Laurel seemed like herself again in the morning, laughing and joking over breakfast before heading out to a team practice. Gage took Mo back to San Francisco, showing him some of the sights and spending a casual day together. They’d just regrouped in the hotel lobby when Carol’s name flashed on the screen of his phone and Gage nearly gritted his teeth in frustration.
“Hey, what’s going on?” He kept his tone neutral.
“Havlek is in San Francisco.”
“What?”
“There’s a party tonight. You need to be there. Take your wife, I don’t care. I’ll text you the info. Just be there.” She disconnected.
“Who was that?”
“Rose,” he lied smoothly. “There’s a party tonight in San Francisco with a bunch of investors. They’ve requested my presence.” He sighed. “Would you like to go?”
“You two go have fun,” Mo said automatically. “I’m happy to hang out at the bar with some of the guys.”
“Oh, no, I want to stay with my dad,” Laurel said automatically. “I don’t see him much, but you can go. Really. I don’t mind at all.”
“Are you sure?” Gage asked dubiously. He hated this. Lying to her sucked.
“Absolutely.” She kissed him. “I have a ton of work to do, so you and Dad can hang out or whatever.”
“You sure, babe?” Gage wasn’t convinced.
“Positive. See you later.” She waved at them and headed in the other direction.
Under any other circumstances, the party would have been amazing. Laurel probably would have loved it. Most of the guests were interesting and funny, the food was delectable, and the surroundings about as romantic as any he’d ever attended. Stefan was with a date, an attractive brunette with big brown eyes and an intense, searching look on her face that made Gage wonder if she was actually some sort of bodyguard instead of a date.
“Gage.” The German assassin approached him with a friendly smile and an extended hand.
“It’s good to see you, Stefan,” Gage said smoothly.
“What brings you to San Francisco?”
“The hockey team I own is in the playoffs, against San Jose. Big game tomorrow night, but I thought I’d come have some fun tonight. Not a lot to do in Silicon Valley unless you’re a computer.”
Stefan laughed, his light blue eyes crinkling with mirth. “That is true. Please meet my fiancée, Antoinette. This is her first trip to the United States. We toured Alcatraz today but I promised her shopping tomorrow. Do you have suggestions?”
Gage went through a handful of shops and areas of interest before finally turning the conversation back to the business at hand. His business, anyway.
“So is this trip all pleasure or a combination of business and pleasure?” he asked.
“Always business,” Antoinette interjected for the first time, rolling her eyes. “Stefan works more than anyone I’ve ever known, constantly on the phone or the computer.”
“Where do you think the money you like to spend comes from?” Stefan gently chided her.
“One of the many reasons I’ve stayed single so long,” Gage responded, taking a sip of champagne. “Women get bored with men like us because we don’t spend time with them.”
“Stefan has promised to try harder,” Antoinette said with a smile. “We’re going to have a baby.”
“A baby.” Gage nearly choked on his drink, but he managed to keep his face neutral. “Congratulations. How exciting. I’m not sure my lifestyle allows for a family, to be honest.”
“I didn’t think so either,” Stefan mused, “but fate often has other ideas.”
Indeed. A pregnant girlfriend was a twist Gage hadn’t been expecting. Unless it was all a ruse, Stefan knew exactly who Gage was, and was trying to throw him off his game. If so, it was working. It had been a long time since he’d been this deep in the espionage game and he was definitely distracted by the situation with Laurel.
“I’m going to go powder my nose,” Antoinette said abruptly. She handed Stefan her glass and walked in the other direction, leaving Gage suspicious.
Before he could say or do anything else, his phone rang and Laurel’s name flashed on the screen.
“Excuse me a moment,” he said to Stefan, moving away for a little privacy. “Hey, babe.”
“Hi.” Laurel sounded breathless. “Is it too late for me to join you? Dad’s getting plastered at the bar with Sergei and the others and I thought a party would be fun. If traffic cooperates, I can be there in less than forty-five minutes and it’s only nine. The party will go later than ten, won’t it?”
Shit. What the hell was he supposed to say to that?
“Do you, um, have something to wear? I’d thought we’d go shopping earlier if you’d wanted to go.” That might have been the stupidest thing he’d ever said.
“I borrowed something from Dani, because she went shopping today.” She paused. “Don’t you want me to come?”
“Absolutely, I just thought you’d be with your dad. I’ve been talking shop all night. But if you’re ready to go, order a car and get down here. I’ll text you the address and leave your name at the door.”
“See you soon.”
“Shit.” He hadn’t meant to say it out loud but the rumbled laugh behind him made him realize he had. Stefan. Great.
“Woman problems? I can sense them a mile away.”
Gage smiled ruefully. “Not problems so much as my own reluctance to commit.”
“I was the same way until Antoinette told me she was pregnant. Then every protective instinct I never knew I had kicked in. Made me quite sick to my stomach until I came to terms with it.”
“I understand.” Gage didn’t want to get chummy with this scumbag, but somehow here they were, talking like old buddies.
“If you don’t like her, outside the bedroom,” Stefan said, “it won’t work. There has to be more to a woman than good sex. A pretty face gets boring. A beautiful body begins to lose its luster once you’ve had your fill. You need a mating of minds to want to try for more, especially to have a child.”
“But you made it sound like the pregnancy wasn’t planned,” Gage pointed out. “How did you know?”
“If I didn’t know there was something there, I never would have gone without protection,” Stefan shrugged. “She’s the only woman I’ve done that with since my school days.”
“Well, Laurel and I have history. I don’t know what she wants so it’s hard for me to know what to do.”
“Your ex-wife.”
Gage froze. How the fuck did he know that? He turned to him, narrowing his eyes slightly. “How do you know about Laurel?”
“I know everything about you, Gage. Who your family is, how you made your money, your military career, your ex-wife, and of course, your career in the CIA.”