Free Undercover Engagement by Lucy McConnell

He pulled up short at the sight of me. “Wow.”
    “Too much?” Tiffany asked.
    “Nope.” He smiled. “Here, go put these on.” He handed me a bag of clothes and pointed to the bathroom door.
    “Yes, Sir.” I resisted the urge to salute him.
    He ignored me, turning to ask Tiffany, “Can I get a tat, too?”
    I rolled my eyes. The bathroom was cramped but clean. I put on the black jeans, sucking in, in order to zip them up. At least Jason thought I was that thin. Criminy . I used a spray bottle from the counter and spritzed the jeans down. The fabric stretched as I did a few deep knee bends. Ha ! I hadn’t done that trick since my junior year of high school. Breathing easier, I smiled. Still works .
    The purple-and-black-striped shirt complimented Tiffany’s nail-job. A chunky metal bracelet and black studs for my ears completed the edgy look, and the checkered Ked’s fit perfectly. Once again, Jason had thought of everything.
    Stepping out for my reveal, I gasped. A large red and black snake wound its way up Jason’s right arm and across his shoulder – pausing in mid-strike right below his ear. The snake looked even more deadly because of the defined muscles it curled across. My heart bounced back and forth between my belly button and my collarbone. Wowzers !
    As Tiffany leaned close to add shading to the snake's jaw, I felt a spike of jealousy. It bothered me to see her so close to Jason’s bare skin.
    I cleared my throat trying to find my voice. “I’m ready.” I dropped my hands to my sides.
    “Almost done,” Tiffany said. She added an extra-long fang below Jason’s jaw line so it looked like the snake was ready to strike. “There. Hold still.” Using a blow drier, she sped the drying process along.
    Why does he get a snake and I get butterflies ? I pouted out my lip. Wait. Was I really jealous of his fake tattoo? What was happening to me? I looked like a different person, that didn’t mean I was a different person. Still, this walk on the wild side had its appeal. I felt powerful and free in a way I never experienced in high heels and business suits.
    While Jason put his shirt back on (sigh), Tiffany gave me a quick hug. “Good luck.”
    Okay, she was a kind person and not after Jason or his body and I should be nice to her. “Thanks.”
    Jason held the door open for me. “See you,” he called over his shoulder.
    “Now where are we going?” I sulked into the car.
    “We have a rendezvous in forty-five minutes at Temple Square.”
    Sure, a couple of people dressed in black and snake tattoos wouldn’t attract any attention in the middle of Mormon headquarters. Very inconspicuous.
    “Who are we meeting?” I chewed my lip. Tiffany was nice, but I wasn’t sure how many other people I wanted to meet in this group.
    “Your new guardian.”
    “Why do I need a new guardian?”
    “In light of our,” he cleared his throat, “personal relationship, Mr. Stone thought it best to transfer you to someone else for safe keeping.”
    “What does our relationship have to do with it?”
    “Agents tend to be less rational when the target is someone they care about.”
    “So, I won’t see you until this is over?”
    Jason tapped his thumb against the steering wheel. “That’s right.”
    I picked at my purple nail polish. I’d wanted space, demanded it, in fact. But not this much space. I’d only wanted a couple of days, tops, to think things through and decide where I stood. Now, I faced weeks, possibly months, with no Jason. I shifted in my seat, uncomfortable in my too-tight jeans and the recent turn of events.
    He parked in a multi-level lot. “Here’s how we do this.” His eyes were apologetic, but I couldn’t catch any feeling in his voice. If we had been on the phone, I would have thought he thought of me only as his next drop off. But, I could see the concern, and the deep love, in his expression.
    Acknowledging his emotions brought mine to the surface. Tears pooled in my black-lined