zip his jeans.
“I want to take a shower—but I want you to take it with me,” she said boldly. She stood up, too, making no move to cover herself.
For some reason, he was back to trying to resist her. She didn’t know why, but if she had her way, that resistance was going to crumble, and soon.
But when he turned to look at her, the heat and desire that flared in his eyes was tempered with a profound sadness.
“I can’t think of anything I’d rather do more,” he told her quietly. “But we’re running out of time. I need you to intercept Charles before he leaves for the Data Tech party.”
He needed her to …
“Please, Mags,” he continued. “Take a shower, and get dressed.”
He turned away, taking the slinky dress from itshanger. As Maggie watched, he disappeared into the bathroom, and she heard him hang it on the back of the door. He came back out, stepping aside for her.
But she didn’t move.
Get dressed.
He didn’t seriously expect her to put on that dress and …
But he did. Maggie saw that fact in his face, in his eyes. He still expected her to use that sexy dress to try to seduce Charles.
No, she couldn’t believe that. Not after the way he’d made love to her. She
wouldn’t
believe it. He must have something else in mind.
“You said I wouldn’t be able to go to the party—that the Wizard-9 agents would be waiting for me!” Her words came out in barely a whisper.
“You aren’t going to the party,” he told her. “
I
am.” He took one of the bath towels and shook it open. He handed it to her as if hoping she’d use it to wrap around herself. But Maggie still didn’t move. She couldn’t move.
“But they’ll kill you.”
“No, they won’t. They need Charles alive, remember? To develop the Wells Project. When I go to the party, they’ll think I’m Charles.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Ken Goodwin’s men are probably watching Charles’s condo, because they know that sooner orlater I’m going to try to contact him,” Chuck explained. “They’ve probably been following him wherever he goes, only this time they’re not going to follow him, they’re going to follow
me
. I’m going to get my hair cut and pick up a tux and—”
“You’re going to sneak in the back door of the condo and come out the front, pretending to be Charles,” Maggie realized.
“That’s the general idea,” Chuck agreed. “But Wizard-9 is surely watching both the front door
and
the back. There’s no way I could get into the condo without being seen.”
He took the towel from her hands and gently wrapped it around her. “I was trying to figure out how to make this work when I remembered I left for the party about ninety minutes early. I went into Data Tech to get some work done up in the lab before I had to make an appearance downstairs. But I’d been up late the night before, and before I got into my car, I stopped at the Circle K on the corner to get a cup of coffee to go.”
“So Charles will come into the convenience store.…”
“And
I’ll
come out. I’ll take his car and go to Data Tech. The Wizard-9 agents will follow me.”
“But if you’re both in the Circle K, Charles will see you.”
“No, he won’t. He’ll only see
you
.”
This wouldn’t work. There had to be a reason why this wouldn’t work. Maggie grasped at anything. “How will you get Charles’s car keys? If you don’t want him to see you—”
Chuck’s mouth twisted into a half smile. “You know I don’t need keys to start a car.”
Maggie drew in a deep sob of air. “So there I am, with Charles in the Circle K. What is it exactly that you expect me to do?” She knew. She just wanted to hear him say it.
His gaze was steady. “You can’t go with him back to his place—Wizard-9 probably has the condo bugged. We’ll get a suite at the Century Hotel. It’s right around the corner. You can take him there.”
“You want me to take him to a hotel room.”
“Yes.”
She hugged the
“I want to take a shower—but I want you to take it with me,” she said boldly. She stood up, too, making no move to cover herself.
For some reason, he was back to trying to resist her. She didn’t know why, but if she had her way, that resistance was going to crumble, and soon.
But when he turned to look at her, the heat and desire that flared in his eyes was tempered with a profound sadness.
“I can’t think of anything I’d rather do more,” he told her quietly. “But we’re running out of time. I need you to intercept Charles before he leaves for the Data Tech party.”
He needed her to …
“Please, Mags,” he continued. “Take a shower, and get dressed.”
He turned away, taking the slinky dress from itshanger. As Maggie watched, he disappeared into the bathroom, and she heard him hang it on the back of the door. He came back out, stepping aside for her.
But she didn’t move.
Get dressed.
He didn’t seriously expect her to put on that dress and …
But he did. Maggie saw that fact in his face, in his eyes. He still expected her to use that sexy dress to try to seduce Charles.
No, she couldn’t believe that. Not after the way he’d made love to her. She
wouldn’t
believe it. He must have something else in mind.
“You said I wouldn’t be able to go to the party—that the Wizard-9 agents would be waiting for me!” Her words came out in barely a whisper.
“You aren’t going to the party,” he told her. “
I
am.” He took one of the bath towels and shook it open. He handed it to her as if hoping she’d use it to wrap around herself. But Maggie still didn’t move. She couldn’t move.
“But they’ll kill you.”
“No, they won’t. They need Charles alive, remember? To develop the Wells Project. When I go to the party, they’ll think I’m Charles.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Ken Goodwin’s men are probably watching Charles’s condo, because they know that sooner orlater I’m going to try to contact him,” Chuck explained. “They’ve probably been following him wherever he goes, only this time they’re not going to follow him, they’re going to follow
me
. I’m going to get my hair cut and pick up a tux and—”
“You’re going to sneak in the back door of the condo and come out the front, pretending to be Charles,” Maggie realized.
“That’s the general idea,” Chuck agreed. “But Wizard-9 is surely watching both the front door
and
the back. There’s no way I could get into the condo without being seen.”
He took the towel from her hands and gently wrapped it around her. “I was trying to figure out how to make this work when I remembered I left for the party about ninety minutes early. I went into Data Tech to get some work done up in the lab before I had to make an appearance downstairs. But I’d been up late the night before, and before I got into my car, I stopped at the Circle K on the corner to get a cup of coffee to go.”
“So Charles will come into the convenience store.…”
“And
I’ll
come out. I’ll take his car and go to Data Tech. The Wizard-9 agents will follow me.”
“But if you’re both in the Circle K, Charles will see you.”
“No, he won’t. He’ll only see
you
.”
This wouldn’t work. There had to be a reason why this wouldn’t work. Maggie grasped at anything. “How will you get Charles’s car keys? If you don’t want him to see you—”
Chuck’s mouth twisted into a half smile. “You know I don’t need keys to start a car.”
Maggie drew in a deep sob of air. “So there I am, with Charles in the Circle K. What is it exactly that you expect me to do?” She knew. She just wanted to hear him say it.
His gaze was steady. “You can’t go with him back to his place—Wizard-9 probably has the condo bugged. We’ll get a suite at the Century Hotel. It’s right around the corner. You can take him there.”
“You want me to take him to a hotel room.”
“Yes.”
She hugged the
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