Page 34 of Undercover Infidel
The word hung between us as I stepped closer. “You could stay with me. Not here. In the west wing.”
Her head cocked.
“It’s where I usually sleep.”
She looked up at me. “Usually?”
I motioned to the adjoining suite. “I wanted to remain close.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know. I just—” I couldn’t say which of us moved first. One moment, we were standing apart. The next, my hands were in her hair and her arms were around my neck, our lips meeting in a kiss that sent scorching heat through my veins. Her body felt warm and solid against mine. Perfect, really.
When we finally broke apart, both breathing hard, she kept her hands on my shoulders as if steadying herself. I felt equally unbalanced, caught in a current I hadn’t planned to navigate.
“That was…” she began.
“Yes,” I agreed, knowing exactly what she meant. “Come with me.”
I led her to the other side of the castle and into my suite. Unlike those upstairs, this entire wing was wired to detect any intrusion, including from electronic devices.
“I’ll, uh, give you a few minutes to, err, get ready for bed.”
She stepped closer and rested her hands on my chest. “You’ve never done this, have you?”
I raised a brow. “Well, ahem, perhaps a time or two…”
She smiled. “Not that. I mean, invite a woman into your bed just to sleep.”
“You’re probably right. Do you think you’ll be able to? Sleep, I mean.” I tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
She leaned into my touch, her eyes closing briefly. “I don’t know.”
“Come,” I said, leading her over to the bed. We lay on the mattress, her in my arms, removing only our shoes. And when I felt Lex’s breathing even out, I allowed myself to sleep too.
The next time I opened my eyes, I was stunned to see light streaming in through the windows. More, that Lex was no longer beside me.
10
LEX
Ieased out of Con’s bed well before dawn, trying my best not to wake him. His breathing remained deep and steady, his face relaxed in sleep—a stark contrast to the guarded expression he typically wore. I watched him for a couple of minutes, memorizing his features.
What was I doing?I thought with a start. This wasn’t me. Dr. Margot Sterling didn’t moon over men like some lovesick teenager. I was MI6’s foremost AI-weapons expert, not a woman who abandoned all professional boundaries for a handsome face and sharp intellect.
Yet, here I was.
With reluctance, I left his bedroom and navigated the castle’s shadowy corridors to one of my favorite rooms—the library. The massive oak door opened silently on well-oiled hinges. Inside, embers still glowed in the fireplace, casting just enough light to see where I was going. Rather than switching on thelamps, I moved to the windows and opened the heavy curtains, allowing the predawn glow to filter in.
My intention had been to find something to read, to distract myself from the warmth of Con’s body that I longed to snuggle against. Instead, I found myself drawn to the photographs arranged on various surfaces—Con as a child, as a teenager, always with the same expression. There was a certain twinkle in his startling blue eyes, as if he knew a great secret.
In one photo, he stood beside his three friends, all of them preteens, arm in arm before what appeared to be this castle. David’s blond hair caught the sunlight, Tag’s dark curls contrasted with Con’s straighter locks, and Gus stood slightly apart, his smile more reserved than the others. Four boys with no idea they’d grow into men who would combat global threats.
Another photograph showed Con as a baby, cradled in a woman’s arms—his mother, presumably. She had the same sapphire-blue eyes, her smile tentative as she looked down at her son.
I picked up a silver frame that held a picture of Con at perhaps sixteen, standing proudly beside whatmust have been his first car. His smile was genuine, unguarded in a way I hadn’t witnessed until last night.
What would a life with Con Carnegie be like? The thought ambushed me, leaving me breathless. Would we split our time between London and Blackmoor? Would there be children who inherited his technological brilliance or my analytical approach?
