Honeymoon To Die For by Dianna Love Read Free Book Online Page A

toward the driver, fairly certain their conversation was shielded, but took care with his words. “ I wasn’t the one who pushed this timeline past the edge of stupid. So what do you expect?”
    “Nothing—”  
    He took a breath, anything to calm the tension ratcheting tighter across his chest by the minute. They had to make this work. He whispered, “Let’s keep our voices down even with the music going. What do you mean by nothing?”
    Lowering her voice even more, she said, “Right now I expect nothing and that’s exactly what I’m getting, which makes me wonder how long it’s going to take for this entire operation to go up in flames.”  She sat back against the seat but turned her head to him. “I’m not seeing the person who claimed he could make this work. Guess it’s a good thing you got your file clerk who’s capable of carrying her end of the load.”
    He angled his head down to her, his voice for her ears only. “Let’s be clear. You seriously believe your performance fooled the family minister? Did you really think I was blowing smoke when I said he’d be on the phone with Hubrecht giving his report as soon as he sealed the deal?”  
    Bianca swallowed hard.
    Ryder ran a hand through his hair. “We might have screwed this right out of the gate. I’m just praying he thought you were a nervous bride.”
    “Understatement of the freaking century.”  
    He took a look at her, really looked at her, and took a mental step back. She hadn’t wanted to do this, just been in the wrong place at the wrong time when his anger was firing at any FBI target.
    This couldn’t be easy for her either. He pinched the bridge of his nose and considered pulling her to him to protect their words, but he didn’t know how she’d react so he quietly gritted out, “I get that no matter how much I said otherwise, you still believe you can yank me out of a cell, dress me up and trot me out as your front man and they’ll let you waltz right through Van Dyke security.”  
    A blush crept over Bianca’s face. At least she had some shame.
    He went on. “But this whole escapade won’t last an hour if you cringe when I get close—”
    She swung her face up to his, interjecting, “ Or if your head spins around just because your wife touches you.”    
    He’d always loved the feel of a woman’s hands on his body and missed it. Had missed it for five long months, well, nine if he was counting before prison. He muttered, “Guess I didn’t realize how hard it would be to fake caring for a woman who believes I killed a man in cold blood.”
    Pain flashed through Bianca’s eyes before the poker face of Agent Brady fell back into place. Shit, this was getting harder by the minute when it should start feeling easier.
    Swallowing against the frustration vibrating his skin, Ryder tapped his fingers on the seat between them.
    If the two of them didn’t find common ground for this op, it would be over before he had a chance to find the truth.
    Every mission required some sacrifice.
    Pretending to be this federal agent’s happily married husband stretched the seams of his tolerance, but he’d have to push his anger away for any hope of making headway with her.
    Still, he wasn’t apologizing. “Let’s back up. I hear you, and I’ve got my end of this, Bianca .”
    She snorted. “That’s encouraging.”  
    “What’s your point?”
    Turning to him, her face lost all humor. Her eyes flicked over her shoulder at the front of the limo then back to him. Her words were soft and full of passion. “My point is that this is important. A lot of lives depend on what we do. I thought you were serious about this deal. I need to know that you aren’t just treating it like a week’s vacation from prison.”
    He leaned toward her, noting how she didn’t retreat. She had more backbone than he’d expected with her background. “I am serious. Dead serious.”  He paused, considering his next move, then cupped her face