Thanks for all the great feedback! It's wonderful to have the support since this story is somewhat of a departure from the romance themed fics I've posted up 'til now.
Bella's eyes popped open and she was instantly alert. Her clock read 4:13. She felt like she had been transported back to training where she used to automatically wake up minutes before the scheduled time. Somehow her body was primed to spring from her bunk while her fellow trainees were still stumbling and grumbling for more sleep.
She disabled the alarm and swung her legs over the side of her bed. Agent Masen's profile was outlined against the gray-blue rectangle of the window. His hands were on his hips and he was staring out between the blinds, at what she didn't know.
Trusting the darkness to hide her, Bella quickly changed into shorts, a sports bra and a tank top. She turned on the lamp beside her bed, casting a warm glow throughout the small apartment. Her partner turned around. He was already dressed in a t-shirt and shorts with running shoes on his feet. Bella greeted him with a soft 'good morning' which he returned, then she hurriedly used the bathroom, brushed her teeth and pulled on her own shoes and socks. At 4:28 they were jogging down the steps to the sidewalk.
"Do you run much?"
"Um, not really. A bit. When I have to."
"What's your mile pace?"
"A little over 8 minutes," she replied then confessed, "Well, more like 8:30."
"8:30. Okay, three miles, let's go."
He set off at once and Bella scrambled to catch up before falling into step beside him. Her muscles were slow to warm up but after a couple blocks her breathing and stride settled into a familiar rhythm. She had to push herself a bit, but it was a manageable pace. Their feet pounded out a steady beat and she sang songs in her head to keep her mind off the discomfort of running.
SAC Mahardy's assessment of her athleticism was pretty accurate. She was not a jock, but she wasn't a complete embarrassment either. Agent Masen made the perfect running partner. He kept a steady pace, almost as consistent as a metronome, and never attempted to start a conversation. He just called out directions several paces before each turn. She was a bit winded and her muscles were fatigued when they completed the loop back to her apartment, but she felt pretty good.
"Nice run."
"Yeah, it was. Thanks. I haven't taken that route before. How far did we go?"
"Three miles."
"Wait. . . how. . . did you measure it?"
His reply was a mocking grin.
"Fine, I'll take your word for it."
"You're learning. You could go faster."
"Probably. If I had to."
"Excellent. Tomorrow, 8:20." Bella paused in her stretching and stared open-mouthed as he turned away and took the stairs two at a time.
"Huh," she said to herself. There wasn't much else to say.
She finished her stretches and climbed the stairs to her apartment expecting to find him waiting impatiently for her to unlock the door. The hallway was empty. She let herself in and saw Agent Masen standing at her stove stirring a pot of oatmeal. She rolled her eyes. Either he had made himself a duplicate key or he picked the lock. It made little difference. He was the ranking agent, so he was calling the shots. It was her job to follow along.
As simple as that was in theory, she was very annoyed when she stepped out of the bathroom 30 minutes later. She had taken the time to shower and shave, then dressed in clean, comfortable clothes. A quick glance around the room told her she was completely alone.
The apartment was empty. The couch was straightened, the blankets folded and stacked on one side. A clean bowl and spoon were sitting in the drying rack beside the sink, and there was a covered pot on the stove. Everything else was exactly as she had left it 24 hours ago. He was gone, he had taken his bag, and there was no note in sight.
Bella pursed her lips and helped herself to a glass of milk and the rest of the oatmeal. Then she paced the apartment and tried to imagine what she was supposed to do. At 6 o'clock she received a text.
Be outside at 9. Dress sexy.
Sexy? At 9 AM? What did that even mean?
Bella gritted her teeth to keep her temper under control and got to work tidying the apartment. She washed the dishes, swept the floor, sorted her laundry and cleared away the piles of junk mail and magazines that had accumulated on the table. Then she moved things around a bit so the area near the couch and TV was free of clutter.
At 8:30 she started getting changed. She didn't own many clothes you could call sexy, but she did have a comfortable pair of jeans that she thought flattered her, and her blue blouse was a little lower cut than her other shirts. She left her hair down, put on a bit of makeup and transferred her wallet and phone to her nicest purse.
She was outside and walking toward her car when a new black sedan pulled up. She did a double take when she recognized the driver.
"I thought you didn't own a car," she muttered as she climbed into the passenger seat of the shiny Lexus.
"I thought I told you to dress sexy."
"This is sexy!" she retorted a bit hotly.
His raised eyebrow was the only response she got. She folded her arms across her chest feeling a bit annoyed and very much in the dark. She was fast realizing that nothing was straightforward or simple with Agent Masen. She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, taking in the subtle changes in his appearance.
