Page 36 of Undercover Infidel
He reached for my hand after I took my seat. “What about you, Lex? Would you mind?” His thumb brushed the inside of my palm, making it impossible for me to think.
“I would not,” I said, jerking it away with more force than I’d intended.
His eyes flared.
“Sorry, it’s just…”
“Look, if you prefer I not, I’ll respect your wishes.”
“It isn’t that, Con.”
He stood to get more coffee. “What is it, then?”
“You.”
“Me?”
“You make it hard for me to think at times,” I admitted.
His scowl was quickly replaced by a wide smile.
I shook my head, unable to keep from grinning as well.
His hand reached for mine again. “You do the same to me, you know?”
After breakfast,we retreated to the ops hub, the professional setting a stark contrast to the scene of our breakfast flirtatiousness.
“The Russian we overheard mentioned a demonstration within the month,” I said, typing notes as Ispoke. “Which means?—”
“They’d need to conduct the final integration testing within the next week,” Con finished.
I continued typing. “And given what we know about his previous work, Orlov would need specialized hardware for that phase.” An alert popped up on my screen. “What’s this?” I asked.
Con leaned over my shoulder, his chest briefly pressing against my back. The contact, though fleeting, made me shiver in a way that had nothing to do with the temperature in the underground facility.
“I reached out to Sullivan to see if her sources were able to confirm shipments taking place in the next seven days. It appears she had success,” he said before moving over to his workstation.
By early afternoon,we’d compiled a comprehensive analysis of potential locations for Labyrinth’s operations, narrowing our focus to three specific areas within Scotland that had the infrastructure necessary for advanced AI-weapons development, as well as easy access to Teesport, where the previous shipments Sullivan had tracked departed from.
“Time to go,” said Con.
I was stunned when I checked and saw it was already fourteen-thirty. “I’ll just grab a coat.”
“Ahem.”
“Oh, you have it already,” I said, turning to see it dangling from one of Con’s fingers. I stood, and he helped me with it. Admittedly, I loved how much of a gentleman he could be when he decided he wanted to.
The drive to Ashcroft was under rain-heavy clouds that threatened but hadn’t yet broken. The castle’s silhouette against the darkening sky was imposing, particularly given it sat on a promontory.
“Dr. Sterling, how lovely to see you again. Lord Blackmoor,” Mairi greeted us at the entrance with a warm smile. She gave a slight bow that seemed more habitual than necessary. “Dr. McLaren is waiting in the library. I’ll bring tea shortly.”
Following Mairi through Ashcroft’s corridors, I noted the similarities and differences between this castle and Blackmoor. Both possessed the weight of history in their stone walls, but where Blackmoor felt like Con—controlled elegance with cutting-edge technology hidden beneath traditionalsurfaces—Ashcroft carried a more mysterious energy, secrets tucked away in shadowed corners.
We entered the library to find Dr. McLaren examining a leather-bound volume at a table near the windows. She looked up as we walked in, her eyes briefly registering surprise at Con’s presence before her professional mask reasserted itself.
“Margot, Conrad, thank you for coming.” She closed the book and gestured to the chairs across from her. As we settled, she continued, “A magnificent room, isn’t it? Though I understand it has a troubled recent history.”
“This is where Fallon Wallace abducted Sullivan Rivers,” Con confirmed, his voice flat despite the personal nature of the statement. “She took her through a concealed entrance behind a bookcase that led to the tunnels beneath the estate.”
