"If I didn't know better, I'd think I detected a hint of jealousy there." Nix puts a hand on the small of my back, and a shiver of awareness runs up my spine.

"I'm not-"

"She and I are not together," he says, leaning down to speak next to my ear. "Never have been, never will be."

I just nod, unsure what to say.

He speaks again. "Come to the club tonight. I want to see you."

And then he turns and leaves without another word.

My heart is still pounding like a drum. I'm rattled from having my cover blown. It was stupid of me to agree to go shopping with Amara. She's just a casual friend I met in a spin class. From now on, I'm shopping online.

I am going to the club tonight, but not because Nix told me to. With Hassan gone, I can work other leads that I have to ignore when he's around. Leads like Nix.

He caught me off my game just now, but I'll make up for it. Tonight, I'll delve deeper into the man who has eluded law enforcement and start building my file on him.

Nix wants to learn more about me, but in doing so, he'll be revealing himself to me, too. He'll find out that two can play at this game.

Tonight, I'm platinum blond. With my fair skin, it's not my best look, but I've been eyeing this long wig of tiny braids since Liv bought it. It reminds me of the girl I was before I died it black.

I'm wearing black leather pants, a red bustier, and strappy black Manolos. As soon as I walk into the club, a couple guys in suits follow me to the bar.

"Hey, gorgeous," one of them says. "Can I buy you a drink?"

"No, thanks."

"You sure?" the other one asks. "We've got a weakness for blondes."

"She's sure." Nix's deep voice sounds behind me, and I turn.

"Yeah, okay," one of the men mutters.

They walk away, and Nix puts a hand on the bar, his body facing me. "So what's your pleasure...Eva?"

"Sprite."

He laughs like we're the only two people in the room. It's a rich, truly amused sound that's accompanied by a wide grin.

"Now that, I was not expecting," he says. "Bustier, tats, a pound of eye makeup, and she'll have a Sprite."

"I get that you think you've got me pegged, Beantown, but trust me, you don't."

The amusement fades from his eyes as he signals the bartender, who walks over immediately.

"A Sprite and a bourbon," Nix says, not even looking at him.

Nix is holding my gaze, neither of us willing to look away. After a few seconds of silence between us, he says, "Why'd you call me that?"

I shrug. "I can tell you're from Boston by your voice."

"I dropped that accent a long time ago," he says, turning to face the bar.

This is a sore subject for him. It's clear from the tension in his voice and the way he's gripping the edge of the bar.

"It's subtle," I say. "I'm sure most people don't notice it."

"And where are you from?" When he turns to look at me again, the calculating look has returned to his dark eyes. "With a name like yours, I'm guessing you might have picked up on my accent because we're native to the same state."

Kennedy. He assumes I'm named after JFK, and he's right. But I shrug nonchalantly.

"What can I say, Nix? I'm a closed book."

The bartender sets our drinks on the bar and waves off Nix's attempt to pay for them.

"Let's go downstairs," Nix says. "It's too crowded up here."

Like Alex Hassan, Nix tells me what to do rather than asking. I guess powerful men aren't used to asking. I'd like to tell him to fuck off, but I need to gather all the intel I can get on him.

I lead the way through the kitchen and onto the elevator. When we step in, Nix doesn't paw me like Hassan always does. I appreciate that difference between the two of them.

Once we're in the basement, Nix leads me to a couple chairs in a secluded corner. When we're seated, he studies me, seeming to look for answers he can see written on my face. It unnerves me.

"What?" I ask him.

"Why don't you like me?"

I scoff. "You mean, why don't I fall at your feet just because you're rich and powerful?"

"And attractive."

"Not all women want what you're selling, Nix."

He arches his brows. "And what's that?"

"A night of sex with the elusive Phoenix."

"Elusive? I'm right here, Kennedy, close enough for you to reach out and touch."

I wince and say, "Please don't say my name in here."

"Won't happen again."

"Listen, maybe you should consider the ego-crushing possibility that I don't want to reach out and touch you."

He leans toward me just slightly. "If that were true, you wouldn't keep licking your lips, and I wouldn't be able to see your nipples through your bustier right now."

I laugh and lean a little closer to him. "Don't flatter yourself. My lips are chapped, and it's cold down here."

His eyes darken, but I'm not sure why. It might be anger over his advances being rebuffed. I have to play this one so carefully.

"Do you consider yourself spoken for?" he asks.

"Spoken for?"

"Are you with Hassan?"

"No."

"So then...why don't we get out of here?"

I smile at him. "I'm not going back to your place for sex, Nix."

"I'm not asking you to."

"What do you have in mind, then?"

Amusement dances in his eyes. "You'll just have to trust that it's something good."

"Trust you?"

"That's right."

"You know why I'm going to say yes?" I ask him.

"Because you like me, despite your best efforts at hiding it."

I laugh at that. "No. Because you asked me. I like being asked to do things rather than ordered."

"I'll remember that."

"So we're going now, then?"

He stands up from his chair. "We are. That is, if you're ready?"

His charm is subtle and genuine. If I'm not careful, I could end up actually being attracted to Nix.

I smile up at him and take the hand he's offering me. "I'm ready."

He takes out his cell phone and texts his driver. People are sneaking glances at us as he leads me by the hand through the basement. Probably wondering why Nix is with the woman Hassan's been putting the moves on.

I remind myself how ruthless Alex Hassan is. I may not know Nix well yet, but I do know that if he's not afraid of Hassan, he's dangerous, and he's someone I can't let my guard down in front of. Charming or not, he's just a source I'm working for intel.

8.

Phoenix

Kennedy tries to keep her cool as we drive, but she's on edge. She hasn't stopped stroking the top of her hand since we pulled away from the curb. It's a small tell, but one nonetheless. Add in her incessant toying with her lip piercing, and I know she's nervous.

I'm playing with fire. My actions are reckless. Never have I been so careless when it comes to anyone in my life, especially a woman, but Kennedy does that to me. Part of me is working her, but the other part-the same one now growing and needy-wants her for no reason other than pleasure.

"Where are we going?" she asks, brushing the tips of her blond wig behind her shoulders.

"I'm taking you to one of my favorite places to eat."

"Oh." Her eyebrows shoot upward out of shock. "I didn't think we were going to eat. I thought we were going to..."

"Fuck?" I smirk. "I'm not that type of guy, Kennedy. Can you lose the wig? I much prefer you with darker hair."

I am that type of guy, but not with her. I haven't stopped thinking about her since running into her at Saks. Especially her mouth. That mouth did wicked shit to my dick. Even now, in the low lighting of the car, every streak of light glints off of it, teasing me with what I can't have.

She peels off the wig and tosses it onto the seat next to her before flattening her hair with her fingertips. "Every guy is that type of guy, Nix."

"I'm not saying I don't want to lay you down across the seat and fuck you right now, but there's time for that later."

"Maybe I don't want to sleep with you."

I laugh at her lie. I can see it in her eyes. She wants me just as badly as I want her. "I never said anything about sleeping." She opens her mouth to reply but snaps it shut when I arch an eyebrow, challenging her.

When the car comes to a stop, my driver turns to face us. "Do you want me to stick around, Nix?"

"We're fine. Head home for the night. I can handle it from here."

Crane nods, but his eyes slide to Kennedy, and I know what he's thinking without his saying a word. Kennedy's peering out the window, crouched down to see the top of the building. He knows I don't typically bring anyone back to my place, but I feel we need to be alone to discuss whatever it is she's doing and what she's hiding.

"We're fine," I tell him again to ease his fear since he hasn't taken his eyes off her.