Page 6 of Critical Mass
When she pulled away, her cheeks were flushed and her smile tentative but real. “Good night, Timothy.”
“Good night, Nat.” His voice cracked with emotion.
He watched her unlock her door and slip inside, then waited until he saw the lights come on in her house.
Only then did he walk to his car, feeling the weight of tomorrow’s inevitable conversation pressing on him like a physical force.
As he started the trek back to Lantern Beach, his mind raced ahead to the conversation he’d have to have with his bosses at Blackout—Colton Locke and Ty Chambers. The one where he’d have to admit he’d compromised himself, compromised the mission, and fallen in love with the target’s daughter.
He had to come clean with them.
That meant tomorrow everything would change.
But not tonight.
Tonight, he’d still pretend that Timothy Shaw was real and Natalie Ravenscroft was just a woman he was dating, not the potential key to stopping Sigma’s next attack.
CHAPTER
THREE
Natalie stoodnear her front door for a few seconds after Timothy drove away, her father’s warning echoing in her mind.Men aren’t always who they pretend to be.
What did he mean by those words? Did he know something she didn’t?
She needed to learn that answer, and there was only one way she could think to find out.
Even though she’d known Timothy for three months, what did she really know about him? Sure, he was kind, funny, attentive. He remembered her favorite coffee order and actually listened when she talked about work.
But the specifics of his life remained vague. She knew he had a consulting job that required frequent travel. He had an apartment she’d never been inside. And she’d seen the way he sometimes got a faraway look in his eyes, like his mind had gone to another place though his body remained with her.
Before she could second-guess herself, she hurried through her house to the garage. Her hands shook slightly as she climbed into her silver BMW and hit the garage door opener.
She had maybe thirty seconds before Timothy’s car would be too far ahead to follow.
Natalie turned the key, and her engine roared to life. She backed out of the garage quickly. On the road, she spotted Timothy’s taillights turning at the end of her street.
Heart pounding, she followed.
She’d never followed anyone before, and it was harder than it looked in the movies. She had to hang back far enough to avoid being obvious while remaining close enough not to lose him.
Where exactly was he headed? His apartment? The airport?
He’d told her he lived in the neighboring city of Norfolk and that his place was nothing special. Had said her house put his home to shame.
She’d told him she didn’t care, but he’d just laughed off her words as if amused.
Would he head to his place now? Or was he headed straight to his business trip?
She supposed she was about to find out.
It was a good thing she had a full tank of gas.
As Timothy turned away from the resort area and headed south toward the rural part of the city, her muscles tightened.
This seemed like a weird direction to take for a business trip—and this certainly wasn’t the way to his apartment.
Her heart pounded harder in her ears.
