Page 40 of Falling Fast

It was amazing to see. Even more so because she wasn’t a trained undercover agent. But God, what he wouldn’t give to put her back in the car and drive the hell away from this place.

Then she turned toward him, and Jamie caught a hint of unease in those big brown eyes before the street-smart Spider mask slipped back into place. She raised a cocky eyebrow at him. “Coming?”

Yes, ma’am. And I’m going to be on you like a fucking shadow for as long as I can.

Jamie never took his eyes off her as he followed her toward the two security guards dressed in tuxes flanking the huge front door, every sense on alert.

He just wanted this to be over so he could get her the hell away from Baker once and for all.

Chapter Ten

Damn, she had to figure out a way to get her nerves under control.

Charlie paused in the act of scanning the crowded room to snag a flute of champagne from a passing waiter’s tray. She didn’t plan on drinking the entire thing but she needed something to wet her dry mouth and give her something to do with her hands before she started fidgeting. Broadcasting her nervousness would be a costly mistake.

“Well,” she said to Jamie, who stood beside her looking exactly how he was supposed to—bored and like he’d rather be anywhere else but here. “Should we go make an attempt to look sociable?”

He grunted in response but followed her as she made her way across the polished marble floor toward the open archways at the end of the atrium.

Man, she felt like she was in another world here.

The large, spacious atrium was built off the kitchen and led out onto the huge patio that surrounded the gleaming turquoise pool in the center of the back courtyard. Everywhere she looked, men and women dressed in black tie attire stood talking amongst themselves while a violinist and harpist played quietly in the corner, the gentle notes drifting on the warm afternoon breeze.

Everyone here had money. How much of it was dirty money? And how many people were here because they either used, or wanted to use Baker to launder it for them?

The heels of her shoes clicked against the tile floor, seemed to echo in her ears despite the murmur of voices around her. Spider would be polite, but cool. She definitely wouldn’t go over and start chatting up a stranger just to make conversation.

No, she’d wait on the periphery, watching the crowd. She would wait for Baker to come to her.

Charlie stopped next to one of the atrium’s pillars, raising the champagne flute to her lips. Jamie stood to her left, leaning negligently against the pillar, hands in his pockets. He looked annoyed, bored out of his mind, but she knew he was watching everything.

They didn’t have to wait long.

Within a minute the crowd before her rippled with movement, then seemed to part. Baker appeared in the center of the opening, dressed in a white tux, his blond hair neatly parted to one side and a red rose tucked into a buttonhole. His gaze locked on her and a slow smile spread across his face, sending an answering shiver up her spine.

She didn’t smile or nod at him in acknowledgment, simply stood where she was and waited for him to come to her, using the remaining few seconds to steel herself for what was coming.

“Charlie,” he almost purred, taking her free hand and raising it to his lips. “You look absolutely stunning.”

An invisible fist clamped around her stomach and squeezed but she managed to force a polite smile even though her face felt stiff. “Thank you.”

He flicked a dismissive glance at Jamie. “James. So glad you could come.”

Yeah, right.

“Nice place,” Jamie said.

Baker glanced around, nodded. “It’s a great place to entertain.” He turned back to Charlie, offered her his bent arm with a charming smile. “Shall we? The weapons expert is just over there.” He nodded toward the other side of the pool.

Here we go.“Sure.” She had to stay in character even if she really wanted to punch him in his lying face.

She slipped her arm through his, repressing the involuntary shiver that touching him triggered. Her heart beat faster as he led her to the other side of the patio and introduced her to the weapons expert, a fiftyish man with a Victorian-style beard and sideburns.

“Robert. This is Charlie, the young woman I told you about.”

Robert’s pale blue eyes glittered with excitement. “Charlie! Of course. So glad to meet you.” He held out a hand.

His genuine warmth and enthusiasm melted some of the ice inside her. “Hello.” She shook his hand and introduced Jamie.

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