Falling For The Undercover Agent (Gems 0f Love Book 5) Read online

  Falling for the Undercover Agent

  Book Five - Gems of Love Series

  Agnes Canestri

  Contents

  Other Books in this Series

  Gift to my Readers

  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

  Epilogue

  Other books by the Author

  Author’s note

  About the Author

  Other Books in this Series

  LOVING THE BOSS

  It could be her fresh start. If only she can avoid falling for her boss…

  Start this sweet boss-employee romance today.

  Get it on Amazon (also in Kindle Unlimited)

  GAMBLING WITH THE BILLIONAIRE

  She’s all about passion. He only believes in reason. Their business deal won’t go down without fireworks…

  Dive into this sweet opposites attract billionaire romance today.

  Get it on Amazon (also in Kindle Unlimited)

  FAKE-DATING THE SINGLE DAD

  It was the perfect plan. Until their feelings turned all too real…

  Check out this sweet fake relationship romance now.

  Get it on Amazon (also in Kindle Unlimited)

  SAVING THE BROTHER’S BEST FRIEND

  It was only a simple favor between friends. Until it wasn’t…

  Dive into this sweet friends to lovers fake relationship romance today.

  Get it on Amazon (also in Kindle Unlimited)

  Gift to my Readers

  GET THE BONUS MATERIAL OF THIS BOOK AND ANOTHER SWEET READ FOR FREE!

  Sign up to my newsletter and receive two exclusive welcome gifts: the extended Epilogue of Falling for the Undercover Agent and a free sweet forbidden love romance

  www.agnescanestri.com/ruby-bonus

  Chapter 1

  “Gotcha!” Giordano Biagi exclaimed triumphantly and lowered his binoculars to his lap.

  He reached for the key in the ignition, ready to turn it. Finally the waiting was over. It’s action time.

  His heart rate picked up and energy infused into his cells. He felt a tiny bit like James Bond as his eyes followed the slender figure of the woman walking down the stairs of the five-story building.

  Without the binoculars, and given that he’d parked too far from her house, he couldn’t see her features clearly.

  But he didn’t need to. Giordano could recognize that she was his assignment, thanks to her fiery locks. Yes, her hair color was unmistakable. The deep red hue glowed just like his favorite pinot noir.

  He glanced down at the paper he’d placed on the passenger seat. Ruby Terryson. His lips moved into a smile as he re-read it. Her parents sure knew how to pick a fitting name for their daughter.

  The woman stopped at the end of the stairs to search for something in her purse. Well, it probably couldn’t be described as a purse, more like a haversack. It looked like it was hand-painted, and showed the face of a wolf.

  Giordano arched his brows. He’d only seen a passport picture of Ruby Terryson, but he didn’t expect her to look this…normal. Her light jeans, simple black T-shirt and blue jacket didn’t scream savvy thief of a million dollars. Maybe if she’d come out in some extravagant silk trousers or a pair of designer glasses.

  Ruby pulled a pack of keys from her sack and turned left.

  Oh, she’s on the move.

  Giordano snapped himself out of his contemplation and turned the engine on. He hadn’t planned to leave this spot before he could identify Ruby’s car. But it was better not to waste precious time later. Who knew where Ruby would drive off to?

  If Giordano was lucky—and why shouldn’t he be—she might be going to meet Richie Donaldson. If she did, then he could have a great report on his uncle’s desk by tonight.

  He held his breath as he watched Ruby move with quick steps. She stopped beside a red car, but instead of opening the door, she bent down, disappearing from Giordano’s vision.

  Darn it. What’s she doing?

  Maybe he should start to roll toward the car and pretend he was looking for a house number so he could take a look.

  Before he had a chance to put his thoughts into action, Ruby’s head popped back up from behind the car. She began to move swiftly toward the end of the street.

  “What the…?” Giordano murmured, but his lips curled up as the rest of Ruby’s body reappeared.

  She was gliding on an orange-colored scooter, balancing herself perfectly with one foot forward and the other over the back wheel.

  Giordano began to chuckle and took another peek at Ruby’s case file. Yes, this vital information was missing. Had he known that the girl didn’t drive, he would’ve come with a bicycle or something. It was going to be difficult to follow her without drawing attention. How fast could a scooter go, right?

  When he looked up, Ruby was nowhere to be seen.

  He pressed on the gas and rolled to the street, cursing in Italian under his breath. Good thing his sisters weren’t with him right now, otherwise they would both be covering their ears. They hated when Giordano butchered their mother tongue. To be frank, he didn’t do it often. But this occasion definitely called for it.

  How could he lose sight of his subject so quickly? He’d been maintaining a stakeout since five a.m, for heaven’s sake.

  With one hand, he reached for his phone. He tapped his uncle’s number and switched on the loud speaker.

  As soon as Uncle Giovanni’s coarse baritone greeted him, Giordano said, “I think I’ve made a mistake. I lost Ruby.”

