Love & Deception (Agents in Love - Book 1) Read online

  Love & Deception

  Agents in Love – Book 1

  Chantel Rhondeau

  Smashwords Edition

  Copyright 2013 Chantel Rhondeau

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  Cover Design: EDH Graphics

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  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

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  This book is a work of fiction. The characters, names, events, and places in this novel are used fictitiously or are products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to real people, living or dead, or to places, businesses, or events, is entirely coincidental.

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  DEDICATION:

  To my beautiful daughter and best friend, Samantha. You give me inspiration every day. I love you more than words and am so proud of the woman you’ve become.

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  First and foremost, as always, I would like to thank my family for putting up with the countless hours I spend in front of the computer and in my own little world. Their support means a lot.

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  A special thanks to my family also for taking me out of my comfort zone and teaching me to fire a gun (which I loved, by the way). Not only has it helped make my scenes more realistic, I faced a lifelong fear of mine about firearms. Also thanks to my son for teaching me the self-defense techniques contained in this novel.

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  Last, but certainly not least, I’d like to thank my critique partners, beta readers, and proof readers, who always help make my projects shiny: Author Michele Shriver, Author Rachelle Ayala, Author Monterey Sirak, Author Travis Casey, Author Melinda Dozier, Sara, Conra, Michelle, Nickie, Elaine, Kimberly, and Judester. I couldn’t do this without your help.

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  My cover was designed by the talented EDH Designs.

  Chapter One

  Carlie Hollis gulped in a lungful of air, keeping a wary eye on her attacker. He made a feint at her left side, but she was ready for him, deftly blocking the right side when his fist punched near her face. He launched a roundhouse kick, tagging her ribs with stinging pain. Faster than she thought possible, his foot angled high toward her head. Carlie dodged, but not fast enough. The hard bone of his heel slammed into her cheek.

  Stars exploded in her vision and she rocked back, holding up her hands in surrender. Carlie’s face throbbed in time with her heartbeat and tears filled her vision. “Take it easy. What are you trying to do? Take me down for real?”

  Stephen swept dark blond hair from his forehead and frowned. “You think a real attacker would take it easy?”

  “Probably not, but I would’ve kicked a real attacker between his legs and took off running.”

  Her sparring partner laughed, flashing perfectly straight teeth. “A brown belt in karate, and you’d resort to dirty fighting?”

  She nodded. “Darn straight. I’d do whatever I had to.”

  Carlie looked around the dojo at the other sparring opponents. Most people in the class wanted exercise or a place to socialize three evenings a week. She wondered if any of them were here for the reason she was.

  Because one day, my life might depend on it.

  “Look,” Stephen said, “you’re the one who asked me to help you get ready to test for a black belt. Now you want me to take it easy?”

  Carlie shook her head. “No. You’re right. I need your help.”

  It irked her to admit that. Stephen wasn’t the kind of guy who gave something for nothing. She had to watch herself with him. He alternated between charming and sleazy, and she never knew which to expect. Sensei Hideaki told Carlie several weeks earlier she wouldn’t be ready to try for her black belt next month. He wanted her to wait until the following testing period, but Stephen promised to teach her everything she needed to know.

  “That’s right.” He winked, turning up the sleaze factor. “Just remember how much you need me, love.”

  Carlie knew what came next when he called her ‘love.’ It was always about sex with him. She spoke before he could make yet another innuendo about sleeping with her. “That new guy is a fifth-degree black belt.” She tried to affect indifference in her voice as she nodded toward the man who joined their class a month earlier. “Isn’t that two levels higher than you? If my training is too much for you, I could ask him to help.”

  Stephen’s mouth opened, but closed again before he said anything. He took a step nearer and placed his lips against her ear. “Nick Kendall is a poser, love,” he said softly. “Who knows if he even has real skill? He might be lying about where he earned those stripes for his belt. I mean, look how easy he’s going on Shelley. He’s not even actually hitting her.”

  She watched as the handsome newcomer sparred with Shelley. Although Carlie had yet to work up enough courage to talk to Nick, her friend had no such problem approaching members of the opposite sex. While Carlie watched, Shelley laughed at something Nick said when she missed a block against his attack. Easy for Shelley to laugh, since Nick pulled the power from his kick, gently tapping her leg instead of hitting her full force.

  Why the heck doesn’t Stephen do that when I miss a block? Maybe he’s punishing me for the way our date ended Saturday.

  “See?” Stephen scoffed and ran his hand along Carlie’s shoulder and midway down her back. “They aren’t even sparring, they’re flirting. You don’t need a man like that around.”

  Carlie stepped away, taking herself out of reach of Stephen’s hands before they roved any farther. Deciding not to point out that he constantly flirted with her, she returned to a fighting stance. “Shall we continue then? I’m not going to learn anything by gossiping about Nick and Shelley.”

  “Why don’t you come at me?” A small smirk played around his lips. “If you take your opponent to the ground and keep your feet, you’ll have a better chance of smashing his balls and running away.”

