Undercover Lovers

Special Agent Travis Murphy, his hands shoved into the pockets of his FBI parka, lumbered toward them, then bent at the side of the perp. “You okay, son?” Considering Murphy wasn’t treating the guy as a hardened criminal, Tori assumed the training exercise was over.

The guy sat up, rubbing his back. “Fine, sir.”

Murphy nodded, then patted him on the shoulder. “Go get yourself checked out. She got you pretty hard.”

The perp—an agent Tori didn’t recognize—shot her a decidedly dirty look. “Yeah, she did.”

She shrugged, trying to look innocent and vindicated. Her eyes met Murphy’s. “I got the perp. Sir.”

“You disobeyed a direct order.”

“No, sir. I stayed behind the Dumpster and I—”

“Damn it, Lowell, don’t split hairs with me. That’s not a game you want to be playing.”

She sucked in a breath, biting back her automatic retort about the whole point of training ops being to train agents to take action, not sit back like meek little bunnies. But she knew what his response would be—Hogan’s Alley was a fake town set up just for this kind of thing. The FBI had strict rules about the scenarios that went down there. Yada, yada, et cetera and so forth.

She pulled her thoughts to the present, where Murphy was still chewing her out.

“How the hell am I supposed to evaluate your fitness for the field if you can’t even follow a simple instruction? Not to mention that you probably dislocated O’Henry’s shoulder.” He sighed, his ruddy face coloring even more than usual in the summer heat.

Tori licked her lips, the truth fighting with her pride. On the pride side, she knew—she just knew—she’d done the right thing, made the right call. If she hadn’t thrown that can, the perp would have gotten away. The robbery would have gone down, and the FBI would have no one in custody.

On the truth side, Tori knew she’d disobeyed a direct order. In her mind, though, so long as none of the good guys got hurt, following orders wasn’t anywhere near as important as catching the bad guys. Too bad no one had asked for her opinion.

“I’m sorry, sir. It was an instinct, sir.”

“Bullshit. Quit trying to be your father, Lowell.” He bent his head to look at her over the rim of his glasses. “This is going in your file. I’m sorry, but I don’t have any choice.”

Tori’s heart sank even as her ire bloomed. She managed to catch his sleeve before he turned away. “Travis!”

The frown he shot her was anything but amused.

“I mean, Agent Murphy.” She lowered her voice. “Give me a break here. I’ve been pushing a computer since I joined the Bureau. I want to get out in the field. I want an undercover assignment.”

“Then do the job you’re assigned and earn it.”

“Earn it? I earned it at Quantico!”

He glared.

Tori squared her shoulders. “What about the report I turned in last week? Those blackmail incidents.” She started counting on her fingers. “The senator, that real estate developer and even that movie director. There’s a connection there. Did you read the report? And those are only the ones we know about. Someone’s running a scam out there. If I could only get out to—”

“Damn it, Tori. Your job is analysis, and you do a damn good job of it.”

The words came out harsh, but after a few moments, the older man’s face softened, and she recognized the familiar features she knew so well. Travis Murphy and Tori’s dad had been best friends at the academy and had worked closely together after that. When Mark Lowell had died, Uncle Travis had stepped in, watching out for Tori and her mother.

Now, she had to wonder if he was regretting being as good a role model as he’d been. Maybe if Travis hadn’t doted on her so much, she wouldn’t have followed in his and her father’s footsteps. After all, it wasn’t too late to take that accounting job at one of the Big Eight firms.

She stifled an unladylike snort. Not damn likely.

“I may be good at it, sir, but I didn’t sign up to work a desk. I have a degree in accounting, remember? I walked away from the desk job option. I joined the Bureau—”

“To be an undercover agent. Like your dad.” His eyes were sad, remembering. “I know. And I suppose I can’t protect you forever. But you’re not going to make it to the top by bending the rules.”

Her dad had bent plenty of rules, but Tori knew when to keep her mouth shut. Instead, she closed her eyes and counted to ten. It was only while she was counting that Murphy’s words sunk in. Slowly, she opened her eyes, hoping she wasn’t setting herself up for more disappointment. “What do you mean, you can’t protect me forever?” She drew in a breath. “Am I getting an undercover assignment?”