His hair was carelessly tousled and shiny with product. He hadn't shaved, but he had trimmed and groomed his facial hair down to rough stubble. He was dressed in dark wash jeans and a button down shirt, open at the collar and rolled to the elbows. He looked good. Really good. He looked like he belonged in this car cruising through the nicer parts of town. He was even wearing a big, expensive looking, square-faced watch.
He met her perusal with a crooked smirk. "Sexy."
"Right," she laughed, finally catching up. "Our look for the day. So where did you get this car?"
"It's not stolen."
"But it's not yours."
He shrugged.
"Right," she said again. "So, do I get to hear what we're doing today?"
"Research."
"Okay…?"
"And window shopping."
"Are we pricing out our supplies and equipment?"
"Among other things."
When they pulled into the mall parking lot and he twined his fingers through hers she followed his lead, slipping into the younger girlfriend role he had created for her. She only balked when she realized he was pulling her into a lingerie shop. Always in character, he laughed a little and pulled her into a full-body hug. With her face buried in his chest, she trembled. The blood was whooshing in her ears. Playing a sex slave was all well and good in theory, but she was now realizing what that was going to entail. Lingerie. Nudity. Touching. Possibly much, much more.
"Shhh, baby. It's okay. I don't have to go in with you. I mean, I think you're hot no matter what. I know we thought this would be a fun idea, but I can wait outside if you want." He crooned into her ear, soft enough to sound intimate, but loud enough that the sales assistant overheard.
Bella stepped back a few inches and looked up into his face. His expression was one of sweetness and patience. But his eyes. . . his eyes challenged her. She straightened a little and gave a small nod.
"It's okay. It was my idea, I just got a little embarrassed, I guess," she mumbled with her cheeks burning.
"Oh, you guys are so cute. Don't be shy, honey. Come on over. Let me get your measurements and then the two of you can just walk around. Take your time. See what catches your eye."
Pressing her hands against her cheeks to cool her blush, Bella stepped back from Masen's embrace. He put his hands in his pockets and shrugged as if to say, 'I'm not really comfortable either, but I'll follow your lead.' She took a deep breath to calm her nerves and said hello to the other woman.
"Oh, well aren't you the cutest thing!" she gushed, grabbing both of Bella's hands and leading her back to the curtained fitting area. Bella shot a panicked look over her shoulder, but her partner just grinned and winked. He never slipped out of character, even for a second, but somehow his eyes still carried that shrewd awareness she had noticed the first moment she met him.
An hour later they left the store with Bella's exact measurements and several items on hold at the register. He looped his thumb through her belt loop and pulled her close, walking beside her with his arm around her and his fingers curved around her hip.
"You hungry?" he asked softly, kissing her temple.
"A little. You buying?"
"What kind of a boyfriend would I be if I made you pay?"
"A progressive one."
"Do I look progressive? I'm one step away from neanderthal. Big watch, facial hair, thick-soled shoes. No, I pay for my girl."
"You are the most metrosexual neanderthal I've ever met," she said.
He laughed out loud and heads turned. She saw what they saw. He was tall, handsome, and wrapped around a pretty, young woman. He had money and confidence to spare. Bella realized the genius of his current disguise. Everyone saw them, but nobody would have pegged them for FBI agents prepping for a mission. They were just a normal couple taking some time off work and hitting the mall on a Tuesday morning.
Bella hadn't been on a date since before training. She hadn't had a boyfriend since her junior year of college. It felt good to be paired up, even if it was only an act. Pretty soon she was going to be immersed in a dark, dark world, and her only ally was going to be playing the part of her worst nightmare. It was going to be scary and probably pretty lonely. She threw herself into the role of the day, sucking up the happy glow of their faux relationship. While she knew it was only make believe, but it still felt pretty awesome.
"What else do we need to check out today? Are we shopping for you, too?" They were back in the car after finishing an early lunch at the mall's food court.
"I'm covered. Don't worry about it."
"God, I hate it when you say that."
"Sure you do. Fine, how about this? I have my measurements. They haven't changed in over 15 years. I also have contacts who can outfit me with anything I need from designer suits to Kevlar with less than a day's notice. I'm covered. Don't worry about it."
"You are really full of yourself."
He shrugged.
"If we aren't shopping for you, what are we doing?"
"Research."
"Into. . ."
"We're stepping into the enemy's lair very soon. It would be good to know what we'll be up against."
She couldn't argue with that logic. However, all the knowledge in the world wouldn't drown the fears and doubts churning in her gut.