“The first time, yes.”
Humiliation burned through him when he realized all the things she would have heard. “Audio or video?”
She bit her bottom lip before replying. “Both.”
How she must have laughed at him. He did a lot of stupid things when he thought he was alone. One in particular made his blood pressure tick up. “Did you like the show? Did you like how I would grip my own dick and call out your name when I came?”
Her face went white as a sheet. “I didn’t watch it. I didn’t know. God, Jesse. I didn’t get the feed. It went to my boss and he’s never mentioned it. He never would. He’s not like that, Jesse. He’s a good man.”
“Sure he is.” Now he had to wonder just how close to this boss of hers she was. “I’m sure he’s a great man.”
She tried to stand, but stumbled, her bound feet a burden. He cursed under his breath and caught her so she didn’t hit the floor.
The minute she was in his arms, his dick tightened again. He couldn’t be around her and not want her. He’d wanted her when she was quiet and shy and he definitely wanted the Phoebe who told Ian he was stupid and told Charlotte off. Both times she’d been defending him. Had she figured him out so easily? Had she discovered that someone standing up for him made him soft? That a woman doing it flipped his switch hard?
She held on to his arms as he sat her on the desk. Her eyes stared up at him. Dark eyes that sometimes lit up when he walked in a room. She was that good at her job. She’d sometimes made him feel like the only man in the world. She’d managed to do it while she held him off sexually, so she was practically a spy goddess.
Maybe two could play at that game. He would love nothing more than to send her back to her mystery lover a little less pure. And if that man happened to be Tennessee Smith, that was all the better. He kind of hoped his office was bugged, too, and that old Ten was sitting somewhere dark with headphones on because Jesse meant to put on a show.
He got to his knees, his hands going to her ankles. He touched the skin there. “Does it hurt?”
“No, but it’s not comfortable. Jesse, I’m not going anywhere. If nothing’s happened yet, then maybe I have more time than I thought. I need to talk to Ian. I need to make him understand that you’re in danger since you don’t seem to get it.”
He was in definite danger, but he was fairly certain no one was planning on blowing him away through his office window. It was made of bulletproof glass. He reached into his pocket and came back with his knife. He carried it with him as often as he carried his SIG. He flipped the blade open and then gently sawed through the tie, releasing her right foot. He let it go and immediately leaned back because he wasn’t an idiot. She’d lied to him before. If she kicked out, he wasn’t leaving his head there to get taken off. And if she did, then he would put her on her ass and she would quickly learn he wasn’t playing things her way anymore.
She sat there, holding out her left foot. “Please? I told you, I’m not going anywhere for now. I will slip away eventually. I have to, but not until I’m certain you understand what kind of danger you’re in.”
He leaned in again and released her other leg. He closed the knife and slipped it back in his pocket before reaching for her ankle. There was a thin red line where the zip tie had chafed. “I got it too tight.”
“It was fine.” Her voice was quiet, her body utterly still as he moved his hand up to her calf.
“How much of it was a lie, Phoebe? If you already planted your bugs, why did you keep coming to my place? How many other team members have bugs? Did you babysit for Li and Avery so you could bug their place?” He ran his hand over her skin, tightening briefly and then moving on. He ran his thumbs along her muscles, up to her knees and then back to her feet.
She moaned a little before she replied. “I didn’t do that. I was only watching you, Jesse.”
Because he was the only one the US government thought might be working with jihadists. He was the only soldier they thought had been turned and twisted. There was even a part of him that understood, but it was buried under her betrayal. He could have handled it coming from anyone but her. There had been a time when he would have willingly opened himself up in an attempt to prove he was still faithful, but that time was past.
He wasn’t a soldier anymore. He was Ian’s man and Big Tag had asked him to find out who Phoebe was working for. He was going to do it.