The thin line of Murphy’s mouth remained firm, but he nodded. “Yeah, kid. It looks like you are.”

Tori’s breath caught in her throat. “What? When? With who?” Her words tripped off her tongue, and it was all she could do not to shake Murphy and have him spill the entire story right then.

He held up a hand, laughing. “Hold on. You’re scheduled for a full briefing in about an hour. Right now, all I know is that you’re investigating the allegations in your report. And you’ll be working with one of the guys from your class at the Academy.”

“Doug Leyman?” she offered, suggesting one of her study buddies.

“Carter something,” Murphy said. Tori’s stomach twisted even as she wondered why Carter’s name would be unfamiliar to Murphy. Considering how much it had affected her career, surely her little tryst with Carter was legendary within the Bureau by now.

But Murphy looked genuinely clueless. “Carter Simmons, maybe?” he said.

“Sinclair,” Tori corrected. For years, she’d lived with the Carter mistake hanging around her neck like an albatross, and now this? She looked Murphy in the eye, wondering if the universe wasn’t playing some cruel joke on her. But he didn’t look to be joking, and she exhaled, standing up straighter and meeting his eye. “The agent’s name is Carter Sinclair.”

2

TORI SAT ON A BENCH outside the Burbank airport and read through her report on the Kama Resort for the umpteenth time, going over every nuance that had led to her putting together the connection between the blackmail victims, and to her conclusion that there were more victims out there still unaccounted for.

Her eyes drifted over the page, taking in every word. Not that she actually needed to read it. Heck, at this point she could practically recite the thing from memory. But reading kept her mind off Carter, and that had to be a good thing.

Carter. She shouldn’t have let her thoughts go there, because now she was stuck thinking about him. And she didn’t want to think about him. Thinking about him only made her frustrated and angry and a whole host of other emotions she had no business entertaining. And to find out she was going to be working in close quarters with him—and at a sex resort, no less.

She shivered, not sure if it was a blessing or a curse.

She recalled his face—that cocky grin, those brooding eyes. And lashes so long they’d be feminine on any man other than Carter.

A curse. Definitely a curse. And not only because he frustrated her on so many levels. Sure, he’d been her nemesis throughout their tenure at the academy, and sure, he’d gotten the prime assignments while she’d been pounding a keyboard. But she was a big girl. She knew Carter hadn’t been the one holding her back. No, that dubious honor belonged to her superiors. And while she was pissed as hell, she wasn’t pissed at Carter. Well, not much, anyway.

But this was her case. She’d put the pieces together. She’d spent hours getting blisters on her butt while she made phone call after phone call tracking down leads that tied the players to the resort. She’d been the one who’d burned up the Internet trying to find missing pieces of information. And she was the one who’d drafted the report that got the ball rolling.

By all rights, she should be leading the team. But was she? Nope. Once again, Carter had bested her, and she was reporting to him.

The situation stank.

Not that she’d really expected anything else. After all, she’d been stuck in a closet with a computer for the last few years while Carter had been out doing the job she deserved. Not that anyone had ever come out and said anything about her indiscretion with Carter. Instead, her superiors had consistently praised her brains even while citing her past insubordination. Okay, so maybe she didn’t always follow protocol, but lots of agents didn’t, right? The point was to win in the end.

No, Tori was certain that her fate was a product of her impetuous encounter with Carter. Hopefully this new mission meant she’d finally paid her dues and was getting an assignment based on merit.

Of course, it wasn’t as if they’d given her the type of assignment she’d been wanting. She’d hoped to infiltrate a drug ring or buddy up with members of the mob. Instead, she was getting undercover light—pretending to be married at a sex resort. Not what she’d expected, but beggars couldn’t be choosers.

And even though she was stuck as the underling, she intended to do everything in her power to shine on this job. And if that meant impressing—and obeying—Carter Sinclair, well, she could handle that.

She’d try anyway. She intended to work her tush off in the process. Because when this was all over, she wanted to be out in the field permanently. And if Carter was her stepping-stone, then so be it. She was ten times the agent he was, and in the end, she’d surely prove it—even while being the subservient little underling.

