All Tied Up

She knew him.

No.

It couldn’t be.

She swallowed, finding it hard to process mentally what her physical self was telling her. How could the stranger from the bar be here?

But it was him. She knew it with every fiber of her being.

If he were here now, and he had also been at the bar…A sick flutter went through her stomach as the possibilities flew through her mind. A combination of anger and embarrassment began to churn in her gut, and she shoved the worthless emotions aside as premature. Maybe it wasn’t him, the man from the bar. Maybe her mind was playing tricks on her. She studied the man from behind, hoping it wasn’t Constantine. Praying she’d not been betrayed, sucked into a trap by someone using her desire as a weapon. The very thing that had destroyed her life once before.

Then, as if answering her silent question, he turned, giving her a view of the true man. Their eyes locked and held. Recognition came to her mind, confirming what her body and senses already knew. This was the man from the bar.

Images of Friday night, of how he’d touched her, played in her mind. She saw it in his eyes, too. The memories. Maybe a flash of guilt. The knowledge that he’d taken from her without being honest.

He gave her a quick nod. “Hello, Nicole.”

The way he said her name, with that sexy Spanish accent, sent a shiver down her spine. And she hated him for having that impact on her. No. She hated herself for allowing this stranger to deceive her. For being weak enough to become prey to a man with an agenda.

“That’s my name,” she said, stiffening. “What’s yours? Constantine? Vega? Where do the lies start and stop?”

He leaned against the wall, crossing one booted foot over the other. Soft denim hugged his muscular thighs, drawing her gaze and making her remember touching him.

Being touched by him.

Though he made no effort to close the distance between them on a physical level, his eyes seemed to touch her more intimately.

Her fists balled at her sides as she fought the urge to launch herself at him and smack his face, to make him pay for what he’d taken from her—her control, her self-respect.

She drew in a slow breath, cautiously concealing her discomfort behind an unreadable mask reserved for prosecuting in a courtroom. This man had only gotten where he had with her because she’d let him. He wouldn’t get past her guard again.

“Well?” she demanded.

He studied her for several seconds, his gaze far too probing for Nicole’s comfort. She felt as if he knew her secrets, and she wondered if he did. Just how much of her life had he investigated before he’d seduced her?

“Constantine,” he then said, confirming his name. At least one thing about that night had been true. “Agent Constantine Vega.” He paused as if giving her time to digest his words. “I can give you the conviction you seek, Ms. Ward.”

A conviction and an orgasm, she thought bitterly. How perfectly efficient of him. And devious. He’d been after something. What? Her eyes narrowed on him, suspicion replacing her anger. Agent Flores had given no indication that he knew she’d met Agent Vega before today. If he didn’t know, then Vega had been acting on his own. Agent Flores trusted this man, which lent some support to his credibility. Still…could either or both of them be working for Alvarez? Had she been seduced by the enemy?

“You know what,” Nicole said, starting to back away. “This was a bad idea.” She turned and headed for the door. She managed all of three steps when she found herself whirled around, pulled tight against a long, hard body. Her breath lodged in her throat, fear and arousal merging together, radiating through her limbs. Her hands pressed against his chest, her legs and hips aligned with his.

“Let me go,” she whispered hoarsely, wishing like hell she didn’t still want him, wondering why she did when he’d used her in such a way, and when she knew she couldn’t believe whatever he said.

“Not until you hear me out,” he countered in a low, dangerous voice. “I’m no angel, but I’m not the enemy. I had no option but to check you out before I came forward. I trust my instincts, not a file folder with your name and stats inside. Until I knew I had a sense of who you are, I wasn’t going to come forward.” That pissed her off and some of her fear slid away.

“How exactly did sticking your hand up my skirt convince you I could be trusted?” An icy tone chilled her words.

“What happened between us wasn’t supposed to. I didn’t plan to want you, nor did I plan for you to want me. Am I sorry? I should be, but I’m not. My only regret is walking away before we’d finished what we started. But this moment was destined to come anyway.”