Page 16

16

Aran

I enter the off-limits area half an hour before Hex is to meet up with the Lynxes. I don’t like that I won’t be there, but it’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make so that I can accompany him to game night. I have a bad feeling about the whole thing, and after the slight complication due to the wrong dosage of the sedative that Hex administered, I’m even more adamant to have him in a place like this on his own.

“I just messed up the syringe size! Cut me some slack,” he’d said in defense, batting those long lashes at me.

Okay, I concede. The fault was partially mine, because I didn’t double-check as I normally would have, and the kiss might have had something to do with it.

I never intended for that to happen, and certainly not in the middle of things. But it did, and, strangely, I don’t regret it like I thought I would.

I bow my head as I take the tray of champagne and wine to the table I am serving. It’s all fine, the person Mong is subbing in is out for the night and when they wake up, they really will feel like they’ve come down with something. Me, on the other hand… I’ve been buzzing since the kiss and no matter what trick I try, I can’t seem to calm down.

Few of the unmasked faces I see around me register as my brain tries to overrule my frantic heart, but I only manage to recognize a couple of American politicians. We already knew the American government was involved in this drug conspiracy, so I expected this. I’m more interested in who else is part of it, and hopefully as the room keeps filling with arrivals for tonight’s fun activities, I’ll have a list by the end of my shift.

For a while longer, I try to concentrate on observing and listening in on conversations as I serve various tables. The opulence of the dining hall doesn’t help my case of nerves though, the lace and chandeliers and Greek motifs offering the best kind of ambience for a date with the man who’s been haunting my mind for so long.

Despite the complications to my focus, it feels like a weight has lifted off me, like I no longer need to hide my intentions and fight that primal imperative within me to stay away from Hex. I don’t know how things will unravel, but nothing will be the same. The limbo I willingly walked into so I could keep my best friend’s promise will break… as soon as this infiltration fiasco is over and Hex and I have a chance to talk.

That needs to happen, whether I like it or not. Leaving things unresolved will only occupy my already-distracted mind. I need my focus to be on the mission, but for that to be possible, I need to resolve things between us first, so we both know where we stand. Our back-and-forth has carried on for way too long, and I am at a point where I can no longer effectively ignore Hex.

Once the guests have finished eating, I help my ‘colleagues’ clean up the tables. We serve more alcohol and light snacks, then proceed to distribute bingo-like cards. I’m assuming this is for whatever games they will play, which also means that Hex should be arriving soon.

My gut churns at the thought of something going wrong while I’m not around to protect him. If something bad happened to him… I squeeze the silver tray to my chest and take a deep, shuddering breath. If something happened to Hex, I don’t know what I’d do.

Fortunately, I don’t get to find out either, as he appears five minutes later, smiling and laughing as the Lynxes lead him to their table. I set up that one, and I made sure the glass of champagne in front of his seat didn’t actually contain any champagne, but instead, flavored soda.

Our eyes meet across the hall as he descends the stairs, his lips upturning into a subtle but warm smile that launches my heart into space. He’s changed out of the clothes he had put on when I left him thirty minutes ago, and is instead wearing a frilly brown chiffon blouse with a black leather corset and white pants that hug his form like they were tailored to do so.

I’m speechless as my eyes feast on his elegant beauty. Hex is an attractive young man, I’ve always known that, but his sense of fashion does an amazing job of downplaying that. It’s a different story when he lets me pick his clothes, but this wasn’t me. Someone else must’ve seen what hides under the sass and the goofy style, and I don’t like it one bit.

My eyes cut to Mrs. Lynx as her manicured fingers wrap around Hex’s arm possessively. An urge so deep and dark to strangle her rises within me that I have to fight with everything to retain control of myself and not act impulsively. It won’t do me or Hex any good, especially since I am not even supposed to be here. We have our bases covered, and I did a spectacular job ensuring I look indistinguishable from Mong, but since I didn’t have time to study his mannerisms, I must limit my interactions as much as possible while I’m posing as him.

Chanting the rhyme my best friend and I came up with so we could distract ourselves when the stress became too much during a special op, I come down from the bloodlust just as Hex takes his place at the Lynxes’ table. The woman is quick to offer him wine, but he refuses with a smile and lifts his champagne glass. I promised I’d figure something out so he won’t have to worry about the alcohol, and I’ve kept that promise.

Smoothing out my lapels and collar, I plaster on a neutral expression, grab a tablet and head over to Hex.

“Good evening,” I say with a friendly tone I’ve been practicing all evening. “I will be in charge of your table tonight, Mrs. Lynx, Mr. Lynx. If you need anything or have any questions, please just let me know.”

