She might have been pretty but for the superior sneer on her face, which Lucy guessed was perpetual.
Bryan, what on earth are you doing in a lingerie store?
Hi, Sharon, he said without much enthusiasm. The two didnt touch. Im buying a gift. This is Lindsay Morgan. Lindsay, my stepmother, Sharon Elliott.
Sharon nodded her acknowledgment while giving Lucy a thorough once-over. Soon to be Sharon Styles again, thank God.
Its nice to meet you, Lucy said politely. Bryan, Ill just go try these on and give you two a chance to visit. And she scurried toward the dressing room, anxious to escape the obvious tension between Bryan and his stepmother. Her absence would also give Bryan a chance to explain her presence however he chose, without worrying she would say something to mess up his story. She was so new at this undercover thing, and she figured it was better if she got used to it in small doses. She hadnt forgotten the crazy story shed blurted out to Scarlet, which they now had to live with.
When she got to the dressing room, she quickly undressed and tried on one of the silk nightgowns. Though Bryan had chosen the clothing at random, hed gotten her size right, and the gown was absolutely gorgeous.
Without meaning to, she pictured herself wearing it in Bryans loft. With Bryan looking on approvingly.
Though there was no one present to know her thoughts, her face flamed. She decided right then she would choose this gownand a couple more just as sexy. She was done being frumpy, even if Bryan would never see the lovely scraps of silk on her.
Who is she? Sharon asked the moment she and Bryan were alone.
I met her in Paris, but shes from Kansas, Bryan said, sticking to the story Lucy had told Scarlet. Although Sharon didnt have much contact with the family since the divorce proceedings had begun, she did talk to Bryans father from time to time as they wrangled over the settlement details.
And youre buying her lingerie?
He shrugged. Something wrong with a man buying his girlfriend lingerie?
Sharons eyebrows flew up. Oh, so shes your girlfriend. I dont recall that youve had a girlfriend in a number of years. As if that made him suspect.
Bryan chose to let that comment pass. Lindsay is pretty special.
She seems very sweet, Sharon said. Well, I must get on with this. Ive been invited to a wedding shower, and though I hate those things, its at the Carlyle, and I heard there might be a couple of celebrities present.
That figured. Sharon had always been a social climber extraordinaire. She came from a wealthy familyPatrick had handpicked her for his son Daniel, after all. But her parents werent famous-rich, like the Elliotts, and shed reveled in her society-wife role, snubbing her old friends and collecting a new, richer batch. Now she was trying to elevate her status even higher.
He didnt dislike Sharon, for shed been tolerant enough to him and his brother, Cullen, two boisterous stepsons. But she didnt give him any warm fuzzies, and shed been pretty obstinate about the divorce.
She drifted away to shop, and Bryan found himself alone, staring at the wide array of sexy lingerie. Each thing he looked ateach bra and panty set, each nightie, each thonghe couldnt help but picture on Lucy.
Hed been hoping last night was just a fluke, that hed merely been turned on by the glamorous trappings Lucy had displayed. But when hed seen her this morning, hed known it was something far deeper than clothes or hair color that attracted him to Lucy Miller.
Lucy had an inner core of goodness that radiated from her. Hed never met anyone like her. He, on the other hand, was part of an ugly, shadowy world. Their two worlds were colliding, but that contact could only be temporary. She didnt belong in his, nor he in hers. He had to remember that.
Lucy reappeared a few minutes later. Is she gone?
He nodded. Sharon had grabbed a slinky black nightgown, paid for it and left without a backward glance. He wondered if she would find an excuse to call his dad and report what shed seen. Despite the pending divorce, Sharon loved to gossip. Ill put those up for you, he said to Lucy, holding out his arms. You can go back to the nightshirts.
No, thanks. I want these.
He looked again at the slinky, transparent fabrics and daring, skin-revealing styles of the nightgowns she held, and his jeans grew noticeably tighter in the crotch. He did not need to think about Lucy wearing those!
Five
Lucy wore her ice-blue nightgown to bed that night. She felt sexy in it, which made her think of things she probably shouldnt. But she couldnt make herself clamp down on her fantasies. Shed spent two years seeing herself as a nonsexual being, and she didnt want to return to that. It was wonderful being able to feel again, even if some of those feelings were painful.
