CHAPTER 8
Inside the airport, Trey pressed one hand against the small of Carly’s stiffened back and guided her toward the terminal where the private jet waited.
After her meltdown in the car he took it as a good sign she didn’t slap his hand away.
As they waited in line to go through security, he slid his hand up, over her shirt. Cradling the back of her head in one hand, he leaned down and touched his lips to hers, watching her reaction. Her eyes drifted closed, opening again to stare into his when he ended the all-too-brief kiss.
She didn’t slap him. That was good. Carly would have to get used to him casually touching her the way a husband would. Better to practice here than in front of the target. If she weren’t able to handle this, he would much rather find out now instead of in front of the enemy.
He tried not to think about the fact he just plain liked kissing her. Jack had been right when he said she was a really good kisser.
Trey’s stomach clenched and he pushed thoughts of Jack and Carly out of his mind.
This mission required one hundred percent of his concentration. He’d have to deal with any ramifications when they returned, and they would return if he had anything to say about it.
Carly was quiet. Too quiet and a little stiff.
“Everything all right?” He brushed a finger down her cheek.
Her answer was a far-from-convincing nod.
Reaching down, he took her hand and squeezed it. “You’re doing great.”
She swallowed before answering. “Thanks.”
They breezed through the security check with the couple’s documents, expertly altered by Matt to include their own photos. The bastard husband had been right about airport security. Even with Carly’s nerves apparent, the agents didn’t look too hard at an all-American happily married couple traveling together on a private jet.
Trey carried their bag, or rather the single piece of luggage belonging to the real couple they were impersonating, onto the aircraft. They’d have to change into the Smiths’ clothes before landing and hope at least something fit well enough to be convincing. Otherwise they would have to wear their own clothes, but the less they deviated from the real couple’s original plans and looks the better.
Matt and his magic computer had made sure the pilot was clean. He was actually also a veteran. Trey figured he and Carly were able to feel moderately safe on the flight while they memorized their fake histories.
As they waited for takeoff, she sat in the seat next to him and read the file. She raised an eyebrow. “My name is Candi with an ‘i’ and I was a stripper before I married you? Oh, that’s just lovely.”
He laughed. “I can’t wait to see what kind of wardrobe is waiting for you in that suitcase.”
She scowled. “Just don’t expect me to dance for you or anything.”
“We’ll see.”
Carly smacked him on the leg at his little joke. He grinned, happy she was loosening up a bit. Her playful side was just as appealing as the rest of her.
Pushing her appeal out of his mind, he tried to concentrate on his own file. He was having a lot of trouble doing so.
Since he was already thinking about her anyway, he figured he might as well put his arm around her. Strictly for practice, of course.
Without raising her eyes from her file, she commented on his action. “No one can see us here. We don’t have to act married now, you know.”
“Yes, we do. You still tense up every time I touch you. You have to stop.”
Now she did look at him, but not in a nice way. Her brows knit above her gorgeous eyes. “I do not tense up.”
He laughed. “Yeah, you do. It’s slight, but I feel it.”
She rolled her eyes. “Well, if it’s so slight no one else is going to notice.”
“We can’t take that chance.”
Serious now too, she nodded. “I know.”
“Good.” He didn’t say what he was thinking, that knowing and doing were two different things. Then he decided to push her a little further, strictly for the sake of the mission, of course. “Kiss me.”
With a slight look of surprise, but without hesitation, she leaned in and brushed her lips across his. Then she pulled away. “Ha! That was another test. You thought I would fail, didn’t you?” With a humph, she returned to her paperwork, looking very satisfied with herself.
Trey felt like an absolute shit, not to mention a rotten friend, a pitiful soldier and not all that great of a man right now, but he couldn’t help himself. He reached out and turned her face toward him again. “I mean really kiss me.”
He saw the battle in her eyes. She swallowed hard and dropped her gaze to his lips before closing the distance between them. Then her parted lips were on his and her hand was in his hair.
Acting the aggressor, Carly took control and her tongue met his. His chest tightened and he had to control the groan building inside him.
Trey couldn’t stop himself, didn’t want to, when his hand brushed the side of her breast and settled there.
She drew in a sharp breath as she kissed him harder. Then she pulled away.
Breathless, her eyelids heavy, she said, “This is just for this assignment. Nothing more.”
It was definitely not a question, more of a statement, a demand really.
Why?
Not that he should care. He did not want or need a girlfriend, he reminded himself. Especially not this particular girl who Jack had already begun to fall for.
Still, why was she making rules? Maybe she was falling for Jack too. If so, he should be happy for his friend.
It cut him to the bone he wasn’t, not even close.
“Of course.” He nodded in response. “Just for the mission.”
He leaned against the seatback and continued studying the file until he thought his eyes might burn a hole in the page. He was concentrating so hard on ignoring Carly, the sound of Matt’s voice coming through his earpiece startled the hell out of him.
Trey literally jumped in his seat and not surprisingly, Carly noticed.
“What’s wrong?” She sat forward, frowning at him.
“Nothing. Go ahead, Matt.”
“Just testing it out there, big boy. So, how was that kiss?” Matt’s smart ass comment did nothing for his mood and just served to remind him they were indeed under constant surveillance, if not by the bad guys, definitely by the good guys.
He’d been hoping Matt and his magic laptop wouldn’t have communications up and running while they were in the transport, but he was wrong.
“Um, hello?” Matt’s singsong voice made the word into three syllables rather than two.
“I hear you just fine. This concludes this test.” Not only did Trey not want to talk to Matt right now, but he also had to explain what was happening to Carly. She was looking at him like he had lost his mind and was talking to himself.
“Right, you need to get back to that very important part of your mission, I suppose. Can’t wait until I have video up and running.”
Trey could almost hear Matt smirking.
Shit. This was getting more complicated by the minute.
He turned to Carly and pointed at his ear. “Comm unit.”
“I didn’t even see it. Wow, it must be really small.” Almost in his lap now, she tried to peer into his ear.
She was so close he felt her breath against his skin. An uncontrollable shiver ran down his spine before he could shake it off.
Grabbing her by both shoulders, he planted her firmly back in her seat.
“Put your seatbelt back on. And you can’t see it because it’s inserted surgically. It’s less likely to be detected during undercover ops and if it is, it looks like a cochlear implant.”
After hearing that detail she looked especially impressed. Perhaps he should talk about more tech stuff. She seemed to like it. She’d be really in awe when the time came for them to dispose of their files and she saw the patented dissolvable paper disintegrate in the water in the jet’s bathroom sink.
“Wow.” Her gaze dropped briefly before returning to his face. “What else have you got hidden inside you?”
He laughed. “Wouldn’t you like to know?"
Trey wasn’t about to tell her he also had a tracking device as well as an encoded identification chip hidden inside him, and who knew what else. It seemed the medical personnel were always jabbing him with something or another during those required physical exams every six months.
“Hmm. I’ve underestimated Uncle Sam. And speaking of your boss . . . what can you tell me about our assignment?”
“Nothing. Read your dossier. There’s going to be a test before we land.” He wasn’t really worried she couldn’t remember the facts of their new fake lives.
At the bar he’d seen her memorize a list of drinks a mile long while dodging Jack’s advances at the same time, but there was no way he could respond to her question. But it was best to keep her busy so she wouldn’t sulk, which he was sure she would do anyway because he wouldn’t give in to her.
As if on cue, she screwed up her face in another adorable pout and he found he had to read the same page over again for the third time.