“I didn’t know what those agents wanted when they came to see me last week,” Mia said as she took the mug of coffee Paige offered. “I thought it was about the spy stuff.”

“What spy stuff?”

Mia rolled her eyes. “They keep asking me to be a spy. Is that crazy or what? I mean look at me. Do I blend in?”

“Why you?” Paige asked. “Do you know?”

Mia shrugged. “I do languages. Give me a good instructor and a few weeks and I can function using that language. Give me three months and I can talk like a native. It’s my brain. I’m really smart about other stuff, too, but languages are my thang. I try to pick up a couple every year, you know, just for fun.”

As Paige had struggled with high school Spanish and barely passed, she didn’t know what to say. “Good for you. Did you accept any of the offers?”

Mia wrinkled her nose. “No. I just graduated from Georgetown, and I’m starting with the State Department in September. This is my last summer of freedom, and I was going to spend it traveling with Ian. Are you guys going to kill him?”

Paige laughed. “No. We want to find out more about him, though.”

“Because of Darcy.” Mia’s eyes got wide. “Why is she here?”

“There was a kidnapping attempt on Lauren. They took Darcy by mistake.”

“Whoa-that’s scary. I wonder how you guys picked this place to hide her. But it’s good. I mean, the Grands will love her to death. I know they always make me feel better when I’ve had a bad day or something.”

Alex walked into the kitchen. “We’re nearly done,” he told Paige, then he turned to Mia. “Your friend will be free to go in about an hour.”

“So he’s not dangerous?” Mia asked. “I could have told you that. Ian’s fun, but not the least bit deep, and isn’t depth of character required for true commitment to a cause?”

Alex stared at her without speaking. Paige was careful to hide her amusement.

Mia rose and walked over to Alex. “You obviously work out. Talk about muscles. So who are you?”

“Special Agent Alex Vanmeter. I’m in charge of this operation.”

“Ooh, our fearless leader.” She glanced at Paige and grinned. “I just love military types. And guys into security. There’s that whole ‘take a bullet’ mentality. The ultimate sacrifice. Of course it doesn’t measure up against Kyle Reese in Terminator. He traveled across time, but death is a close second.”

Alex sighed heavily. “Ms. Marcelli,” he began.

Mia moved in close and rubbed her palm against his upper arm. “Mia. Call me Mia. And I’ll call you Alex.” She stared into his eyes. “Ian’s just a summer fling. It’s not serious at all. I mean, he’s fun, but I can’t imagine living with him for the next sixty years. He talks too much, and I’d be forced to kill him. Then I’d need to be punished. Would you want to be the one to punish me, Special Agent in Charge Vanmeter?”

Paige had a feeling that if Alex had been drinking, he would have spit. Color darkened his cheeks as he jerked free of her touch and stepped back.

“Perhaps you would like to return to the house until we’re finished questioning your friend,” he said firmly.

Mia sighed. “All right. But if you change your mind, let me know.”

She waggled her fingers at Paige and sauntered out of the guesthouse.

Paige began to chuckle as soon as Mia left.

Alex glared at her. “You think that’s funny?”

“That you have a groupie? Absolutely. She’s just playing with you, Alex. She doesn’t mean it.”

He grabbed a bottle of iced tea from the refrigerator. “If she gets in the way of my job, I want you to talk to her.”

“Oh, no. If you have a problem with Mia, you take it up with her. She’s not a threat, and if you can’t handle a little flirting from a twenty-one-year-old grad student, then you’re not the man I thought you were.”

Alex’s glare deepened. “You like her.”

“Of course. She’s fabulous.”

“Then she’s your problem.”

“Sorry, no. I’m busy with Darcy.” She moved close and batted her eyes. “But I’m sure a big, bad agent like you can handle little Mia.”

Alex set the bottle on the counter and grabbed her upper arms. There was nothing challenging about his hold, or threatening. But the second he touched her, everything changed.

For a moment, time shifted and Paige found herself slipping back to her weeks in training. When Alex had been so much more than a fellow recruit. The heat of his hand burned through to memories she’d thought she had forgotten. The scent of his body reminded her of being naked and in bed and never ever having enough of him.

Wanting slammed into her like a shot from a.45. Need joined it, making her hungry and weak and suddenly afraid.

Then time righted itself and she was back in the kitchen, a very different person than she’d been before.

“This isn’t a game, Paige. This is deadly serious.”

