EXCLUSIVE EXCERPT: The (Ex) Spy Who (Maybe) Loved Me

Get ready for a run in with a hot one night stand, March 20, 2023 from Entangled’s Amara!

EXCLUSIVE EXCERPT: The (Ex) Spy Who (Maybe) Loved Me by Christi Barth

Blake’s hand loosely curled around the stem of her empty glass. Wyatt gave in to temptation. He had to know how her pale skin felt, even if only two inches of it. No secret agenda. No double speak. No using her. No split attention listening for suspicious chatter or even more suspicious silence.

Just the simple enjoyment of touching this beautiful woman.

Hell, he’d earned a moment of basic happiness, hadn’t he? Spending the last fifteen-plus years devoting himself to saving the world, one piece at a time. Putting any personal life completely on hold. Risking his life, getting shot, burned, stabbed….

That entitled a guy to seizing the moment to almost hold hands, right?

So Wyatt covered her fingers with her own. “Buy you another round?”

“Thank you, but I shouldn’t.”

“Need to keep a clear head to go nowhere and do nothing?” he teased to hide his disappointment.

“The opposite, I hope.” Blake laid her other hand on top of his. Then the speakers crackled again.

All remaining flights are grounded until tomorrow morning. Please check with your gate agent about the possibility of accommodation vouchers. A low grumble filled the jetport.

“That’s that.” Wyatt beckoned for the bartender. “I’m sure as hell fortifying myself with another before standing in line for an hour to be bussed to a fleabag.”

“What if you didn’t have to?”

“A fleabag’s better than scrunching myself across three molded plastic chairs.”

Blake leaned over again. This time, he knew the closeness was intentionally flirty. Because her warm breath puffed against his ear as she whispered, “I have a hotel room already.”

Surprise had him jerking away to look at her. “How?”

“As soon as they announced the fog delay. I popped onto Expedia and booked one, just to be safe.”

“Way to plan ahead.” Back in the old days—like, four days ago—Wyatt might’ve done the same, depending on the urgency of the particular mission. But tonight he’d been attempting to be Joe Average. A guy who didn’t anticipate the worst and plan for it.

Still in a breathy whisper, she asked, “How would you feel about sharing it with me?”

Wyatt didn’t know how to interpret her offer. They’d been talking for, what, all of ten minutes? Was she really taking pity on a stranger and offering him the second bed?

Or…did she want him to share her bed?

Either way, his answer was yes. But the last thing he wanted to do was make the wrong assumption and end up making her feel uncomfortable, or worse, unsafe. “I’d like that. How about you lay out the ground rules, though, before we budge from these stools?”

Blake winced. Rubbed at her temple with two fingers. “The point of a fling is not to have ground rules. No real talking, no real information exchanged, simply no-strings sex.”

Yeah, he was ready to freaking vault off that stool now. “I’m on board for no-strings sex. As long as that’s what you want.”

“Aren’t you the perfect gentleman? Thank you, for the stipulation. It just proves that I made my choice wisely.”

Wyatt threw a handful of bills on the bar.

Didn’t count them.

Didn’t care if he accidentally tipped a Franklin on two drinks. “We can get our updated flight information at the hotel. No need to wait in line.”

“No need for a car, either. It’s connected to the jetport by an underground walkway. One of those moving sidewalks that I could outpace even on crutches.”

He stuffed his EpiPen back in his jacket. “Your foresight’s impressing me more with every sentence. And I was already bowled over by your beauty the moment I laid eyes on you.”

Blake tugged at the cuff of his sweater. “I was serious. No need for compliments or, well, wooing. I like you. I like sex. So let’s take advantage of being stuck.”

After slinging his backpack over his shoulder, Wyatt put a hand at the small of her back to usher her out of the bar. “I like sex, too. And I like telling my partner how great they look. How great they make me feel. Compliments are a part of the package. Suck it up.”

“Oh, so we’re on the same page already…” She fluttered her lashes at him. Like the double entendre hadn’t already crashed into Wyatt’s head like a brick through plate glass.

Man, if this was what civilian life had in store? He should’ve left the agency years ago.

Don’t miss the next smart, sexy romcom from USA Today bestselling author Christi Barth.

What happens when your off-the-charts hot, one-night stand…shows up at your office?

Christi Barth earned a Masters degree in vocal performance and embarked upon a career on the stage. A love of romance then drew her to wedding planning. Ultimately she succumbed to her lifelong love of books and now writes award-winning contemporary romance, including the Naked Men and Aisle Bound series. Christi can always be found whipping up gourmet meals (for fun, honest!) or with her nose in a book. She lives in Maryland with the best husband in the world.