Love & Deception (Agents in Love - Book 1) (2 page)

Carlie looked into Nick’s deep brown eyes
and heat filled her stomach. She never expected to talk to the
hunky man, and here he was, helping her. Placing her hand in his
large, firm one, she hoped he couldn’t sense how flustered she
felt. “Thank you,” she said softly, finding her tongue as he pulled
her to her feet.

He let go of her hand and flashed a smile.
“It’s always nice to help a damsel in distress.”

“Is this where you expect me to say ‘my
hero?’” Carlie took a shallow breath, wondering what came over her.
She didn’t flirt, and she didn’t tease with strange men she’d just
met.

“I’ve been called worse,” he replied.

A light dusting of stubble covered his chin
and the strong muscles of his neck suggested that beneath the white
Gi,
he was solid throughout. He was handsome, in a rugged
sort of way with black hair and olive skin, but that didn’t really
matter. After all, Stephen had been right to call her the ice
queen. Carlie didn’t have time to check out a handsome man like
Nick Kendall or date any more creeps like Stephen Chance. She
needed to get her mind back on training and running her shop. Those
were the important things in her life.

She met Nick’s eyes again, hoping he hadn’t
noticed her studying him. “I really do appreciate it. I thought
Stephen could help me, but he’s after something for payment I don’t
intend to give.”

He glanced at Stephen, who hadn’t yet
regained his feet, likely afraid of drawing attention to himself.
“Don’t judge all men by the bad apples.”

“It’s hard not to when I keep finding
worms.”

“We’ll work on that later,” he said, and
Carlie tried to cover her surprise. Why would a man like him even
look twice at her?

“For now,” he continued, “why don’t you spar
with me? Sensei Hideaki told me you’re serious about improving your
techniques. The men around here don’t want to train with me, and
the women are all more interested in what I’m doing Saturday
night.” He grinned, inviting her to share in his humor.

“You talked to Sensei about me?” she asked
instead of laughing, focusing on the important part. “Why?”

“I told him I wanted a serious training
partner, and he recommended you.” He nodded to the front of the
room where Sensei Hideaki worked with another pair of students. “I
need you, if you’ll have me.”

It was hard not to feel embarrassed. For
just a tiny second, Carlie dared hope Nick looked at her as an
available woman. Of course he just needed a sparring partner. If he
wanted a date, he could chose from any number of gorgeous ladies,
including her friend, Shelley.

“Are you interested?” he prompted when she
didn’t respond.

She thought about how kind and patient Nick
had been training Shelley. Add in the fact she wouldn’t go near
Stephen again, she needed someone to prepare her for the black belt
test. “Sounds great.”

***

Nick waited outside the hallway to the
women’s dressing room. He changed clothes as quickly as possible,
beating Stephen out to the main part of the training facility.
Beating him...hell, he’d like to beat him. To a bloody pulp. The
man was slime. Nick didn’t understand how someone so disrespectful
of others had been allowed to move so high in the ranks of
karate.

Sensei Hideaki said Stephen was already a
third-degree black belt when he started coming here. Apparently his
prior master lacked brains.

Glancing at his watch, Nick realized it had
been nearly twenty minutes since class ended. Though many women had
passed by him, Carlie had yet to appear. The next person to step
out was Shelley who, as far as Nick could tell, was Carlie’s best
friend.

“Hey.” He jerked his chin to the doorway
behind her. “Do you know if Carlie’s almost ready back there?”

Shelley shook her head. “She left a long
time ago. Seemed to be in a hurry, since she barely said two words
to me.”

“She’s already gone? Damn.”

She laughed. “I didn’t think it possible,
but you actually have a thing for Carlie, don’t you?”

Nick looked at the floor, wondering if that
knowledge upset Shelley. She’d persistently thrown herself at him
ever since his first class. When he told Carlie the women here just
wanted to know what he had planned for Saturday night, Shelley was
who he meant.

“She’s different.” He met Shelley’s eyes
again. “I do need a training partner, and I don’t want Stephen
around her anymore. You said they were dating, but she doesn’t seem
to like him much.”