She nodded, not sure if he meant the situation with Darcy, the trouble with Mia, or what was happening between him and her.

He dropped his hand, grabbed his iced tea, and walked away. She was left alone in the kitchen, shaken, aroused, and confused as hell.

Darcy sat in front of the window, doing her best to draw the vineyard. The problem was her view was limited by a couple of large trees. As much as she would like to walk outside and find the perfect spot for an afternoon of drawing, she wasn’t sure she was willing to put up with the security entourage that would accompany her. Their silent but very real presence wouldn’t do much for her creativity.

Before she could decide if the pain was worth the price, someone knocked on the door. Before she could say anything, it burst open and Mia bounced into the room.

“I can’t believe you’re here,” the younger Marcelli said as she jumped onto the bed and stretched out. “It’s very exciting. I’m the youngest. You knew that, right? Mom made one last attempt to have a son, and I came along. They’ve hidden their disappointment pretty well. And now they adore me, so they’re stuck, right? Plus they have Joe. So, you’re here. Wow. How are you adjusting? Was it too horrible being kidnapped? I’ll bet you were brave. You look like the brave type. I would have screamed and begged and really embarrassed myself, I just know it. Do you like having Secret Service agents all around? I met Alex. He’s hunky.” She glanced around, as if checking that they were alone, then lowered her voice. “Do you, like, get to have sex with the agents? Is that too personal? Should I wait a couple of days before asking that?”

Darcy put down her pencil and stared at her visitor. “Honest to God, I have no idea what to say to you.”

Mia tucked her hands behind her head and beamed. “I know. I often have that effect on people, but they love me anyway.”

“I can only imagine.”

Mia sat up. “They searched the car. I turned into the driveway, and these men appeared from nowhere. They had guns and ordered me to stop. I had to show them ID, then they searched the car. I think they were looking for a bomb or something. Then they said we could drive up to the house but not to get out of the Jeep until we were instructed to. It’s like being in a spy movie. And the worst part is I can’t tell anyone. That seriously sucks.”

Darcy felt as if she could barely catch her breath. She’d thought that Brenna was high energy, but Brenna had nothing on Mia.

“I guess I can talk about it with Ian,” Mia continued. “Of course I can’t talk to him about Alex.” She grinned. “You didn’t answer my question about sex with the agents, did you?”

“No. And that’s my answer. No. Haven’t, wouldn’t, don’t want to.”

“But he’s very hunky.”

“Maybe. I can’t imagine him naked, though. He’s too uptight.”

Mia sighed and flopped back on the bed. “Oh, I can clearly see him naked, and it’s a very nice picture, let me tell you. Yum.” She raised her head. “You know I’m just playing, right? I say a lot of stuff to make people nervous, but I don’t really mean it. Ian and I are together-at least for now. I wouldn’t cheat on him or anything.”

“I’m sure Alex will be relieved to hear that.”

Mia grinned. “You’re not going to tell him are you?”

“Nope. Let him suffer.”

“Good. So what do you think of us?”

“I like the family,” Darcy said and meant it. “Everyone has made me feel really welcome.”

“We’re like that. The Grands are so cool, and my folks are, too. Are Grammy M and Grandma Tessa still not talking?”

“They don’t seem to get along.”

“I hate that.” Mia scooted around so her head was at the foot of the bed, then she flopped over onto her stomach. “I wish they’d make up. But they’re both so stubborn. Maybe having Joe here will help. They adore him. We all do. Not that he’s so crazy about us.”

The bright light in her eyes faded. “Have you heard how he came to be here?”

“I know that he was given up for adoption and then found years later.”

“Yeah. It’s totally horrible that my mom had to do that. Now Joe’s here, but he’s not a part of us, you know. He won’t let anyone get close. I make him crazy, which is fun, but it’s not the same as being, you know, emotionally intimate. Brenna’s the one he gets along with the best, but he holds back from everyone. He doesn’t have a girlfriend.”

She paused expectantly.

Darcy did her best to look innocent. “Oh. Should I be taking notes?”

Mia giggled. “No, but are you interested?”

“I barely know the man.”

“What does that matter?”

“Amazingly enough, it matters to me.”

“Oh, well. Maybe next time. You should think about it, though. I’ll bet he’s great in bed.” Mia wrinkled her nose. “You know, I don’t think I can talk about Joe’s sex life. As intriguing as it would be, he’s my brother, and there’s a serious ick factor.”

“I’m sure your family will be delighted to know you have limits.”