Simon Says Die

toward the car. “Come on, let’s go.”
    â€œAre we going to scout out the museums for Damon?” Her voice came out in choppy pants. Pierce realized she was jogging to keep up with him.
    He slowed his longer stride to match hers. “It’s getting too late in the day to go museum hopping. I have somewhere else in mind.” He stopped beside his car and opened the door for her.
    She slid inside. “Where are we going then?”
    He couldn’t resist baiting her. “To see Tessa.”
    She let out a string of curses as he shut the door. He struggled to contain his answering grin as he headed toward the driver’s side of the car, all the while marveling at how such ugly words could pour out of such a pretty little mouth.
    â€œT HAT SHOULD BE everything.” Pierce stuffed the last of his shirts into the suitcase and snapped it closed.
    Madison watched without enthusiasm. She hated being in the house he’d shared with Tessa, regardless of whether his personal relationship with the other agent was real or not. Jealousy was a useless emotion, and Madison hated being in its grips. But she couldn’t seem to do anything about it.
    Pierce set the suitcase on the guestroom floor and rolled it into the kitchen. He set it by the door that led out to the garage.
    Madison followed, pausing beside the white couch in the family room. According to Pierce, Tessa was coming over to return his keys now that their case was over. They had to wait until she arrived.
    She glanced at the double doors at the end of the family room. “If you were living out of the guest room, how did you get a fresh shirt the other day out of the master bedroom?”
    â€œI kept a few changes of clothes in there for appearances, for when we had people over.”
    Her face flushed at the knowledge that he’d treated her like any common stranger, continuing the charade of being undercover, even when it had only been the two of them in the house when he’d gone in that room for a shirt.
    He headed out of the kitchen toward the double doors. “That reminds me, I need to grab the clothes out of the master closet too.”
    Madison stopped in front of one of the bookcases and picked up a picture of Pierce and Tessa, the one where they were kissing. “This sure looks real.”
    He paused beside her, took the picture, and laid it facedown on the shelf.
    â€œWould it matter if it was?”
    Yes, damn it. She looked up at him, suddenly wanting to tell him the truth about why she’d left. She searched for the right words to let him know how sorry she was for how she’d ended things, the lies she’d told him, and the real reason she’d broken up with him. “Pierce, I—”
    â€œAm I interrupting?”
    Madison stiffened and turned toward the kitchen. Tessa had perfect timing, along with her perfect complexion. Madison gritted her teeth and batted her lashes at Pierce. “Where did you put my three-fifty-seven, darling ?”
    His eyes narrowed as he gave her a warning look. “Thanks for meeting me here, Tessa.”
    â€œNo problem.” She gave Madison a wary glance and stepped into the family room. “It will be a relief to get out of this tacky place and back to my own apartment.”
    â€œYou didn’t have a say in decorating this house for your assignment?” Madison asked, surprised.
    â€œAre you kidding? Have you noticed the pitiful artwork on the walls? And could you possibly imagine a more colorless existence? Next time I go undercover, I’m going to insist that I have some input on the decor.” She wrinkled her nose.
    Madison clamped her mouth shut to keep from laughing. Damn. She’d have to strike through “tacky decorator” in her why-I-don’t-like-the-redhead column. Of course, there were still plenty of other reasons left in the column.
    Like the kissing picture, for one.
    â€œDo you need help with your things?” Pierce asked.
    Tessa shook her head. “No, but I have that information you wanted.” She looked at Madison. “That is, if you don’t mind giving us a minute?”
    â€œActually, I—”
    â€œMadison can stay inside while we talk in the backyard,” Pierce said.
    Not even close to what Madison had planned on saying.
    Pierce gave her another warning look before heading outside with Tessa. The man really should have been a high school guidance counselor. He