She gave me a conspiratorial grin. “That’s because no one’s allowed upstairs. Jake’s kids are asleep in the family wing, so there’s a guard at the foot of both staircases.” She glanced over her shoulder, and I followed her gaze to the closer of two mirror-image staircases, where a huge man dressed all in black stood directly in front of the bottom step, arms clasped at his back. He was obviously armed, and if his expression was any indication, he suffered from a severe lack of personality.

“But you used to be a guard, so you could take one of them, couldn’t you?” I teased. “If I were to snatch a butter knife from the kitchen, you could bisect him from neck to groin in a single stroke, right?”

Her smile spread slowly, and her brown eyes practically sparkled. “Hell yeah. But Kenley will kill me if I get arterial spray on her dress.” She slid one hand over her own hip to where the dress ended above her crossed knees, and my gaze traced the path, before I realized what I was doing.

Oh, hell no.

Don’t believe a word they say. Don’t let your guard down. And do not make friends.

I’d heard it over and over, from Aaron. Hell, I’d said it over and over to myself. I couldn’t get personally involved. I couldn’t afford to see any of them as real people. They were a means to an end. Tools for me to use, like a wrench, or a hammer. Kori Daniels was the hammer I’d have to swing to smash through Jake Tower’s defenses and gain access to his prized possession, and you couldn’t be attracted to a hammer. Right?

But she’d have to think I liked her, or she’d never trust me. And if she didn’t trust me, she’d never let me near her sister. Kenley Daniels. The woman whose blood had the power to ruin lives—or end them.

“Okay, blood splatter is a problem,” I admitted. “But you’re a Traveler, right? So, you could just walk us both through a shadow down here and out of one up there, couldn’t you?” I glanced at what I could see of the second floor for emphasis.

Kori shook her head. “Infrared grid. There isn’t a true shadow in this entire house, except for the darkroom. None deep enough for me to step through, anyway.”

“What if there was?” I glanced around to make sure no one was listening, then I stood and started to tug her into the alcove she’d led me to minutes earlier. But she stiffened before I could touch her, and I realized I hadn’t imagined her pulling away from me before. But I didn’t understand it.

She was just a hammer to me, and I was just a job to her. An assignment. Korinne was the bait sent to reel me in, and for all I knew, she did this on a weekly basis. She flirted and cajoled, in a teasing, I-dare-you kind of way, clearly gauging my interest, and she probably knew far better than I did how to stay detached. How to attract without being attracted. How to engage without engaging your emotions, or even your desires.

So why the physical distance?

Was that part of Tower’s pitch? Show me the menu, but don’t let me order until I’d officially signed on? Or was Kori defining her own boundaries between work and play?

I was almost jealous of how well she played the game. And I was more determined than ever to keep in mind the fact that this was a game. A charade, of sorts. The woman, the party, the champagne and fancy clothes—they were nothing but a pretty mask covering an ugly beast that, behind its beguiling smile, waited to devour me.

“What if there was what?” she asked, standing without my help, and I had to drag my thoughts back on topic. Again.

“What if there was a true shadow upstairs? What if I could make a shadow? A real one? There’s no way we could both get past the guard, but if you distract him, I could sneak up and make a shadow for you to walk through. Then you could find that bottle, and we could both forget about the crowd for an hour or so.”

Because that part was real. She hated the party and the champagne, and the more comfortable—and less sober—I could make her, the better my chances of conning classified information from her. Like how well guarded her sister was at various times of the day. Or better yet, how to get into and out of Kenley’s apartment in the middle of the night.

Her pale brows rose in surprise. “You can black out infrared light?”

I leaned closer and put one finger over my lips. “Shh. I’m pretty sure that’s most of why Tower wants me. So yes, if you can get me upstairs, I can open a hole in the infrared grid, through which you could then join me.”

“A cynic and a rule breaker. I like it.” Her smile widened just a bit, and too late I realized I was returning it with one of my own. “And if we get caught?”

I shrugged. “I’ll say I was giving you a demonstration of my Skill, for recruiting purposes.” But she looked uncertain, so I tried again. “Tower told you to keep me happy, right?” No one had actually come out and said that, but it was no stretch of the imagination. Kori nodded, her smile fading fast. “So he can’t get mad at you for doing your job, can he?”

She frowned, like she wanted to argue, but wouldn’t. Or couldn’t.

I arched one brow at her. “Never mind. If you’re too scared…”

“Motherfucker…” she mumbled, rolling her eyes over my dare, and I couldn’t resist another smile. “Fine. But it’ll have to be the far staircase, and you’ll have to be quick. And make sure no one else is watching.”

“No problem.”

“You ready?” she asked, and I could tell from the curve at the edge of her mouth that she was getting into the spirit of the adventure.