He stiffens, and a soft grunt of surprise escapes his lips. For a moment, I worry he’s going to push me away and ruin my shot at getting him out of here, but then he relaxes against me.
A beat later, his arm is around my waist. “You’re pretty, too,” he whispers. “But I don’t want to take advantage of a woman who’s not in her right mind.”
“Oh, yes, you do,” I say, pushing up on tiptoe to press my lips to his.
I don’t expect to feel a thing. I’m focused on my goal, the mission, the danger. But when Nick’s hand cups the back of my head, and his mouth slants across mine, something flickers in my chest. And then his tongue traces the seam of my lips, and the flicker becomes a tingling that sizzles across my skin.
Against my will, I find myself arching closer, my breasts flattening against his strong chest as my tongue dances with his, and fireworks explode behind my closed eyes.
By the time he pulls away, I’m…breathless.
And not because a mafia boss and his goons are standing less than two feet away. I’m panting because Nickolas Von Bergen has knocked the wind out of me. The man is a fool, a drunk, and a chronic maker of poor choices, but damn…he can kiss.
“Sorry, Stefano,” Nick murmurs, pressing my face to his chest as he speaks over my head. “Something’s come up. Rain check on that chopper ride?”
“Of course, no problem,” Stefano says, seemingly with good humor. At least, he doesn’t sound angry. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”
Nickolas laughs. “Is there anything you wouldn’t do?”
“Not really. Not when properly motivated.” Stefano’s reply sends a shiver down my bare legs as Nick turns, tucking me against his side.
“Come on, then,” he says, “Medic tent for you, beautiful, and then we’ll see where the night takes us.”
I giggle in agreement, but as he weaves unsteadily toward the far side of the field, my heart is pounding.
Dammit.
Now what?
If I ditch him, he’ll head right back to Stefano and into Trouble with a capital T. But if we reach the well-lit medical tent, Nick will realize who I am and demand to know what the hell’s going on. There’s no way I can explain the accent when he knows damn well I’m not Romanian.
My thoughts race like a rat in a maze, but I can’t find a way out.
As we near the bouncing crowd, the music grows so loud I can barely hear myself think.
But I can hear Nick’s voice as he bends close to my ear and says, “What the hell are you doing, Alexandra? Nadia aborted your mission two hours ago.”
My eyes go wide, my pulse stuttering as the meaning of his words sinks in.
Nick knows who I am.
Nick knows I’m here on a mission.
And Nick knows Nadia is my handler.
Which means…
Oh, hell no…
It can’t be. It just can’t.
Not only is Nick a member of Union Ten, but he…
He outranks me?!
My lip curls as I lift my face to his. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.”
“No, I’m not,” he says, smiling down at me like we’re out on a first date as he shouts over the wailing guitar. “You didn’t get the message, I take it?”
“No,” I snarl. “I didn’t.”
He nods. “Cell service is shite up here in the mountains. We’ll explain the mix-up to Nadia and try again soon. I’m certain it will all work out in the end.”
He’s certain it will all work out in the end? What the actual fuck? No spy out of his or her first year of fieldwork believes that kind of Pollyanna bullshit.
But before I can ask him if he’s serious, he adds, “And in the meantime, we’ll get to know each other better. I was hoping we’d get the chance to chat before I take over for Allan in the spring.”
Take over for Allan?
“You’re the new northeast director?”
Nick arches a wry brow. “You say that like I’ve confessed to torturing baby bunnies in my spare time.”
“More like full time,” I mutter.
“What’s that?” he asks.
Forcing a smile, I add in a louder voice, “I said congratulations. I’ve been wondering who got the job. As I’m sure you know, I applied for the position.”
And I should have been offered the position.
I have no idea what Nick’s story is, but there’s no doubt I’m more qualified. Prince Charming might have as many operations under his belt—might, though I doubt it—but I’m a year older. Even if he entered junior agent training at thirteen the way I did, I turned thirteen first, dammit.
“Heads up.” He nods to the crowd ahead of us. “Take a sharp left by the girl with the glow sticks around her neck. There’s a car waiting for us behind the stage. Well, waiting for me, but you can tag along if you’d like. Faster and less urine-scented than the bus.”
“Lovely, thank you,” I say through gritted teeth.
“Hey there, don’t stew,” Nick says, clearly reading my mood. “You’ll get another shot at this one. Stefano didn’t see your face. And you did the right thing back there, trying to save a fool in trouble. It was very sweet.”
“It was protocol.”
“Still sweet.” His arm tightens around my shoulders. “And that kiss? Totally worth the ginger ale to the crotch.”
“Don’t be disgusting.”
He laughs. “Hey, you’re the one who kissed me. I’m just saying I didn’t mind it. That’s all.”
“Well, I minded. And I still do. I don’t want to talk about it again. Ever. Do you understand?”
