To be on the safe side though...
“Let’s get some of the gray streaked into the sides of your hair.”
Kyle scowled. “Is it really necessary?”
“It’s about stacking the deck in our favor.” She waited. “The people after you have you pegged for midthirties. They won’t be looking for a silver fox.”
“That might be the closest you’ve ever come to saying you find me irresistible.” When she only huffed at his statement he sighed and shrugged out of his jacket. “I probably should’ve anticipated this before I got fully dressed.”
“True.” She reached into her duffel and came out with the hair chalk. Easy application and it did wonders to change a person’s look in seconds. Just as easily removed for another quick change later. She tossed it to him.
“It’s a good thing this is one of my older bespoke suits.” Kyle caught the package of hair chalk neatly. “I’ve lost a few pounds over the last few days. Otherwise, the bulletproof vest would mar the fit of my suit noticeably.”
“Fortunately, not a primary concern for tonight.” He’d looked very good as far as she was concerned and she felt better having him wear the vest all the time. Wouldn’t save him from a head shot, but it was protection from most shots taken at him.
“Perception is always a primary concern.” He tossed the argument back over his shoulder as he stepped into the bathroom. “Sometimes you don’t want people to notice you, sometimes you do. There are times to be recognized as the center of attention and others when it’s more advantageous to skirt the sidelines. The point is, you always want to have optimal control over how you are perceived.”
True. A skill some people worked on for years and one she hadn’t gotten the hang of yet. “You have a point there.”
“Controlling perception is fairly challenging. I’ve found the game to be an interesting mental exercise over the years.” His voice projected well even from the bathroom and she made a mental note not to let him talk her into having sex in there.
If they had sex again.
And damn it, the man had her thinking about bedding him when he wasn’t even trying.
“In my line of work, I’m mostly trying to stay out of sight.” As a sniper, she’d been in many situations where both her mission and her own life depended on remaining undetected.
“Perception is still applicable to the situation, arguably.” He came out of the bathroom combing his fingers through the sides of his hair. The gray streaks were heavy, beginning to look more natural as he blended them into his hair. “I guessed you wanted me to apply generously in this case.”
She noted and crossed the distance between them to help him blend just a bit more. The chalk changed the texture of his hair a little too. The strands were a touch more coarse. “Good news is, now you have an idea of how you’ll look in a few decades when you actually go gray.”
He left off finger-combing his hair, surrendering to her ministrations, and placed his hands on her hips instead. “I’m rather curious as to whether you’ll still find me desirable around then.”
She laughed. No answer for him though. She’d never thought ahead more than a few weeks, much less decades. Plus, he was fishing. She wasn’t entirely certain what he was hoping to hear in response but she didn’t want to make an ass out of herself if she was misunderstanding.
Instead she straightened his collar and didn’t quite meet his gaze. “Let’s get through tonight, then survive tomorrow. One day at a time.”
“Lizzy.” His voice had dropped from his playful conversational tone to a deeper, rougher sound. “Too many uncertainties are between now and tomorrow. I want you to know these last few days have had an impact on me.”
Her too. But just saying so would sound flippant, at least to her. Of course, her mind was going into overdrive so she was imagining all sorts of directions this conversation was going.
Give her a target and a rifle. Make life simple. Then she only ever had to have the right timing to hit her mark.
“Whatever happens, I would like to be able to find you again,” Kyle continued. “I would like to continue to explore this thing between us.”
She bit her lip and finally met his gaze. “I’d like that too.”
Kyle’s dark brown eyes were serious. Sincere. “Will I be able to find you?”
She owed him absolute honesty. And she didn’t have a good enough answer for him, not right now. “I don’t know.”
There were decisions outstanding. And to make those, she needed to think ahead more than a few weeks.
After a long moment, Kyle put his hands on her hips and turned her so she was looking into the full-length mirror again. “After tonight, it will be different. You change your hair, your accessories, your appearance at a moment’s notice and it is easier than a children’s game for you. I will not catch up to you if you don’t want me to.”