"Merde!" Beau curses, as I cringe and loosen my hands from their tight grip on the railing. "How long have you been up there?"

"Oh, not long," I say awkwardly, cursing when I give myself away by running a hand through my hair anxiously, my most obvious tell.

Goddamnit, I really need to stop doing that, I scold myself.

"So the entire time, great," Beau sighs, shaking his head and looking down at his feet.

"You really admire me?" I suddenly blurt out, clasping a hand to my mouth when I realize I said the thought out loud. Oh my god, Harper-

I relax slightly when I see that some of the rage has left Beau's pale eyes, and he chuckles at my reaction. "Yes, yes I do admire you," he says after a few seconds, a small grin tugging on his lips as he points up at me. "But don't let that go to your head, missy."

"Oh, I certainly will," I grin back, pretending to flip my nonexistent long hair over my shoulder. Beau's smile grows, before he quickly shakes his head, and the smile along with it.

"We should probably be getting ready for whatever Superior Burris and Harks have planned for us," he says, as I nod, still embarrassed by my sudden outburst.

"True, any ideas as to what that might be? I need to make sure I plan my outfit accordingly," I laugh, trying to lighten the mood as I gesture to my black sweatpants and T-shirt.

"I'd say one of your staple turtlenecks would work, you know, since that's pretty much the only thing I've seen you wear," Beau says seriously, but I can tell he's joking by the faint glint in his eyes.

I play along and roll my eyes, "What's wrong with turtlenecks? I thought they were trendy in current Parisian style? Besides, I rock turtlenecks like no one's business," I point out, as Beau's eyes flick down slightly. He mutters something to himself that I can't quite make out.

"What was that?" I ask, as Beau's eyes jump back to mine and his cheeks heat slightly.

"Quelle-er-what?" he stammers, causing me to grin. I lean forward against the railing and place my chin in the palm of my hand.

"Aw, did you agree with me? Does Mr. Beauregard have a little crush on his mission partner?" I mock, causing Beau's cheeks to flame even more.

"I do not!" he exclaims in French, as my grin widens.

"Oh non? I've noticed you talk in French when you're flustered," I point out, as Beau shakes his head annoyedly and starts to walk away. "Hey, where are you going all of a sudden?" I call, as Beau continues to shake his head.

"I'm leaving, I don't talk to diablesses!" he calls over his shoulder, causing my grin to widen until it hurts. I watch him as he walks down the sidewalk and until he turns the corner of the building towards. I turn away from the balcony with a grin still on my lips as I walk into my room and pull the sliding glass door shut behind me.

After quickly throwing on the only top that's not a turtleneck: a light blue collared shirt along with grey slacks, and a pair of simple black flats, I opened the door to my room. I half expected to see Beau standing in the hall waiting for me, but to my surprise the hall was empty.

I then decided to knock on Beau's door, because I didn't know where or what we were doing. After barely knocking one time, Beau opened the door and stepped out into the hallway.

We both took a second to look each other up and down, and to my amusement Beau had decided to wear a navy blue turtleneck. I force my eyes to move past the way the navy turtleneck hugs Beau's chest and torso appreciatively, and down to the grey ripped jeans he wears.

"I thought we were going to have a meeting," I state, my eyes flicking down to the black Vans he dons, "I'm pretty sure Harks would go into a fit of rage if he saw your outfit."

My eyes flick up just to see Beau roll his eyes as he turns to lock his door. "There's no meeting today. Harks called to tell me that we were going to, and I quote, 'find something presentable to wear.'" he says, using air quotes around the words.

"Oh, well I've been needing to buy one of those nice dressy jumpsuits anyway..." I trail off as Beau shakes his head with a wry grin.

"That's the other thing, Harks strictly stated that you were to wear a ball gown, because we are going to a ball," he states, chuckling when I visibly cringe at the idea.

"Bullshit!" I snap, gritting my teeth as I imagine myself in some puffy gown. "How the hell am I expected to lead a mission in a ball gown, let alone fight? Does that man want me to get killed?"

