Whispered Lies

Powerful in every respect and with a confidence Gabrielle found enviable, Carlos just stood there, pulsing with intimidation.

Pierre gulped and lifted his hand in a motion for Carlos to enter next, then followed. He cleared his throat, but his voice was a notch high. “We didn’t know which bag was yours, Mademoiselle, so both were delivered here.”

Gabrielle stepped back through the sitting area, decorated with seventeenth-century furnishings, ignoring for the moment the double doors that opened into what had to be the bedroom.

She hid her giddy feeling and turned a solemn demeanor to Pierre. “This will be acceptable. Merci.”

“Your room is across the hall,” Pierre said to Carlos, and moved toward the suitcases. “Which one is yours?”

Carlos strode over as if to point it out for him, but didn’t. “I stay where she stays. We’ll make this work.”

Pierre’s appalled expression was nothing compared to what Gabrielle was feeling. Didn’t Carlos realize how that would look or what the administration would think?

“But, monsieur, this is not, uh, this is not-” Pierre’s worried gaze ran to her for help.

“Acceptable?” Carlos finished for him. “I’m not concerned with decorum, only her safety. Her reputation will remain intact…or I’ll know who soiled it.”

Clearly not used to dealing with an alpha male, Pierre backed up two steps.

Gabrielle had to help the poor guy or he’d have a seizure. “This is quite all right, Pierre.” She walked over to Carlos and hooked her hand around his thick biceps and said, “I prefer that he stays,” with just enough inflection for anyone to read between the lines that they were intimate.

Her body jumped at the mere idea of being intimate with a man like Carlos.

“If you say so,” Pierre mumbled, confused. He finally regained his composure and gave them the four-digit code to open their door and dismissed himself, backing out.

Carlos chortled, then turned those dark glasses on her.

Gabrielle released his arm and let out the breath that had been strangled by the lump of fear in her throat. “Mon Dieu…”

Carlos covered her mouth and she panicked. What was wrong?

He leaned close to whisper. “Let me engage a bug jammer until I can sweep the room.”

She nodded and waited while he pulled out something that looked like an iPod and pressed several buttons. Her gaze strayed to the double doors open to the bedroom with its poster bed with a black brocade headboard. Gold, burgundy, and black pillows embroidered with alternating colors were piled at the head of the bed covered in black silk. She might have to make a ru

Carlos stepped between her and the bedroom view, speaking quietly. “Okay, we can talk. What was that ‘Mon Dieu’ about?”

“LaCrosse was close to a stroke when we left him.” She kept her voice down just to be careful. “This might put him over the edge. I was afraid I said too much.”

Carlos’s smile softened. He removed his glasses and stuck them in his jacket pocket and cupped her face with his hands. “Stop fretting. You did great. Do you always wield your family name like a sledgehammer?”

His compliment stroked a balm across her fears, calming her. “No. I’ve never used my family’s power before, but I remember how my mother would react when anyone tried to push her around. She was amazing so I just tried to act and speak the way I thought she would in my shoes. But I feel a little embarrassed at bullying a man I respect so much.” Her voice trailed off with a fading memory of the woman she’d admired and lost at far too early an age.

Carlos took her hands, rubbing his thumb across the delicate skin. Her heart took off racing again for an entirely new reason.

She was alone with this gorgeous man whose touch was driving her crazy. Gabrielle leaned forward, her body taking the initiative she was terrified to consciously do.

He lowered his head slightly.

Her pulse pounded with anticipation. He was finally going to kiss her. She lifted up on her tiptoes. Her eyes fluttered closed.

Carlos froze when he realized he was an inch from kissing Gabrielle. He’d been so surprised to see her confidence fly out the door behind Pierre after that show of force in LaCrosse’s office. He’d meant to comfort her by holding her cold hands until she relaxed.

She’d been pretending, and doing a damn good job of it.

Her lips were so close he could feel her fast breaths on his neck. She wanted him to kiss her. It was written all over her face, but kissing her was not part of the plan. Peeling her out of that sexy suit sure as hell wasn’t part of the plan, even if she might share more about what she knew.

He’d never use a woman that way.

Welcome to four days of hell.

She moved until her hips met his.

Carlos gritted his teeth and eased back, whispering, “You ready to get to work?”

Gabrielle’s eyes flew open, filled with disappointment. Then accusation. And finally, the worst blow, hurt.

Just kill me now. He wanted her, dammit, but letting her in on that would only complicate this further.

“The sooner you finish your work here, the sooner this is over with.” Carlos maintained a façade of hard determination, feeling like a snake for giving her the false impression that she’d get her life back if they succeeded at finding a link between Mandy and Amelia.

He couldn’t tell her Joe had lied to her.

BAD generally brought felons into custody for a short time, then they became someone else’s problem.

He couldn’t look at her and think felon.

Gabrielle swung away from him, grabbed the handle of her suitcase, and disappeared into the bedroom, slamming the door.

Yep, four days of hell.

Carlos sighed. He used the psuedo-iPod to search for bugs while he waited on Gabrielle to regroup and walk out of the bedroom. He found one bug, then returned it to the white marble base of a crystal sculpture centrally located on the low coffee table.

Phone had to be tapped as well.

When the door opened again, Gabrielle emerged dressed in navy slacks and a white, scooped-neck sweater. Her hair was falling loose around her shoulders in thick waves.

Everything had changed, except the hurt in her eyes.

He needed her to trust him without question while here or he couldn’t protect her since neither of them knew what dangers lurked inside this ancient pile of stones.

Carlos walked over to her.

She crossed her arms and looked away.

“You forgot your earrings,” he told her.

She frowned at him, lifting a hand to her ear. “What?”

He lifted his finger to his lips and pointed at the bedroom. She backed into the room and he closed the door, then ran a quick scan over the room for a bug. None.

Whoever set the bug hadn’t figured on her having company.

He stepped close to her, but she backed away. He put his hands on her shoulders, holding her in place when he leaned down to whisper, “There’s a listening device in the sitting area next to the phone.”

She stiffened.

“Since we know where the bug is, we’ll be careful. And, about earlier, I didn’t mean to-”

“What? You didn’t mean to what?” She turned her face to his, eyes first hopeful, then waiting to be hurt again.

Her lip trembled.

He couldn’t build trust if he trounced on her feelings.

“You didn’t mean to kiss me,” she continued. “Why? Because I’m not good at it?”

Ah, hell.

Her forehead squeezed with a frown. “Or was there something else you had in mind to tell me? Like how you don’t like having to be here with me or…” Her voice was turning more heartbroken by the minute. “Or how I’m not your type-”

The job had nothing to do with what he had in mind.

“I didn’t mean to…do this.” He drew her into his arms and kissed her.