Over the Line (9 page)

“Well, to be honest, you don’t strike me as a hairdresser type. Too many bullet holes,” she replied huskily. Huskily? Was his imagination playing tricks on him again?

He smoothed the hair down from her scalp, allowing his fingers to dip into the heaviness of it. Did she just shiver? He trailed them down, down and then grasped the ends. He tried to remember how he had seen the on-base barber trim hair.

Realizing he wasn’t going to get a good straight line, he used the brush to straighten the hair down her back, and snipped slowly at the few ends that fell longer than the rest. He repeated the action over and over until he was reasonably sure he’d done an okay job. And then he did the creepy thing. God he couldn’t help himself. He continued to stroke her silky hair, just a few times more, until he wanted to kick himself. Damn it. He was a heartbeat away from tattooing her name on his ass.

Pull yourself together.

“I think you’re done. It’s as good as I can get it,” he finally said, proud for a second that he’d managed to stop touching her.

“Thank you. That was above and beyond. Appreciate it.” She pulled herself upright and stretched like a cat.

He returned to the other side of the counter and grabbed her waist to help her back down.

“It’s all right. I can manage,” she said.

“In those shoes?” He eyed the three-inch spike heels. “I really don’t want to have to carry you around this weekend with a support boot on. Not sure it’d go with your new dresses.”

“Fair enough.” She grinned and put her hands on his shoulders. He effortlessly picked her up and placed her carefully back on the floor. He prayed that he hadn’t hesitated before moving away. He hadn’t, had he? He couldn’t get a good grip on time and space with her so close.
Shit
. He needed to do something about this.

“I’m going to change and I’ll be right out,” he said as he hurried to the closet.

“Okay, I’m timing you. If you take longer than I did getting ready, I’ll be ending this engagement immediately.”

He looked over his shoulder to take in her own shit-eating grin.

She hoped it would take him ages to get ready. She needed to recalibrate from the eroticism of having his hands in her hair. Her heart rate was unsteady, and her breath shallow and unsatisfying. She made short work of opening another bottle of wine. Not that they had finished the one from earlier; she could still see it outside in the wine bucket filled with what was now water.

She poured herself a cold glass, and took a gulp. Better. Much better. Being a little thriftier than the Walkers, she retrieved the half-drunk bottle from outside and put it back in the fridge for later.

After another sip of wine and a few deep breaths, she leaned her shoulder against the glass front of the house, looking out to the pool. What was she doing here, really?

What had seemed like the right thing to do in the car had suddenly plunged her out of her depth, a feeling so alien to her it was beginning to worm its way into her stomach. She wasn’t used to this kind of society, this kind of luxury, or these kinds of clothes. And definitely not the glittering, beautiful diamond ring. The fading light refracted off the facets, casting patterns on her skin and blouse. Hypnotic.

It was important to get a grip on her emotions, her thoughts. She wasn’t used to not being in control; it felt like all she could do was hold it together and help James keep an eye on Maisie. Until Sunday, at least.

Sunday, she could be regular Beth again. Sunday she could be back home with her beloved dog, her sister, a beer, and some afternoon football. In pajamas. Ratty old pjs. She took a deep breath and focused on Sunday, and her real life.

“Ready to go?” James said, turning the light off behind him and plunging the house into dusk.

“Sure. Just let me…” She placed the wine glass carefully in the kitchen sink, and brushed her hand lightly over her pants. “Ready.”

He loomed out of the darkness, dressed in charcoal gray jeans, and a black, tight polo shirt. Fully dressed he seemed even taller and larger than she remembered.

The journey to the bar took less than thirty minutes. The city seemed almost deserted in the summer heat. Their route took them along the Potomac, over Key Bridge and past the Kennedy Center and the Watergate Hotel, places she’d only ever seen before in movies or TV shows. Beneath the quaint streetlights of Georgetown, she could almost believe she was living some kind of Cinderella fairytale. One with a hot Prince Charming.

James pulled into the valet parking area and jumped out to open her door for her. Her heart thumped. How stupid was it to be semi-seduced by mere politeness?

“Now remember, we’re engaged. In love. Just for a few hours. Can you handle that?”

“Of course, sweetheart.” She looked up adoringly into his eyes and kissed his cheek. “I know what I’m here for.”

He swallowed hard, something she took great pleasure in. She wasn’t alone in feeling this. But nothing could ever come of it. It wasn’t worth the heartache. It wasn’t worth becoming crazed with jealousy and uncertainty while she was deployed.

That settled in her mind, she took his arm and smiled at the doorman who opened the black double door for them to enter.

A tiny lobby had two holes in the wall, as if elevators used to be there, but the doors were gone, leaving black holes where the shafts had once been. There were no buttons to press. A sign read
ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK
.

