Free Gunning for the Groom by Debra Webb

opinion.” He set the navigation on his cell phone for the hotel they’d booked. “I suggest you get used to it. If your mother or anyone else catches you without it, you’ll have bigger lies to weave.” His second engagement was going far worse than the first one. At least this time around he knew it was temporary. Hopefully when he met her mother he’d have a better understanding of why Frankie insisted on this tactic.
    â€œFine.” She drummed her palms on her knees. “It’s just—”
    â€œFind a complimentary word,” he warned.
    Aidan shook off the frustration and bad memories as they merged with the traffic. As the silence stretched he figured she couldn’t find a compliment, or she was plotting her next strategic maneuver. Either way, he was grateful for the momentary truce. When he’d pulled to a stop under the hotel awning, he turned to her again. “Did you think to change our reservation to a single room?”
    She sagged back into the seat. “No.” She reached across the console, her hand soft on his arm, the diamond bright on her finger. “But let me handle this one, okay?”
    Unsure whether that was wise, he brainstormed ways to mitigate the damage if she launched yet another surprise attack or kept the separate rooms.
    Instinctively taking in the surroundings, Aidan logged every face and position of the other guests in the lobby. He’d reviewed everything Victoria had sent him last night when he was battling the typical new-case insomnia.
    Sophia Leone co-owned a security company after her years as an analyst for the alphabet soup in Washington, DC. Her own daughter suspected her of abusing her position to eliminate her husband. To support the case, the Colby Agency hadn’t bothered to hide their travel itinerary, and Frankie had told her mother she’d be arriving today. As the widow of a high-powered general, Sophia must have a vast network of friends from all over the globe. Aidan knew he and Frankie would be at a disadvantage in these early hours. It wasn’t paranoia to suspect someone was on-site keeping watch.
    Which guest was here as a favor to Sophia? Which one would report Frankie had arrived with a man acting like a boyfriend? Aidan put a mental tag on the two most likely candidates and then shifted most of his attention to Frankie as she checked in.
    He was glad they planned to keep the initial mother-daughter reunion brief, so they’d have time to review the key players at Leo Solutions tonight. With any luck, his contact at Interpol would have more information on the passports Frankie had found.
    â€œAdjoining rooms?” Frankie queried. “I was sure I booked a suite.” She bumped Aidan’s shoulder as she pulled out her phone. “How did I mix that up? Honey, do you have the confirmation I emailed you?”
    Aidan pulled his phone from his pocket. “Let me take a look.”
    â€œWe’ll get it straightened out,” the woman at the desk assured her.
    â€œWe just got engaged,” Frankie explained, letting the diamond flash. “We’re here to surprise the family.” Her smile was as bright as the diamond. “I’m so excited.” She rubbed her hand up and down his arm. “I probably clicked the wrong box by mistake.”
    Impressed—affected—by her performance, he cursed himself for asking her to commit to the role of excited fiancée. He should’ve just said no to the cover story change. She thought he was worried about her physically, when her emotional state concerned him more. Now he feared he’d fall for her if they kept this up. What a fool he was.
    â€œCongratulations.” The woman checking them in admired the ring before setting her fingers on the keyboard. “I do have a suite available. Let me just...” She tapped more keys. “That should do it.” She glanced up and beamed at them. “I’ve