OOPS! I'M A SECRET AGENT (Romance) (9 page)

I led the way, remembering the route I’d taken so many times
in what seemed like a lifetime ago. I’d never have imagined that I’d be here
with a man like Alexavier, working as a secret agent, running as if our lives
depended on it. And perhaps they did.

We stopped again to listen and assess the situation. No
sound from anyone following us. But neither of us was prepared to take any
chances and continued to keep to the shadows.

His face was highlighted against the glow of the dim
streetlamps and the light reflecting off the snow. I’d never seen any man look
so handsome. His eyes appeared to be aqua blue, soulful eyes, beautiful, but
eyes that had seen too much sorrow amid the dark side of life at the
department.

‘I think we’ve shaken them off,’ he said quietly. ‘What’s
the quickest way back to the department?’

‘We can be there in ten minutes.’ I led the way. The snow
had covered the streets but our pace kept me from feeling the cold. From the
depths of the back streets we emerged into one of the main shopping streets.

Without pausing, we hurried on and entered the safety of the
department. Alexavier helped me off with my coat and we went to his office. He
flicked his desk lamp on and filled the kettle for tea.

‘Are you okay?’ he said.

‘Yes. What do we do now?’

‘Other hotel accommodation will be arranged, though I
suspect you’ll be back in London sooner than we’d thought. You’ve been a great
help. Overhearing that conversation tonight pushed everything forward. Well
done.’

I couldn’t remember the last time anyone had given me a
verbal well done at work. I felt myself relax and made the tea while Alexavier
called Montpelier.

I brought two teas over to the desk and sat down opposite
him.

‘Montpelier’s fine,’ he said, finishing the call.

No details.

‘I’m glad. I feel responsible for what happened. If I hadn’t
left the gift unattended, or questioned that it felt slightly different from the
one I’d chosen...’

‘Don’t beat yourself up. Under the circumstances, being
thrown in at the deep end, you’ve handled the job excellently.’

‘Thank you.’

A call came through for Alexavier on his mobile. ‘I’m back
at the office. Send it over.’ He finished the call and then opened his laptop
to access whatever information was being sent to him.

‘We’ve got the security footage from the party.’

I came round to his side of the desk.

Alexavier pulled up a chair beside his and we sat together
watching the laptop screen. He skimmed through the timeline until the part when
I came over and put the Christmas gift on the dinner table.

‘Watch for anyone in the background taking an interest in
you,’ he said.

‘Who is that man there? The one standing to the right of the
table.’

Alexavier clicked the pause button. ‘He’s been causing us
trouble for several weeks. He’s not in the traitor’s pocket though. We’re sure
of that. He’s just after any money he can get.’

‘Trouble does indeed attract trouble,’ I said, remembering
what Montpelier had told me. ‘He’s watching me. He’s looking at the gift on the
table.’

Alexavier played the footage and we saw the man exchange the
original gift for the one containing the tracking device.

I leaned close and studied him. ‘Is he some sort of spy?’

‘No. You’d be surprised how many criminals use hi–tech stuff
like that.’

‘Why does he want to track me down?’

‘I doubt that he does. He’s taken advantage of the
situation. He’s seen you with Montpelier and used you to locate where he is.
We’ve been careful not to divulge our location. The hotel we’d chosen was
considered suitable.’

‘A crime of opportunity?’

‘Yes. It happens a lot in our work. As we’ve said,
assignments overlap into a web of other crimes and devious characters. It’s
never clear cut.’

I hadn’t thought of being a Jenny the Jinx since I’d left London. Now the thought popped into my mind.

We replayed the footage and watched the man exchange the
gift. No one even noticed him.

‘We’ll deal with him. He’s overstepped the mark and we’ve
got proof now of what he did.’

Alexavier flicked the laptop off and sipped his tea.

‘When people join the department, they usually receive
training before they’re assigned tasks such as this one.’

‘Nothing I’ve ever done has been straightforward. I guess
I’m still a Jenny the Jinx.’

He laughed as I explained what that was. I got up to the
part about preferring to be Neve the secret agent, when another call came
through for Alexavier.

‘Excellent work. Well done,’ he said to the caller.

I sat wide eyed waiting to hear what appeared to be great
news.

‘Our agents have picked up the traitor.’

I felt like punching the air.

Alexavier leaned back in his chair and stretched. ‘I think
we can get some sleep now. Montpelier has suggested another hotel and booked us
in.’

‘Great.’ I was elated but exhausted.

‘Montpelier won’t be joining us. He’s heading the team who
are searching for the chap who switched the gifts on you. They should have him
by the morning.’

‘So it’s just the two of us at the hotel?’

‘Yes. The rooms were fully booked but Montpelier knows the
owner and has managed to get us a twin room for the night. I hope you don’t
mind sharing.’

Sharing a room with a gorgeous hunk of a man like Alexavier?
Oh the hardship. ‘I don’t mind at all.’

He turned the desk lamp off and we left the department.

‘It’s a ten minute walk. I’d prefer us not to hire a taxi. I
don’t want a record of where we are and where we’re heading,’ he said.

We walked briskly and the ten minutes sped past as we
chatted about the department in London and how I’d be trained in various
aspects when we got back.

We passed a couple of dubious looking characters in a
doorway but one look from Alexavier’s icy blue eyes and they backed off.
Streetwise, they sensed they’d be making a mistake to cross him. There was something
about him, even though he didn’t look rough or particularly mean, that warned
people not to mess with him.

‘Will I learn how to fight?’ I said, pretending to shadow
box.

