Over the following fortnight, Olivia got a sense of what it must be like to be in a bad marriage. When Logan wasn’t grilling her on hand-to-hand combat, he was either at the shop or asleep on his hide-a-bed. And if they weren’t talking about how to take down an attacker, he didn’t speak. He didn’t drink wine or beer—at least as far as she knew. He’d come home to sleep and that was about it.

Home. Olivia glanced around the closed-in walls. She could think of nothing worse than deciding to go in deep and then be kept waiting. This place is no home to me.

Last night, he’d shown her a typewritten note with no signature. As Hakim had promised, it had been delivered to the shop:

On July 8, drive to Nice. Make the trip a surprise for the girl. Book a reservation at Le Safari for 20:00. After the main course, excuse yourself and go to the men’s room.

There you will receive further instructions.

Olivia doubted that Taaha Khan was given such a runaround when he’d kidnapped Mathilde Petit. Hakim was being slippery with this one. Perhaps it was because Maulama Uddin had gone missing with the last attempt. Perhaps the jihadi thug didn’t trust Logan. It was probably a bit of both. Most likely, Hakim’s other men were friends and family he’d known most of his life…and David Mason had merely delivered on one arms shipment…and he was a British national. Two strikes against him.

Olivia only hoped there wasn’t anything more sinister in the mix.

It gave her a start when Logan walked in the door at six p.m.; early for his recent routine. He held up a paper bag with a handle. “Thought you might appreciate a good meal before tomorrow.”

“Like my last supper?”

“If that’s what you want to call it.” He grimaced, his eyes sad.

But whatever was in the bag smelled good. She peeked inside while smells of garlic and rich seasonings wafted around her. “What did you bring me?”

“Your favorite.”

Her mouth instantly watered. After spending so much time together, he would remember her favorite—almost like they were a real couple.

Logan pulled out two takeaway boxes. “Filet mignon with herbed garlic potatoes and asparagus.”

“Mm.”

Then he held up a white cardboard box that looked like it was from a bakery. “And if you can finish that, there’s marionberry pie.”

“Pie?” She arched her eyebrows. “Delicious, but I don’t recall saying tarts were my favorite.”

“That’s because it’s mine. Though you wouldn’t know that, would you?” His last remark was uttered with an edge to his voice. Worse, he was right. She didn’t know his favorite anything.

But this wasn’t a real relationship.

Ignoring him, she busied herself with putting two place settings on the breakfast bar. Why did she feel like a lout? They were about to move to the next phase of their mission. She should be electrified. “Would you like a glass of cabernet?”

“Why not?”

She put the bottle and the opener on the counter for him and smiled. Maybe she should try harder to show her appreciation. “I feel like I should light a candle.”

“Definite bad idea.” Logan popped the cork. “Our work-spouse relationship is about to end. We don’t want to risk turning the romance on again.”

Something in Olivia’s heart squeezed. Since returning to Lyon, she hadn’t thought about anything beyond the job. She’d trained herself not to look forward to anything, to focus on the here and now. But faced with the reality of heading into the lion’s den, the idea that she and Logan mightn’t be teamed up again made a lump swell in her throat.

What could she say? It was nice knowing you? I’ll see you on the other side…if I survive?

“Are you nervous?” he asked as they took their seats. He poured for her first.

“I wouldn’t admit it to anyone else, but I am a little.” Olivia transferred the food onto proper plates.

Together, they sat down to their last supper in private before they headed for Nice. She held up her glass. “Thank you for thinking of this.”

He tapped his glass to hers. “I needed to eat, too.”

The food was delicious, and they both ate in silence while silverware tapped stoneware. Once she’d finished her steak, she sipped her wine and studied the man sitting beside her. Olivia couldn’t just let herself be kidnapped tomorrow without making amends. Suddenly there was so much she wanted to say. “I wish we could…”

He held up his palm. “Don’t say it.”

She lowered her glass. “I really like you.”

He regarded her, his eyes intense and he wasn’t smiling. “Oh, yeah? But the job comes before everything though, doesn’t it?”