As it was, she’d already outlined a number of ways they could get the case rolling. Her eyes skimmed over the neatly printed list, only one of many papers in her portfolio. She’d worked on her plan over the course of the entire flight from Washington to California and she had some great ideas for jump-starting their research and investigating the potential perps.

Carter was sure to be impressed.

“Looks like the gang’s all here.”

Tori flinched at the achingly familiar voice behind her. A voice that forced her to admit that, on a certain forbidden level, she was excited about seeing him again. Damn.

Gathering herself, she shifted on the bench to face him. She drew in a quick breath, hoping he didn’t notice. Carter had always been good-looking, but she hadn’t expected the commanding presence she was facing. Somehow, he’d matured since she’d seen him last, and the change suited him.

“Solved the case yet, Lowell?” he asked.

She smiled, the same cool and collected smile she’d used a hundred times to ward off unwelcome advances. “Not just yet, Sinclair. But I’ve got a self-imposed deadline. By noon tomorrow, I’ll have this thing whipped.”

“Noon?” His head cocked slightly as he looked her in the eye. “You’re slipping, Lowell. I plan to have this case wrapped up by ten at the latest.”

She set her jaw. “Dawn, then. I’ll smoke out our bad guy by dawn.” She looked him in the eye. “No matter what, I’ll solve it before you do.”

His mouth twitched, but he didn’t throw another challenge at her. Good. Chalk one up for her side.

With a quick flick, she snapped her portfolio closed, then stood up, her hand out in a formal greeting. “I’ve been working on our plan of attack. I thought we could start at the local paper. I’ve already called their morgue and asked them to pull any articles about the resort so we—”

“Good to see you, too, Tori.” He started walking past her toward the baggage claim area, ignoring her hand and her comments.

Okay. That was not what she had in mind. Gathering her bags, she hurried after him. “Carter?” No response.

Damn it, he was ignoring her on purpose, and she really wasn’t in the mood for that kind of power play.

Determination renewed, she shifted her duffel’s strap on her shoulder and upped her speed, catching up to him as he eased onto the down escalator. She squeezed onto the same step, forcing him toward the handrail, his body close enough that she caught a subtle hint of his aftershave. “We’re not going to get anywhere if you ignore me,” she said.

He turned, leaning against the rail and ignoring the signs imploring him to Please Hold Handrail. For a second he just stood there, looking at her, his eyes dark and dangerous. “We’re not going to get anywhere,” he said, throwing back her words, “if you start working this case on your own without talking to me or the rest of the task force first.”

“Working this—?”

“Calling the newspaper office? What were you thinking? Word could get back to whoever’s running this scam that someone’s poking around. We’re supposed to be undercover, remember? And that means not jumping in wearing bright orange neon.”

Her fingernails dug into her palm as she tried to control her flaring temper. “I’m not an idiot, Sinclair. I said I was a reporter for a travel magazine doing some background research on California resorts. Nothing suspicious. Nothing that’s going to jeopardize your precious first time leading a mission.”

She crossed her arms over her chest and waited for him to apologize, but he said nothing. Well, fine. Wasn’t this going to be a pleasant assignment?

As they stepped off the escalator, she matched him stride for stride, her irritation growing with each step. “Do you want to hear my other ideas? Or are you going to just keep on ignoring me?” Probably he expected her to simply do whatever he said without question and not even participate. Hell, this was their mission, even if he was technically in charge. And Tori intended to see to it that she was a full participant, no matter what Carter might have planned.

This time he stopped, and she gave herself two mental points. “Look, Tori. I’m tired. I haven’t slept in three days.” He shifted his carry-on to the opposite shoulder, then smiled at her. A real smile, not the least bit condescending. Damn him, how the hell was she supposed to stay righteously indignant if he was going to make nice?

“I’m not ignoring you,” he added. “I just want to get my luggage, get our car and then get on the road. Once we’re on the highway, you can talk all you want.” He fumbled in his pocket and pulled out his baggage claim ticket. “Deal?”

