Archive of Our Own ^beta

Eliot jumped at Sophie's touch. "What are you doing?"

"I am merely placing my hand upon your arm," Sophie said.

"Yeah, there will be none of that. I'm not pouring more tea for you." He scooted down the booth away from her.

Sophie laughed. "Touch isn't always about manipulation, Eliot."

He moved further down the booth and hit the wall. She slid right next to him.

"Damn it, Sophie." She was pressed up next to him now. He could feel every inch of her leg, her arm, her . . . well, the entire side of her body.

"We are supposed to be playing a couple."

"Okay, no one told me that."

"Change of plan," Sophie said, and smirked at him.

He should've known there was something fishy going on when she asked him to stay with her instead of sticking on the wait staff with the others.

"I am not cuddling in public."

"Now, Eliot. Who's the grifter here? I know how to sell this." She put her head on his shoulder. "Put your arm around me."

"No."

"Do you really want to be the one who blows this job?"

Eliot sighed. "Fine."

He stretched his arm across the back of the booth.

"That doesn't count."

He let his arm drop, so it was just barely touching her shoulders.

"You're hopeless," Sophie said. And she snuggled even closer to him, which he didn't really think was possible. Any closer and she'd be in his lap. Which she better not be planning on.

"Why can't Nate do this? Or Hardison?"

"I might need you."

"To humiliate?"

Sophie reached up and patted his cheek. "Don't be ridiculous."

Eliot shifted a little and his arm fell all the way down Sophie's shoulder. He decided to leave it there. It was . . . comfortable.

"See, this isn't so bad."

"I'm not sure what this has to do with the job," Elliot said. He turned his head to look down at her and the scent of her hair captured his attention. She had used some kind of fancy shampoo. He wondered if that was part of the role she was playing or if it were just Sophie.

"Well, I can't approach Ken on my own," Sophie said.

Ken was their mark. They'd followed him to this restaurant, which Sophie claimed was the best place to approach him.

"You can't? You've approached marks on your own a thousand times."

Sophie sighed. "Women. Single men. Bored married men. Ken is in a happy relationship. It requires a more . . . delicate touch."

"You came to me for a delicate touch?"

"I'll take care of that part," Sophie said. "Your job is to look utterly besotted with me."

"Yeah, I'm not doing that." Eliot meant to take his arm from her shoulders, maybe even push her a little away from him, but she looked so comfortable. And he didn't want to draw any attention to them. Much better they stay as they were.

"We need to convince Ken that we're a happy couple, too. He's much more likely to open up to us if he thinks we have a lot in common."

"That . . . makes sense."

"See? I know what I'm talking about," Sophie said. "Next time you should just listen to me."

"For the record, I'm not enjoying this."

Sophie smiled. "I never said you were."

"Good. As long as we're on the same page."

But, all the same, he'd be okay if they stayed like this for a while longer.