  His uncle let out a short cough, then replied, “You lost her!What do you mean? Is she gone from the city?”

  “No, no. She’s here. I saw her exit her home and take her vehicle—a scooter—and disappear.”

  “Oh, I see.” His uncle laughed. “Why don’t you try driving by her workplace? She’s probably going there to open up her shop.”

  Her workplace? Of course. Why didn’t he think of that? Probably because he was too fixated on the hope that something big would go down in his case today.

  He steered toward Main Street, where Ruby’s tattoo studio was. He caught sight of her at the next traffic light.

  “You were right. I have her.”

  “That’s just experience, son. Don’t forget, we aren’t watching real criminals. Most of our targets are petty little thieves or cheating spouses. Don’t you go all detective on me, okay? Otherwise, I’ll have to pull your overzealous butt off the case. Now follow this Ruby and then establish a safe spot to monitor the happenings in her shop from across the street.”

  Heat invaded Giordano’s neck. Maybe he should have considered more carefully the decision to work for a member of his family. He hated being scolded like a boy. Even if he deserved it this time.

  But to spend the rest of the day in his car with his binoculars? That didn’t sound quite right. Or exciting.

  “Uncle Giovanni?”

  “Yes, son. What’s up?”

  Giordano cleared his voice. He didn’t want to come across as a newbie. After all, he’d spent two years working on various investigations, even if this was his first field case alone. “What do you think about me going in to check out the place? Ruby could be hiding the money there. Or maybe Richie Donaldson is using her shop as a safe house?”

  His uncle chuckled again. “I highly doubt that. According to Mr. Donaldson, his son has left the city. That’s the reason he wants us to track Richie’s ex.”

  Giordano’s heart dropped. So he’d need to spend the day locked inside his Chevrolet after all. If he’d at least taken some snacks with him. He gave a slanted look at his empty mug. He really should’ve drunk two espressos. Getting up this early wasn’t his strong suit.

  Before he could say anything, his uncle added, “You know what? I can see you’re burning from the desire to do something 007-ish. Why don’t you just go in and pretend you want a tattoo. Ask some questions, look around, then leave.”

  “Really?” Giordano had a hard time controlling his joy.

  Going in and faking that he was a client sounded much more like the type of undercover work he’d envisioned. He just needed to invent a great story…and avoid getting an actual tattoo. He hated needles.

  “Sure.” His uncle sighed. “Just, please, be discreet. You need to be someone that this Ruby can easily forget. Mr. Donaldson would like to avoid drawing any attention to himself.”

  Giordano only listened to his uncle with one ear. In his mind, he was already building a believable lie to recite. What should he say he works as? A writer? No that’s too much. Maybe a policeman? No, that could awake suspicions. Right, an insurance agent. That would explain why he was just passing through town and—

  “Giordano, did you even hear what I said?”

  His u
ncle’s shrill voice brought him back to reality. “Ah…yes. Of course. Only need-to-know basis. Maximum discretion. No unnecessary babbling. I got it.”

  “Great. Then good luck. We’ll see you tomorrow at noon in the Lexter Lounge with Mr. Donaldson. Please be punctual. He’s flying us in on his jet, but we need to leave town again by four.”

  Giordano squared his shoulders. He’d better have some great discovery to present to his client. Something that could prove to his uncle that he was a worthy choice for this task. “I’ll be there, Uncle. See you soon.”

  The line went dead. He hardened his foot on the brake just as the orange scooter stopped at the corner of the street.

  Ruby got off and locked it to a nearby tree.

  Giordano parked his Chevy behind a van. This was an ideal spot for observation. He’d stay here for a few minutes, and once the tattoo studio opened, he could waltz in and snoop around.

  Just as he leaned back on his seat to settle into a more comfortable position, he saw a bulky guy with a shaved skull approach Ruby. She was struggling with the lock on the shop door and didn’t seem to notice the man.

  Giordano frowned.

  Every visible inch of the man’s flesh was covered with giant tattoos. Something in the way he moved made Giordano’s stomach uneasy. What if this man wanted to hurt Ruby?

  Giordano didn’t know this town well, and even if this neighborhood looked safe, one could never be too careful. Though his task was to follow Ruby around, he couldn’t let anything happen to her under his watch. She was, after all, a woman, and according to Giordano’s values, men needed to protect women.

  The guy slowed a few meters behind Ruby and began to tiptoe.

  Now that he thought about it some more, this man looked like an inmate. Maybe on parole or something. Giordano put one hand on the handle of the car door and shoved his cell phone into his back pocket with the other.

  He didn’t take his eyes off the stranger who had almost reached Ruby. The grinning death-head on the guy’s jacket widened and almost ripped as the man lifted his arms.

  Giordano’s stomach hardened. He’s going to grab her.

  He didn’t think any further. He pushed the door open and jumped out. He had to go around the van to get to the right side of the street, but he did it in less than a second.

