Midnight Pursuits by Elle Kennedy

is.” Paige laughed in delight. “I expect details the next time you come to London. Now, go and check your in-box. I jotted down some notes and observations in the e-mail, but call me if you have any follow-up questions.”
    Paige hung up without saying good-bye, though Juliet had no idea why the woman was so eager to get off the phone. Paige lived in an isolated cottage in Northern England, and God knew what she did with her time, out in the middle of nowhere all by her lonesome. Juliet would go nuts living that way. She needed action, excitement, stimulation that didn’t come from reading books in front of an old fireplace.
    â€œWas that Paige?” Ethan asked in a low voice.
    She nodded. “C’mon, let’s go back to the room. I need my laptop.”
    They headed for the door, reaching it just as another hotel guest sauntered in. A tall, heavyset man in a crisp blue suit, with salt-and-pepper hair combed to perfection and harsh, arrogant features.
    He bumped into Juliet upon his entrance, but didn’t apologize for his rudeness. Rather, he swept his gaze over her tight black jeans and purple V-neck sweater, his dark eyes resting way too long on her chest.
    â€œYou should watch where you’re going,” he said in Russian, then proceeded to add an endearment that roughly translated to
sugar tits
.
    Juliet offered him a cool look. “Call me that again and I’ll break your arm.”
    Displeasure flashed in his eyes. Instead of answering, he turned to Ethan and said, “Control your woman before someone controls her for you.”
    Ethan ignored the man completely. Just brushed past him, taking Juliet’s arm in the process. She followed him without complaint. As tempted as she was to kick the rude jerk in the balls, she knew they couldn’t draw attention to them and jeopardize the mission.
    â€œWhat an ass,” she muttered as they left the lounge.
    â€œThe world is full of asses. No point in letting them get to you.” He paused. “Sugar tits.”
    â€œOooh, somebody knows his Russian,” she teased.
    â€œI get by. Probably not as well as you, though. How many languages do you speak again? A billion?”
    â€œSix.” She stuck out her tongue. “Did Isabel tell you that, or did you boys run a check on me?”
    â€œActually, Abby told me.”
    â€œAnd when were you and Abby talking about little old me?”
    They bypassed the elevator and stepped into the stairwell, with Ethan taking the lead. She’d been thrilled to discover that, like her, Ethan avoided elevators at all costs. Other operatives she’d worked with in the past hadn’t seemed to mind riding the elevator, but Juliet would rather climb twenty flights of stairs than be stuck in a box that could malfunction at any second. It always went back to self-preservation for her. No way would she ever allow herself to be trapped somewhere and take the risk of getting caught again.
    â€œAbby and I talk about a lot of people,” Ethan said noncommittally.
    â€œFunny, because the Abby I know isn’t much of a talker.” In fact, Abby Sinclair was the most tight-lipped person Juliet had ever met, after Noelle, of course. But not even Juliet could deny that the former assassin had mellowed since falling in love and marrying Ethan’s teammate Kane.
    â€œShe talks to me all the time,” he added. “Maybe it’s because she knows there’s no threat of me blabbing her secrets.”
    â€œYou
are
the least threatening guy on the planet,” Juliet replied cheerfully.
    Annoyance flickered in his eyes. “The men I’ve killed would probably disagree with that.”
    â€œOooh, look at the tough guy. I’m soooo intimidated.”
    They reached the second-floor stairwell and headed back to the room. Much to her irritation, Ethan went in first, his hand poised over the gun butt beneath his waistband. As if she weren’t