In the morning she dressed in a pair of pink exercise shorts, a sports bra, a pink tank top with the word Diva across the chest, and her new running shoes. She wore a terry sweatband to keep her hair out of her face.
Bryan was waiting for her when she emerged, grinding beans in his futuristic coffeepot.
Ready? he asked, looking pointedly at her bare legs. At least he wasnt focusing on her chest, or lack thereof. Shed gotten used to the cleavage her fancy push-up bras produced, but those bras werent practical for running.
Im ready, but I warn you, Im out of shape.
Well take it easy.
Five minutes later Lucy was thinking, If this is easy, Id hate to see rigorous. She was huffing and puffing like a leaky accordion, her every muscle protesting. Shed had no idea she was in such bad condition.
To his credit, Bryan said nothing, just loped along beside her, breathing normally.
After a few minutes Lucy got into a rhythm and she felt a little better. She started to pay attention to the sights around her, the people hurrying to catch a bus or taxi, the bagel vendors, the honking horns and flocks of pigeons.
Oh, how she loved this city. She hadnt, however, often seen it at this hour of the morning. The In Tight crew was accustomed to starting the day around noon. Mornings, she discovered, had the same energy, but also a feeling of anticipation, of possibilities.
You doing okay? Bryan asked.
She nodded.
They veered into Central Park where they joined dozens of other morning joggers. Lucy dropped back a little so she could run behind Bryan and enjoy the view. He had the most gorgeous, tanned, muscular legs shed ever seen, and a tight butt she wanted more than anything to grab. She giggled and almost choked to death because she didnt have the spare oxygen for laughter.
She stopped and coughed a few times, and Bryan, looking concerned, tapped her on the back until she was better.
Maybe we should head back, he said.
She nodded, unable to speak.
That was really good for a first time out.
She smiled at him, and he smiled back, and her heart did a little plonk. She wished he wouldnt be so nice to her. She wished she wasnt just a job to him, a responsibility to be taken care of. She wished theyd met some other way, and maybe they could go out on a date like normal people.
Her life was pretty far from normal.
Her life was pretty far from normal.
She was sweating like an ox by the time they made it back to Bryans building. Instead of going straight up, they swung into Une Nuit. Bryan introduced her to his manager, Stash, a charming man with a French accent who eyed her speculatively as Bryan put together a plate of pastries.
This the one, eh? he said.
This is the one, Bryan confirmed, flashing a slightly embarrassed smile.
The one? What the heck did that mean?
Lucy looked around the huge commercial kitchen, which appeared to her like a forest of stainless steel, everything impeccably clean and sparkly. Three men and one woman wearing tall chefs hats bustled around preparing the days menu, all joking and laughing in good-natured camaraderie.
This would be a fun place to work, she caught herself thinking. Not like Alliance Trust, where no one cracked a smile or spoke above a whisper, and the only smells were of new carpet and money. Honestly, that place was like a mausoleum.
You want to see the rest of it? Bryan asked, apparently noting her interest.
Oh, yes, please.
He led her through a wide, swinging, double door into the main dining room, flipping on a couple of light switches as they went. The decor was nothing short of seductive. Low red lighting illuminated the copper-topped tables, which were surrounded by black suede banquettes and armchairs. Tables and booths were tucked away at odd angles in little corners, and she imagined the famous people who ate here enjoyed the sense of privacy.
The floor was black-and-red stonemarble, or maybe something else. Contemporary wrought-iron chandeliers hung here and there, each one different, each one a work of art.
Wow, this is beautiful. Did you decorate it yourself?
No, I hired a design firm. They did my loft, too. I cant take credit for that. Except some of the artwork.
Its wonderful. Can we eat here some time? She nearly swooned at the idea of an intimate dinner with Bryan. Since they would be in public, they would have to act like a couple in love. It wouldnt be too difficult for her.
You can eat here anytime you like. Stash will take care of you.
That wasnt really what she wanted to hear. She wanted Bryan to be the one taking care of her. They could share a plate of crepes stuffed with stir-fryor whatever exotic thing was on the menuand feed each other with chopsticks.