‘You’ll learn basic self defence, though we have various
martial arts instructors who can train you further in any specific discipline
you’re interested in. Most of the women in the agency are also given specialist
training where they learn how to deal with amorous advances from men.’

I guessed he meant unwanted advances, though any advances
from Alexavier would be hard to resist...

Don’t think things like that, I scolded myself. I was
definitely out of Alexavier’s league. Besides, it could cause problems at work.
I had to maintain a professional relationship with him. Do not think about what
it would be like to kiss him and run your hands over that strong, lean chest of
his. Do not. But of course the more I tried not to think these things, the more
I did. I was tired and yet the thought of sharing a hotel bedroom with him
awakened my senses. I was sure my boots had a skip in them as we trudged
through the snowy street.

I’d never tell Alexavier. Never ever...

But again, life is full of surprises. When we went into the
bedroom he confessed that he felt attracted to me.

I pride myself for not leaping for joy.

‘I don’t know what to say,’ I said. Shouting yipeeeee didn’t
seem appropriate under the circumstances.

‘I just wanted to let you know so that there is no
awkwardness between us. I have no intention of acting on my feelings. You can
be sure of that.’

Drat!

‘I think that women can sense when a man is attracted to
them, and I think it’s better to clear the air instead of letting the tension
build up. As we’re sharing a hotel room it seems particularly apt to let you
know.’

I nodded. ‘It’s probably better not to get involved,’ I
said, not believing this at all.

‘Definitely.’

So that was it, huh? I sighed and got ready for bed. I felt
totally drained.

The bedroom was lovely and warm and welcoming. The beds were
quite close together, and Montpelier had dropped my suitcases off before
embarking on a night chasing the bad guys.

So I had a change of clothes and my belongings but Alexavier
didn’t.

He’d have to sleep in the clothes he had, or strip off and
sleep wearing next to nothing. Hmm...this could be interesting.

I used the en suite bathroom first,
brushing my teeth and freshening up.

I padded back through and climbed into bed. I was wearing my
comfy pyjamas which were borderline leggings and a top.

Alexavier unbuttoned his shirt, threw it on his bed and
headed into the bathroom.

Jeez! I didn’t think that he’d done it deliberately to tempt
me, but what an effect this man had on me.

I flicked off the bedside lamp. I snuggled up under the
duvet and watched the night sky out the window. Plenty of light beamed in
through the window, streaking a silver glow across the room.

Alexavier emerged from the bathroom having freshened up too.
His hair was wet and swept back from his face. It looked very sexy and so did
he.

Nope, don’t think such thoughts. Do not.

But of course I did.

He sat down on the edge of his bed. ‘Do you think you’ll
ever get back together with Rupert?’

‘No, we’re finished.’ Why was he asking me that?

‘Goodnight, Neve.’

Goodnight? What? After asking me about Rupert the weasel?
But I said, ‘Goodnight.’

I didn’t stare as Alexavier stripped down to whatever he
ended up wearing. His boxers I think. Okay, so I peeked.

He got into bed.

We lay there in silence for a few minutes. Even after all
that had happened I didn’t feel sleepy. My mind was racing with a dozen
thoughts, not least that I was sharing a bedroom with Alexavier.

‘Are you asleep?’ he said.

‘Yes,’ I whispered.

He laughed.

And so did I. But as I laughed my throat was dry from being
out in the cold night air and I started to choke, and laugh, which made him
laugh, which made me giggle and splutter all the more.

He got up and brought me a glass of water from the bathroom.
The glow from the night shone across the contours of his strong, lean chest. He
wore only his black boxers, and his legs were long and athletic. What a great
build he had.

He came over to my bed and leaned down. ‘Take a sip.’

I’d stopped choking and giggling but I sipped the water
hoping it would calm my senses. His hand brushed against mine as I handed the
glass back to him, sending my senses into overdrive.

He put the glass down on the bedside table.

And paused.

My stomach tightened. He’d paused!

He looked down at me with those gorgeous blue eyes and lips
that tempted me to reach up and kiss him and be damned with the consequences.
What did it matter? Jenny the Jinx had a whole CV of mischief making and broken
dreams. What was one more blot on my jotter?

While my mind argued the toss, he leaned down. His arms
pressed on both sides of my pillow, and he kissed me with more passion than I’d
felt in my entire life. I wrapped my arms around him, feeling the sinew of his
muscles and smooth skin beneath my fingertips. I ran my hands across his
shoulders and then through his hair, pulling him closer to me, though he needed
little encouragement.

If the knock on the door hadn’t interrupted us, I don’t know
how far we’d have let ourselves go.

Alexavier jumped up. ‘Who’s there?’

No reply.

We looked at each other. I had a bad feeling about whoever
wanted to enter our room. He phoned down to reception to alert security. No
reply.

He motioned for me to get dressed. I threw my clothes on
immediately. Having a tendency to sleep through my alarm clock and be late for
work in the mornings had been excellent training for being able to get dressed
at the speed of light. I think even he was impressed.

I’d gathered everything except my senses and was ready to
run at his signal.

He put his clothes on and went over to the window.

My heart sank. No, he wasn’t thinking of climbing out of the
window. We were two storeys up.

His expression confirmed that he was.

They knocked on the door again. Louder this time. A sense of
menace filled the room. By the sounds of it there was more than one of them
lurking outside the door.

He opened the window wide and the freezing air rushed in.

‘Wait here,’ he said. ‘I’m going to climb in through one of
the other bedrooms to get to the corridor.’

And presumably fight them while trying to protect me.
Although I knew he was well capable, I had a better idea.

‘I’ll go with you.’

The doubt flashed across his features.