Love Undercover_A Romance Compilation Read online

  Table of Contents

  Love Undercover

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Epilogue

  Because I Love You

  Truth or Dare

  The Baby Contract

  Nanny with Benefits (Sneak Peek)

  Copyright © 2018 Amy Brent – All Rights Reserved

  Love Undercover

  A Romance Compilation

  Click here to join Amy’s Newsletter and get a steamy forbidden romance in your inbox for free.

  I wasn’t supposed to fall in love with my next case.

  I was supposed to bring him down.

  Looks like I might do both.

  Dear Readers,

  As a thank you for choosing to read ‘Love Undercover,’ I have included three more full length novels in this book. These novels are available FREE in your copy of ‘Love Undercover’ for a limited time only.

  This book also contains a sneak peek to my latest book – ‘Nanny with Benefits.’

  So, go on, spoil yourself crazy.

  xoxo,

  Amy

  Prologue

  Sgt. Williams was holding his ballpoint pen at an awkward angle, like there was something he wanted to say but wasn’t quite sure how to phrase it.

  “Just be sure that when revealing the truth to Mr. Black, you are—careful,” he said. “I know how”—he cleared his throat—“intimate you two were.”

  I gulped.

  “Yes, sir,” I said before darting out.

  Outside his office, I stood stock-still for a minute. My gaze dully scanned the rows of cubicles of hardworking officers as the enormity of the situation crashed over me.

  Eric and I had spoken nearly every day for the past two weeks and spent time together every other day. Would he ever forgive me?

  The same new grunt as before—Helena, I think her name was—walked by me on her way to the coffee machine, staring.

  That sent me back to my office to collect my things. There was no point in obsessing over the whole Eric issue yet. Maybe he would take it better than I feared.

  Inside my office, the big standard clock indicated it was 11:15. If I was quick, maybe I could meet Eric for lunch and break it to him then. Anything to get this horrible weight off my chest.

  When I called him, he sounded surprised but happy.

  “You couldn’t even get through half the day without me, huh?” he asked.

  Despite the circumstances, an irresistible smile crept onto my face.

  “Guess not. I was wondering if you wanted to meet for lunch.”

  “I know just the place,” Eric said, “Mama Evita’s. Although, to make it work, you’ll have to be there in less than half an hour. I have a meeting early this afternoon.”

  “I can do that,” I said, immediately. “Although my outfit may not be up to the usual standards.”

  Eric chuckled.

  “I’ll survive. See you.”

  “See you,” I said, hanging up.

  I eyed the clock cheerlessly, ticking away the guilty minutes I had remaining.

  Less than thirty minutes until I had to break the truth to him. Less than thirty minutes until my revelation would change everything.

  Chapter 1

  Kathryn

  “So, I’m going to have to sleep with him.”

  Not exactly the average way you started your workday, but today was anything but average. Today was the day we were going to catch a dirty criminal.

  At my words, Sgt. Williams eyed me warily.

  “Is that so?”

  His office, with its gray, orderly simplicity, always intimidated me, now most of all. I knew my plan was both risky and bold, but there was no way I’d have the guts to describe it to the sergeant while standing in the doorway like a meek intern.

  I marched over and sat down on the black plastic chair in front of his desk.

  “You saw that Craigslist ad for a mistress I forwarded you, right? We’ve been tracking Black for weeks now and have a great big nothing to show for it. But this? This is a way in—the perfect opportunity.”

  The thin lips I always noticed about Sgt. Williams flattened into an even thinner line. Normally, when he smiled, with the way his blue eyes twinkled in his white-bearded face, he reminded me of Santa. Now he looked like anything but a kindly old man.

  “Yes, a perfect opportunity all right—for things to go horribly wrong. We don’t know how dangerous Eric Black is. That ad was…disturbing to say the least. He could hurt you.”

  “I can take care of myself, Sarge,” I said. “If he needs a submissive mistress, that’s exactly what I’ll be. How else are we going to get that close to him? I just don’t see any other way around it.”

  The truth of my words showed in the lines on Sgt. Williams’s face as he frowned, probably trying to come up with an alternative. Finally, he sighed.

  “You know I’m one of the best,” I said. “How many cases have I finished for you now? Let me do this. I can get it done.”

  Sgt. Williams shook his head.

  “It’s unheard of is what it is. Besides, even if you did manage to somehow succeed and get the incriminating evidence we need on Black, what would be the cost?”

  Feeling my cheeks redden, I lowered my eyes. By now, I knew that part of the unspoken dynamic between Sgt. Williams and myself was similar to that of a father and a daughter. Sgt. Williams’s daughter, who he’d been extremely close with, died five years ago in a terrible car accident. He’d never said it, but I could see by the way he looked at me that I reminded him of her.