  His hands rolled into tight fists and adrenaline cursed through his veins. The guy might be tough and huge, but Giordano could definitely take him down. After all, he was a ninth-degree black belt in judo and a pretty good cage fighter.

  Only a couple of meters separated him from the guy. Giordano was just about to launch forward to block him before he could hurt Ruby, when she turned around.

  Her face lit up, and she threw herself into the man’s open arms, giving him a peck on his cheek. “Oh, Pete. It’s been a while since I last saw you. Don’t tell me you need a refresh on that name again?”

  Pete lowered his glance and his previously criminal-looking appearance molded into a boyish embarrassment. “Huh, well…yeah. I do. Can you help me out?”

  Giordano quickly grabbed his phone and pretended he’d stopped to check a message.

  Ruby gave Pete a mischievous grin. “What’s the matter today?”

  “It’s Angela, my new babe. “ Pete scratched his chin. “She’s been beating me up about wearing Sharon’s name on my chest. She says if I don’t do something about it, she’s going to come to you and ask you to tattoo all her exes on her butt.”

  Ruby giggled, and the sound of her laugh forced Giordano’s eyes to dart to her.

  Her cheeks pushed her eyes into two straight lines, and the little freckles on her face danced as she shook from laughter. She looked like an adult version of Pippi Longstocking, only without the pigtails.

  Pete shrugged. “I know, I’m ridiculous.”

  Ruby stopped laughing and her face grew serious. “Oh no, Pete. Please don’t take it like that. I’m not laughing at you, just about Angela’s comment.”

  Wow, her eyes are extraordinary.

  Giordano had to force his gaze back to the screen of his phone again, and it cost him a lot of willpower. His eyes wanted more of Ruby’s. The green shade of her irises played in a bizarre but enticing tonality that he’d never seen before. At least, not on humans. His grandmother once had a Siamese cat with a similarly hypnotic eye color. Maybe it was the contrast of her red tresses that created this effect. Who knew?

  Suddenly the comparison to Pippi Longstocking didn’t fit that well. Not unless the little troublemaker from his beloved children’s books grew up to be a surprisingly attractive woman.

  Pete took the keys from Ruby. “Let me open this for you. You should really get someone to look at this lock. One day you’re going to get stuck inside.”

  “Yes, I might.” Ruby waved with her hand. “Though I hope I won’t be keeping this shop that long.”

  Pete wrinkled his nose. “You’re planning on leaving us, by any chance? First your dad, then you? No, way. It’s not fair.” He gave her a calculating glance. “Got some new gig, or what?”

  Giordano inched forward. He wanted to hear Ruby’s response. If she was planning to close her tattoo studio that could only mean one thing.

  “Nah,” Ruby said. “Not yet. But a girl can dream, right?”

  Pete poked her in the ribs with one hand, and pushed the door open with the other. “And here I thought your dream was to get creative on me. After you, Ruby.”

  Ruby and Pete entered the shop and closed the door.

  Giordano drew in a breath and looked up.

  Okay, so Ruby hadn’t said anything concrete yet. But it was more than he would’ve learned if he’d stayed in the car like Uncle Giovanni originally suggested. Giordano would need to listen to his own instincts, and all should be fine.

  He walked back to his car and hopped in. He’d wait thirty minutes then enter. That should give Ruby enough time to cover up the name of Angelica or Anita or whomever the bald guy wore on his chest. After that, Giordano could become her new client. And he would press her for answers without her realizing.

  Chapter 2

  Ruby dipped the needle in the ink and turned on the motor. She squinted her eyes to take a better look at her creation.

  It wasn’t her finest piece of work, but then again Pete had asked her to cover up three names in the last two years. Ruby was slowly running out of ideas for how to incorporate the letters into motifs that would blend with her client’s other tattoos.

  “One last bit, Pete, and then we’re done,” she assured the bulky man who was trying to put on a good show of not feeling the repeated pricks on his skin.

  “Ah, great. I really like what you did with the “S” in Shannon. I always wanted a cobra on my chest. It makes me look tougher, don’t you think?” He flexed his biceps, but the movement made the needle shift slightly. “Ouch!” he exclaimed, then went silent immediately.

  Ruby stopped the motor. “Don’t worry, I’ve just finished. But next time, please try to choose a bare patch on your skin. I like to work on a blank canvas. Blending the letters of your exes’ names into decent drawings is getting harder and harder. Soon I’ll need to send you to Dr. Stanley.”

  “Heck, no.” Pete grimaced. “Laser removal is for chickens, and I’m certainly not one. If I commit to a tattoo, I’m not going to erase it.”

  Ruby bit her lip to withhold a comment about how this was exactly what they’d been doing for the past half an hour. It was better to leave Pete with his own beliefs. “Sure, fine. But try to stick with Angela. She sounds nice from what you say.”

  “Oh, she is. A fine piece of woman, I can tell ya.” Pete grinned. “She would love to meet ya. I bragged to her about how you’re an even better tattoo artist than your dad was.”