  With a powerful enough kick, she’d take a man to his knees without having to get close enough to flip him. Still, Stephen had a good point. An opponent on the ground was always at a disadvantage.

  She feigned a punch to the left, but knew Stephen would read that easily so made a second feint to the other side. She then punched his left kidney, finding the mark when he put all his effort into blocking the right side. She pulled her power so it only hit him about fifty percent, but Stephen sucked in a loud breath, letting her know she scored a good hit.

  Grappling his arm in her hands, Carlie spun her hip to his side, preparing to toss him over her head. Stephen turned it on her, managing to twist from her grasp and get his arms around her, gripping her head and forcing her to the ground when he pushed against her neck with enough power to cause pain.

  He stepped back once her knee hit the mat, shaking his head. “Not good, love. Someone without any training could have defended against that.”

  Bouncing back to her feet, Carlie gritted her teeth. “If you can’t remember my name,” she glared at him, “don’t call me anything at all.”

  The incessant, condescending way he used love had been the last straw ending their date the weekend before. He’d casually said, ‘Let’s go to your place and get cozy, love,’ and Carlie nearly decked him. She held onto her fraying patience today only because she needed his help, but if he didn’t stop calling her love, she might make good on her threat to attack his crotch—a
nd not the way he hoped.

  Stephen flashed a bright smile, obviously not taking her seriously. The problem with Stephen’s attractive, all-American looks was most girls swooned when he looked at them, tripping over themselves to do whatever he wanted. Carlie had seen it with other women in the karate class. Stephen was extremely handsome, but he knew it, and that was a problem.

  “Don’t pretend to be angry with me.” He winked. “I can tell you want me, love.”

  An involuntary growl erupted in Carlie’s throat. She launched herself at him, spinning in a round kick and striking his thigh full force.

  Her second kick angled for his chin, but Stephen ducked out of the way, catching her foot and twisting it. Using his greater weight, Stephen pushed her off balance and slammed her back into the mat. He drove his foot into her abdomen, forcing the air from her lungs.

  “Tut, tut. Sloppy, love.”

  “Stop calling me that,” she wheezed, ramming her fist in the back of his knee and causing his leg to buckle. Unfortunately, that only resulted in him falling on top of her.

  His blue eyes met hers and he jiggled his eyebrows. “If you wanted me on top, all you had to do was ask.”

  Still gasping for air, Carlie didn’t waste time talking. She struggled to free herself, trying to wiggle from beneath him. It had been a mistake to take him down. With them both on the ground, Stephen had an even greater advantage.

  “Oh, yeah, love. I like the way you move.” Stephen planted his knees on either side of Carlie’s waist and ground his groin against her stomach.

  She immediately stopped moving, worrying she might vomit as bile rose. “Get off, now.”

  “I’m trying.” He laughed, infuriating her more.

  No longer concerned with technique or training, all she wanted was away from the creep. She’d had it. Carlie beat her fists against his chest, not doing any real damage because she couldn’t get any leverage against him. “Move, you filthy jerk. I don’t need this kind of help!”

  Suddenly, Stephen’s weight lifted off her, and Carlie watched in amazement as he hit the mat a short distance away.

  “I believe the lady asked you to get away from her,” a rich baritone voice boomed.

  Carlie looked up. Nick Kendall stood next to her. He crossed his arms over his chest, flexing his biceps in a way that strained the fabric of his karate uniform while he stared Stephen down.

  Stephen might be a creep, but he was a smart creep. No one wanted to mess with a fifth-degree black belt. He jumped to his feet and spread his hands wide. “There’s no trouble between us, man. I was just helping Carlie with her training.”

  Before Carlie could protest, Nick let out a snort. “I saw the kind of help you give,” he said in a low, dangerous-sounding voice. “I also saw she didn’t want it. Now, get away from her before I talk to Sensei Hideaki about the quality of people he allows in his dojo.”

  Stephen puffed out his chest. “Are you threatening me?”

  “Yes.”

  Carlie tried not to laugh at the shock on Stephen’s face or the way he shrank back. He was used to being the golden child of the karate class, having been the highest-ranked trainee before Nick showed up. Threats didn’t come his way often.

  When he recovered from his surprise, he glared at Carlie with contempt before looking at Nick. “If you want the ice queen so bad, you’re welcome to her.” He rolled his eyes. “Lots of women want me. You’re wasting your time with Carlie though, friend. Frigid little prick tease, that’s what she—”

  Nick’s foot rammed into Stephen’s stomach, and he doubled over and fell to the ground. Carlie gasped and looked back at Nick. He appeared completely calm. She hadn’t even been aware he was about to move.

  “I’m sure a certain class of girls like you, friend,” Nick said while Stephen twisted on the ground, writhing in pain, “but some women have taste.” He turned to Carlie and held his hand out to her. “Sorry about that unpleasantness. Let me help you up.”

  Carlie looked into Nick’s deep brown eyes and heat filled her stomach. She never expected to talk to the hunky man, and here he was, helping her. Placing her hand in his large, firm one, she hoped he couldn’t sense how flustered she felt. “Thank you,” she said softly, finding her tongue as he pulled her to her feet.

