The Monte Carlo Affair: Across A Crowded Room (IATO Series Book 2) by Eliza March, Elizabeth Marchat Read Free Book Online

Demaret, her retired neighbor, was at his regular position as building sentry. “ Bon jour, monsieur, how are you today?”
    “Excellent, and you, mademoiselle?”
    “Wonderful, thank you.” She nodded and patted the dog’s head. “Hi, Duke, how are you doing?” Emily rubbed the Labrador’s head as she removed her hand from the quick handshake with Monsieur Demaret. The dog nuzzled her in return.
    She made her getaway to the elevator with a quick good-bye before he could trap her into a long conversation.
    The apartment joined the long list of lies. It was only a prop, a temporary stop to successfully completing a task. The agency considered her the most competent and best-equipped agent to handle this assignment, but she doubted that. In any event, she kept few personal belongings here to minimize her losses, knowing she would be abandoning them when she made her escape. Another six months here, and she could have turned the apartment into a replica of the one she lived in back home. Essentially, it looked like she’d made herself at home, but to anyone who knew anything of her or her personality, certain essential items were missing. Personal touches.
    Standing on the balcony in this fantastic locale, looking at her reflection in the ornately carved bedroom mirror, made her question the new sensual aspect of her personality.
    Working with Jason again, especially in this capacity, felt weird. They seldom bumped into each other socially back home. The parties she attended because of her grandfather’s legacy were also sometimes hosted by charities seeking Jason’s wealth. They often drew invitations to the same fundraisers.
    His dates were always elegant foreign women of impeccable taste and bearing. They made her feel a little frumpy, with her unruly curly hair and the glasses she hid behind.
    She and Jason had never renewed the intimacy they once shared, not as friends or lovers, but they had managed to maintain an air of civility, a civility she sometimes resented.
    She lost her self-confidence and her self-esteem the same night she lost her virginity. She held a deep bitterness towards him for the way he left her after her father’s death. Her attitude, her only defense mechanism, left the relationship between them strained. Despite knowing it was her own fault, she couldn’t stop the childish thought. He started it.
    Life and work were easier to focus on than facing the world without Jason and her father. Her heart beat with anticipation. She looked at her watch. Ten minutes more until she would meet Jason.
    She changed clothes, checked her email, and repacked the bag she would take with her on the yacht. Tonight, her needs would be different.
    * * * *
    Jason watched Emily sneak down the outside backstairs and manage her way through the small alley between the old buildings. He devoured her with his gaze as she crept through the alley toward him. There were plenty of bushes for cover, but she stopped to sniff some damn local flora. Hell, she wasn’t being careful. She couldn’t afford to be lulled into a relaxed state under the circumstances.
    When she made her way to the spot where she’d agreed to meet him, he decided to teach her a lesson. Without letting her know he was there, he took her from behind, hauled her up against him, turned, and pressed her against a small scraggly tree. He wanted to thrash her for her carelessness, but instead he bent low to kiss her, mumbling something about a couple looking out their window.
    He’d made that part up, the part about the couple watching.
    Harrison’s earlier suggestion was haunting him as she melted against him. Tell her how you feel. He couldn’t, not yet. But after endless hours torturing himself watching her with Mosel, he had to mark her with his own scent—he had to taste her. He’d been going crazy with jealousy and concern all damn day. Mosel’s hands had been skimming over her, touching and caressing her the way only he should. So Jason did