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“She pretty much told me to mind my own damn business and to stop treating you like a child.”

Good for Nina. “Maybe you should listen to her.” He sighed. He hated that the last few years had been somewhat tense between them. “I really like this woman. I want to see where things can go. I promise I won’t screw this up and I won’t do anything that could put her in more danger. That’s the very last thing I want.”

Michael stared his way for a moment as though trying to figure out how to handle him. “I know that’s your intention. You need to remember that she’s the expert at this. Not you.” He was quiet for a moment. “She thinks you didn’t know who she was when you met her at the hotel. But Genny sent you her dossier and a picture. Genny also told you she’d be at the same hotel where Dad keeps a suite.”

“I knew who she was.” A kernel of guilt formed in his gut, but he didn’t care. He really didn’t. At least he told himself that. “But she didn’t know me. She came on to me and I wanted her. I wasn’t about to shut it all down to explain something that really didn’t matter.”

Michael groaned, a frustrated sound. “It mattered to her. Do you know why she left Interpol?”

He wasn’t buying that argument. “I’m not her coworker. I’m nothing but handy cover. And I’m not using Nina. I’m trying to have a relationship with her. I can’t explain it, Mike. I looked at her and I knew she was something special. I knew I had to get to know her. I still feel that way but times about a million. I can be good for her. I’m going to be good for her, but I need time with her, and I can’t do that if she takes off for London the minute this job is over. That’s exactly what she’ll do if I don’t give us a strong foundation for a relationship.”

“All right, but you should understand that if the truth comes out, she might not be happy about it. Like I said, I like her for you.” Michael put a hand on his shoulder. “I’ll back off. Be careful out there and do what she tells you to. She’s smart and she knows what she’s doing.”

JT hoped he knew what he was doing, too.

CHAPTER 7

JT huggedhis mother on the porch. “Thanks for the party, Mom. I think it went a long way toward selling our cover.”

His mother looked toward his truck where Nina sat in the passenger’s seat.

It was past midnight and tomorrow would be a long day, but he found himself reluctant to leave. He wished they could stay here for a day or two and let his parents get to know Nina, let Nina get to know him and where he’d come from.

They were about to be thrown into the crucible, and he wasn’t sure they were ready. By this time tomorrow they would be settling in at the retreat, getting ready for the welcome party. Nina would be working, and he was going to have to give her some space.

Until they went to bed at night. Then they’d agreed he could be in charge.

“Is it really a cover?” his mother asked. “I know you told me you’re interested in her and we teased you a bit, but I watched you at dinner. You’re half in love with that woman.”

He might be more than half. “I like her a lot. This is more than some job for me, and I think she feels the same. We had a connection even before she knew we were going to worktogether. Now I just have to convince her that connection is real.”

“Your cousin seems to think she’s wonderful. Simon sang her praises to me. Even Chelsea likes her, and that’s saying something. Chelsea doesn’t like anyone. They were so sorry they couldn’t be here tonight, but little Sophy has an ear infection.”

He’d missed his cousin, but worried Si might have been in Mike’s camp. Simon and his wife Chelsea no longer worked for McKay-Taggart, though their new company often worked with them. Simon’s new job meant he hadn’t had a chance to weigh in on whether JT was screwing up the world. “I’ll check in on them when we get back. I should go since we’ve got a flight in the morning. I’ll see you when we get back. Call me if anything changes with Dad.”

Michael stepped up and held out a hand. “Hey, I’ll be here. I’m taking a couple of days off from work. I’ll stay out here with the old man, so you don’t have to worry.”

It would be a relief. Not that he didn’t trust his mother. He simply didn’t want her to be alone. That had been his place in the family for so long—the dutiful son, the one who always thought of the family and the business before himself. The one who hadn’t had a real relationship in years because he hadn’t found anyone he thought was perfect for the family and the business.

Fuck it. He didn’t care if Nina fit in, though she likely would. He’d realized he’d looked for the “perfect” wife because he hadn’t found the right one before. When the connection was right, perfection didn’t mean a thing. All that mattered was being with her.

He shook his brother’s hand. “Thank you. I’ll concentrate on the mission.”

Michael shook his hand and rolled his eyes. “Yeah, sure you will.”

He stepped away. “You say that because you think I’m talking about the spy mission. I’m talking about my mission, brother, and I assure you I’m dedicated to that one.”

He jogged down the steps where the truck and Nina were waiting for him.

His mission would be making her never want to leave him. Nina was his mission and he didn’t intend to fail.

He slid into the cab and buckled his belt. The valet had the cab nice and toasty, though the weather was a bit chilly outside. “You ready? I called the hotel and they said everything’s been delivered, including your new luggage. All you should have to do is pack.”

“And go over a few things for the mission. The rest of the team is there, and I’ve got a call scheduled with them in the morning to ensure everything is running smoothly. I need to prepare for that, so I think I should stay in the guest room tonight.”

She’d given up her room when they’d decided to spend time together. The suite had a second bedroom, but every night this week she’d slept in the master with him. He sighed and pulled the truck away from the house he’d called home all of his life. “So they scared you off?”

“No,” Nina replied. “Your family is perfectly lovely, but the whole time I should have been watching our suspects, I was thinking about you. I was talking to your mother instead, or asking your father about you. It wasn’t very professional of me.”