My Husband, the Assassin

Chapter 017

From the look in her eyes alone, it was obvious that Caitlin had mastered her seductive charm to an almost unbelievable degree.

The technique was a rare Taoist art—something you wouldn’t find taught openly in a modern city, but it still existed. William’s teacher had possessed it and passed it on to her.

The two of them had been orphans, taken in more than twenty years ago by a man who raised them as his students.

The charm was Caitlin’s primary focus—a subtle skill that could cloud the minds of the opposite s*x. But it wasn’t her only talent.

Her true specialty was long-range sniping.

Even William had to admit he was impressed by the way she handled a kill.

“Wouldn’t it be fun to play the big bad villain for once?” William grinned. “Did you miss me, Caitlin?”

“Yes,” she said, nodding with a slow, knowing smile.

William instantly turned serious. “Good. You’re supposed to.”

“When did you get back? And why am I only hearing from you now?” Caitlin’s lips curved higher. “I heard the teacher arranged a beautiful CEO fiancée for you. Sophia, right?”

William blinked at her. Of course she already knew everything.

The teacher must have told her.

He’d only picked up a new local SIM card after returning to the country a couple of days ago and hadn’t shared the number with many people yet. Even the teacher didn’t have it.

“I got in the day before yesterday,” William said with a wry smile. “Just got the phone sorted today, or I would’ve come straight to you. You missed me——but don’t think I didn’t miss you just as much. I still dream about falling asleep next to you.”

He meant it sincerely.

They’d shared a bed for nine years, from the time he was five until he was fourteen. When she left for university at fifteen, he’d never quite adjusted to sleeping alone.

That was how William honestly saw it. No hidden agenda. None at all.

“Really?” Caitlin stood, crossed the small space, and sat beside him on the sofa.

They were in a private booth on a nighttime harbor cruise—just the two of them. She had no qualms about personal space, studying him with a playful glint in her eye. “What, you miss the way things used to be when we were kids?”

William froze for a second.

Back then, they’d been too young to understand anything about attraction. Sharing a bed had felt completely innocent.

But now… the thought alone sent his mind spinning.

Still, with her this close, he couldn’t help noticing the smooth, pale curve of her cheek.

“Hey, what are you staring at?” Caitlin asked, her tone light but amused.

At the same moment, her hand slid over and closed around his.

The brush of her fingertips sent a jolt through him. He sucked in a sharp breath. “Caitlin, what are you doing? I’m trying to be a gentleman here.”

She laughed softly, withdrew her hand, and gave him a lazy smile. “A gentleman, huh? Fine, I’ll stop teasing you.”

William immediately regretted his words. He could’ve kicked himself. She’d made a move, and he’d played coy? He silently cursed his own stupidity.

Caitlin finished the last of her red wine, stood, and flicked off the booth’s lights.

William watched, curious, as she returned and settled even closer. Before he could speak, her lips found his—quick, deliberate, and searing.

Everything in his head short-circuited. Nine years apart, and their first reunion started like this? He felt his pulse hammer in his ears.

They were lost in the moment when—

The entire boat lurched. Glasses rattled on the table.

The sudden sway broke them apart.

“What the hell?” William muttered, dazed.

Caitlin turned the lights back on, stepped to the window, and laughed under her breath. “The cruise is starting. Nighttime scenic tour.”

William slapped a hand to his forehead, silently screaming every curse he knew at the captain. Of all the timing…

He gave Caitlin his best smoldering look. “Let’s pick up where we left off.”

“Keep dreaming.” She rolled her eyes, clearly enjoying his frustration. “Come on, let’s go up on deck and see the view.”

“Not a chance.” The only view he cared about was right here.

“Suit yourself. I’m going.” She laughed again, already heading for the door, perfectly aware of how much she was torturing him.

Her earlier heat hadn’t been pure impulse; she had her reasons. But there was no rush. He was staying in J City for the foreseeable future—there would be plenty of time.

William muttered one last silent curse at the captain, then followed her out to the corridor and up to the open deck.

As they walked, he couldn’t resist. “You were pretty into it back there.”

“So were you,” she shot back with a soft laugh.

He couldn’t argue. Her smile alone was enough to throw anyone off balance.

“Fine, guilty,” he admitted.

Up on deck, the full night skyline of J City stretched out before them—shoreline lights blazing, laser beams sweeping the sky. It was breathtaking.

William felt something shift inside him. Ten years away, and this was the first time he’d stood still long enough to simply take in a moment like this—the quiet, the beauty, the calm.

He’d never had that before.

“Not bad, right?” Caitlin said, watching the wonder on his face with a gentle smile.

“Yeah,” he agreed, meaning it. Then his brain switched tracks. “Almost forgot—I need a favor.”

Caitlin raised an eyebrow, half tempted to slug him. First reunion in a decade, and he jumps straight to business?

Still, she listened.

William explained the bet he’d made with Owen at the company. “Basically, I have to beat three days of his sales numbers in one day.”

“That’s it?” Caitlin smiled easily. “I thought it was something serious. Myanmar, the Middle East, Africa—they’re all desperate for high-quality parts right now. Your fiancée’s group has military-grade factories. Quality is guaranteed. Just tell me how big a contract you want.”

William knew this was child’s play for her, given who she was.

Their teacher had built the Blue Wolf Group, with a legitimate front called Blue Wolf Security that took on private contracts.

After William had been sent abroad ten years ago, he’d built the Red Wolf Mercenary outfit in the Middle East—also under the teacher’s guidance.

Both organizations did the same kind of work; Blue Wolf handled domestic jobs, Red Wolf operated overseas.

And Caitlin ran Blue Wolf Security. A single parts contract was nothing to her.

“Two million would be plenty,” William said casually. “Owen would lose his mind over a one-million deal. Two million will bury him.”

“Fine,” Caitlin said coolly. “Then I’ll get you twenty million. If you’re going to strike, make it fatal. No half measures.”

William nearly choked, then flashed her a thumbs-up. “Absolute queen.”