Evidence of Passion (Shadow Agents 7)

Because jealousy had clawed into him when he’d thought that Rachel might be involved with someone else. He’d been at her side, working day and night with her for three years. He’d wanted her that whole time.

He’d never thought another man might take her away from him...

Until tonight.

When he’d walked in that pub and seen the blond eyeing Rachel like she was the best candy he’d ever seen, Dylan realized that Rachel could slip right through his fingers. Fear had grown with him. Then, outside, when he’d confronted Rachel on the street—

You’re involved with someone else? You’re sleeping with someone? His own furious words seemed to blast back at him.

And, deep inside, Dylan wondered just what he would have done if Rachel had been involved with another man.

“Rachel...”

Her rough laughter cut him off. Rachel didn’t laugh often. In fact, he had to fight in order to get her to ever lower her guard enough to laugh just a little with him. When she did laugh, the sound was light. Soft. As beautiful as she was. Not mocking and cold.

“Mercer,” she said, giving a hard nod of her head as if she’d just figured out a challenging puzzle. “You went to see him tonight, didn’t you? Before you came to look for me.”

On full alert now, Dylan nodded.

She spun, giving him her back as she paced toward her couch. “I should have known.”

Now he was lost. “Known what?”

She turned back to glare at him. “I’ve worked enough missions with Mercer to know how his mind works. I know his plays. All of his little mind games.” She waved her hand in the air. A rough gesture as her fingers spun in a little circle. “He thinks he’s going to use me, doesn’t he?”

That was far too close to Mercer’s plan, so Dylan didn’t speak. He did advance toward her, moving cautiously.

“But it’s not just Mercer.” Her head cocked as she studied Dylan. “It’s you, too, isn’t it?”

He froze. “Using you isn’t on my agenda.”

“No?” Again, her laughter seemed to mock him—and herself. “I’m the only person to survive one of Jack’s attacks. If he’s back in D.C., then we all know he’ll be gunning for me.”

Mercer thought there was a whole lot more involved than just the guy’s desire to end some unfinished killing business.

Dylan didn’t know what was happening yet.

“I was the guy’s girlfriend. So you and Mercer got together and you thought—what? That you’d try to stir things up by making it look as if you and I were involved? That way, you’d be able to stay extra close to me so that you could get the drop on Jack.”

He planned to stay extra close to her, no matter what.

“Seduction.” Her voice became a whisper on that one word, and he had to strain in order to hear her. Then she cleared her throat, and, voice louder, asked, “Mercer’s idea? Or yours? I know he’s gotten his agents to seduce women in the past.” Disgust tightened her features. “He’s used the women as bait in his traps, but for you to use me like this—”

He was across the room in two seconds. He reached for her, but Rachel flinched back from him.

When he couldn’t touch her, his hands fisted. “It’s not like that.”

“Oh?” Doubt was there, plain to see on her face. “Mercer doesn’t think he can use me?”

He wouldn’t lie to her. To Rachel—not ever. “He does.”

She took a step back. “And you kissing me tonight—”

“Didn’t have a damn thing to do with Mercer or Jack. I kissed you because I wanted to do it. No other reason.” Because in that one instant, the control he usually maintained had cracked. He’d reacted, driven by the primitive impulse to possess her.

Rachel shook her head. Her dark locks slid over her shoulders. “I don’t believe you. Three years pass and you never so much as hint that you’re interested in me, then we figure out that Jack might be back in town, and all of a sudden you’re holding me, kissing me on the street.” Her shoulders straightened. “A femme fatale, I’m not. I get that. I just—I didn’t think you’d do this to me.”

He wasn’t doing anything to her.