"That's why we're going to a special boutique that specializes in clothing modifications for missions like this. It's pretty cool, actually." Beau says, as we begin to walk towards the back entrance doors.

"I still don't want to wear a ball gown though," I sigh, crossing my arms. It's not getting dressed up nice or doing my makeup that I mind, but the awkward compliments and stares... and the fact that I always seem to become a complete clutz whenever I go to nice events or get dressed up.

"I'm sure it'll be fine, and besides," Beau pauses to open the door beside me, giving me a lopsided grin. "You'll be stunning in whatever you wear."

I snort at his obvious attempt at flirting, reminding me of the game we agreed to play. As I walk through the door I glance up at him with a feigned innocent smile. "I'm sure you'll look dashing in your suit as well, Mr. Beauregard-" I reach up and gently pat his cheek as he raises a confused brow, before leaning forward. "I've seen your figure, and it does not lack," I whisper, referring to the events last night, and smirk when I see Beau's cheeks rapidly warm and his eyes widen in a way that tells me he's caught off guard.

Point for Harper, I muse triumphantly, as I step through the door and leave behind a flabbergasted Beau. The one thing people underestimate me in is flirting, I brag to myself. This is not a game that Beau will easily win.

"You coming, loverboy?" I taunt, glancing over my shoulder and frowning when I don't see Beau behind me. Suddenly someone grabs my hand and gives it a gentle squeeze. I quickly twist to see Beau walking beside me, a slight grin on his lips as he stares ahead and swings our hands gently back and forth.

"What are you doing?" I ask suspectingly, trying to tug my hand from his, but he grips it firmly.

"What do you mean, am I not your loverboy?" Beau taunts back, his grin growing when he sees the scowl on my face.

Oh, it's on.

"You're right," I say smoothly, as we walk down the sidewalk and through the crosswalk when the signal glows. "I actually think that this," I say shaking his hand, before placing it on my waist, "goes here."

I smirk when Beau's eyes widen slightly, but then he shrugs and gently pulls me against him as we walk. "My mistake," he murmurs, his fingers curving around my waist as we walk, heat pulsing through the fabric of my shirt and into my skin.

What have I done? My mind rasps as my heart races within my chest. My competitive nature wages a bloody war with my comfort zone as more and more heat pulses from Beau's unforgivingly long fingers and through the thin fabric of my blouse.

"You alright?" Beau asks concernedly above me as his fingers begin to withdraw from my waist, but I quickly place my hand over his as my competitive nature wins out.

Curse you Burris for instilling the need to win at all costs, I snap within my head, as I force myself to look up at Beau as if nothing is wrong, and give him a raw smile.

"I'm fine, now where is this place?" I ask, trying to focus on anything but the warm hand curled around my waist. Beau lifts his other hand to point at a little shop across the street, right next to the little hair salon I had gotten my hair cut.

"It's right there, Agents Talle and Smith should already be in there."

"Why don't you just call them by their first names? It's not like Superior Harks or Burris are here," I tease, as Beau turns to look down at me, his sandy curls bouncing slightly.

"I don't know, I'm not very acquainted with them..." Beau trails off and gently pulls his hand from my waist, his eyes on something in the shop window across the street from us.

"What is it?" I frown, squinting to see that the shop is the boutique Beau was pointing to earlier, and standing in the window staring at us is Amber. "Oh, it's just Amber," I mutter, as Beau begins to stride across the crosswalk.

"Hey, what's the deal?" I ask, jogging after Beau as he reaches the end of the street and steps up onto the curb. I see his shoulders tense slightly under the navy turtleneck he wears, but he shakes his head as we walk up to the little shop.

"It's nothing," he lies as he reaches for the handle of the shop, but I grab his wrist before he can pull it open.

"No, it's not nothing... has she said something to you?" I demand, my eyes locking with Amber's as she stares at us curiously through the window. When Beau's eyes flick up to see her, he quickly looks away and begins to work his jaw guiltily.

Go away, I glare at Amber, flicking my eyes from her to the back of the shop.