“Oh? It’s not Lucia today?” Mrs. Lynx says, taking her mask off.

I recognize her immediately. Her real name is Claire Streiss. She is German-American, and she is the CEO of Darmst Industries, the world’s leading manufacturer of construction materials, heavy machinery and oil rig frames.

As for Lucia… That’s the person who ‘called in sick last minute’. Initially, we were targeting a man named Greggory, but we overheard him talking to Lucia about the Lynxes, so it made sense to go after her if it meant I’d get to watch over Hex from close-by.

“Unfortunately, no, Mrs. Lynx. Lucia called in sick, so I am covering for her. You have nothing to worry about, as I have memorized all your drink preferences already.”

She looks at me then and narrows her blue eyes. The air between us crackles with tension, my heart pounding in my ears. Mong and I resemble each other uncannily, but I’ve made sure to replicate our differences, so I can minimize the risk of being accidentally recognized.

Wrinkles mar her forehead, but they are fewer than you’d expect from a person her age. They also smooth out as she smiles at me, which tells me that she probably remembers me and was trying to decide if I am the same person or just a lookalike. “Oh, I see. I hope she feels better soon.”

Relief floods me—she fell for my disguise. She already knows I work on the outside, so seeing me here would raise all kinds of uncomfortable questions.

“Don’t you think that Mong looks like my friend?” Hex asks suddenly, tugging on my sleeve.

It takes me all the self-control I have available not to glare at him. She’d moved on, so why did he bring her attention back to my appearance?

Mrs. Lynx levels her eyes on me again, this time frowning even more. I ball my hand into a fist, keeping it just out of sight as I flash her a friendly smile.

“Oh! He does, doesn’t he, dear? I was wondering why he seemed so familiar.” She waves me over and when I walk over to her chair, she beckons me to bend down. Her round fingers grab my chin and twist my head left and right as if I am an exhibit in a museum. “He really looks like a younger version of your grumpy friend!”

I thank all the deities watching that my disguise holds up even from up close. Hex bursts out laughing, even snorts. I want to smack him on the head, because, one , I am not grumpy, two , none of this is funny, and three, he should’ve stuck to the plan. He was supposed to spend some time chit-chatting about his made-up day by the pool, and once she’d had a few drinks, ask her about hers. When buttered up to effectively, people will tell you all kinds of things they aren’t supposed to tell, without even realizing it. You just need to guide them a bit.

“He only looks scary. But under all those onion layers, he’s a really nice guy,” Hex says, rubbing the rim of his glass with his thumb as he chews on his full bottom lip.

I want to both strangle and kiss him.

“Have you two known each other for long?” Mr. Streiss says in a calm, gruff voice that’s the opposite of Claire’s.

It gets my attention immediately, which is how I catch the predatory spark in his gaze when it shifts from his wineglass to Hex. Alarm bells go off in my head to get the grinning hacker away from the two, but I can’t exactly grab him and toss him over my shoulder, can I?

Unless…

Before Hex has managed to give a reply, I step to the side and hit his chair with my hip. The impact is discreet but powerful enough to move the chair. The wobbly thing sends Hex’s hands to the armrests, which—because he’s clumsy like that—causes him to knock the glass of soda off the table. It spills all over his luxurious clothes, and he shoots up, eyes wide and mouth hanging in shock and surprise.

“Oh shit!” He scrambles to soak up the wetness with the cloth napkin that was set under his cutlery.

“Dear, are you okay?” Mrs. Streiss squeaks, worry written all over her face. She stands and hurries over, placing a hand over her mouth. “My, this is serious! Your shirt is soaked! Come, let’s go get you dried off.”

I grasp Hex’s arm and yank him out of her reach just as her fingers are about to touch him. His light body collides with my chest, warm and secure. “My apologies, Mrs. Lynx. I should’ve been paying more attention and noticed the glass was unstable. Please, let me take care of this while you enjoy your drink and get ready for the game. I promise to bring your guest back in time.”

For a moment, she looks very unhappy with my reasonable offer, but a nod from Mr. Streiss erases the slight scowl that’s formed on her face. Sitting back down, she takes a sip from her glass and waves us to go.

“I’ll let you take care of my darling Hex in my stead, then. Make sure he’s all dry and comfortable before you bring him back.” With a megawatt smile, she turns to the man in question. “Off you go, young man. And don’t take too long! You don’t want to miss the start of the game.”