She wanted to argue. Hell, she even opened her mouth and started to. But the facts were the facts, and as much as she hated it, Carter was in charge. Not only that, but he was being civil—at least a little—and that was something she hadn’t really expected considering their history and how they’d started out a few minutes ago.

She couldn’t say her anger melted, but it was definitely getting soft around the edges. And hadn’t her grandmother always said she’d catch more flies with honey? Tori had always hated that saying, but at the moment it seemed uniquely appropriate.

He stood still, waiting for her answer, his arms crossed as a flood of passengers maneuvered around them.

Her instincts told her to fight. To make him understand—right then, right there—that she wasn’t just some second-fiddle partner. She wanted to be part of the decision-making process, and she didn’t intend to let him overshadow her. But something in his eyes stalled her resolve, and she caved.

“Fine,” she said, hoping against hope that she wasn’t somehow handing Carter the upper hand for the entire length of their assignment. She lifted her chin. “We’ll talk in the car.”

CARTER EXHALED in relief. He’d expected a fight. Hell, where Tori was concerned, he always expected a fight. And he had to wonder what had caused her to back off.

Still, he didn’t intend to wonder for too long. Right then, he’d take whatever little gifts she handed him. And he fully anticipated that they’d be sparring like old times once they reached the car.

Right now, though, he needed some time alone. He’d known for days they’d be working together, but it wasn’t until he saw her sitting in the lobby, her shoulder-length brown curls hanging loose as she hunched over a pad of yellow paper, that reality had conked him on the head. He’d seen her sitting there, and all the old feelings had come rushing back—competitiveness, frustration and, yes, desire.

The frustration made sense. After all, she had a reputation for shooting from the hip, and Carter liked to follow the rules. He’d also expected the competitiveness; they’d been neck-and-neck at the academy, and he’d had no reason to expect that either of them would be completely able to keep the past in the past.

The desire, though…Well, that’s what floored him. At the academy, he’d wanted her. No question about it. But she’d only been using him, and, although she’d left him frustrated as hell that night, it wasn’t as if the love of his life had run out on him. No, that bit of lust had been nothing more than hormones. He’d been young and horny, and the fact that she challenged him had excited him.

But he’d grown up since then. No longer did Carter want to be a superagent, spending all his time in the field, surrounding himself with the underbelly of society. No, more and more he was realizing he wanted a simpler lifestyle. He didn’t want to leave the Bureau, but he did want a home. A family. A wife, a couple of kids. Maybe even a dog.

Undercover work didn’t allow for much of a social life, but he’d managed to work in one or two dates in the last few months. And the women he’d gone out with were looking for the same thing he was. They were nice women. All smart and interesting. And not one packed a pistol.

Exactly the kind of women he wanted.

So why was it that after just a few minutes with Tori his body was reacting like he hadn’t gotten laid in a year? Why could he smell her soap even though she was walking a few feet behind him? Why did he have to stifle the urge to turn around and watch the way her breasts moved under that thin cotton T-shirt she wore untucked over her jeans?

Only one answer sprang to mind—that one or two dates over the last few months weren’t enough to satisfy the libido of a guy in his early thirties. Too bad for him the hottest woman he’d run into was a woman with a history of driving him nuts. Thank God for self-control.

Unfortunately for him, though, by the time they reached the baggage claim, his self-control was fading, and his body was on hyperdrive. Not that she’d be interested even if he did make a move. Tori had made it more than clear on numerous occasions that she wasn’t interested in him, and he sincerely doubted anything had changed in that department.

Besides, even if he thought she’d jump at the chance, he still wouldn’t make a move. No matter how hot she was, Carter was a professional. What was between him and Tori was strictly business. And that’s all it would ever be.

He turned to her more brusquely than he intended. “Why don’t you get the car while I wait for my bag. I’ll meet you in front of the rental counter.”

“Trying to get rid of me already?” she asked, the corner of her mouth twitching.

He had the absurd desire to kiss her. As if that would somehow show her who was in charge. Or maybe it would show him he wasn’t as strong as he thought he was. “Just go,” he said, hoping he sounded authoritative and not frustrated that she’d actually nailed his motivation.