Bryan showed her the bar area, which featured smaller tables and less-cushy chairs, for those waiting for a table or just stopping in for a cocktail.
Downstairs theres a private dining room, for parties and such. Do you want to see it?
She glanced at her watch. I suppose we better get going. I have a lot of work to do on the computer today.
They went upstairs, showered, then met again in the kitchen to gobble down the French pastries and coffee. Yes, she was going to have to make running a habit.
Hours later Lucy was firmly ensconced in Bryans private study, which was upstairs off the master suite. The door had been locked the night Scarlet came overLucy had checked the door out of curiosity. But this morning hed let her in, fired up his computer and put her to work. She had not only the memory stick shed taken with her when she fled from D.C., but all of the data shed provided Brian with over the past few weeks. He had been going over it himself, along with some of Homeland Securitys top computer experts, but none of them had been able to figure out who was siphoning money out of the pension funds. The embezzling had been disguised to look like ordinary transactions. Fund managers bought and sold stock and securities all the time. Only by comparing the transactions with the various fund managers portfolio profiles could the bogus stock sales be ferreted out.
For the past three hours, Lucy had been going over personal e-mails. She felt terrible for invading her co-workers privacy, but Bryan had assured her it was both legal and necessary. The embezzler wasnt operating in a vacuum. Maybe he wasnt stupid enough to leave incriminating evidence in an e-mailbut maybe he was.
Bryan had left her alone to attend to his own business. He was checking in with the other agents on his team to see if any progress had been made from their ends. When she heard footsteps coming up the stairs, Lucy was almost giddy at the prospect of seeing him again. She told herself it was only because she was anxious to report what shed found. But deep down she knew it was more than that. She was forming an unhealthy attachment to her superspy, which was only going to lead to pain and disappointment.
But what could she do? She couldnt order her emotions to behave. And her hormones were completely out of her control.
Bryan entered the study, and Lucys smile died. The strain on his face was obvious. Bad news?
One of the agents on my team is MIA.
Oh, no, thats awful!
No one has heard from him in three days.
What do you think happened? Where was he the last time you knew?
Hes been in France. He infiltrated the bogus charity your embezzler has been funneling money to, and was tracing down wire transfers that matched the amounts we know were stolen from Alliance at certain times. But now hes vanished. Either hes blown his cover or hes the traitor. But I find that impossible to believe. Ive worked closely with Stungun on two other missions. Id have trusted him with my life anyday.
Stungun?
Bryan rolled his eyes. We all have code names. We dont know each others real names. Not even my superior knows who I am.
What are the other agents code names?
My team consists of me, Stungun, Tarantula and Orchid. Siberia is our controlour boss.
Its okay for you to tell me that?
He smiled briefly. We change the code names all the time. Im Casanova right now, but Ive been Jackknife, Hustler and Hopper.
Hopper?
He shrugged. Cause Im quick like a rabbit, I guess. I didnt come up with it. He sat wearily in a leather office chair. Have you found anything?
You wouldnt believe what Ive found out. John Pelton, one of our loan officers, has been downloading porn. Really raunchy stuff. I never would have guessed. Then theres Cassie Hall and Peter Glass. Theyve apparently been carrying on a torrid affairand theyre both married to other people! I feel like a pervert, reading their e-mails.
Anything pertinent to the case?
Ive been comparing log-ins to the times various illegal transactions were made. Its painstakingly slow, but I think I might be able to figure out who the culprit is by process of elimination.
Any front runners?
Ive been able to eliminate a couple of people. But there are still dozens of candidates. Most people stay logged in all day when theyre at work. Still, its a start.
Good. Keep at it. There are cold cuts and fruit in the fridge if youre hungry.
She glanced at her watch and was surprised to see it was almost two. Shed been so engrossed in solving the puzzle, shed been oblivious to the passage of time.
Im afraid I have more bad news, he said, his tone positively funereal.
What? Its not my family, is it? They havent reported me missing or anything, I hope. She wasnt in close contact with her parentsshe talked to them every couple of weeks. They wouldnt be worried about her yet.