“Saying they were dating might have been a
bit misleading.” She batted long eyelashes and sighed. “I can see
you aren’t going to ask me out, so I’ll tell you the truth.”

“I’d prefer the truth.” Nick clenched his
jaw tightly. Women like Shelley got under his skin. Even though he
never expressed interest in her, she assumed her good looks would
charm him into a date. So much so, that she’d lied to him when he
expressed an interest in Carlie.

Shelley laughed, not seeming to notice his
irritation. “Well, Carlie wasn’t interested in dating Stephen, but
needed a sparring partner and that's the only way he'd agree to
train her. She’s desperate to get her black belt as soon as
possible.”

That got his attention. “Desperate?
Why?”

She shrugged and flipped curly, black hair
over her shoulder. “How should I know? She’s not one to share much
of her past. We
are
friends, and I love working for her at
the sandwich shop, but Carlie is one mysterious lady.”

Carlie eyed the display of cupcakes the next
afternoon, wondering if she had enough to last. A glance at the
clock verified the day had flown by. It was already less than an
hour until closing time. Next weekend, she’d make an extra batch.
Although it was still slow during the week, Saturday business was
picking up for Carlie’s Creations.

Shelley approached the counter with a
notepad in hand. “Do we have any more bread bowls in the kitchen? I
just got an order for three turkey noodle soups.” She nodded to the
corner table where a group of men sat. “I warned them they might
have to have it in a normal bowl. Busy today.”

“Yes, it has been.” Carlie was unable to
stop the smile that spread across her face.

“Which means,” Shelley said, flashing a
return grin, “I get paid on time this week, right?”

She nodded. “We’re in the black as of today.
I don’t even have much food left to donate to the soup
kitchen.”

“Which is a plus, if you ask me,” Shelley
replied. “You’re never going to make any money if you keep giving
your profits away.”

Carlie shrugged. “I like helping others.
Besides, it’s tax deductible.” She stepped from behind the counter
and walked to the short hallway leading to the kitchen. “I have
five bowls left, so I’ll grab that food for your table.”

Without waiting for her friend to reply,
Carlie crossed the black and white checkered tiles and made her way
to the back. The little shop might not be much, but it was what
she’d always wanted. Constantly moving around the country to lose
her pursuers had put Carlie’s dreams on hold. It had been six years
since her husband’s murder, and it was time to put down some
roots.

Even if Ryan’s enemies still searched for
her, they’d never expect her to be back in Washington, only a short
drive from Seattle. After suspecting someone found her in Florida
seven months ago, Carlie changed identities once again and decided
her best bet was to hide in plain sight.

After re-warming three bread bowls in the
microwave, Carlie set them on plates and filled them with hot
soup.

Shelley’s head poked around the corner of
the doorway. “Everything okay? They said they’re hungry.”

“Everything’s fine.” Carlie grabbed a
serving tray from the stack beneath the counter and shifted the
plates to it. “It’s ready.”

“Great. Those guys smell like money, and I
see a big tip coming my way. Well, maybe.” She laughed and her eyes
sparkled with mischief. “If I flirt enough, that is. They’re from
out of town and looking for a little fun.”

“In Sayle?” Carlie wrinkled her nose. “Not
much excitement here.”

“They’re on their way to Canada, but decided
to stop for dinner. Luckily, they found us.”

Because Shelley was the type of woman guys
took notice of, Carlie always let her wait on tables with only men.
Blue-eyed, black-haired, buxom Shelley kept them happier than
blond-haired, hazel-eyed, altogether boring Carlie.

On second thought, being overlooked wasn’t a
bad thing. Boring kept her hidden. She needed that.

She smiled at Shelley. “That
is
lucky
for them to find our great restaurant.” She grabbed a clean rag to
wipe up some soup that dripped onto the counter. “And
I’m
lucky I found you. Thanks for sticking with me through this start
up. I know it’s been a rough couple of months.”

Shelley grinned and picked up the tray. “I’m
glad I answered your ad for a waitress. Not only did I get a great
boss, but a good friend, too.”

