Courting Passion Read Online Free Page B

enough to remember things such as plugging in the battery or turning off the sleep mode for your screen. You have my mobile number—call if something goes down the crapper.”
    Katherine relaxed. Scott hadn’t appeared to find anything amiss with her tone or distracted air. He cast them both quick glances, seeming to watch for when they were finished. Raking a hand through his unruly hair, he collected his equipment in a rush and all but fled.
    “Do you really think it wise we head back to your place?” Garth asked.
    Katherine turned to face him and noticed his face was in profile to her. He’d leant back onto the desk and was looking at the laptop. She realised that, outwardly, it appeared as if he were merely chatting idly about whatever he was working on the computer.
    A small smile twitched the corner of Katherine’s mouth. It was quickly replaced with a frown as she noticed how easily the casual deception appeared to come to the dark-haired man. Uncertainty spiked through her. She leaned her palms flat down on the table and bent close to him, her eyes on the screen though her entire focus was on her new, temporary partner.
    “You’re awfully smooth,” she snapped, more harshly than she had meant to. “Are you so used to playing games that it’s become second nature to you?”
    “Ease back,” Garth responded. “In case it has escaped your notice, sweetheart, we’re spies. Multitasking is supposed to be second nature to us. Just as you thought quickly on your feet to warn Scott we wouldn’t be hanging around here all evening, so too was it an easy enough thing for me to try to protect your reputation and not stand here staring at your gorgeous breasts and talking dirty to you.”
    Katherine flushed, embarrassed at how she’d let her suspicion overwhelm her good sense.
    “Now, every other bloke in this room would understand if I began talking to your chest and ignoring the fact you are a decent agent and have a brain in your head, but really I didn’t feel the need to lower myself in such a way,” Garth continued. “Are we going to have a similar problem every time we open our mouths to each other, or are we good?”
    Katherine stood up and nodded.
    “I’m sorry,” she apologised. “I’m on edge. After thinking you’re a traitor, then the speed with which Victor’s rescue took place, now Tarek lying comatose, so close to death’s door, and losing the hard drive…”
    Katherine let her words trail away and shook off her maudlin air.
    “I’m not making excuses,” she added. “A lot has happened in the last day or so. Forgive me. If we’re going to work together we need at least a minimal level of trust. I’ll try to not jump down your throat again. This is a big change for me. I’m not adapting as well as I could.”
    “Sweetheart, you can jump down my throat any time you like,” Garth riposted with a wicked grin. He turned to look at her, the laughter in his dark eyes making her belly roll with lust.
    Damn the man was sin incarnate.
    Katherine huffed out a low laugh and punched him lightly in the shoulder. Warmth spread through her chest, grateful acknowledgement of how easily he had let her sharpness go.
    “I’ve been thinking about how we can try to narrow potential suspects for who the traitor might be,” Katherine said. “Now you’re firmly crossed off the list, of course, it takes us back to square one.”
    Garth stood, an intrigued look on his face. His hands rested on his hips as they talked in quiet tones to each other. The sexual chemistry still burned between them, but the serious note to their conversation distracted her.
    “I presume word of Oscar’s identity has filtered through the rank and file?” he stated more than asked.
    Katherine nodded and tilted her head towards a small group of agents clustered around one workstation on the other side of the large room.
    “Walters and Peterson are leading. I think they’ve got three different pairs rotating on shifts to