“That sign encapsulates my whole life,” she said, looking into the elevator shaft.

“This is the fun way to get up. There are regular elevators and stairs at the alley entrance. You know, for the scaredy-cats.” He raised his eyebrows at her as if in question.

“Please don’t tell me we have to rope up. I’m not sure my pants will survive it.”

“Nothing quite as extreme as that. The elevator doesn’t stop. You have to step into it as it’s moving. But it doesn’t move very fast, so it’s not too dangerous.”

“‘Too’ dangerous? Dangerous enough to take my shoes off?”

“No. Don’t worry.” He looked up as a rumbling noise got louder. “Just step in when I do.” He wrapped his arm around her back and tucked her close to him. The base of the elevator came into view, and instinctively she slipped her arm around him, too. “One, two, three… step.”

They stepped on at the same time, and instantly descended into darkness. “What the…?”

He held her even closer, as if the darkness made him bolder. “It’s the turnaround point at the bottom. We’re sliding sideways into the next shaft.”

She gripped his hand for a second. She wasn’t scared; it just felt so unusual.

In about ten seconds they were back in the lobby and ascending up through the floors. Some had closed office doors, some looked as if they were being renovated, covered in plastic and wooden work benches. In between floors the elevator was pitch black.

Somewhere around the eighth floor he dropped his arm and wove his fingers between hers. In the dark, she felt him raise her hand as if he was going to kiss it, but he didn’t. By the time they reached the tenth floor, he said, “Ready to step out?”

She squeezed his hand in reply and they stepped out into another lobby. This one was all metal and glass and looked like it was part of a different building from the one she’d seen as they passed through the floors.

Glass doors led out to a large rooftop, decorated with millions of fairy lights against the darkening sky. Sofas and armchairs were grouped around the edges of the roof, and at the far end was a busy bar and a dance floor.

A sharp whistle sounded and James raised his hand. Beth just caught Sadie pulling her fingers out of her mouth and beckoning them over.

Maybe she did fit in here after all.

* * *

Still holding Beth’s hand, he led her to where Sadie had commandeered a tall table right next to the bar. Score. Close enough to signal the barman, far enough away to have some space. She hadn’t changed at all.

James kissed his sister, who then lunged for Beth, saying, “There you are! My getaway driver!”

“Your what? What now?” Simon said, grabbing his fiancée’s hand and pulling her back into her seat while simultaneously holding his hand out to shake James’s.

“This is my fiancée, Beth.”

Beth smiled warmly and held out her hand, which Simon shook.

“Beer or wine?” he asked them both.

James looked at Beth for her answer, but she shrugged. “Either is fine for me. I guess it depends how long we’ll be here.”

Sadie looked at her watch. “A couple of hours, maybe?”

“Then I’d like wine, please.” She turned to explain to James. “If we were going to be here longer, I’d say beer was a safer bet not to have to carry me back home.”

“White wine then, please, for both of us.” James told Simon.

Simon raised his hand toward the barman, but Sadie had already whistled for him. “Bottle of Chard, four glasses!” His sister had obviously regressed the second she stepped into this bar again. She sat back down and grinned around the table. “Beth, it’s so nice to meet you properly. I hope we get to spend a bit of time together while you’re here. We’ll be family soon. Oh my God, let me see your ring.”

She showed her left hand and Sadie clasped her own hands over her heart. “James must really adore you. What a beautiful ring.”

Beth reached for James’s hand and said, “I know. I’m so lucky. Really.” Then she brought his hand up to her luscious mouth and kissed it, just as he had been tempted to do in the dark of the elevator. Her lips were slightly open and the heat from her mouth warmed the center of his body. And other parts. Jesus.

“It’s me who’s lucky,” he replied.

“So have you set the date yet?” Sadie gushed. “I mean, I know this engagement must have only just happened, given that we didn’t know anything about it at all until today.” Under the table, she kicked him good and hard.

“Ouch. Stop it, Sadie.” He rubbed his shin.

Beth stepped in smoothly. “We haven’t really got a concrete date yet. A lot depends on my workload, and James’s, and also my sister, who’s my only family. I need to make sure she’s in the country, too.”

“Sweetheart,” Sadie said, not without a bit of drama, “you have us now. We’re your family.”

“Thank you. That’s kind of you to say.”

Thankfully the waiter arrived with the wine. Everyone took a glass and waited as it was poured. Beth caught James’s eye and gave him the shortest glare. He let her take a couple of sips, and then said, “May I have this dance?”

Beth was off the seat before he’d even completed his sentence, so he smiled at the others and in a mock-stern voice told them not to drink all the wine.

“Is that how Sadie usually is? She seems a little… I don’t know. Manic?”

“This is definitely not normal Sadie. But with the over-the-top wedding and the e-mails, she’s probably just on edge. Or maybe she’s not buying our sudden engagement? I don’t know.”

