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Chapter Two

He had not intended for this to be their first kiss.

A first kiss should be special. Romantic. It should be about passion. Lust. Need. It shouldn’t be used as a distraction technique because he’d screwed up and two guards were running toward him with their guns drawn.

But…it was what it was.

And he believed in making the best of a bad situation so…

Ryan Quinn took a moment to enjoy the kiss. To thoroughly enjoy the softness of Simone’s plump lips. To find her seductive taste to be utterly intoxicating. Her mouth was open, and it was just too easy to slip his tongue inside. To feel lust burn sharp and hot within him.

He pulled her tightly against him, curling his body around hers. Both to shield her completely from the jerks with the guns and to have the added bonus of feeling all of her lush curves against him.

Wanting Simone so badly had never been part of his original plan. He did not mix business and pleasure. And yet…

And yet…

She shivered against him.

“Get the hell away from her! And both of you—put your hands up!”

The alarm was still blasting, and Ryan was very much enjoying the feel of Simone in his arms, but duty called. Duty, work, whatever. Slowly, he eased away from her and turned toward the two guards. Guards who struck him as entirely too eager to point a gun at an unarmed man and woman. Ryan made sure to blink a few times, as if utterly confused, then he winced. “Can someone please turn off that horrible noise? Pretty sure it’s splitting my ear drums.”

“Put your hands up!” Ah. That would be the Russian barking that particular order. Alexei Morozov. A mercenary for hire who had left far too many bodies across Europe.

Ryan lifted his hands. He also made sure to keep his body in front of Simone’s. Her getting shot was not on the agenda. “I fear we set off your alarms,” he said. Because…obviously that screeching was from one of the many alarms in the gallery.

And, finally, the screeching ended. It ended as Frederick came running through the open gallery doors. Frederick gripped a small remote in his hand, and he pushed a button that sent blessed silence into the cavernous space. “No one else gets in,” Frederick barked behind him.

Someone—more guards or mercenaries—immediately shut the doors behind him.

Frederick’s face was twisted in rage. His tux coat flapped open as he rushed toward Ryan. “What in the hell is happening?” Frederick thundered.

“We caught them stealing,” Alexei announced.

“Oh, for shit’s sake.” Ryan rolled his eyes. “You caught me making out with a beautiful woman. Potentially stealing her heart? Sure, trying to do that. Definitely stealing a kiss. Not stealing Frederick’s art.”

Frederick came to a shuddering stop about three feet away. “Ryan?” He craned his head to look beyond Ryan’s body. “Simone?”

“Um, hello, Frederick,” Simone returned after a delicate clearing of her throat.

Frederick’s face flushed dark red. “What the fuck are you two even doing in here?”

Hugo glanced at Alexei, then at Ryan, his confusion plain to see. “I…I thought you wanted?—”

“I wanted a tour,” Ryan cut through the man’s words to say. Not like he wanted Hugo to out him in a lie then and there. Things were certainly awkward enough without that admission. Hugo Thomas was a relatively new hire, Ryan’s intel had told him that. Former British Special Forces. He might look nice enough with his round face and friendly eyes, but Hugo could be just as dangerous as Alexei. Maybe even more so.

“A tour?” Frederick huffed. “No one gets a tour without my express?—”

“You caught me. I’m a liar.” Ryan nodded.

“Oh, no,” Simone whispered behind him. “Do not…oh, don’t…”

Oh, but yes. Yes, he was. Because he knew how to play this scene to save his ass. And, unfortunately, he was going to have to use the lovely Simone in order to make things work out. Sadly, that was what he’d been doing since the day they’d met. He’d taken one look at her big, blue eyes…at her gorgeous body, at the elegant lines of her face and thought…

I can totally use her to accomplish my mission.

Did that make him an asshole? Absolutely. Was he an asshole? Absolutely. But he was an asshole who would make sure that Simone didn’t get hurt, so, there was that element to perhaps even out his karma. “I didn’t really give a damn about the gallery.” This declaration was for Frederick and his trigger-happy guards. “I just wanted somewhere I could be alone with Simone. I told the guards I had permission to come in.”