Cyber Seduction: Across A Crowded Room (IATO Series Book 3) by Eliza March, Elizabeth Marchat Page A

as she got through the rest of the messages and gathered some courage, she’d call him back.
    There was also the issue of coming up with a reason for where she’d been all this time. The damn debriefing took longer than she expected. If this part of the plan had been agency sanctioned, they’d have allowed her to call Mosel when she arrived. But since this scheme was about finding her father’s killer, Jason didn’t want to share all the particulars, especially since he suspected a leak in the agency.
    More than twenty-four hours had elapsed since she’d landed. Could she claim to have slept through more than an entire day? Possibly. After all, it was the truth. She could play up the exhausted, concerned sister, collapsed and fatigued. All plausible.
    In any case, his would be the first call she returned after she got herself together.
    Emily walked into the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of California’s finest Cabernet and a large wineglass. She opened the bottle, sniffed the cork, watched the rich, dark liquid flow as she slowly poured, and inhaled the bouquet deeply. She forced herself to enjoy the moment. Stepping into her living room, she plopped down on her overstuffed couch, sprawling in front of the fireplace.
    Ah, it felt good to be back with her own things. The tension smoothed as her surroundings comforted her. She swirled the dark burgundy fluid in the bowl of the goblet, watching it flow down the sides as she thought about the phone call she had to return to Mosel. Her mind thought more clearly now that her muscles relaxed.
    Jason’s setup had worked. Mosel’s reaction to the situation back in Monte Carlo was right on target. He dangled from their hook.
    She dialed his number. Her insides fluttered when he answered. She tried to sound like she had been sleeping. As tired as she was, it wasn’t hard.
    “Ah, I’m relieved to hear from you.” He sounded it, too. Why would he worry?
    “My arrangements for my trip to the US are made. Maybe you can join me while I’m in town?” It was both a question and a demand.
    “Of course, I hoped we could see each other again when you visited. I’ll be in Maryland for a while. As soon as Kate can travel, we’re going there to stay and spend time with family. And I’ll feel better when I get Kate settled. She’ll stay at the family farm while she recuperates.”
    She and Mosel discussed meeting again. So, the stage was set. Her stomach fluttered.
    “How are you doing?” The question was direct. She knew what he meant. She paused to think about what happened to put herself in character for her answer. Back in Monte Carlo, when she pretended to be lost, devastated after Jason dumped her publicly for the blonde bimbo, Mosel was right there picking up the pieces.
    The sexy woman had made it clear, repeatedly, that she had the hots for him. Leaving him with her was one of the hardest things Emily had done on this assignment. Her renewed relationship with Jason was too tenuous, still. Their feelings for each other were still up in the air without Emily having to deal with a determined other woman. Knowing Jacqueline had it bad for Jason and wasn’t afraid to pursue it didn’t fill Emily with warm, fuzzy feelings. In fact, it made her nauseous every time she thought about the hotel scene. But she swore she wasn’t going to think about that anymore.
    “I’m sitting here drinking a glass of wine, contemplating all that, just now,” she answered honestly. “I really haven’t had time to think about myself. That’s probably a good thing.”
    His deep voice soothed, “You should take this time to reflect. Take care of yourself. Let me take care of you. I can see to your needs.”
    Oh, she bet he could. A flush went through her. Mosel would be more than pleased to play the role of knight in shining armor for her, rescuing the damsel in distress, and all that. But Emily hated her part in this role. This weak, needy woman role was the old her. Returning there