The Rules in Rome by A.L. Sowards Read Free Book Online

trusted.
    Ley closed the secret compartment in her suitcase and, to Gracie’s horror, started going through her clothing. He unfolded most of the items, then refolded them and set them on the bed.
    “What are you doing?” she asked.
    “Making sure nothing inside will attract the wrong kind of attention.”
    Gracie glared at him, but he wasn’t paying attention to her. “OSS carefully selected each of those items.”
    Ley grunted but didn’t stop his inspection.
    Gracie crossed her arms, her anger rising each time he lifted out another piece of her clothing. “I think that’s enough,” she said when her luggage was nearly emptied. Her underclothing was at the bottom of the suitcase, and she didn’t want him handling it.
    He didn’t stop. When he reached her underwear, he examined it just as he’d examined all her blouses, skirts, and dresses. “OSS approved this? It looks awfully new.”
    Gracie’s face felt hot, and she thought it was probably red too. “No one will inspect my underwear while we’re in Rome.”
    “We can hope such an intimate inspection will never occur, but there’s no guarantee. Miss Begni, you can’t let yourself slip up on even the smallest detail when you’re pretending to be someone you aren’t. I assume OSS gave you more appropriate underclothing. Where is it?”
    Gracie stomped over to the chest of drawers and opened the top one. The underwear was inside, old, discolored, and obviously used. The thought of putting it on made her skin crawl.
    “Pack it.”
    Gracie folded her arms. “No one will check my underwear, and if they do, I’ll tell them my German boyfriend pulled a few strings and got newer items for me.”
    “I won’t be your boyfriend for a few days at least. And just because I’m an officer doesn’t mean I can pull off miracles.”
    “You’re being ridiculous. And rude. And improper. You shouldn’t be looking through my things in the first place.” Gracie shut the drawer with a firm thud.
    Ley grabbed her almost-new underwear, walked over to the fireplace, and threw the panties into the fire.
    Gracie’s jaw dropped. “How dare you!”
    “If you want to come to Rome, Miss Begni, you will have to deal with every aspect of espionage, even the unpleasant ones.”
    Gracie shook her head. She couldn’t believe he’d burned her underwear. Didn’t he know how hard it was to get new clothing? He probably did but didn’t care. If she hadn’t known how badly he wanted her to quit, she would have considered it. Someone as rude as him was the last person she wanted to work with.
    “What are you wearing under that dress?” Ley asked.
    “That’s none of your business.”
    Ley exhaled deeply. “Actually, since we’re working together, everything about you, including each item of your clothing, is my business. If you’d rather not continue this inspection, feel free to withdraw from the mission.” He strode to the chest of drawers, brushed her to the side, and handed her an old bra and a pair of panties. “Change into these. I’ll be back in five minutes.”
    Gracie had never wanted to hit someone so badly before, but she refrained from a physical assault. That was beneath her dignity, and Ley was well over six feet tall and looked like he was made of solid muscle. She tried a verbal onslaught instead. “Captain Ley, you are the rudest, most insufferable man I’ve ever met. No wonder your former fiancée chose Captain Vaughn-Harris instead of you.”
    She’d hoped her words would sting, but Captain Ley laughed. “Allotment Annie? She had a goal to be married by winter. Vaughn-Harris is just upset that I was her first target and that I was relieved instead of jealous when he told me they’d married a few weeks after I left for Europe. Five minutes, Miss Begni.”
    When Ley shut the door behind him, Gracie threw the underwear after him in frustration. Dressing like a pauper would be infinitely easier than pretending she was in love with him .

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