“I have to.” He smoothed his hand through her hair. “I’ve got too many irons in the fire.”

“I like the way you use your iron and your fire…”

Her voice faded as he glanced over. She was sprawled on the bed, half-asleep, every inch of her beautiful skin exposed. The ring came again, incessant and jangling.

“This had better be good,” he snapped into the phone.

“Sorry to bother you, boss, but I’ve done as you asked, contacted everyone you told me to contact. There just aren’t any weapons out there for purchase. Not the kind we need or the volume.”

“Talk to Romanoff. See what he’s got.”

Jammer ended the call and swore softly under his breath. “What’s wrong?”

He said nothing. He wasn’t going to drag her into his business. She could screw up this deal, a deal he’d staked his career and his life on. The situation was too dangerous and too volatile, and he liked Gina alive. Damned alive, as a matter of fact, especially when she melted all over him like warm chocolate. She had to get away from the shit before it hit the fan, because when it did, it was going to be ugly.

“Okay, be silent and deadly,” she said.

He rose and got dressed, and Gina watched him with her bright blue eyes.

“Your contacts have dried up. You’ve called everyone you know and there are no weapons to be found. You need a big, big shipment, but you’re already behind deadline and you’re getting pressure from the man who wants those weapons. He’s not being all that patient. You’re in a bad bind. You need me.”

In more ways than one. Another reason why he had to shut her out. “Think you’re pretty slick, slick?”

She rose and he got lost in all those moving curves and jiggles. She sat on the edge of the bed totally naked and crossed her legs as if she was at a garden party social.

“The way I see it you need my help, and I’m more than willing to cash in on this deal.” Her tone turned serious. With gunrunners, weapon buys were always serious.

But it reminded him of why she was really here-another twist in an already intricate maze that was his life.

“Yeah, because the deal we put together last time went so well.”

“That wasn’t your fault, Jammer. But you made sure it worked out in our favor.”

“I hated leaving your sister and her right-hand guy holding the bag.”

“You didn’t. My sister is very resourceful.” Callie couldn’t believe how resourceful Allie had been. She was extremely proud of her. Allie had been a tame interior designer when Drew Miller had mistaken her for Callie. Then he had embroiled her twin sister in an undercover mission, where she had posed as “Tina” to complete the deal Gina had made with Jammer in Paris before the hit-and-run had taken her out of commission. Despite the scare with Miyagi, it had turned out well, and Drew and Allie were now completely in love.

“Good, you got your cut.”

“I always get my cut.”

“Then you understand when I say that I have a business to run.”

“Right.” She rose and started to dress. As she pulled up and zipped her skirt, she turned to search for her boots. He was standing there with them in his fist.

She snatched the boots out of his hand and put them on. “It was always about the weapons, as it should be,” she said, turning her back to him. “Miyagi was my own personal problem.”

She marched to the door. “Look, I’m not one to push my services on anyone. If you don’t want to talk shop, I’m outta here.”

He grabbed her wrist and pulled her around. His gaze locked on hers, so intent, so focused.

“Gina,” he whispered, bringing his forehead near hers, his face inches away. “Surely you’ve got to know. I did it all for you. He was a man without a soul and an abuser and an enslaver of women. He tried to kill you, and for that he had to die. He got what he deserved.”

She was speechless and touched by this man who’d orchestrated the death of a monster who would have stopped at nothing to see her dead. It cut into her defenses-the defenses she needed to keep him at arm’s length. Standing this close, looking into his eyes, she saw no sign of deception, no wavering. He was either being completely honest and open to her at this moment or he was a really good actor.

“That’s hitting below the belt, Jammer.” Her voice was wobbling, but he’d have had that effect on her even if she wasn’t hanging by a thread.

“No, it’s not. Do you have any idea how hard it was to walk away from you in the hospital when you were injured?”

“But you did.”

“Yes, I did, because it was better for me and for you. I’ve got something to do and it encompasses everything that I am. I’m walking a fine line and it’s a fucking dangerous one. I don’t want you on it. I cannot afford distractions and complications.”

“So you’re saying I’m both.”

“You are a big pain in the ass, Gina, and you know it.”

She laughed out loud because she did know it. She was too much of a smart aleck for her own good.

She wished she could be the one to walk away from him, but Watchdog had given her a mission and she was going to follow through on it. She was confident that Jammer wouldn’t find the weapons he was so desperate for without her.

“Okay, fine. It’s been a slice. I’ll see you around.” She looked at him, so steady, so strong-willed, so profoundly sure of himself. So very sure of her. And if she did her job, that would be his downfall.

She slowly extricated herself from his hand. This time he let her go. And, perversely, her heart fell.

His phone started to ring as she grabbed the doorknob. She got a lot of satisfaction in slamming the door as she left.

But that didn’t last long. Once in her own room, she started to pack. She would have to make it appear as if she was going, but she had no intention of letting this mission fail. The Ghost was as good as caught.

She whipped off her clothes and took a hot shower. She quickly dried herself off, squeezing the water out of her hair before running a comb through it. She slipped on a white silk robe with butterflies fluttering all over it.

Sitting down on the edge of the bed, she thought about how to hedge her bets. There was a time to give up and a time to fight. If she wanted to get to the Ghost, she was going to have to make sure that she was the only one with all the neat, cool toys.

She picked up the phone she used as Gina and dialed. When the voice answered at the other end, Callie said, “This is Gina Callahan. Let me speak to Reggie.”

But before her contact came on the phone, there was a quick, hard knock on her door. She told the guy that she would have to call him back, and then severed the connection.

When she pulled the door open, she did nothing to make it any easier for Jammer.

“Want a drink?” she asked, a smug smile drifting across her face.

With his stormy eyes and tight jaw he looked so dangerous that she swallowed. But her persona never wavered. Stepping away from the door with a nonchalance she didn’t feel, she walked over to the mini-bar, poured herself three fingers of vodka and downed it.

She sensed his presence behind her. He was like an inferno at her back. She felt the gentle stroke of his fingers down the smooth fabric of her silk robe.

“Let’s talk about the ground rules,” she said.

He laughed softly and turned her around. “There are no ground rules, Gina. I make the plans and you follow through. It’ll be fifty-fifty, just like last time. I have the buyer and you have the contacts. When I have what I need, we part company. Deal?”

He’d changed and showered, too, his hair a gorgeous spiked disarray. He smelled delicious and male. The baby-blue sweater and tight blue jeans all looked good on his heavily muscled body.

“Deal,” she said.

“This is easy for you, isn’t it? Just another deal in the many you’ve put together. Don’t you get tired of it?”