“We can fix that, at least,” Beth purred. “Dance with me here, where she can see.” She’d found a spot between other couples dancing to the languid lounge music.

With pleasure
, he almost groaned. Instead he put his arms around her and dragged her abruptly against him, holding her hips firmly to his. “Like this?”

“Like this,” she whispered in his ear. Jesus, he was sure he felt her nip his earlobe. Familial tension evaporated, and a whole other type of tension filled his body. As they moved to the music, damned if her blouse didn’t move so that he could see her light purple bra. Just the strap, tempting him as if he could see her naked.

This time he did groan.

“Sorry, did I step on your foot?” Beth asked, rubbing herself, very slightly, against his erection.

“No. You’re stepping on my self-control. What are you doing?” Pure desire rumbled through his body.

“We have to be convincing, right?” she replied, her lips a mere inch below his.

“Right.” He stopped dead still. His hand buried itself into the back of her amazing hair, stroking her neck, massaging her scalp. Until he gathered as much of it in his hand as he could and pulled it, first gently, and then with a bit more force. As her head tipped back, her lips opened as she swept her tongue slowly over them. She was so tempting.

Her hands found his shoulders, and she slowly slid her fingertips over his chest, making his whole body pulse in time with his heart. Her eyes never left his, and he felt as if he was the only man in the bar.

She reached up and pressed her mouth against his. She kissed him gently, once. Twice. And then laid her forehead against his. Jesus. Everything in him slowed down to revel in the feel of her, soft and inviting in his arms.

“Can you just stay here, right here, for the whole weekend?” he murmured.

She seemed to tense in his arms. “You don’t have to say that when no one’s listening, you know.” She looked around. “At least we seem to have convinced Sadie and Simon. Oh, here they come.”

“Darlings! We’ve come to break up the lovebirds. I thought the bouncer was going to use the fire extinguisher on you.”

A familiar face in the crowd distracted him for a minute. Two faces. James pointed over her shoulder. “Is that Jeffrey and… is that William? What the…” He released Beth and took a step toward them. William had been his very best friend in high school. He’d lived on the same road, but they’d lost contact when James had enlisted eight years previously. Considering James rarely went home, that wasn’t really surprising. William caught his eye and waved. The bastard hadn’t aged at all.

“Oh my God, who would have imagined?” Sadie said, grabbing Simon’s hand.

James squeezed Beth’s shoulder. “Jeffrey is Sadie’s ex from ages ago. He works for my dad now. William was our neighbor, my best friend. We all used to hang out as kids. It’s crazy seeing them here.”

Simon took Sadie’s hand. “Why don’t we all go sit over there on the sofas, and catch up?”

James noted the look that they exchanged and figured Simon wasn’t too keen on spending the evening with Sadie’s ex and an old school friend.

Sadie nodded and let Simon lead her over to the sofas on the side of the bar that looked out over the Washington Mall. James beckoned the newcomers over. Jeffrey acknowledged where they were sitting, and pointed at the bar. James grabbed Beth’s hand and followed Sadie, but she pulled her hand free. “I’m going to get our wine.”

“Do you need any help?” he asked, looking back toward the table.

“I’ve got this,” she said, and walked back before he had a chance to reply.

* * *

Beth wouldn’t have gotten nearly as far as she had in her career if she couldn’t get an instant read on a man. And her instincts were telling her there was something odd about Jeffrey. She’d clocked him immediately. The smile, the way he looked Sadie and her up and down. The way he tried to hide his slightly receding hairline, the slightly higher heels than loafers would normally have. They all spoke of an insecure man trying hard to look like the most confident man in the bar.

In Beth’s experience, it was the insecure ones who tried to belittle her, tried to make her feel less than she was. And in her eyes, that was a form of abuse.

This was what she would be doing in the CIA, she hoped. Assessing threats. She always seemed to feel danger before it happened. Like during her last tour. Not that it had saved her from being shot.

William made his way over to the others. He was about the same age as James—tall, thinner than James. Floppy hair that reminded her of a young Hugh Grant. Handsome in a more intellectual way. He seemed happy to see Sadie and James, and she leaned on the bar and watched them greet each other.

Their wine had been bussed away—what little there had been left—so she got the bartender’s attention and ordered another bottle. While she waited for him to retrieve the bottle from the fridge “out back,” Jeffrey acknowledged her silently from the other side of a group of drinkers at the bar. She smiled and that was all it took. He maneuvered around the group and squeezed in next to her.

“Hi. So you’re the new family member everyone’s talking about?” He laughed. “I’m Jeffrey, a friend of the Walkers, from, like forever.”

How in the hell had their fake news traveled so fast? “You’re here for the wedding?” she asked, turning toward him.