Undercover with the SEAL (Norse Security 2)

Alex gave him a decidedly unladylike finger gesture then stepped forward as the driver came around and opened the limo door for her. “For your information, he wouldn’t have told me.”

“Why’s that?” Hunter asked, climbing into the back of the luxury car with her, his large form sinking into the buttery soft leather.

Alex waited until they’d pulled away from the curb and were merging into busy nighttime traffic on Sunset Boulevard before answering. “Because he’d never want his wife to know he goes to a sex club for kicks, that’s why.”

4

“What do you think?” Alexandra asked, coming out of her bedroom in full costume. She’d chosen a slick new black designer cat suit and a brunette wig for the night’s adventures—namely visiting Club Xcite for herself to see if she could get the lowdown on what had happened to Beatrix. Especially since her hired muscle seemed perfectly content to sit around and fiddle on his computer all night. She slid her oversized sunglasses into place and walked over to slam his laptop shut. “Hello?”

Hunter looked up slowly, as if paying attention to her was beyond tedious. “I was working.”

“Yeah? That’s funny, because last time I checked I’m not paying you and your firm to play video games. How do you like my disguise?”

“First, I was not playing.” His voice held a note of tension as did the faint lines at the corners of his eyes. “I was gathering information from the FBI database on missing persons in the area to see if anyone else fit Beatrix’s MO. And second.” He paused to give her a slow once over. Her pulse raced a bit faster despite her wishes to the contrary. This man worked for her, was here to help find her best friend, not end up in her bed. Once his gaze settled on hers again, her skin prickled with heat. “And remind me again what you need a disguise for? Nice hair, by the way. Most natural blondes couldn’t pull off going that dark, but it suits you.”

“Thanks.” She tossed a long swath of fake hair over her shoulder then turned to grab her purse. “Since one of us needs to be actively looking for my friend, I’m going to the sex club to see what I can find out about Bea’s disappearance.”

“No.”

Alex turned back to face him, her nose scrunched. “What do you mean no?”

“You’re not going to that club. It’s too dangerous.” Hunter stood in front of her, arms crossed like a veritable wall of nope.

“Since you’re not doing anything to find my friend, I figured one of us should.” She gave him an impassive stare. “Besides, it’s too late. I’ve already set up a meeting with a known member of the trafficking ring Bea and I were trying to infiltrate. He’s expecting me.”

A flash of something—anger, fear, desire—flickered across Hunter’s eyes before he hid it behind a staunch expression of annoyance. “Cancel it. And I am doing something. I’m filling in the holes in your research so we can go at this problem with a clear picture of what we’re dealing with. Security is my job. Let me do it.”

She snorted. “Security is my job? That’s the worst line I’ve ever heard. And for your information there are no holes in my research. No one knows the details of what we’re dealing with better than me.”

“You’re not going anywhere tonight, Alexandra.”

“Like hell I’m not.” She started around him only to have him grab her wrist and haul her back around to face him. His grip was firm yet gentle, just like the rest of him. Not that she was paying attention. “Let me go.”

“No.”

“We’re back to that again?”

He pulled her closer, the heat of him penetrating through her cat suit and the scent of skin—spicy aftershave and soap—surrounded her. “You have no idea how important this job is to me. If I can find your friend and complete this mission, I can finally get the promotion I’ve wanted. I will do everything in my power to find Beatrix. I promise. But you need to let me do it my own way. Please?”

The last word took her by surprise. In show business, she was unfortunately used to men forcing their own way. This guy though, he never used his size to push his advantage, at least not that she’d seen. In fact, he almost seemed to want to shrink in on himself in public, hunching his shoulders slightly to make himself look smaller. Odd for an ex-military guy. It was just one of the things about Hunter Odenson that was unexpected and made her even more intrigued.

Alex cleared her throat and shook off his touch, stepping back from him to put some distance between them. “Fine. But I’m not cancelling this meeting tonight. It was too hard to get in the first place and if I don’t show up the guy might not see me again. I think he might know where Bea is and I can’t risk losing the information.”

“I’ll go in your place,” Hunter said, leaning his hips back against the table. He’d shed his tux jacket and shoes and had undone the top couple buttons of his white shirt, exposing a tantalizing glimpse of smooth tanned flesh beneath. She had the crazy urge to run her tongue along the side of his throat, to taste the salt of his skin, to see if he was as scrumptious as he looked.

She shook her head to clear it. “No. You don’t think they’d have questions when a guy shows up in my place?”

“But you’re wearing a disguise.”

“Yes, but I still have these.” She cupped her breasts then instantly regretted it as his eyes dropped to her chest, masculine heat flaring in their gray depths. All at once her blood sizzled and molten desire pooled low and hot in her belly. This was so not good. Alex crossed her arms over her chest, hoping to hide her now-stiff nipples. “I mean, I’m still a woman. He’ll talk to me. You? Not so much.”

“Then I’m coming with you.” He pushed away from the table and headed for where his tux jacket and shoes were sitting over by the sofa. “No way I’m letting you out of my sight in that place. We can stop by my hotel on the way to the club so I can change too.”

Not exactly the way she’d planned things to go down, but they were wasting time arguing and she was tired. “Fine. But you’re only my pretend bodyguard, remember?”

He grinned and her toes might’ve curled just a little inside her black patent leather boots. Damn. Did the man have to be so sexy all the time? He opened the door, then shrugged. “Consider it my own form of method acting.”

5