him.
Lani’s pupils dilated.
He pulled her into him, tugging her against his chest until she braced against him with her hands. He leaned down, lifted her hair, and kissed her neck, sucking as he went, hard, as if branding her with his desire and hurt.
He sucked and kissed his way over her collarbone to the tops of her bustier-clad breasts, breathing hard, barely controlling himself from taking her right there in the living room.
He reached to swoop her into his arms, envisioning carrying her up the swirling staircase to his room for a repeat performance of the fireworks they’d created there before.
She wrenched free with startling strength and speed and took a step back from him. “Not tonight, Rock.” Her voice shook.
He’d rattled her. Good. It was a start.
“Our marriage was a scam, really.” She didn’t back down from him. He admired her courage. “Our relationship is purely business now. Our mission is everything .”
Her emotional emphasis on the last word threw him. It was almost as if she was sending him a coded message. He stared at her, hoping she felt his gaze burning into her. “A scam? I have a certificate of marriage in my pocket that I got from Emmett that says otherwise. I’m entitled to my marital rights.”
She laughed softly and stroked his cheek. “Marital rights? What century have we just stepped back into, Lord Powers?”
He gently tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Come on, Lani. I don’t remember signing any divorce papers. Can’t we mix business with pleasure? You did before.”
She eyed him warily and sighed. “About our marriage. Don’t get any ideas about it being a permanent thing. We’re magicians in our own right. We can expunge any records we choose, make anything disappear as efficiently as you do, including marriage records.”
His hopes soared. “But you haven’t yet?”
She could have at any time during the last two years, but she hadn’t.
“Because of the publicity and because of the mission, no. But when it’s over…” She held his gaze.
“Come on, Lani. When it’s over, you may as well try to divorce me and collect a big share of my millions as payoff for putting up with all of this bullshit. As the gossip blogs have reported for two years, there is no prenup.”
“ Try to divorce you?” She arched a brow. “Are you challenging me? Is that a dare?”
He leaned in close to her. “What do you think?”
“I think if you want a public spectacle, I can give you one. Tell me this, Rock—what did you drug me with the night we got married?”
“What?” He was stunned. He hadn’t seen that right hook coming.
Her eyes narrowed and flashed with anger. She pointed at him. “If I hadn’t been under the influence of whatever you doped me with, I would never have lost my professional control and defied orders.”
He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “You’re serious? You think I drugged you? That’s low.” He leaned into her, grabbed her accusing finger and kissed it lightly, boyishly. “You married me of your own free volition, Mata Hari.
“We may have had a few drinks, but it was your love and desire for me that shot your professional control, as you call it, to hell, Agent Silkwater Powers.” He used what he supposed was her real name on purpose to rattle her.
She stared back at him with that damned veiled expression again. “You read my signature on the license Emmett showed you. Very good. That was an unintentional slip.” She wrenched her hand free from his. “And don’t call me by your last name again.”
“If you want to keep your maiden name I can live with that.” He took a strand of her silky hair between his fingers and thumb and let it slide through. “Some might say signing with your real name was a subconscious effort to make the marriage legit.”
“Some would be wrong. I made a mistake and violated Agency policy. Spouses and families, long-term partners, love interests—they’re all weak
Lani’s pupils dilated.
He pulled her into him, tugging her against his chest until she braced against him with her hands. He leaned down, lifted her hair, and kissed her neck, sucking as he went, hard, as if branding her with his desire and hurt.
He sucked and kissed his way over her collarbone to the tops of her bustier-clad breasts, breathing hard, barely controlling himself from taking her right there in the living room.
He reached to swoop her into his arms, envisioning carrying her up the swirling staircase to his room for a repeat performance of the fireworks they’d created there before.
She wrenched free with startling strength and speed and took a step back from him. “Not tonight, Rock.” Her voice shook.
He’d rattled her. Good. It was a start.
“Our marriage was a scam, really.” She didn’t back down from him. He admired her courage. “Our relationship is purely business now. Our mission is everything .”
Her emotional emphasis on the last word threw him. It was almost as if she was sending him a coded message. He stared at her, hoping she felt his gaze burning into her. “A scam? I have a certificate of marriage in my pocket that I got from Emmett that says otherwise. I’m entitled to my marital rights.”
She laughed softly and stroked his cheek. “Marital rights? What century have we just stepped back into, Lord Powers?”
He gently tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Come on, Lani. I don’t remember signing any divorce papers. Can’t we mix business with pleasure? You did before.”
She eyed him warily and sighed. “About our marriage. Don’t get any ideas about it being a permanent thing. We’re magicians in our own right. We can expunge any records we choose, make anything disappear as efficiently as you do, including marriage records.”
His hopes soared. “But you haven’t yet?”
She could have at any time during the last two years, but she hadn’t.
“Because of the publicity and because of the mission, no. But when it’s over…” She held his gaze.
“Come on, Lani. When it’s over, you may as well try to divorce me and collect a big share of my millions as payoff for putting up with all of this bullshit. As the gossip blogs have reported for two years, there is no prenup.”
“ Try to divorce you?” She arched a brow. “Are you challenging me? Is that a dare?”
He leaned in close to her. “What do you think?”
“I think if you want a public spectacle, I can give you one. Tell me this, Rock—what did you drug me with the night we got married?”
“What?” He was stunned. He hadn’t seen that right hook coming.
Her eyes narrowed and flashed with anger. She pointed at him. “If I hadn’t been under the influence of whatever you doped me with, I would never have lost my professional control and defied orders.”
He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “You’re serious? You think I drugged you? That’s low.” He leaned into her, grabbed her accusing finger and kissed it lightly, boyishly. “You married me of your own free volition, Mata Hari.
“We may have had a few drinks, but it was your love and desire for me that shot your professional control, as you call it, to hell, Agent Silkwater Powers.” He used what he supposed was her real name on purpose to rattle her.
She stared back at him with that damned veiled expression again. “You read my signature on the license Emmett showed you. Very good. That was an unintentional slip.” She wrenched her hand free from his. “And don’t call me by your last name again.”
“If you want to keep your maiden name I can live with that.” He took a strand of her silky hair between his fingers and thumb and let it slide through. “Some might say signing with your real name was a subconscious effort to make the marriage legit.”
“Some would be wrong. I made a mistake and violated Agency policy. Spouses and families, long-term partners, love interests—they’re all weak
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