First Rule: Don't Fall For The Enemy

CHAPTER 16

MIRA’S POV

The silence in the cabin after we'd gotten dressed was deafening. Adrian and I sat across from each other, the weight of what had just happened settling between us like a wall neither of us knew how to breach.

Every time I looked at him, I saw love and confusion in equal measure, and it made my chest tight with guilt.

"We'll be landing in twenty minutes," the pilot's voice crackled through the intercom, making us both jump.

"Good," I said, though nothing about this felt good. The closer we got to New York, the more the reality of my situation crashed down on me. Jesse would be waiting. Questions would need answers. And I'd have to look him in the eye knowing I'd just betrayed everything we'd worked for.

"Elise—" Adrian started.

"Don't." I held up a hand, not trusting myself to hear whatever he was about to say. "Please. Not right now."

He studied my face, and I saw the exact moment he retreated behind his professional mask. "Of course. We should prepare for landing."

The rest of the flight passed in painful silence, both of us pretending to work while stealing glances at each other. When we finally touched down at JFK, I was already planning my escape.

"My driver can take you home," Adrian offered as we walked through the terminal.

"That's not necessary."

"Elise, we need to talk about—"

"Not here." I glanced around at the other travelers, suddenly hyper aware that we looked like exactly what we were, two people who'd just spent the weekend crossing every professional boundary imaginable. "I'll see you Monday morning."

"Will you?" There was something vulnerable in his voice that made me pause. "Because you're looking at me like you're about to run."

He wasn't wrong. Every instinct I had was screaming at me to put distance between us, to figure out how to salvage the mission before it was too late.

"I just need time to think," I said.

"About us?"

"About everything."

He nodded slowly, but I could see the hurt in his eyes. "I'll see you Monday, then."

"Yes. Monday."

I walked away before he could say anything else, before I could change my mind and fall back into his arms. The taxi line was mercifully short, and within minutes I was sliding into the back seat of a yellow cab.

"Where to?" the driver asked, glancing at me in the rearview mirror.

I gave him my address, then slumped back against the seat, emotionally drained. The city rushed past the windows, familiar and comforting after the surreal beauty of Miami. But nothing felt normal anymore. Nothing felt safe.

I caught the driver looking at me strangely in the mirror.

Heat flooded my cheeks. Did I look that obvious? Could he tell what I'd been doing?

He kept glancing at me periodically during the drive, his expression somewhere between curiosity and amusement. By the time we reached my building, I was paranoid that everyone could somehow see my guilt written across my face.

I paid the fare quickly and hurried toward the building entrance, my heart already pounding at the thought of facing Jesse.

How was I going to explain the weekend? How was I going to look him in the eye and pretend nothing had changed?

The apartment was dark when I let myself in, but I could see light coming from under our bedroom door. Jesse was still awake, probably working on his laptop or reading mission briefings. The thought made my stomach churn.

"Mira?" His voice called out before I'd even set down my bag. "Is that you?"

"Yeah, it's me." I tried to keep my voice light, casual. "I'm home."

He appeared in the bedroom doorway, fully dressed despite the late hour. His blue eyes were sharp, alert, studying my face with the intensity I'd come to associate with his professional mode.

"How was Miami?" he asked.

"Miami?" I blinked, confused. "How did you—"

His voice was carefully neutral. "You didn't mention you were traveling."

Shit.

"I meant to call—"

"But you didn't." He stepped closer, and I could see the hurt beneath his professional facade. "I had to find out from others that my girlfriend was out of town for the weekend."

"I'm sorry. It was last minute, and with the time difference—"

"You couldn't send a text? Couldn't pick up the phone for thirty seconds to let me know where you were?"

The accusation in his voice made me defensive. "It was work, Jesse. Adrian needed me there for meetings."

"Adrian needed you." He repeated the words slowly, like he was tasting something bitter. "And naturally, you dropped everything and went."

"It's my job—"

"Is it?" He moved closer, his eyes never leaving my face. "Because from where I'm standing, it looks like you're getting pretty comfortable in that job."

I opened my mouth to argue, then closed it. Because he was right, wasn't he? I had gotten comfortable. More than comfortable. I'd forgotten why I was there, forgotten what Adrian really was.

"I'm tired," I said instead. "Can we talk about this tomorrow?"

"Sure." But he didn't move aside to let me pass. "How were the meetings?"

"Fine. Productive."

"And Adrian? How was he?"

The way he asked the question made my skin prickle with warning. "Professional. As always."

"Really? Because you seem... different."

"Different how?"

"I don't know. Relaxed, maybe. Like you had a good time."

I forced a laugh. "It was work, Jesse. Not a vacation."

"Right. Work." He studied my face for another long moment, then stepped aside. "Well, I'm glad it went well."

I moved toward the bedroom, desperate to get out of this conversation, to have a moment alone to process everything that had happened. But his voice stopped me at the doorway.

"Mira?"

"Yeah?"

"Your dress is inside out."

The words hit me like a physical blow. I looked down at myself, and sure enough, the seams were visible, the tag sticking out at my neckline. In my haste to get dressed on the plane, in the overwhelming emotion of leaving Adrian, I'd put it on wrong.

"Shit!" I cursed under my breath, my face burning with embarrassment and panic.

That's why the taxi driver had been staring. It was written all over me; the obvious signs of someone who'd gotten dressed quickly, carelessly, after...

Jesse's expression had gone completely still, his blue eyes flat and dangerous. "Want to try that story again?"