Page 24 of Rogue Voice

He picked up the cigarettes he’d taken from Emiliano’s office—hiscigarettes. It was automatic for him to walk out onto the balcony. Back in Zurich, none of his teammates smoked, and hewasn’t about to force his dirty habit on them. He wondered if he’d ever have the strength to quit smoking. But the thought of quitting made him think of all the things he’d been addicted to in the past, and that was something he didn’t want to think about, so he put the thought away, back into Pandora’s box.

There was no breeze, so the cigarette lit up as soon as he brought the flame from the lighter close. He took a drag of the cigarette, enjoying the way the burning end smoldered in the darkness.

“Are you planning on staying hidden?” he asked softly, without turning to look at the door to the room next door.

The door opened and Beatriz came outside, looking wary. She’d changed into a long, white nightgown. Though it was made of cotton too thick for him to be able to make out much, something about the way it flowed down her slim body made him hard. He forced his eyes up to her face. The last thing she needed was for him to be ogling her. But damn, it was hard not to look.

“How did you know I was here?” she asked.

Because I've been watching you for days.Because you smell like orange blossoms. Because, somehow, I can feel when you’re close.

Rogue almost laughed out loud. “You wouldn’t like my answer,” he said. “What are you doing here?”

“I came to say thank you for … the food.”

“You’re welcome.” Rogue took another drag of his cigarette, projecting a calm he was far from feeling.

“I didn’t take you for a smoker,” she said.

He didn’t bother replying to that. He never imagined himself as a smoker, either. When he’d joined the Australian Army Corps of Engineers, he’d been a health freak, his body a well-oiled machine. He wouldn’t have considered putting cigarettesmoke into his body. And then he’d ended up doing much worse to it—had the scars on his arms to prove it.

“Is that all, Beatriz?”

“Bea,” she said, quietly. “I prefer Bea.”

Bea.

“Do you know what Beatriz means?” she asked, her words coming out in a rush now. “It means voyager. But I’m the opposite of a voyager. I’ve never been anywhere.”

Rogue’s throat grew tight, making it hard to swallow. But he couldn’t make this his problem. “I like Bea better,” he finally said.

The name suited her. It was less formal than Beatriz—warmer and brighter, somehow.

“Does your uncle know you’re here?” He already knew the answer to that. Chances are, Emiliano would kill him if he saw them together.

“I need your help.”

“My help …”

“Whatever it is you’re doing for my uncle,” She raised her hand to stop him from saying anything. “I don’t want to know what it is. But when you leave, I need you to bring me with you.”

Rogue’s mouth just about fell open in surprise. Her expression turned uncertain, as if she couldn’t believe she’d said the words. Or as if she expected him to laugh at her. But Rogue didn’t laugh. There was nothing funny about this.

“Why would I do that?” he asked, taking a small step forward, purposefully towering over her. She had to realize what a bad idea this was.

“If you bring me with you, I won’t tell my uncle about whatever it is you’re hiding behind that bookshelf.”

It was Rogue’s turn to tense, but he forced himself to keep his expression steady. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he ground out.

Bea’s small hands curled into fists. “Yes you do.”

“Are you threatening me, Beatriz?” Rogue asked, taking a step forward towards her, purposefully using the name she’d said she didn’t like. “You don’t want to do that.”

Bea tensed but stood her ground. Her small breasts jutted out as she pulled in a sharp breath—just before her body deflated on her next breath. “Please. I just want to make a deal with you.”

He could see how much it cost her to say the words. Rogue wanted nothing more than to take her hand in his. To tell her that everything was going to be okay, that he would take care of her. But he didn’t do that.

“I already made a deal—with your uncle,” he said, keeping his body very still.

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