Quinton Mann is CIA through and through. Mark Vincent is WBIS for life. There is no way they could end up as anything other than adversaries -- and yet, Quinn takes Mark out to dinner on his birthday -- the one no one is supposed to know about -- and gives him one hell of a present in the restaurant's restroom. Mark, not to be outdone, has decided to escalate this game, because it has to be a game, right? There's no way it can be anything else.<br><br>But as the game continues, as Quinn shows up to a WBIS funeral, as a friend of Mark’s penetrates the CIA computer network to get information on Quinn, as Mark breaks into Quinn's house and gives Quinn a very interesting encounter, both Quinn and Mark realize that this is becoming the most real thing in their lives.<br><br>Can they find a way to do their jobs and keep this surprising, intriguing connection?

Houseboat on the Nile

DB wasn’t a field officer, though, and he’d never had to kill in the line of duty. The first time I’d looked into a man’s eyes and pulled the trigger, the two men who’d recruited me, who happened to be my uncles, had afterward given me a choice: they would take me out to get drunk or find me a willing body I could bury myself in. I’d chosen the latter, an action I’d never regretted.


My friend gave me an exasperated look. “I almost made it out, but this popped up.”


“Yeah. I’ve got my system programmed to flag any inquiries that come up on you.” When he had that note in his voice, the hairs on the back of my neck started warning me of trouble.


“There haven’t been many; your cover is good, and it’s mostly just the usual stuff from State, but….” He ran a hand through his hair, leaving it disheveled. It was a nervous habit I’d long since come to overlook, only this time instinct told me not to.


Chapter 34