  So, right now, it was basically as if I were telling my dad I had to go be a submissive mistress to some random criminal billionaire. Uncomfortable to say the least.

  “Did we get any new intel on Eric Black other than the informant?”

  Sgt. Williams shook his head.

  “Nothing other than an anonymous source, who claims he’s been embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars out of his own company, Virus Killer.”

  I managed a chuckle.

  “Who would’ve thought a playboy billionaire would be the creator of a multimillion dollar virus-killing company.”

  Sgt. Williams managed a small smile at that one.

  “It is a good program,” he admitted. “Even I have it.”

  “I have it too,” I said with a smile. “That’s the whole thing about the product—everyone does.”

  Returning my gaze to the uncertain blue eyes of Sgt. Williams, I had to ask the question.

  “So, Sarge, what’s the verdict?”

  He shook his head sadly, in a way I knew meant he was going to give in, albeit unwillingly.

  “The whole
thing just worries me, Kathryn. You’re putting yourself at terrible risk. Just please, promise me you’ll be careful and pull back at the first sign of trouble.”

  “I will,” I said, “and thanks for believing in me. I know the director won’t like this, but you and I both know sometimes we have to overstep our bounds to get what we need in order to nab the bad guy.”

  Sgt. Williams closed his eyes for a minute.

  “Of course,” he said quietly. “Just make sure it doesn’t come at an irretrievable cost.”

  I left his office with his grave words echoing in my head.

  I frowned. I knew Sgt. Williams was just trying to look out for me, but I wasn’t some helpless damsel. I was the hunter here. We’d spent too long and too much of our department’s time, energy, and money trying to nab Eric Black. And nothing ever stuck. This was the shortcut that would fix everything.

  Glancing at my phone, I sighed. Normally, after a big intense talk like that, I took refuge in a Dilly Bar from Dairy Queen. But as it stood, I didn’t even have time to go to the bathroom. My dinner with Eric was in 30 minutes, and traffic in New York City was unforgiving to say the least.

  ***

  Even after I quickly changed into my dress in a Starbucks bathroom on the way, I was early. And yet, he was early as well.

  “Kathryn,” Eric said as I approached the restaurant, “you’re early. What a nice surprise.”

  I laughed.

  “Thought I was the only one who had that annoying habit.”

  Smiling to himself, Eric shook his head.

  “On the contrary,” he said in a low, sonorous voice. “All the most successful people are early.”

  I only smiled in response to that, because, honestly, I was still trying to get my head around this whole thing. I had seen plenty of pictures and heard enough about Eric Black to know that the man was sexy. But hearing and seeing, then experiencing it in person, were majorly different things. In the presence of the tall, well-built man with wide-set, blue-green eyes and tousled dark hair, I had a bit of trouble keeping my cool.

  I told myself to focus. I was here to catch this guy, not fall in love.

  “I wanted to wait out here so I wouldn’t miss you,” Eric said, his fingers pressing on my back slightly as he gestured to the hostess.

  His touch sent a ripple of excitement down my spine.

  “I already made reservations.”

  We were conveyed to our table quickly and seamlessly. As soon as we sat down, I noticed.

  “This restaurant—it’s revolving!”

  Tilting his head at me, Eric boomed out a hearty laugh.

  “I suppose the name didn’t tip you off then?”

  Feeling like an idiot, I couldn’t help but laugh too. Truth be told, I’d been so focused on convincing the sergeant and getting this date set up with Eric Black that I hadn’t really paid attention to any details about where we were to meet other than the address of the restaurant.

  “Guess not,” I said.

  With every passing minute, this date surprised me more and more. I had come here expecting a straight-laced jerk, and so far I’d found—

  “Want to have a drink first and then talk business?” he asked. “Or do you want to get the details out of the way first?”

  “Details first,” I said, trying to smile alluringly at him.

  “That’s my kind of girl,” he said, his gaze dipping to my lips.

  I had to shake away the rush of pride bubbling within me and remind myself I was on the job.

  “Before I lay out anything, I need to know: Are you on the pill or will condoms be necessary?” he asked me.

  “The pill,” I said, and he nodded.

  “About our arrangement,” he continued, “first, some rules. Number one and most important, you will not tell anyone about it. Anyone means, obviously, the press, your friends, even your dog if you have one.” He glanced at me questioningly, and I nodded my head.

  “Good,” he said. “Second, I reserve the right to fire you at any time for any reason. The most likely reason, if I’m going to be honest, would be lack of chemistry.”

  Seeing the confused expression on my face, he clarified. “A lot of women like to claim they’re submissive, but experience has taught me that just isn’t the case. So, Kathryn, tell me”—he leaned in, his sea-green gaze cutting into me like a scalpel—“do you really like to be taken control of, to have your brains fucked out, to be fucked sometimes even against your will?”