Thankfully, she went. He watched her leave, giving in to the urge to enjoy the way she moved in the well-worn jeans and annoyed with himself for letting his self-control slip.

A plethora of black nearly identical bags started going round and round on the conveyor, and he let his mind wander even as he watched for the purple string tied onto the handle that designated his basic black bag.

His instinct in Kincaid’s office had been right; he shouldn’t have taken this case. No matter what the reward, working with Tori wasn’t going to be easy. In fact, it was going to be damn hard. And not just because she was so gung-ho about finally working in the field. He had no idea why she’d been stuck at a desk, but he could smell how badly she wanted a field assignment.

Unfortunately, her overeager attitude had the potential to get them into trouble. He’d had to bite his tongue not to read her the riot act when she’d told him about the stunt she’d pulled at the newspaper morgue. Thankfully, she’d told the story about being a reporter, but still…Didn’t she understand that the point was to blend in? They were undercover after all. The idea was to get the lay of the land, not to storm in with guns blazing.

But it wasn’t her misplaced enthusiasm that was going to make this mission hard. No, the real problem lay in the assignment itself—in the fact that he and Tori Lowell were going undercover together, literally and figuratively.

Too bad for Carter, on this assignment, undercover meant long days and even longer nights with Tori. Pretending to be married, of all things.

And not just any married couple. No, they had to go and pretend to be a married couple looking to spruce up their sex life. He sighed, his entire body tightening at the thought of finally being that intimate with Tori. Not exactly an appropriate reaction from a team leader, and one he intended to nip in the bud.

“Isn’t that your bag?”

He started at the sound of her voice so close behind him, then looked in the general direction she was pointing. Sure enough, there was his bag, disappearing into the bowels of the building as it went around on the conveyor. “Damn.”

She pressed her lips together, and her blue eyes twinkled. “Lost in thought?” she asked.

“What makes you say that?”

“Because that bag’s been around a good three times, and you haven’t moved a muscle.”

“Just thinking about our game plan,” he said, even as he hoped nothing about his voice, stance, manner, anything, revealed what he’d been thinking about. “How’d you know it was my bag?” he asked, hoping to change the subject.

“The ribbon.” She met his eyes. “You always tied a ribbon on your luggage.”

He frowned. They’d traveled together only once before, and he wasn’t sure if he was flattered or disturbed that she remembered his habits so well. Fortunately, his luggage reappeared, and he was saved from deciding. He stepped forward and pulled the bag off the belt. “Ready?” he asked.

“You’re the boss. If you say I’m ready, then I’m ready.”

Carter sighed as he headed toward the exit. Apparently they were back to attitude. “So whatever I say, you’re going to do?” He paused long enough to look at her. “If I say jump, you’ll jump?”

She rolled one shoulder. “I’m told that’s the way this operation’s going to go down. You’re the big, strong chief, and I’m the subservient underling.” Her eyes widened as she peered at him, giving her an innocent quality he knew was total camouflage. “Or have I been misinformed?”

Carter stifled the urge to sigh. He had a feeling he’d be sighing a lot over the next few days, and he didn’t want to run through his recommended daily allowance. Instead, he dropped his bag on the ground, turned and faced her, his arms crossed over his chest. “Do we have a problem here, agent?”

She took a step back, her head cocked as if she was surprised by his reaction.

“Well?” He knew he sounded harsh, but he needed to know. There were a hundred reasons working in close proximity to Tori was going to be difficult, and if she intended to go out of her way to make it more so, he wanted to know right off the bat.

For a moment she faced him, that defiant expression he remembered from the academy flickering across her face. He braced for the worst, but then her expression cleared. “No, sir. No problem at all.”

“Good. Glad to hear it.” They started moving again, and he slipped on his sunglasses as they stepped outside. “So, enlighten me. You said you’d been mapping out a plan. Tell me what you’re thinking.”

“What?” she asked, her eyes wide with surprise. “The big-shot leader is actually asking the little underling for ideas?”

He almost laughed at her expression, but something told him that her surprise was real, and he kept his face serious. “We’re a team, Tori. Which brings to mind the word teamwork. Which implies working together.”