Her blasted heart squeezed even tighter. “I’ve told you why it must.”

“Don’t you think your parents would want you to be happy? When are you going to start living your life? Christ, one day you’ll wake up with bum knees and gray hair. You’ll be seventy years old and there’ll be no job.”

“Shut up.” Her hand shook as she plucked her wine glass from the counter. “I didn’t ask for us to be thrown together.”

“No, you didn’t.” He pursed his lips like he was holding something back.

She leaned forward with a challenge. “Might as well have out with it. I can tell you have something more to say.”

“You know I can’t bear the thought of anyone else touching you.”

She pounded her fist, making the plates jostle. “Damn your jealousy. Can’t you see what needs to be done?”

Glaring, he thrust his angry face into hers. “Is that what turns you on, Olivia? Screwing the enemy? You practically begged to be shipped into the Islamic State to act as their whore.”

Her eyes bugged wide with the rage steaming out the top of her head. Before she thought, she lashed out with a slap.

Logan caught her wrist midair.

Their gazes locked in battle of heated glares.

“You’re a bastard,” she sniped.

He shoved back his chair and stood. “I’ll cut the damned pie.”

She pushed past him, heading for the bedroom. “I don’t want any.”

After slamming the door, she threw herself onto the mattress.

The damned bastard! How dare he judge me?

Her heart raced, her skin burned as the world felt like it was crashing down around her. She didn’t have time in her life for emotions.

Damn, damn, damn!

This was exactly why Olivia preferred to work alone. How could she have been so irresponsible back at ICE? She’d resisted Logan Rodgers for months. And then in a moment of weakness, she allowed herself feelings. Her path did not provide for feelings. And damn him for questioning her. Her life did not concern him. There were at least four European girls who had been kidnapped and forced into human bondage by the evilest man on the planet. By God, if Olivia could save one of them she would risk everything.

She slammed her fist into the pillow with sharp, repeating jabs. What did Logan think he would accomplish with his peace offering? Did he think she’d change her mind? Did he think he could win her so he could control her?

All men are a-bloody-like.

***

Fire raged in his chest while Logan stood in the kitchen, knife in hand and ready to cut the pie. Muffled punches came from the bedroom. If there was one thing he’d learned about Olivia in the past two months in Lyon, it was that she was impossibly self-centered.

All beautiful women can’t help but be.

For the love of God, he’d told himself not to get involved with her from the moment he set eyes on her in the Gulf. And now his gut was twisted into a hundred knots and his heart felt like lead.

If only he could swap places with her. He’d relish the chance to go undercover in al-Umari’s camp and rain down havoc. But he wasn’t even a blonde, let alone a prima donna.

He’d planned on having a nice evening with Olivia. Sure, they were going to eat dinner in some fancy restaurant in Nice, but they’d be on the job. They’d be being watched. And after that, who knew when she’d see another steak, or even walk free.

She was willing to put her life on the line to take down an operation run by radicalized freaks. They couldn’t bomb the hell out the place because there most likely were hostages inside. They knew of five, but there could be more, if they were still alive. Moreover, no one knew where in the Middle East the harem was located. Sending Olivia in as a victim was the best chance they had to quickly take the operation down.

He still didn’t like it. The whole thing stank.

As an officer in the Navy, Logan had been trained to fight for his country, to fight for women and children and families. Yes, he’d worked with women before, but had never been pseudo-married to one. Maybe Olivia had him wound so tight around her pinky that he was no longer capable of rational thought.

For some stupid reason, he thought the woman might return his affection, especially now that he knew she’d recommended him to ICE. He was such a bull-brained idiot. Why couldn’t he recognize that she’d merely seen him as a good SEAL? A man who could run an op and think on the fly.

Olivia was right. Al-Umari needed to be taken down. The kidnappings must stop. If any of the girls were still alive, they needed to be rescued.

And if any spy in the world could worm her way inside, it was Olivia Hamilton. She could pass for a teen. She could pass for any damned thing she set her mind to.

The lead in his heart sank to his toes.

