Page 59 of Operation Heartbeat

Her heart thudded faster. This was no game. They weren’t here for personal fun. Every step she took carried her deeper into danger. But with Con’s hand around hers, she felt safe.

She dropped her gaze to his waistband where she knew he concealed a weapon, tucked along his spine. She only prayed that he wouldn’t need it tonight.

The music thumped on and on. As they reached a row with two empty seats on an aisle, sheknewthese seats were too good to be true. Con ushered her in first and took the seat on the end.

For a moment, she got caught up in the concert. The lights onstage and the performers were really good. Then she scanned the rows in front of them.

She blinked. “Is that…?”

“It’s him,” came Con’s gruff response.

Deniz sat a few rows in front of them. If Sophie moved a certain way, she no longer had a clear view of the man, but Con was head and shoulders taller than most people and probably had a perfect shot.

She adjusted the earpiece and accidentally shut it off. Panic swept through her at being disconnected from Con. She threw out a hand to grab hold of him. He gave her a questioning glance, and she fumbled to switch on the earpiece again.

As soon as the small metallic sound filled her ear, she breathed out.

Then in.

God, she would make a terrible spy. What was she even doing?

He squeezed her hand as if to tell her to calm down. “You’re supposed to be enjoying yourself, Sophie. Try to relax.”

When she glanced up at him, he looked every bit the concertgoer. His shoulders loose, at ease. While she looked on, he extracted the recording glasses from his breast pocket and slid them on.

God, he really was hot in those glasses. She pictured him walking across the university campus on his way to the library to study…well, any subject.

She pictured him walking across an English moor, coming for her like Mr. Darcy walked toward Elizabeth Bennett.

Her ovaries were about to rupture. She wasn’t paying attention to the concert or the crowd or Deniz. She only had eyes for Ryan Constantine.

Oh god. She wasn’t havingthosefeelings again, was she? This wasn’t even real, it was a job.

So why did the way he looked at her feel real and his hand in hers feel possessive?

It’s all an act.

She forced her attention to Deniz. The crowd suddenly surged to its feet to cheer on the performer, and he did the same.

To him, this was all an act too. From what she’d seen, Deniz would do anything to be home with his wife, safe and sound. Instead, he was trapped in a terrifying game and his wife was missing.

Sophie leaped to her feet along with the crowd, and Con wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close.

This would be sweet and romantic if they weren’t playacting.

Just then, Deniz twisted around.

Con dipped his head and kissed Sophie.

The ploy caught her completely off guard, and she gasped out, the sound inaudible over the loud music and screams of the crowd.

Their cover of two lovers out enjoying a night on the town demanded it, she told herself. The reality was much scarier and couldn’t be further from reality.

Then why did his lips make it feel like a real kiss?

She sank into the caress, bringing one palm up to his muscled chest to steady herself.

Pitching onto her tiptoes, she angled her head to deepen the kiss.

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