Now

She spent the twelve story ride up thinking about Alec's confusing behavior. Sometimes, when he looked at her, there was something in his eyes, something she couldn't place, and other times, it was like he couldn't stand her presence. Maybe she just wasn't his speed and he was at odds with Max the person versus Max the successful agent.

The doors opened to floor fourteen and she made her way to room 1423, the room in which she'd find the hard drive. It was an easy lock pick, and once she figured out the combination to the safe, she nabbed the drive and put everything back in original order before stowing the drive at their rendezvous point – their hotel room on the tenth floor, room 1016. She just had to find Alec now. The fact that he wasn't already there worried her.

She found her way back to the main floor and spotted him from a distance, speaking animatedly with several people, some of them players and some of them adoring women. His easy smile with them made her heart beat faster in her chest.

Geez, Max, get a grip. Once this mission is over, I'll find Pete and scratch this thing.

Just then, Alec spotted her in the crowd, his mouth still moving as he finished his sentence. For that brief moment, she thought she saw that flash of something, but then his tongue folded back into his mouth, and his lips formed a small frown and he looked away, just as he had before in the SUV.

Okay, she thought. Dick, but fine. She could deal with his apparent disdain for her.

She moved through the throngs of dancers, face hot with anger. At minimum, she had completed the mission objective. She only wanted to let him know she'd completed what he'd asked, and if he never wanted to see her again, he could just be a memory of her time away from this Cale mission. Except shit, she had to work with him on this Cale mission. He was an accelerator, whatever the hell that meant.

Finally, within range of his transgenic hearing, Max said in a whisper, "We have the drive."

"Save me," he whispered back, covering his mouth as if coughing politely.

Her brows creased a split second and she came up next to him.

"Hey," he greeted, as if surprised to see her. He bent slightly sideways to kiss her neck just below her ear, a kiss that sent shivers throughout her whole body. "They're all chomping at the bit – dance with me. Save me."

He pulled back from her and smiled politely at four women, equally seeming to undress him with their eyes.

"Come on, babe," she said, wrapping her hand around his bicep and pulling him toward the sunken marble floor. Goddamn, this crush. Maybe he would consider just hooking up and then maybe the Director would assign me a new handler.

He pulled her close to him and they began dancing, swaying back and forth, side to side. He held her hand to his chest, above his heart, while his other hand circled around to her back, and hers rested on his shoulder.

"Thank you for getting the drive. I couldn't make it back to the rendezvous – I got stuck here while Colleen tried to feel me up in front of Eilers." He twirled her out, her gray dress shimmering with the soft, low lights.

"No problem. Did you…" she wasn't sure how to ask, but she swallowed her embarrassment and pushed the question out. "Was Colleen one of your missions?"

If the question caught him off guard, she wouldn't have known. He just smiled that lopsided smirk and pulled her hand to his mouth for a soft knuckle kiss. "No. But she has been trying to seduce me basically every chance she's had. She didn't marry the Congressman for his dick."

Max actually laughed out loud. She liked this more brazen, candid, honest Alec; liked him way more than the guarded 'handler' Alec he'd been most of the night. "You mean those aren't her actual tits? I'm shocked," she deadpanned.

Shrugging off the validity of Colleen's breasts, Alec said, "Manticore doesn't think she knows anything – either the Congressman's too careful, or she's got an IQ to match her bra size." Alec swirled them both around the floor, his body pressed against hers. "And anyway, I'm not available." He pierced her with his gaze, the shine of mischief gleaming.

"What do you mean?" Her brows knit together, confused.

"Go with it," Alec said, letting go of the hand that was over his heart. He dipped her suddenly, sliding his warm hand up her exposed chest and around to her ear. He pulled her earring off and set Max on her feet, but stayed kneeling on one knee.

Max's eyes opened with surprise.

"Eva Maria Diaz," he started loudly, holding the earring with the diamond up, clasp side hidden in his closed palm. Many of the other dancing couples stopped mid-stride, creating a circle around them. "Will you make me the happiest man on this Earth and marry me?"

Max looked into his eyes, the sincerity behind them shining through. Was he just really good at faking it? Regardless, she had to do something to get them off this dance floor and back into their hotel room. If she said yes, though, she'd be tied to this cover ID with him for the rest of its time. If she said no, she'd have to come to terms with the idea that her career with Manticore may end here, on this night; never an opportunity to promote. A recommendation from Alec would certainly go a long way.

Or maybe, just maybe, this was his way of creating a possibility to have that one night hook-up with her.

Max thought about it for only two more seconds, because either way, she was game for this. She broke into a huge smile. "Yes! Oh my god, Eddie, yes!"