  Silence. An excited rush of heat pooled between my legs. My throat parched and dry, I nodded.

  “Good,” he said conversationally, leaning back in his seat. “Then we will get along splendidly. You’ll come to my house, we’ll do what we do, and then I’ll pay you. One thousand dollars each time, and a raise if you’re good.”

  “And how do I be good?” I couldn’t resist asking.

  “You have to do what I want you to,” he said, a cruel smile coming over his face. “But if you’re truly submissive, then that will be what you want to do, too, so it’s a win-win.”

  “A win-win,” I echoed hollowly.

  The sergeant’s words echoed in my head, What would be the cost? Nervously, I adjusted my dress strap. What if Sgt. Williams was right? Sure, I had messed around with some fluffy pink handcuffs one time with an ex-boyfriend, but just how far into this intense submission sex thing was I willing to go?

  “Do we have a deal?”

  I looked up to see Eric Black’s eyes slicing through me once again.

  Hastily, I nodded.

  “We have a deal.”

  “Excellent,” he said. “Oh, and I forgot to mention: When working for me, you can only work for me.” A slight smile played on his lips. “And I don’t mean in a work sense. If you want to waitress part-time, that’s fine with me. I mean your body.”

  His gaze flicked down to my cleavage, and I shifted uneasily. I could almost feel him in there, touching me.

  “Since I’m paying such a lucrative rate, I expect to be given top-of-the-line service. So I don’t want you seeing anyone else. And if you’re wondering, that doesn’t extend to me.” He laughed a little. “I’m just a bit selfish that way, I guess.”

  I resisted the urge to smile sarcastically. Mr. Black sure was something.

  As a waitress approached, Eric reached over and squeezed my hand.

  “I think we’re going to like spending time together, Kathryn,” he said.

  When I smiled back, it was forced. There was a slight buzzing in my head, as if I’d sat at the wrong table with the wrong man, because despite his words, and despite my job, already I found myself incredibly attracted to him.

  Eric and the model-pretty waitress, who unabashedly declared that she knew exactly who he was, bantered a little before he sent her off. Eric’s gaze then rested on me admiringly.

  “This meal was for us to get to know each other, not for me and some waitress to chitchat.”

  I couldn’t keep the gratified smile off my face.

  “I am allowed to suggest topics we talk about, right?” I asked with a sly smile.

  Immediately, Eric shook his head.

  “You’re only to speak if spoken to.”

  There was a shocked pause as all the color drained out of my face.

  Was this guy for real? The sound of laughter brought me back. Eric was leaning back in his seat, laughing his head off.

  “You actually bought it,” he crowed.

  “But after all you said—” I glared at him.

  “But you actually bought it!”

  Despite myself, I had to smile. As weird as the situation was, Eric was, as I had said before, surprising.

  Holding my hand and gazing into my eyes, he said, “You just say whatever your little heart desires, Kathryn—unless I tell you not to.”

  He winked, and then, glancing at the menu, asked, “Seriously, though, what’s your favorite food?”

  “They won’t have it here,” I told him.

&n
bsp; “That’s not what I asked,” he said.

  “Okay,” I said, “but you’re going to laugh.”

  “Half this night I’ve been laughing,” Eric reminded me, and I smirked.

  “My favorite food is—wait for it—gummy bears.”

  “Gummy bears,” Eric repeated, as if speaking a different language.

  “See, I told you it was stupid,” I said. “Now, what’s your favorite food?”

  “Uh-uh,” Eric said, seizing my hand. “You’re not going to get away with that one that easily. You told me gummy bears, but what’s the story behind it? Why gummy bears?”

  “It’s a long story,” I said, avoiding the piercing look in his eyes.

  Already, his unnerving attention was a bit worrisome. How was I going to pull one over on this man who looked at me with the kind of clarity that could cut glass?

  “I’m waiting,” Eric said.

  “Okay,” I said. “It was from when my sister and I were just kids. I was five or six and she was eight I think. Anyway, we were at the carnival with our parents, and in our rush to get on the merry-go-round, we got lost. Somehow my sister and I ended up wandering a mile or so away and ending up in a mall. We were really scared and crying, but we just didn’t think to talk to anyone there. Most of all, though, we were starving. Together, we had 25 cents. So, we headed to some grocery store in the mall. It had one of those self-serve candy places. My sister and I were pretty ambitious about how many gummy bears we thought we could get for 25 whole cents. So, we piled the multicolored gummies in, and when we took our bulky bag up to the cash register, the teenage girl cashier ringing them up told us to hand over $7.17.