Tropical Safeguard (Men Of The Secret Service) by Stella Kelly Page A

he’d
expected. “We had a bit of a situation last night. I’m running on fumes today.”
    “Hmm, maybe I should be
driving.”
    “Don’t worry. I’m fine.
Nothing a leisurely shopping trip won’t cure,” Cole said playfully and winked.
    “Right, men and shopping
are like oil and water.”
    “I don’t mind shopping
when you’re tagging along. Didn’t expect to see you on this trip.”
    “Well, lets just say
that when I heard you were coming with us, I had an urgent need to buy
something, anything.”
    “Wow, I have that much
influence on you?”
    Katrina merely smiled
and looked out her window again.
    As the conversation in
the backseat quieted, Katrina and Cole stopped talking too. There was something
intimate about their banter, private. It was as if they didn’t want to risk
being overheard or discovered. They were walking a fine line of professionalism
and they were both acutely aware that the line had been crossed. There was no
denying their feelings for one another, but the nagging feelings hid beneath
the surface. Cole got the sense Katrina still found it hard to open up, to
trust.
    As they rounded the
final bend that brought them into the bustling capital of Hamilton, Katrina
pointed out several cruise ships stationed in the ferry terminal and wondered
aloud if those aboard were now shopping. Perhaps the posh streets would be
packed with tourists. They’d be rubbing elbows with people from all over the
world – but mostly North Americans escaping November’s cold grip.
    “It’s not normally this
packed. Let’s hope we can find a parking spot,” Katrina said as she directed
him to a parking lot just down from the frenzy of the main road.
    The tiny town overflowed
with boutiques and restaurants. Narrow cobblestone streets offered all the
charm and elegance that was expected from a British influenced island, and the
ladies were quick to notice the lack of typical cookie-cutter chain stores they
usually found in the United States.
    The ladies started their
shopping excursion on Front Street at a dress shop with high-end designer
names. Cole leaned against a wall and waited, watching as the ladies scanned
the racks in search of the perfect garment. They then clamored to the change
room to try them on and critique each other. Cole found the entire process
amusing, and frankly he’d never been shopping with a group of ladies like this
before. He hadn’t realized how intricate and precise the act of choosing just the
right dress entailed. He was glad to be a guy.
    “What do you think,
Agent Nielsen, will Edward like this one?” Helene called over.
    Cole approached
apprehensively, not quite sure he was allowed in this area of the store. “Um,
yes. It looks great,” he said before returning to his previous spot on the
wall.
    “Okay, Agent Nielsen,
you’re off the hook. I won’t ask again.” She reassured over a rack of clothes.
He could hear them giggle at a distance.
    Inconspicuously glancing
over at Katrina, he noticed she was trying on a flattering white summer dress.
He had to admit, he was enjoying watching her browse and shop. That he
didn’t mind at all. And he especially enjoyed catching Katrina glancing over at
him from time to time as if to gauge his reaction to a certain outfit. As if
his approval meant something to her.
    They wound their way
down Reid Street, ducking into a few more quaint clothing shops, two high-end
shoe stores, and finally a café to grab a latte. Sitting at a bistro table on
the sidewalk, the four chatted casually enough. The fact that a male Secret
Service agent accompanied them was irrelevant. Cole fit in effortlessly. He
did, however, scan the surrounding crowd on occasion. He couldn’t forget his
reason for being here in the first place and occasionally looked around the
crowd with interest.
    “I saw you buy something
at that last shop, Agent Nielsen. What’d you get?” Helene asked.
    Cole pulled a pair of
bright Bermuda shorts out of a bag and the