Operative Temptation

Blind spots

"Say that again," Kayleen said. Her voice dropped low, stripped of its party tone, while her fingers slid into her purse for the blade hidden in the lining.

Her heart pounded against her ribs, but her face stayed completely blank. She had spent six months training herself not to show fear.

Adrian didn’t step back. His eyes drifted down to her wrist, a knowing smirk touching his lips. "I don’t need to. You heard me."

Kayleen forced a quiet, easy laugh and let her shoulders drop. She stepped in close, letting her jasmine perfume fill the space between them. Resting one hand against his chest, she traced the edge of his lapel while slipping a tiny tracking chip into his breast pocket.

"Katarina?" she asked, looking up into his eyes with a lazy smile. "An old girlfriend, Mr. Cross? If you’re trying to throw me off, you’ll need a better line than that."

Adrian stood still under her touch, watching her like a puzzle he had already solved. "You really thought you were the one hunting tonight, didn’t you? The fake name, the expensive dress, the clumsy drink spill..."

"I think you’re paranoid," Kayleen whispered. She dragged her fingers down his neck, feeling the steady beat of his pulse not a single flutter of panic in him before stepping back. "And I’m done hanging out in a gloomy hallway. You’re handsome, Adrian, but you’re crazy."

He took a step forward, closing the space right away. His hand came up, holding her firmly by the waist. "Is that so? You ruin my suit jacket, and now you want to run because I said a name that made your hands shake?"

Kayleen pulled free of his grip, ignoring the sudden chill down her spine. "My hands aren’t shaking. I just don’t like standing next to a man who’s lost his mind."

"You’re a bad liar," Adrian said softly, dropping his hand. "The way you froze told me everything."

"It’s hot in here," Kayleen snapped, her calm slipping for a split second. "And I don't like being cornered."

"Who sent you?" he asked, his dark eyes locked onto hers.

"Nobody sent me!" She let her voice rise just enough to sound angry. "I came for the art. I slipped and spilled a drink. That's all this is, and I'm leaving."

"You can walk out that door right now," Adrian said, gesturing toward the ballroom. "But you won’t get far before you realize you left something behind."

Kayleen froze, her heels set on the marble floor. "What’s that supposed to mean?"

"It means," he said, stepping closer until his shadow covered her, "every move you made tonight was planned. You thought getting me alone was your idea. Did it ever cross your mind that I wanted to be alone with you?"

Kayleen swallowed hard and forced her chin up. "You’re full of yourself."

"Maybe," Adrian murmured, leaning in until she could feel the heat radiating off him. "Or maybe I just know a trap when I see one. Especially when the bait is this obvious."

"If I were a trap, you’d already be caught," she said sharply, taking two fast steps back. "Enjoy your night, Mr. Cross. Don’t follow me."

She didn’t give him a second to answer. Turning on her heel, her green dress swished against her legs as she walked down the quiet corridor toward the elevators. Her legs felt heavy, but she kept her shoulders back and her spine straight, refusing to look back even with the burning feeling of his eyes on her.

She reached the elevator and pressed the brass button. The silver doors slid open with a soft chime. Kayleen stepped inside and turned around, holding her chin up as the doors began to close.

Adrian still stood at the end of the hall, hands in his pockets. He watched her go with a calm, patient look.

The second the doors sealed shut, Kayleen’s posture collapsed. She leaned heavily against the mirrored wall, letting out a rough breath.

Her hands rushed to yank her purse open. "Damn it," she muttered, fingers digging into the lining until she pulled out a small black receiver. Her heart hammered in her throat, loud in the quiet elevator. "Come on, sync up. Just tell me the link is live."

She tapped the screen, waiting for the map to show the red dot marking Adrian’s location.

"Load, you stupid piece of garbage," she whispered, her chest heaving as she stared at the dark screen.

The display flickered twice, then went completely dead.

"What?" She tapped the glass harder. "No, no. Work!"

A sharp digital beep bounced off the walls, making her jump. The screen flashed bright white as the tracking software wiped itself clean right before her eyes.

Kayleen’s breath caught. Her fingers froze over the glass.

The white screen cut out, replaced a second later by a clear video feed. She stared down at it, her stomach dropping as she recognized the space.

It was a live camera shot from the top corner of the elevator cab she was standing in right now. On the screen, she saw herself her green dress, her wide eyes, and the receiver shaking in her hand while her back pressed against the mirror.

Below the live feed of her inside the elevator, a single line of text slowly typed itself across the bottom:

Nice try, Senator’s daughter.