He glances down, his twin dimples popping as he says, “That good, huh? It’s okay. You can admit it. I know I’m an excellent kisser. Extraordinary, actually. Or so I’ve been told.”
I narrow my eyes, shooting hateful laser beams at him as we round the girl with the glow sticks and start toward the stage. “On second thought, I think I’ll take the bus home.”
“Are you sure? Nadia will want a report. It’ll be easier if we do it together.”
“Goodbye.” I veer to the right, but Nick catches my upper arm in his large hand, pulling me back beside him.
“Oh, come on. Don’t be a poor sport. I’ll be a fabulous boss. I promise. We’re going to get along famously, just as we used to. Remember that month at the lake when we were small? We were inseparable. You always came up with the best games. I thought you were the coolest person I’d ever met.”
“And I thought you were an annoying baby I tolerated because Lizzy and Sabrina were too shy to play in front of your brothers.”
He laughs. “See there? Look how much we have in common.”
I huff. “Like what?”
“We’d both rather play than sit on the sidelines, and we both grew up to be spies. What are the odds?” He beams down at me. “This is going to be great.”
It is not going to be great. Having Nick as a brother-in-law was bad enough, but having him as a boss…
I honestly almost wish he’d turned out to be an idiot with a gambling addiction. At least that’s a problem I could have solved.
But this?
This is a disaster. A nightmare coming true.
But instead of confessing I’d rather be covered in peanut butter and attacked by carnivorous ants than be outranked by him, I bite the inside of my lip and keep my mouth shut. I will bide my time, keep my eyes open, and wait for a chance to undo this tragic sequence of events.
Either Nick will prove himself unfit for his new office in some way or…
Or something.
I’ll figure it out.
But until I do, I have to be civil to him while we’re on the job.
Once we’re off the clock, however…
Well, then I fully intend to let him know I loathe him like damp socks on a cold winter’s day.
UNDERCOVER WITH THE PRINCE
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About the Author
Author of over forty novels, USA Today B
estseller Lili Valente writes everything from steamy suspense to laugh-out-loud romantic comedies. A die-hard romantic, she can’t resist a story where love wins big. Because love should always win. She lives in Vermont with her two big-hearted boy children and a dog named Pippa Jane.
Find Lili at…
www.lilivalente.com
Also by Lili Valente
Hot Royal Romance
Royal Package
Prince of My Panties
Undercover with the Prince
Learn more here
Laugh-out-Loud Rocker Rom Coms
The Bangover
Bang Theory
Banging The Enemy
The Rock Star’s Baby Bargain
Learn more here
The Bliss River Small Town Series
Dating Dr. Dreamy
Married to the Enemy
Virgin Seeks Bad Boy
Catching Fire
Playing with Fire
Learn more here
The Hunter Brothers
The Baby Maker
The Troublemaker
The Heartbreaker
The Panty Melter
Click here to learn more
Bad Motherpuckers Series
Hot as Puck
Sexy Motherpucker
Puck-Aholic
Puck me Baby
Pucked Up Love
Puck Buddies
Click here to learn more
Sexy Flirty Dirty Romantic Comedies
Magnificent Bastard
Spectacular Rascal
Incredible You
Meant for You
Click here to learn more
The Master Me Series
(Red HOT erotic Standalone novellas)
Snowbound with the Billionaire
Snowed in with the Boss
Masquerade with the Master
Click here to learn more
Bought by the Billionaire Series
(HOT novellas, must be read in order)
Dark Domination
Deep Domination
Desperate Domination
Divine Domination
Click here to learn more
Kidnapped by the Billionaire Series
(HOT novellas, must be read in order)
Filthy Wicked Love
Crazy Beautiful Love
One More Shameless Night
Click here to learn more
Under His Command Series
(HOT novellas, must be read in order)
Controlling her Pleasure
Claiming her Heart
Click here to learn more
To the Bone Series
(Sexy Romantic Suspense, must be read in order)
A Love so Dangerous
A Love so Deadly
A Love so Deep
Click here to learn more
The Rebel Hearts Series
(Emotional New Adult Romantic Suspense.
Must be read in order.)
Rebel Hearts
Savage Hearts
Lover’s Leap Series
A Naughty Little Christmas
The Bad Boy’s Temptation
Click here to learn more
The Lonesome Point Series
(Sexy Cowboys)
Leather and Lace
Saddles and Sin
Diamonds and Dust
12 Dates of Christmas
Glitter and Grit
Sunny with a Chance of True Love
Chaps and Chance
Ropes and Revenge
8 Second Angel
Click here to learn more
Co-written Standalones
The V Card (co-written with Lauren Blakely)
Good With His Hands (co-written with Lauren Blakely)
Falling for the Boss (co-written with Sylvia Pierce)
Click here to learn more
The Happy Cat Series
(co-written with Pippa Grant)
Hosed
Hammered
Hitched
Humbugged
Click here to learn more