The air was thick with the scent of saltwater, a clear indication that they were getting closer to the coast. The distant sound of waves crashing against rocks reached his ears, offering a brief moment of solace in the otherwise tense journey. But despite the progress they were making, Alec’s mind was far from at ease.

He stole a glance at Grier, who was a few paces behind him, her expression focused as she navigated the uneven terrain. She hadn’t complained once since they set out, despite the grueling pace he’d set. Her resilience impressed him, as did her sharp mind—always working, always piecing together the fragments of the puzzle they were tangled in. But it was more than just respect for her abilities that had Alec on edge. It was the growing attraction he felt toward her, an attraction that was becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.

It was wrong, and he knew it. There was no room for personal feelings in a situation like this, where every decision could mean the difference between life and death. And yet, the more time he spent with Grier, the more those feelings took root. He admired her strength, her determination, and the way she handled herself under pressure. But it was more than that—he found himself drawn to her in a way he hadn’t expected, in a way that threatened to cloud his judgment.

Alec shook his head, trying to push those thoughts aside. He couldn’t afford to let his emotions interfere with the mission. They were being hunted by both the CIA and the FSB, and one wrong move could get them both killed. His priority had to be their survival, nothing else.

As they reached a small clearing, Alec held up a hand to signal a stop. “We’ll take a break here,” he said, his voice low but firm. “Just a few minutes, then we keep moving.”

Grier nodded, wiping a bead of sweat from her brow. She dropped her pack and immediately reached for her laptop, the familiar routine of checking her data giving her a sense of control in a situation where they had so little.

Alec watched her as she powered on the device, her fingers flying over the keys with a practiced precision. He felt a pang of something—worry, affection, he wasn’t sure what—but he shoved it down. This was no time for distractions.

“Anything?” Alec asked, trying to keep his tone neutral.

Grier frowned, her eyes narrowing at the screen. “I just received a message. It’s from Levi Mendelson.”

Alec stiffened. Levi Mendelson was the CIA Deputy Director and Grier’s mentor, a man she trusted implicitly. But trust was a dangerous thing in their current situation. “What does it say?”

Grier’s brow furrowed as she decrypted the message. “It’s short. He says we can’t trust anyone and that we should head for a specific location—a safe house near the coast. He’s urging us to go there as soon as possible.”

Alec’s instincts immediately went on high alert. Every fiber of his being screamed that this was wrong, that they were walking into a trap. “Grier, we can’t trust that. It could be a setup.”

Grier looked up from her screen, her eyes wide with concern but also with determination. “Alec, Levi wouldn’t betray us. He’s the only one who knows the full scope of what’s happening. He’s the one who convinced me I was needed in the field. If he says we need to go to this location, then we should listen.”

Alec felt a surge of frustration. She was smart, no doubt about it, but this was too risky. “I get that you trust him, but we’re in a situation where trust can get us killed. We don’t know who’s compromised and who isn’t. For all we know, Mendelson’s been turned, or someone’s using his credentials to lure us in.”

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