The warmth of those words struck Carlie as
Shelley sashayed from the kitchen, and she blinked back happy
tears. Avoiding her husband’s enemies since his death had made it
hard to find friends. It was nice to have one again. Carlie was
tired of running, tired of not having a life. If they found her in
Sayle, she wouldn’t run any more. She’d fight.

After stirring the soup one last time and
turning off the unit to allow it to cool, Carlie returned to the
dining area. She glanced around the small space, pride filling her
as it always did when she thought about how she’d finally
accomplished her dreams.

Six booths with red benches and black
tabletops surrounded the outer perimeter of the shop and three more
tables sat in the center of the floor. Not a huge place, but big
enough to satisfy her lifelong dream of running a restaurant.

Several times today, all the tables were
full. People actually waited for a seat or ordered something to go.
Word about her shop and the quality of food was getting around. She
even received an order for thirty cupcakes for a birthday party
next week.

Although her busiest time was during lunch
when customers wanted sandwiches made on fresh bread or homemade
soup in a warm bread bowl, Carlie knew cupcakes were the latest
rage. She hoped they would tip the balance in her favor of having a
successful business versus just an ordinary sandwich shop,
indistinguishable from the others.

Since Shelley spent extra time with the men
headed to Canada, Carlie made the rounds to the remaining
customers, refilling drinks and making sure everyone was happy.
When the buzzer on the door heralded a new arrival, Carlie didn’t
turn around right away, busy refilling an elderly couple’s water
glasses.

Shelley crossed the room and stood next to
her. “Did you invite him?”

“Who?” Carlie set the second water back on
the table.

“Nick.” Shelley let out a low whistle. “That
is one fine-looking man.”

The ice rattled around the water pitcher in
her hand, but Carlie directed her attention to the diners at the
table. “Do you need anything else?”

“Edith says I shouldn’t, but I’d love a
cupcake.” The gentleman’s wide smile deepened the wrinkles around
his eyes and he patted his round belly.

Across the table, Edith scowled, but Carlie
smiled back at him. “I only have chocolate left. Is that okay?”

At his nod, Shelley patted her arm. “I’ll
get the cupcake. You see what super hunk wants.”

Carlie turned to the doorway and the air
suddenly became too thin as Nick’s eyes locked onto hers. He wore a
dark blue dress shirt and black slacks. Dark hair feathered away
from his forehead. Forcing herself to breathe again, Carlie started
across the room. She prayed the smile on her face didn’t look as
strained as it felt.

After he rescued her from Stephen last
night, there hadn’t been a lot of time left to spar. Once class
ended, Carlie had changed her clothes and hurried from the dojo, a
little embarrassed by the whole situation. She must look foolish to
him, letting Stephen treat her that way...she certainly felt
foolish.

“Nick. It’s nice to see you.” She stopped in
front of him, still displaying a smile that felt too wide for her
face. “Did you come for dinner?”

“No.”

One word was all it took to provoke a tremor
of nerves in her stomach. His eyes were so brown, they almost
seemed black, and it was hard to look away.

“I came for you, Carlie.”

She rather felt like a mouse staring into
the face of a hungry hawk with the way his piercing gaze never
wavered. Forcing a laugh, she broke eye contact and looked at her
hands, only then realizing she wrung them together. “For me?
Why?”

“I waited for you last night after class,
but you must have finished dressing faster than me. A few people
told me where to find you.”

Her heart fluttered excitedly, but Carlie
reminded herself what Nick had said. Lots of girls offered him
dates for Saturday night. He wanted a training partner. He wasn’t
interested in her, not as a woman. Even though the way he stared at
her—as though she was the only person in the room—seemed to say
otherwise, she couldn’t let herself think that.

She cleared her throat and shoved her hands
into the pockets of her apron, staring at Nick’s chest so his eyes
couldn’t trap hers again. “I’m sorry I left without saying goodbye.
I had an early start to my day here and needed to get home.”

“It’s fine.” He shrugged. “I’m just glad to
see that ass... Excuse me, I meant jerk. Glad to see that jerk
didn’t bother you again. I planned on walking you to your car.”

Despite herself, she glanced back up.
“That’s very thoughtful of you, but don’t worry about Stephen. He’s
a pain, but harmless.”