Logan set the knife on the counter and shifted his gaze to the bedroom door. She was in there fighting her demons. And he’d acted like an alpha asshole, bringing her an offering of good food and then letting his emotions boil to the surface.

Footsteps stomped from the bedroom.

She flung open the door and glared at him, her face red. “Why the hell aren’t you married?”

“Ah…” That wasn’t remotely close to what he expected to come out of her mouth.

“Don’t act like you don’t know what I mean. Guys like you get married.”

“Like me?”

She marched forward and jammed her finger into his sternum. “Yes. Like you—guys who are thoughtful, who remember things like a girl’s favorite meal. Guys who are fit and cracking hot, and own ranches in Montana. Guys who look like a million quid in a uniform.”

Logan gulped back a grin. Maybe she did like him. “I guess I’ve never been home long enough to find the right girl.”

“Oh, please, don’t feed me a line of tripe. Navy men get married all the time.”

Logan nodded. He had plenty of friends who were married.

“Hasn’t there been anyone special in your life?” She shook her finger under his nose. “And don’t you dare lie to me.”

There was no reason to lie. “I’ve had my share of girlfriends. Just never met anyone who I thought would make me happy for the rest of my life.” He spread his palms. “Besides, it’s not easy for a girl to wait for nine months while her boyfriend is on maneuvers halfway around the globe.”

“Ah ha! You have been in love.”

His eyebrows drew together. “What’s this about?”

“I’m bloody trying to figure you out.” She flung her arms in a circle, casting her gaze from wall to wall. “This. Is. Not. Real.”

Logan took a step toward her. “You’re right.”

“That’s the problem with our line of work. Assets are thrown into situations where they’re forced to live a lie.”

Her words cut, but he nodded. She’d sure proved an ace at the living a lie part of the job. “It’s hard not to go in too deep. Not to get caught up,” he said.

“It is.”

“But you and I. We’re on the same team.”

She gave a nod, though her eyes filled with pain.

“Didn’t you feel anything?” he asked, not sure if he wanted to hear her answer. “When we…”

“God.” With a tsk of her tongue, she crossed her arms over her ribcage and averted her gaze. “Of bloody course I felt something. Isn’t that why we’ve been at odds?”

Heavy weight lifted from his shoulders as he closed the distance and pulled her into his arms. “Do you know what the SEAL motto is?”

She shook her head.

“The only easy day was yesterday.” Squeezing his eyes shut, he buried his nose in her hair. “And I live by that creed.”

Her sharp inhale made his skin tingle. “I-I suppose I do as well.”

He cupped her face between his palms. “This whole mess is tearing me apart. But that doesn’t mean I’m going to try to stop you. We both know it’s an ugly job that must be done. And we’re the ones to do it because we are the sheep dogs.”

She chuckled. “Dogs?”

“That’s right. When everyone else is running away…when the herd is running from the wolves, we face them down, charging into battle, and we fight. Our job is to keep the flock safe at all costs.”

She regarded him while her tongue slipped over the bottom of her lip. Her eyebrow arched up as if thinking. “But what you said about being a whore…”

“Words of a jealous man, spoken in malice.” He brushed a lock of her hair away from her face. “Please forgive me. If I could take them back I’d do it in a heartbeat.”

Finally, Olivia slid her hands around his waist. “You’re a good man.”

“I try to be.”

“You’re too good for me.”

“Sh.” His heart ripping from his chest, he clung to her as if it were life and death.

She strengthened her grip as well. “Will you promise me something?”

“If I can.”

“If those bastards chop off my head, promise you’ll blow them all away.”

“You got it. And I won’t stop until al-Umari is six feet under.” He cupped her cheek with his palm, too many emotions firing under his skin. “But I’m not going to let them hurt you.”

Her lashes fluttered as she watched his lips lowering to meet hers. And then the warm pressure of her mouth imparted more emotion than she’d ever uttered. The woman was full of passion, yet she refused to give in to her heart, and he adored her for her strength. No matter if it killed him, he adored her. Languid, sweet and possessive, their kiss lingered while they imparted feelings neither could own to.