More Than a Mission by Caridad Piñeiro Page B

to, thanks for walking me home.”
    He shrugged, the buckles on his black leather biker jacket jangling with the action. “It’s the least I could do.”
    She arched one eyebrow, half in question, half in challenge. “Really? And you expected nothing in return?”
    Aidan chuckled and smiled at the audacious tone behind her words. “Well, maybe one thing.”
    That perfectly shaped brow curved ever upward. “And what would that be?”

Chapter 7
    S he had tossed down the gauntlet and should have known better than to think he wouldn’t pick it up.
    One side of his mouth quirked as he slowly leaned toward her until he was barely an inch away. He surprised her then by saying, “Last chance.”
    His breath was warm against her lips. She imagined just how much warmer his mouth would be on hers. The voice of her daring side screamed, “Stop running, girl! Go get him!”
    And so she did, closing that last little distance and covering his mouth with hers. Experiencing the warmth over and over again as he answered her kiss. Tasting him when she opened her mouth and he did the same, slipped his tongue in to dance with hers.
    Their lips were the only points connecting them and she found herself reaching up, laying her hand on his leather-clad shoulder to ground her since her head was beginning to spin. And then suddenly, he yanked away.
    â€œI’m sorry,” he stammered, although he wasn’t quite sure why he was apologizing. After all, this was what he’d been after all week long—a way to get closer.
    Even in the dark, the rush of color to her cheeks was painfully obvious. “Sorry? You’re sorry?”
    Again she was throwing him for a loop. “Yes, I mean, no. I mean, I know you didn’t want it to go that far,” he offered as an excuse.
    She crossed her arms and cocked her hip. That eyebrow crept upward again as her sherry-colored eyes burned with annoyance. “Already running, Aidan?”
    â€œI think we’ll probably both be thankful in the morning that we stopped when we did.”
    With a nod, and without waiting for her reply, he hurried away.
    He rushed into the suite eager to see what Elizabeth would do once she was within range of the cameras Lucia had set up in her cottage.
    A purely professional interest, he reminded himself, but as he caught sight of Elizabeth in her bedroom, he knew it for the lie it was.
    Sitting beside Lucia, he watched as Elizabeth reached behind her and undid the zipper on the back of the basic little black dress that hugged her slim curves. The fabric loosened, and then with a dip of her shoulders, the dress slipped off and pooled at her feet on the floor, leaving her standing in nothing but lacy black underwear. Very feminine, highly revealing underwear.
    He swallowed hard.
    â€œA woman doesn’t wear black unless she wants someone to see it. Especially black like that.” Lucia nudged him with an elbow.
    â€œShe didn’t know I’d be there.” He continued watching, waiting for the undergarments to drop, as well, but then Elizabeth grabbed something from the edge of the bed.
    She headed to a door at the far end of the room and Aidan reached for the monitor controls to switch the view, only Lucia batted away his hand.
    â€œI didn’t bug the bathroom. There’s no way out of that room besides the window.”
    Chagrined, he replied, “You’re right.”
    Lucia punched a few buttons at that point and a view of the back of the cottage popped into place on one monitor. The light from the bathroom window was visible, a bright beacon against the dark stone of the cottage, but not much else.
    â€œShe can’t go out that way without us knowing,” Lucia explained, and then yawned.
    â€œMaybe we should take turns the rest of the night?” Aidan suggested. “I’ll take the first watch.”
    With a knowing grin, Lucia bid him goodnight.
    Aidan settled