You wouldn’t have been hired if you were anything less than exceptional.”
No trace of sarcasm touched his words and they stunned her. He thought more highly of her than she’d first believed. Whenever she made an assumption about him, she was wrong. He hadn’t been happy to hear about his brother; he had been on edge and anxious. He hadn’t believed her proof that Aiden was alive; he’d questioned her extensively. He hadn’t wanted her help in locating Aiden; he’d wanted to work alone.
She’d be smart to remember not to rush to judgment about Connor. He kept his thoughts private and concealed, and might have been trained on intentionally misleading people. “If you know I’m competent, then have a little faith in me and trust that I’m doing the right thing.”
“We both know it’s unlikely I’ll trust you. When it comes to my brother’s safety and well-being, I’d rather not put a stranger in charge.”
Harsh, but honest. Most undercover operatives for Sphere weren’t known for their social graces. Those who were gifted with a silver tongue were often sent on missions that used their ability to con a target to meet their objectives. “Then at least recognize I will be useful in this mission,” Kate said.
His eyes traced down her body again. “Having you along will cause more distractions for me. I’ll need to watch over you.”
Distractions had a heated overtone to it. Was he flirting with her in his own Connor-esque way? Acknowledging the basic human attraction between the two of them? He could have picked up on her crush on him. Despite his borderline rudeness, her interest in him hadn’t diminished. The strange attraction was textbook. Her father had been a firefighter. Kate had adored him. He was strong, smart and successful with an edge of danger. It was the type of man Kate chased, perhaps wanting to have the deep, exciting relationship her parents had. “I can watch over myself.”
“If we’re a team, we should watch out for each other.”
Which was it? They were a team or she was an impediment to him? He was impossible. “You want us to work together.”
“I didn’t say that.”
Regardless of what he said or how he tried to confuse her, she’d act like a team the best she knew how. “I’ll look out for you and me, okay?” It was how she operated on a mission even if she was behind a computer. She could take care of herself. She’d had training from Sphere, including weapons handling, hand-to-hand combat and survival techniques. If she couldn’t handle this mission, she wouldn’t have insisted on coming. She had limitations, but she would rise to the challenge. She always did.
Connor shrugged, though not dismissively. “Working at a desk won’t give you the skills you need out here. I’ll do whatever I can so when I find my brother, he won’t be pissed that I let his girlfriend get hurt.”
“I’m not his girlfriend,” Kate said. Where had Connor gotten that idea?
Connor lifted a brow. “I don’t believe you.”
Kate sighed. His unwillingness to trust her was a problem. She had been forthcoming about the fact that she was withholding information about Aiden. Why couldn’t he accept she was telling the truth about her relationship with Aiden? “I’m getting accustomed to that response from you.”
Connor let the conversation lapse into silence. He liked doing things his way and he didn’t let anyone into his private thoughts. Fine. She could deal with that. She had enough on her mind. Her most pressing concerns were Aiden and ignoring the fact that she was in an airplane thousands of feet from the ground. Sitting on the aisle seat lessened her phobia of heights slightly.
Her e-reader was her diversion. She returned to her book. It didn’t hold her attention despite being the latest release by her favorite author. Kate’s thoughts switched to the captivating man in the seat next to her. Connor and Aiden looked very much alike. Both brothers were tall, broad and dark, though Aiden’s hair was a shade lighter. Connor had shaved his beard and cut his hair shorter, giving him an appearance more like his brother. The similarities ended there. Their personalities were acutely different. Aiden, though businesslike in the field, was warm in person. Ten seconds with him, and he had people eating out of his hand. He had never questioned her or Sphere. He did as he was told and he did it well.
Connor, on the other hand, was icy and distrusting. His distrust had cost them a full day. He had gone out of his way to organize transportation when she had made careful arrangements. He still thought she might be setting him up. Maybe he’d picked up on her nervousness and had assumed she was leading him into a trap, not suffering from guilt.
When the captain of the airplane announced they would be descending, Kate turned off her e-reader and closed her eyes, pressing her head against the seat. In a few minutes, they would be on the ground. A mild headache pulsed at the fringes of her mind and her stomach turned over.
“You look pale. Are you going to be sick?” Connor asked.
“No. I’m fine,” she said, her stomach dropping. She didn’t want to admit to him her fear of heights.
He swore under his breath. “Are you afraid of airplanes? Or heights?”
No point in lying. He’d already noticed her body language. “Just the latter and only when it’s high enough that I know falling will kill me.” A perfectly reasonable fear: falling to her death with nothing to stop her.
“Great. That’s great. Phobias in the field will get us both offed.” Connor was whispering, but the irritation in his voice was clear.
“I’ll be fine in the field.” She’d been authorized to work for Sphere and they had an extensive screening process. They didn’t think her height phobia made her a danger to anyone. Her primary job function was performed from behind a computer, but if her fear had been debilitating, she would have been eliminated as a candidate.
Connor didn’t let up. “You should have told me. Full disclosure. You’re playing a dangerous game.”
She rolled her head to look at him and opened one eye. “First, you asked for no such thing. Second, you haven’t told me any of your fears. Third, I wasn’t about to give you more reasons to want to ditch me.”
“One, fair enough. Two, I don’t fear anything happening to me and, three, I’ve already tried to ditch you. You’re a pit bull when you want something.”
A pit bull? He was comparing her to a dog. She chose to take his words as a compliment. “Thank you. Perseverance is one of my best qualities.”
“Your perseverance will get you killed. You’ve got to know when to back down and back away.”
That got him a full-on stare, eyes wide-open. “I’m not backing down on this. I will find Aiden.”
“We’ll see.”
Dismissive words. Anger gripped her. She would prove him wrong. “Yes, we will. And when I return to the States with him, I won’t invite you to the welcome-home party.”
“Just like a woman to worry about inconsequential things like having an exclusive party for someone.”
Her mouth opened. What a jerk! Her crush on him waned to almost nothing. Despite her frustration, she kept her voice low. “How can you say that to me like that’s all I care about? I sought you out to help your brother, and it wasn’t exactly easy to find you nor have you been particularly pleasant to work with.”
Connor shrugged. “I don’t know what you care about, but I’d wager most of your intentions are self-serving. Just like a typical, shallow woman. Do me a favor. When we’re looking for my brother, try to keep the whining to a minimum. I can’t stand to hear a woman jabber on about her nails and her hair and her clothes, especially when I have something important to do.”
She sputtered. Was asking Connor for his help a mistake? She wanted to help Aiden, but could there be another way? How could this be the amazing, considerate man whom Aiden had spoken of? Aiden had made his brother