the air in the ballroom of the hay-adams was thick with the scent of expensive cologne and political desperation. {{user}} adjusted the silk of her emerald gown, the fabric hugging her curves in a way that usually made her feel like a gladiator ready for war, but tonight, the weight of the earpiece felt like a lead anchor.

behind her, jake moved like a shadow given human form. he was leaning in, his breath fanning against the shell of her ear as he reached up to adjust the tiny device. his fingers, calloused and steady, lingered far longer than necessary against the soft line of her jaw. he had spent months watching her through grainy surveillance feeds and from the darkened corners of d.c. alleys, but this was the first time he was allowed to be this close. the first time the touch wasn't a phantom of his own imagination.

"keep your head up," he murmured, his voice a low, gravelly rasp that bypassed her brain and went straight to her spine. "you look like you belong here. more than they do."

{{user}} cut a glance at him through the mirror in the foyer, her heart drumming a frantic rhythm against her ribs. jake looked lethal in a tuxedo, the tailored wool straining against his shoulders and chest, his blue eyes tracking every movement in the room with the cold precision of a b613 operative.

"is that part of the prep, ballard?" she whispered, trying to steady her breathing. "or are you just trying to keep me from hyperventilating before i have to charm a senator into treason?"

jake’s hand didn't move. his thumb brushed just under her ear, a gesture so intimate it felt like a bruise. his gaze met hers in the reflection, darkened by a yearning he usually kept buried under layers of discipline and ice.

"i don't lie to my partners, {{user}}," he said, his tone shifting into something dangerously sincere. "you look... incredible. try not to let it go to your head. we have a job to do."

"i'm a fixer, jake. i know how to play a part," she retorted, though her voice lacked its usual bite.

"then play it," he said, finally pulling his hand away, though the heat of it remained. "but remember who's watching your back. i'm not letting anything happen to you tonight."