CHAPTER THIRTY

“ A re you kidding me right now?” Anna demanded the next evening after they’d spent hours making love and sleeping, then rinse and repeat.

He nodded.

They were seated on the kitchen stools eating a bowl of chicken pasta. One needed carbs after a day of sexy exercise. His body was used to the exertion, but from Anna’s rosy cheeks, he knew she had been well and truly fucked.

He grinned around his fork.

Fortunately, she hadn’t seen his smile, because Ben had just announced he was taking her back to the Moretti’s.

He’d half expected them to show up, but when they hadn’t, it had confirmed his suspicions. They trusted him. At least a little.

“So you kidnap me. Shag me half to death, and then drop me back. Very fucking nice, Ben.”

His brows bunched up. “Anna, stop. That’s not at all what this is,” Ben growled. “I told you: I am going to clean up this mess and make things safe for you here. It’s too dangerous to leave you unprotected.”

Anna pushed her half-empty bowl away.

“Hey, eat, come on,” he entreated, pushing it back.

She jumped off her stool and walked into the bedroom. Ben watched her for a moment before following.

“Anna. Please,” he begged. If he had his choice, he would just stay in this apartment and eat, sleep, and make love to her. For-damn-ever.

“It’s fine. I’ll pack and catch an Uber,” she said, pulling her clothing off the coat hangers and throwing them on the bed.

Ben walked up to her and grabbed her arms, turning her.

“Goddamn it, stop,” he growled. “Talk to me.”

“I did. You’re the one who won’t talk,” she replied, tears forming, and his chest clenched. “I don’t know who you are, who you work for, where you live, nothing, Ben. I’ve trusted you. Given you my body and my h—”

She stopped.

Her eyes darted away, then she pushed him.

What the hell? What had she been about to say?

Ben’s eyes pressed closed.

He knew. Fuck it, he was feeling the same.

Goddamn it, this was a fucking mess.

Even if he wanted to tell her how he felt, he couldn’t. He worked for Ari Moretti. He worked for The Institute. It was a life commitment.

There was no taking Anna back to the United States with him. Ben had already risked a great deal because of his feelings for her, and there would be consequences for it.

It was why he had to do this. He had to find Diego and kill the Italian president.

Then he would go home to Seattle.