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Deanna sighed. “Yes, that’s what I was worried about.”

She turned and walked away.

“Mr. Malone, should we try more dresses?” the saleswoman asked.

He still had a ring to buy. “No. We’ll take them all.”

He had very little time to win Nina over. He wasn’t going to waste it.

CHAPTER 6

Five days later,JT stopped before the big circular drive where there would almost certainly be a valet waiting to take his truck. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Am I okay that the last of the prep time for the op we begin tomorrow is being taken up by a sham, hastily thrown together party for a fake engagement? Of course I am.”

She was not. Even he knew that. “I’m sorry. My mom thought this would be the best way to help with our cover.”

His mom wanted to get a look at Nina. His mom had likely talked to Michael, who would have told her he was in way over his head, and she knew the only way to take control of the situation was to force him to come home.

They’d spent days going over and over their cover so they would have the same story of where they’d met, what their first date had been, how he’d proposed.

At a conference in London. Dinner in the West End. He’d flown into London after a month in the Middle East and asked her right there in her office.

He’d wanted something more elaborate, but she’d insisted simpler was better.

He’d taken a crash course in Nina and he was way better at studying her than he’d ever been in school. He knew she loved the color blue in all its shades. She found it soothing. She listened to a wide variety of music. She loved it when he nipped the back of her neck. It got her hot and ready in seconds.

He hated the fact that their days together were almost over. Despite the fact that he’d gone into the office, she’d joined him every day for lunch, and they’d made a couple of memories on his desk. He wouldn’t ever be able to sit there again without seeing her there, her head thrown back in pure ecstasy.

But today, something had shifted and he’d begun to see more of the operative than the woman. He felt a distance opening between them, and he didn’t like it one bit. “I know you wanted to talk to Big Tag. I made sure he was on the invite list. We’re also bringing out some of the leadership team.”

“I’m sure that will be helpful for your stock,” she replied, staring at the big house ahead of them. “It’s a mansion. You said it was a ranch house.”

“It’s on a ranch. It’s a house. To me that’s a ranch house.”

“How many rooms?”

“Ten bedrooms. Sixteen bathrooms. You’ll get a whole tour,” he promised.

“Your mom understands what I’m here to do, right?”

His mother probably understood far too much, but he was taking things slow with Nina. Not physically, of course. The better phrase was likely he was laying low when it came to his future plans. As far as Nina understood, they were having fun, getting comfortable with each other for the sake of the op. She didn’t know he never wanted her to take off that ring. “She thinks we’re a real fake engagement. She doesn’t know we’re a sort of dating fake engagement.”

That earned him a chuckle. “It’s a bit confusing.”

“Well, my mother’s a lovely lady.” He’d managed to avoid the introductions due to his father’s health issues. His dad was stubborn as the day was long, and he’d decided he knew better than the doctors. He’d attempted to help some of the ranch hands and torn one of his incisions slightly open. His mother wasn’t allowing him to leave the house until he was completely healed. “My father can be intimidating to a lot of people.”

“I can handle your father. I worry this is going to be too much for him. Isn’t he supposed to be resting?”

“I assure you he won’t do anything he’s not supposed to now,” JT said. “He tends to learn from his mistakes. It’s my brother I’m more worried about. Mike doesn’t think I can hack this. He’s probably going to take you to the side and try to convince you to trade us out.”

“I won’t do that. I promise you. I’m not going in without you no matter what Michael says. I trust you.” She glanced at the porch. “Who is the woman?”

He watched as a diminutive figure stepped onto the porch.

“My mother.” He loved her, but she was going to meddle. He could feel it from here. “She tracks my phone, too.”

Nina’s hand slid over his. “It’s good to have people who care about you.”