“I’m so sorry, Mrs. Lynx.” Hex snakes a hand behind my back and gropes my left ass cheek. I bite down a sudden groan and focus my eyes on a point on the wall across so that I don’t roll them. The little shit. “I’m not used to this kind of thing… First, I tripped, and now this… I hope I didn’t embarrass you and Mr. Lynx… too much.”

He tripped? When? Where? And why don’t I know about it?

The couple laughs loudly, attracting the curious gazes of the neighboring tables.

“You are such a treat, Hex. You’d never embarrass us. Now, shoo and get changed. I’d hate it if you caught a cold.”

I dip my head and herd Hex out of the dining hall and into the men’s restroom, locking the door behind us. He leans his ass against the gilded marble of the sinks and crosses his arms over his wet shirt.

“This was totally your fault. What did you kick my chair for?”

I mirror his pose and narrow my eyes. “You deviated from the plan and almost blew my cover.”

His eyes widen for a second, then turn into narrow slits. “Uh, no? I did the opposite! She’d have kept wondering where she’d seen you, which means she’d keep looking at you, which in turn would increase the chance of her noticing that you aren’t quite Mong. I saved your ass, if anything.”

Surprisingly, there is some logic to his words. I’d planned to keep a low profile and just observe, but now I realize how likely impossible that would have been after the most recent development between me and Hex. Just watching people look at him raises my hackles, not to mention having to stand by while he puts himself in the crosshairs of two sexual predators. I’m pretty sure that Claire Streiss and her husband, Paulino Streiss have their sights set on Hex for more than his silly conversational skills. I don’t have proof and I also don’t want to needlessly alert my troublemaker hacker when his mission tonight is complicated enough as is, but I also know to trust my hunch.

“You are right,” I concede, cautious of the time. Since I am posing as Mong, I must maintain the impeccable service he likely delivers, which means ensuring Hex is back for the start of tonight’s game event.

Hex blinks at me, surprise in his sparkling brown eyes. “I am?”

I let one side of my mouth curl up. “Yes, you are. Now, please take off the shirt and let me dry it. We need to get you back to the table before the Lynxes get suspicious.”

He does as told, pouting those kissable lips at me as he hands me his shirt. “Aww, and here I was hoping you’d press me against the mirror and show me how good it feels to be with a man…”

It takes a while, but after years of this, you eventually get used to it so you can ignore it. Mostly. “You know that would never happen.”

He runs his forefinger along the curve of the faucet, flicking it on and off. I’m kind of mesmerized by it as I retrieve the wall-mounted hair dryer and turn it on so I can fix the shirt.

“Why not?” he asks quietly, shyly.

Because getting railed in a restroom—no matter how fancy it might be—is not the kind of sex Saengtien Thanan should be having. A huge, soft bed, the scent of flowers, a beautiful view… “You deserve be—”

I cut myself off just in time . Fuck. This was close. We don’t have time for this, and neither should I be distracting myself with fantasies about the kind of lovemaking I’d want to give Hex.

“Oh shit.” He hops down from the counter where the sinks are and boxes me in, his face glowing. “I deserve what, Aran? You have to finish that sentence, or I swear to god, I’ll never talk to you again.”

I dug my own grave. The moment I let my desire and yearning possess me, I lost to him. That kiss turned my world upside down, and now I no longer have control over it. I hate it, and I love it, enjoying the freedom it brings since I no longer have to hide what I want.

Him.

I meet Hex’s gaze and he freezes, a visible shudder surging through him. Using the confusion, I lean in and kiss his pink lips, ripping a gasp out of him.

“You deserve the best, Tien. Whether it’s me or someone else who gives that to you.”

He sucks in a harsh breath, the grin sliding off his face in lieu of a shy smile. “This means… the kiss wasn’t a fluke, right? You wanted to kiss me and weren’t trying to shut me up or get over your sexual frustration?”

Just what am I going to do with this man?

I shove the shirt into his hands and tip his chin up with one finger. “I wasn’t. And I promise we’ll talk about this once tonight is over. I just ask that you be patient until then. Can you do that for me?”

He nods excitedly, no longer unsure like he was a moment ago. “Of course! I’d do anything you want if it means you won’t go back on kissing me.”

“I’ll think about it. If you behave.”

“Sir, yes, sir. I’ll be the most behaved bestest boy ever.” He salutes me, puts on the shirt and unlocks the door, skipping out of the restroom like he’s on cloud nine.

I follow after him, jogging to catch up. His hand brushes against mine and a warm feeling clutches my chest, scary and thrilling at the same time. I hold onto it as I deliver him to the Lynxes’ table and then I slip back into my role for tonight when the game is about to begin.

The truth is that even if I wanted to, it’s way too late to go back on that kiss now.