Amber narrows her eyes in suspicion, but why?

Because, I narrow my eyes back, cocking my head to the side to show I'm serious.

Amber glances between Beau and me for a few seconds, before shrugging and walking away. When I turn back to Beau, he's staring at me confusedly with his lips pressed together in a thin line.

"I'm not going to lie, I have no idea what happened," Beau says slowly, and I can't help but chuckle at his odd expression as I tug on his wrist and lead him away from the store window and towards a small alleyway beside the shop and another building.

"It's something only girls can do... I think," I grin as I pull Beau into the alleyway. My grin drops slightly when I see that Beau isn't smiling back, but staring at his feet. "Alright, out with it. What did Amber tell you?"

Beau stays silent for a few seconds, before he sighs and runs a hand through his curls, his jade eyes flicking up to mine defeatedly. "You're not going to let this go, are you?"

I shake my head stubbornly. "Nope, now talk."

Beau presses his lips together, before giving in and nodding. "A couple of days when we were on that stakeout, she said something odd to me, and I haven't been able to get it out of my head."

"What? What did she say?" I demand, chewing the inside of my lip as I run through all the possible things she could've said, before I decide that it's probably something along the lines of either I like you, you should date Harper... but remember that I will kill you if you hurt her or don't you dare go near her, or lay a finger on her your blackguard.

I grit my teeth and look up at Beau as he opens and closes his mouth, probably trying to find the right words to say. Yeah, it was definitely something like that... goddamnit Amber.

"Elle-" Beau pauses and shakes his head with a self-berating grin at his start in French, before starting again. "She told me 'I don't know much about the last man Harper loved because she moved away to Oregon soon after they started dating. I could tell she loved him very much, but after she moved back to California, she was never the same. I don't know what happened, or what that man did, but she's lost hope-'" Beau shakes his head again and suddenly looks to the ground, his teeth grinding together.

"She said that it's not long after one loses hope that they stop seeing the good in the world... and that she hoped I would be the one to change your mind before it was too late."

Beau glances back up at me to see my expression as I stare at him with a loss for words. Why would she say something like that? I told her everything that had happened in the elevator- and then I remember that the stakeout had happened before I told her what had happened, and how she admitted that she was extremely worried about me.

"Is that why you've been determined to stick by my side?" I ask quietly, my eyes piercing into Beau's jade ones. He didn't stick around because he cared, but because Amber had made him feel obligated to.

When Beau only stares back at me instead of answering, I shake my head with a humorless grin. "Of course, that's why you stuck around- why you were so insistent on being the one to train with me and being my 'protector.' You felt forced to... you thought I would 'give up' if you didn't help me, " I sneer, grinding my teeth together as I turn to walk towards the boutique, but a hand curls around my wrist and pulls me back.

"Harper, you didn't even let me answer," Beau says calmly, placing a finger under my chin when I don't look up at him. "Harper, look at me," he mutters, gently lifting my chin so my eyes meet his.

"I didn't decide to help you because Amber threatened or convinced me to. Yes, it was partially because I was worried about you, but it was mainly because of the raw determination in you. You were a force to be reckoned with, and as you heard me say earlier, I admired you for it," Beau leans forward slightly, passionate sparks in his eyes as he stares into mine. "That is why I wanted to help you Harper, not because I thought you were weak... but because I saw how strong you are."

My heart skips a beat as a I let out a shuddery breath, Beau's nose almost brushing against mine. My eyes begin to water as I look into Beau's eyes, "Really?" I whisper, as Beau's eyes painfully flick down to my lips.

"Yes," he whispers back, causing my heart to lurch slightly.

"Hey lovebirds!" A voice calls behind us, forcing us to quickly jump away from each other. I glance over my shoulder to see Amber leaning against the wall of the alley with a large grin on her face. "Our appointment is ready, so if you two want to bring that in here-"

Amber cuts off as I stride up to her and grab her by the front of her pink blouse, yanking her into the boutique. "You and me need to talk now."