Free The Beauty and the Spy by Gayle Callen

liar.
    With a sigh she watched the shadows dance through the curtains and flash mingled patterns on the ceiling. She’d always prided herself on her honor. No matter how coldly her husband had treated her, no matter what degrading things he’d forced her to do in the dark of the night, she’d had her honor. Sometimes she’d even fooled herself into thinking Aubrey Sinclair had admired her for it.
    But when forced into desperate circumstances, the first thing she’d done was lie so that she could escape. And what had it gotten her? The admiration of a criminal—and the certainty that he’d continue to watch over her closely.
    What was she becoming? she wondered, even as tears stung her eyes. She called herself desperate, yet Nick had touched her cheek and ignited a firestorm of yearning in her that she still didn’t understand. She knew nothing about him—yet he’d treated her gently, showed more restraint than her own husband had. Nick was amusing and exciting and—
    Was she starting to believe him? Just because he’d said he knew her father? Or was she misinterpreting everything out of some sad need to change her life?
    She’d succeeded in doing that, all right. She’d been kidnapped, tied up, threatened, and now forced to sleep bound to a man who confused her—scared her—drew her.
    Slowly she turned to look at Nick. His head was turned toward her in sleep. He wore no frown, no look of intense concentration, just relaxed peacefulness. He looked…different, younger, so very handsome.
    With rising dismay she realized she was succumbing to his charm. She had no proof of his allegiance except what she’d witnessed with her own eyes. She had to make her escape before she lost herself altogether. She’d find her father, and he would help her sort out the truth. She spent several fruitless minutes picking at the knot of rope at her wrist, then gave it up as hopeless.
    But how else to escape? Nick was stronger than she was, and he had two other men to help him watch over her. He’d warned her again tonight to behave. And if she did, would that help her situation? Could she remain calm, outwardly docile, and lull them into forgetting that she was still a threat?
    She rolled onto her side, trying to make herself comfortable in the tight dress, slid her hand beneath her cheek, and stared at Nick until she finally fell asleep.

Chapter 7
    Every relationship formed is a vulnerability for a political agent, one which can come back to haunt you.
    The Secret Journals of a Spymaster
    N ick was the first thing Charlotte saw when she awoke. He was much closer this time, also turned on his side, staring at her. When he looked at her mouth, all her plans from the previous evening flew out of her head. She felt the warmth of his breath, the intensity of his regard as he seemed to study each part of her face. She couldn’t move, frozen in place by a feeling so very foreign to her—so very exciting.
    She told herself she was lying there to placate him, but that was a lie.
    She told herself she would understand him better if she waited to see what he would do. That was a lie, too.
    When he leaned toward her, it was all she could do not to let these powerful feelings overwhelm her. Instead she watched this confident, arrogant man hesitate, then gently brush her lips with his.
    His touch was rain-shower soft, moist, so very different than anything she’d ever experienced. Each small kiss was a separate exploration of her lips, from the corners to the full bottom. She breathed in the scent of him, her eyes half closed as she immersed herself in the wondrous sensations.
    She thought she heard him faintly groan as he nibbled at her bottom lip, drawing it gently into his mouth to exert a soft sucking pressure. Something shuddered to life deep inside her, awakening her to a rising passion she’d never experienced before.
    She gasped and they came apart, both