Page 58 of Wicked Intention

If she was hoping the question would discomfit him, she’d miscalculated. “At the end of January. You didn’t come to visit me.”

This time her surprise was gone in the blink of an eye, but Finn caught it. He shouldn’t be enjoying this so much, but he was. It was only fair that she be as unsettled as he was. “You look good,” he said, voice thick. “Very polished. I expected to find you in jeans.”

She waved away the compliment. “I have a meeting with my boss, and no one shows up at Archer’s office wearing denim. Why are you here?”

Finn grinned. She might look refined and fancy, but this was his loquita—straight and to the point. There were so many things he could say, but some were too revealing, and others were too shallow. He went for something in the middle. “Because when we were together in Puerto Jardin, things felt right in a way they’ve never felt with anyone else.”

Her expression clearly revealed her distrust. “You’re just looking for sex.”

He caught her hand before she could walk away. “If all I wanted was sex, I didn’t have to travel across the width of thecountry for it.” Finn tugged her forward, scowling over her blatant disbelief. “My friend got married a few weeks ago. I spent most of the reception dodging a woman who was sexy as hell and looking for a one-night stand. You know why I passed on her offer?”

Zo jerked her hand free, but she didn’t back away. “You’re going to say because of me, right?”

She didn’t manage to pull off the tone she’d been trying for. There’d been vulnerability beneath the challenge. As if she didn’t dare believe she could have this impact on him.

“Definitely because of you,” he murmured, closing the gap between them. Zo’s eyes widened, and she tried to shore up her bravado. His hands went to her hips. “Thinking about making love with you is what got me through six weeks in that Puerto Jardinese rattrap.” He kissed her, careful to keep it brief and light. “You’rewho I want. No one else.”

For a moment, she didn’t move, and then Zo broke his hold, turning out of his embrace and putting distance between them. “You’re a mercenary. You were trying to nose into the arms trade.”

Now was the time for him to come clean, to admit who he really was. With a sigh, he approached her and reached out, running a finger down her jawline. She didn’t flinch, which he took to mean she trusted him somewhere deep down. “I’m not a mercenary or a gunrunner. I never was.”

Incredulity replaced her ire. “Can’t you tell a better story than that? Maybe pull in your childhood like you did when we were in San Isidro?”

Finn sighed, lowered his arm back to his side, and shrugged. “My name isn’t Tom Finley. It’s Finn Rowland, and until a few days ago, I was US Army Special Forces.” Zo simply stared at him, so he added, “That’s the truth.”

She jolted, her temper coming back in a rush. “The truth? You wouldn’t know the truth if it bit you on the ass. And pretending to be Special Forces? That’s low.”

He didn’t blame her for the disbelief. He’d lied about who he was since the moment they’d met. “I have my discharge papers”—he tapped the blazer over the interior pocket—“I have my driver’s license and my passport with me, too. I can prove what I say.”

“Those documents can be forged,” Zo said, but the heat was out of her voice.

“I know.”

Finn paused and waited for Zo to speak, but she remained silent. Holding his arms out at his sides, he asked, “What more do you want me to say?”

“I don’t know if there’s anything you can say to sway me.” Zo shook her head. “Let’s sit down so I can look at your forged documents.” Instead of dropping onto one of the couches or the love seat, she crossed the expanse to the dining room table, pulled out a chair facing him, and sat down. “Well?” she prompted.

Finn joined her, taking the seat beside her. He could feel her stiffen, but she didn’t slide farther away from him. Reaching into the interior of his blazer, he pulled out everything he had and laid it in front of her. Zo studied each document thoroughly, frequently looking between what she was reading and his face.

With a long, loud sigh, she slid his things back toward him. “I wish I could believe you.”

“You can,” Finn assured her.

“It’s not that easy.”

“I know.” He put his ID and paperwork back in his jacket. “I couldn’t tell you the truth in Puerto Jardin. It would have risked the mission.”

“Which you can’t share with me, am I right?”

He covered her hand with his, her skin silky and warm against his. “You know I can’t, but I think you can make some educated guesses.”

Zo didn’t say anything, but she left her hand beneath his,and he let the quiet linger. It lasted until her phone chimed. It was sitting on the counter near the door next to her purse. “That’s my reminder to leave.” She didn’t move. “Where are you staying?”

“I came straight to see you when I got to town. Do you have any suggestions for a hotel near here? Something reasonably priced,” he added.

“This is Los Angeles. Nothing is reasonably priced.” Pushing back from the table, Zo stood. For a moment, her blue eyes bore into his. “Is your word good?”

“Yes.” Finn didn’t embellish. Either she trusted him, or she didn’t.

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