  He let go of her hand and flashed a smile. “It’s always nice to help a damsel in distress.”

  “Is this where you expect me to say ‘my hero?’” Carlie took a shallow breath, wondering what came over her. She didn’t flirt, and she didn’t tease with strange men she’d just met.

  “I’ve been called worse,” he replied.

  A light dusting of stubble covered his chin and the strong muscles of his neck suggested that beneath the white Gi, he was solid throughout. He was handsome, in a rugged sort of way with black hair and olive skin, but that didn’t really matter. After all, Stephen had been right to call her the ice queen. Carlie didn’t have time to check out a handsome man like Nick Kendall or date any more creeps like Stephen Chance. She needed to get her mind back on training and running her shop. Those were the important things in her life.

  She met Nick’s eyes again, hoping he hadn’t noticed her studying him. “I really do appreciate it. I thought Stephen could help me, but he’s after something for payment I don’t intend to give.”

  He glanced at Stephen, who hadn’t yet regained his feet, likely afraid of drawing attention to himself. “Don’t judge all men by the bad apples.”

  “It’s hard not to when I keep finding worms.”

  “We’ll work on that later,” he said, and Carlie tried to cover her surprise. Why would a man like him even look twice at her?

  “For now,” he continued, “why don’t you spar with me? Sensei Hideaki told me you’re serious about improving your techniques. The men around here don’t want to train with me, and the women are all more interested in what I’m doing Saturday night.” He grinned, inviting her to share in his humor.

  “You talked to Sensei about me?” she asked instead of laughing, focusing on the important part. “Why?”

  “I told him I wanted a serious training partner, and he recommended you.” He nodded to the front of the room where Sensei Hideaki worked with another pair of students. “I need you, if you’ll have me.”

  It was hard not to feel embarrassed. For just a tiny second, Carlie dared hope Nick looked at her as an available woman. Of course he just needed a sparring partner. If he wanted a date, he could chose from any number of gorgeous ladies, including her friend, Shelley.

  “Are you interested?” he prompted when she didn’t respond.

  She thought about how kind and patient Nick had been training Shelley. Add in the fact she wouldn’t go near Stephen again, she needed someone to prepare her for the black belt test. “Sounds great.”

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  Nick waited outside the hallway to the women’s dressing room. He changed clothes as quickly as possible, beating Stephen out to the main part of the training facility. Beating him...hell, he’d like to beat him. To a bloody pulp. The man was slime. Nick didn’t understand how someone so disrespectful of others had been allowed to move so high in the ranks of karate.

  Sensei Hideaki said Stephen was already a third-degree black belt when he started coming here. Apparently his prior master lacked brains.

  Glancing at his watch, Nick realized it had been nearly twenty minutes since class ended. Though many women had passed by him, Carlie had yet to appear. The next person to step out was Shelley who, as far as Nick could tell, was Carlie’s best friend.

  “Hey.” He jerked his chin to the doorway behind her. “Do you know if Carlie’s almost ready back there?”

  Shelley shook her head. “She left a long time ago. Seemed to be in a hurry, since she barely said two words to me.”

  “She’s already gone? Damn.”

  She laughed. “I didn’t think it possible, but you actually have a thing for Carlie, don’t you?”

  Nick looked at the floo
r, wondering if that knowledge upset Shelley. She’d persistently thrown herself at him ever since his first class. When he told Carlie the women here just wanted to know what he had planned for Saturday night, Shelley was who he meant.

  “She’s different.” He met Shelley’s eyes again. “I do need a training partner, and I don’t want Stephen around her anymore. You said they were dating, but she doesn’t seem to like him much.”

  “Saying they were dating might have been a bit misleading.” She batted long eyelashes and sighed. “I can see you aren’t going to ask me out, so I’ll tell you the truth.”

  “I’d prefer the truth.” Nick clenched his jaw tightly. Women like Shelley got under his skin. Even though he never expressed interest in her, she assumed her good looks would charm him into a date. So much so, that she’d lied to him when he expressed an interest in Carlie.

  Shelley laughed, not seeming to notice his irritation. “Well, Carlie wasn’t interested in dating Stephen, but needed a sparring partner and that's the only way he'd agree to train her. She’s desperate to get her black belt as soon as possible.”

  That got his attention. “Desperate? Why?”

  She shrugged and flipped curly, black hair over her shoulder. “How should I know? She’s not one to share much of her past. We are friends, and I love working for her at the sandwich shop, but Carlie is one mysterious lady.”

  Chapter Two

  Carlie eyed the display of cupcakes the next afternoon, wondering if she had enough to last. A glance at the clock verified the day had flown by. It was already less than an hour until closing time. Next weekend, she’d make an extra batch. Although it was still slow during the week, Saturday business was picking up for Carlie’s Creations.

  Shelley approached the counter with a notepad in hand. “Do we have any more bread bowls in the kitchen? I just got an order for three turkey noodle soups.” She nodded to the corner table where a group of men sat. “I warned them they might have to have it in a normal bowl. Busy today.”