Page 53 of Dangerous Devotion

“May—”

“I’m not budging until you talk to me, AJ.”

As if he couldn’t make her move with a single well-placed stroke of his finger.

He responded with a short shake of his head. “I’ll tell you on the way. We don’t have any time to spare.”

* * * * *

As they pulled up in front of Major General Simpson’s house, May’s nerves hummed like she was electrified. She glanced across the front of the sprawling brick mansion with tall columns and manicured hedges that exuded old wealth.

“Looks like he earns a big paycheck…even for his rank,” AJ commented.

“He must come from old money. Families do.”

He didn’t respond, but he didn’t have to. She heard the accusations about her family friend in his silence.

Okay, she could understand what made AJ think that. The estate came with the kind of price tag that didn’t make sense for a man in the military, even one of Simpson’s rank.

And why would he need such a big home if he was divorced? She was certain his children were grown too.

The home was situated on several acres and was surrounded by wrought iron security gates. The curlicues and flourishes flanking each side of the curving driveway formed the letterS.

“Shaw Simpson,” she murmured under her breath.

AJ snorted quietly. “Full of himself.”

Irritation rolled through May. She hated how cynical AJ was about her old family friend. Her father trusted this man, and that counted for a lot in her view.

“Just park the car please. We’re already running late.”

He continued to roll at a slow pace down the winding driveway and parked in front of a five-car garage. “Looks like somebody is a car collector too.”

“So what? A lot of men are.” She glared. “Are you ever going to tell me why we made that stop on the way here? Or what that guy on the street gave you?Orwhat Con told you on the phone?”

He threw the vehicle in park and twisted toward her. His dark eyes gleamed with a warning.

For a moment, she didn’t know if he would answer her. The way he contemplated her for a long heartbeat both unsettled her and sent a spark of defiance through her.

“I don’t know how much to tell you. It’s easier to pull this off if you don’t know.”

“What exactly does that mean?” She folded her arms and scowled at him, aware that the clock on the dashboard already revealed they were three minutes late, and she knew from experience that military men despised tardiness. If the military was late, there would be chaos.

“It means,” AJ said slowly, “that I can be an actor or you can be an actor. But if we’re both acting, then one of us is bound to slip up. If that happens, our cover is blown.”

“You’re saying that if I’m ignorant of the plan, there’s no way I can trip you up.”

“Something like that.”

“Have a little faith in me, would you? I was on that base flanked by two men with plenty of cause to be suspicious of me, remember? I’m capable of pulling this off.”

His lips quirked at one corner, amusement she did not wish to see on his handsome face right now. Not when they were in the middle of an argument. Did he find her funny? Because she wasn’t in the least bit entertained.

“So you finally admit that Simpson might possibly be somebody other than the family friend buying all your tall tales?”

“God, you are an annoying man.”

“An annoying man who’s about to plant these”—he reached into his shirt pocket and withdrew a handful of tiny listening devices—“in Simpson’s house.”

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