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

Once I got back to my apartment, I removed the smart card from my camera, inserted it into my computer, and printed out the picture of Mann taking that water jump. The horse really did look as if it was about to sprout wings.


I ran a finger over Mann’s ass, which was raised up off the saddle, almost feeling the firm, muscular contours, then after jotting down the date and occasion on the back of the picture, folded it and absently put it away.


I’d learned a good deal about Mann. Now I’d begin to look into the summer he’d spent in French wine country.


I pulled into the parking lot that served the building that housed the WBIS, startled that I’d already arrived and still with no clue as to what had given me away.


And then it occurred to me: nothing. Mann was fishing. He’d taken a lucky guess. All I needed to do was deny, deny, deny.


Grinning, I got out of the car and went to work.


Chapter 47