Page 38 of Of Desire And Deception

I shrugged out of my coat and quickly disrobed, shoving my feet into the jeans that—damn it—fit like a glove. My ass looked amazing as I pivoted, taking a moment to strike a pose before reaching for the sweater and slipping it on. It was soft and made me want to curl up with a cup of tea—preferably in front of a roaring fire, anywhere other than my makeshift apartment.

A soft tapping on the door pulled me from my self-assessment, and I opened the door a crack to find Selena grinning back at me. She shouldered her way into the room, glancing behind her before closing the door and locking it with a soft click.

“We have to stop meeting like this,” she snickered, pointing to all the clothes. “You should get a smaller size for the sweater. It’ll make your boobs stand out more.”

“What would I do without your fashion expertise?” I asked dryly.

“Well, you sure as hell wouldn’t have snagged Mr. Tall, Dark, and Dangerous Daddy Energy,” Selena shot back.

I stared at her, slack-jawed. “I haven’t snagged the target.”

“Oh, come on.” She clicked her tongue at me. “None of us will blame you for enjoying the perks of your undercover work. Off the record, of course.”

“Are you encouraging me to begin a physical relationship with the target?”

Selena sorted through the clothes on the rack. “Girl, I’m telling you to climb him like a pole and ride him like a bull.”

I choked on my words, too stunned by her crass words to reply.

“Try this one.” She tossed the black dress at me. “Show off that ass you worked so hard for.”

“If Cosimo has already asked me out, I don’t think I need to try so hard to get his attention.” I turned away from her and pulled the sweater off, replacing it with the black, clinging fabric before carefully slipping the jeans off. I felt nearly naked in the slinky outfit and tried to tug the hem further down my pale thighs. “And I’m not going to ride anything. Or anyone.”

“We all have to make sacrifices in the name of justice.” Selena shrugged. “Some tasks are more enjoyable than others.”

“Have you ever slept with a target?” I tried to sound casual as I tried to think about anything other than Cosimo laying me down and climbing between my legs.

Selena spared me a glance and pulled out another outfit—black palazzo pants and a cropped red button-up sweater. “I plead the fifth.”

“Really? You want to talk about me and my target, but you won’t tell me about your escapades?” I shook my head and quickly switched outfits. Not that I wanted to know about Selena’s sex life or lack thereof. Getting sexual with a target was officially frowned upon and could get an agent removed from a case, but we all knew it happened.

She changed the subject. “Are you on birth control, at least?”

“Of course.” It wasn’t so much because I planned on having sex, but to protect myself no matter the circumstance I found myself in. My vagina was probably growing cobwebs after so long without action. “But I don’t want to have sex with him. And after all the birth control as cover, what would I tell him?”

“Tell him you’re waiting until marriage, and the birth control is to help with painful periods,” she offered with a shrug. “Men hate discussing anything to do with a woman’s cycle.”

I snorted at the truth in her words and turned to look at the outfit in the mirror.

“You can’t wear that,” Selena declared, hands braced on her hips.

“What’s wrong with it?” I looked perfectly put together.

“You look like you’re going to the office,” she chastised, waving her hands at me. “Your cover is a young twenty-something who likes the party scene. You’re supposed to be seducing him.”

I sighed, realizing she was right. “Point taken.”

She pointed back to the black dress. “That is what you should wear. Preferably with heels that scream ‘fuck me, mafia daddy.’”

“No fucking,” I reminded her, changing back into my regular clothes. I returned everything to its proper hanger and reluctantly put the black dress in front. “I guess I’m about to become celibate as far as Cosimo is concerned.”

Selena laughed and reached into her bag. “Whatever you choose, wear this.”

I looked at the little box, knowing it contained a small transparent earbud because I’d seen it plenty of times at the office. Unease made my stomach churn. “I’m supposed to seduce him, and Madden thinks he won’t notice an earbud if we get close?”

“I’m just the messenger.” She put her hands in the air. “I guess celibacy is the route you’ll have to take. Do you think he’s the kind of man who will stop if you tell him to?”

“Yes,” I answered without hesitation. He might come on strong, but the man had pulled himself away from me when I would have willingly let him fuck me. In his office. In the hall.

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