in the parking lot who shouldn’t be there and you’re nervous.”
“You sure you aren’t a defense lawyer?”
“I’m a good liar, does that count?”
He grabbed his own leather shoulder bag and checked the interior. All Grace saw before he closed it under her nose was a satellite cell phone like the one on Steele’s desk.
“Is there a gun in there?” she said.
“You worried about crossing the border when we go to check out the school?”
“That and the roadblocks.”
“Where?” Faroe asked.
“There was one on the toll road to Ensenada and one at the entrance to the school.”
“Were they looking for guns?”
“They didn’t say, but they could have searched the car, and me, if they wanted to.”
“No worries,” Faroe said with a thin smile. “I’m a convicted felon. It would be against the law for me to possess a firearm here or in Mexico. So I don’t carry.”
“A border cowboy without his gun? Why do I feel that the law is the least of your problems?” Grace muttered.
“Because you know me pretty well.”
He led her out the hatchway onto the deck of the TAZ . After he locked up the stateroom behind them, he unclipped the safety line and stepped down onto the dock, shouldering the bag. When she was slow to follow, he turned and offered her his hand for balance.
Grace took his hand and stepped down lightly. She was startled when he used her momentum to draw her into an embrace. He looked into her eyes, smiling, ignoring her shocked stiffness.
Whatever I say, whenever I say it .
“There are only two reasons a woman like you would be with a man like me,” Faroe said against Grace’s lips. “We want the dude up there to think it’s the second reason. Hot sheets, not hired help. Okay?”
“Joe—”
“Yeah, I know,” he cut in, “you don’t want me and you’re not used to fooling people. Learn fast, Your Honor. Follow my lead or get your beautiful ass out of the game right now. Which will it be?”
There was an edge to Faroe’s voice that told her he meant every word. She resisted for another second, then let her body soften and move toward his.
“Good,” he said. “Now put your arms around my neck and let me give you what should look to our pal like a passionate kiss.”
“What?”
“Take it easy,” he said against her lips. “It doesn’t have to be the real thing, just good enough to pass inspection through binoculars.”
“A stage kiss, right? All show and no go?”
He smiled. “Yeah, but sell it to the cheap seats. We need this guy to believe I’m the new cock on your walk.”
Faroe started the kiss deliberately and discreetly off-center.
Grace mentally calculated the angles between them and the phone booth and let herself sag gently toward him.
Bad move.
Her breasts brushed against his chest. The rest of her body followed without waiting for her command. The kiss went from awkward to explosive asshe tasted him and everything changed, past and present mingled like lovers, curling around one another in timeless embrace. She moved closer to him, closer, and felt his erection pressing hard against her.
Slowly, breathing deep, Faroe forced himself back to reality, where time went only one way and someone was watching them through binoculars.
“That’s why me taking this job isn’t the smartest idea either one of us ever had,” he said.
Reluctantly he let go of her.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I don’t know what happened.”
He gave her a sideways glance. “I do.”
“I—it won’t happen again.”
“Don’t bet on it.” He put his arm casually around her shoulders and started up the dock. “That kind of need is hard to fight.”
They were still walking on the dock when the first patrol car came gliding into the marina parking lot like a killer whale with flashing red eyes. The Latino with the binoculars must have had a guilty conscience. He broke cover and walked quickly toward a black Suburban parked nearby.
The patrol car veered
“You sure you aren’t a defense lawyer?”
“I’m a good liar, does that count?”
He grabbed his own leather shoulder bag and checked the interior. All Grace saw before he closed it under her nose was a satellite cell phone like the one on Steele’s desk.
“Is there a gun in there?” she said.
“You worried about crossing the border when we go to check out the school?”
“That and the roadblocks.”
“Where?” Faroe asked.
“There was one on the toll road to Ensenada and one at the entrance to the school.”
“Were they looking for guns?”
“They didn’t say, but they could have searched the car, and me, if they wanted to.”
“No worries,” Faroe said with a thin smile. “I’m a convicted felon. It would be against the law for me to possess a firearm here or in Mexico. So I don’t carry.”
“A border cowboy without his gun? Why do I feel that the law is the least of your problems?” Grace muttered.
“Because you know me pretty well.”
He led her out the hatchway onto the deck of the TAZ . After he locked up the stateroom behind them, he unclipped the safety line and stepped down onto the dock, shouldering the bag. When she was slow to follow, he turned and offered her his hand for balance.
Grace took his hand and stepped down lightly. She was startled when he used her momentum to draw her into an embrace. He looked into her eyes, smiling, ignoring her shocked stiffness.
Whatever I say, whenever I say it .
“There are only two reasons a woman like you would be with a man like me,” Faroe said against Grace’s lips. “We want the dude up there to think it’s the second reason. Hot sheets, not hired help. Okay?”
“Joe—”
“Yeah, I know,” he cut in, “you don’t want me and you’re not used to fooling people. Learn fast, Your Honor. Follow my lead or get your beautiful ass out of the game right now. Which will it be?”
There was an edge to Faroe’s voice that told her he meant every word. She resisted for another second, then let her body soften and move toward his.
“Good,” he said. “Now put your arms around my neck and let me give you what should look to our pal like a passionate kiss.”
“What?”
“Take it easy,” he said against her lips. “It doesn’t have to be the real thing, just good enough to pass inspection through binoculars.”
“A stage kiss, right? All show and no go?”
He smiled. “Yeah, but sell it to the cheap seats. We need this guy to believe I’m the new cock on your walk.”
Faroe started the kiss deliberately and discreetly off-center.
Grace mentally calculated the angles between them and the phone booth and let herself sag gently toward him.
Bad move.
Her breasts brushed against his chest. The rest of her body followed without waiting for her command. The kiss went from awkward to explosive asshe tasted him and everything changed, past and present mingled like lovers, curling around one another in timeless embrace. She moved closer to him, closer, and felt his erection pressing hard against her.
Slowly, breathing deep, Faroe forced himself back to reality, where time went only one way and someone was watching them through binoculars.
“That’s why me taking this job isn’t the smartest idea either one of us ever had,” he said.
Reluctantly he let go of her.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I don’t know what happened.”
He gave her a sideways glance. “I do.”
“I—it won’t happen again.”
“Don’t bet on it.” He put his arm casually around her shoulders and started up the dock. “That kind of need is hard to fight.”
They were still walking on the dock when the first patrol car came gliding into the marina parking lot like a killer whale with flashing red eyes. The Latino with the binoculars must have had a guilty conscience. He broke cover and walked quickly toward a black Suburban parked nearby.
The patrol car veered
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