Killer Smile: An enemies to lovers small town romantic comedy (Assassins in Love Book 3) Read online

  About Killer Smile

  He’s a covert operator. A killer built by the U.S. Army. He’s tasked with taking out his dream girl—and not on a date.

  Targeting Nicole should be simple, since she hates his guts. Sebastian The Dentist—yes, a real freakin’ dentist, don’t make it scary—has wanted Nic since they first locked horns. He’s not sure why they’re enemies, but knows there’s more to the sweet daycare owner than crayons and cardigans. But discovering her secrets lands them both in danger they’ll dodge only by working together.

  Between awkward wedding dates and puppies with no personal space, Sebastian and Nic get closer. They’re also close to discovering if Nic’s dead associate may not be so dead.

  If Sebastian can stop her from hating him long enough to eliminate the threat, they might just fall in love. But only Nic can stop him from hating himself.

  Killer Smile

  Assassins in Love book #3

  Tawna Fenske

  Contents

  Killer Smile

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Epilogue

  14. Your exclusive peek at Just for Show

  Acknowledgments

  Don’t Miss Out!

  About the Author

  Also by Tawna Fenske

  Killer Smile

  Assassins in Love book #3

  Sebastian and Nicole’s story

  For Dr. Andy Engel, DMD.

  A decade of urging me to write a dentist hero finally pays off.

  Thanks for sticking things in my mouth.

  And forgiving me when I make terrible jokes.

  Chapter 1

  Target: Code name Rogue

  Assignment date: Thursday, October 5

  Job details: Target to be eliminated for the slaying of Danny “Duck Toes” DeCosta. Female subject will wear a red dress. Considered armed and dangerous. Location and details provided upon acceptance of contract.

  Dr. Sebastian LaDouceur, DDS, stares at the incoming memo. He’s on his encrypted tablet, which he won’t normally check at work.

  Work at the dental office, which is just one of his jobs. The Dentist is a busy man.

  He reads the words again, surprised The Union pinged him. He’s taken fewer contracts lately to focus on pediatric dentistry. Who knew there were so many kids needing checkups and tartar scaling?

  As he scans the note again, two words catch his eye.

  Female target.

  Interesting. They know he doesn’t typically target women, so this one must be big. He heard of the hit on Duck Toes DeCosta. Doesn’t know much besides the shooter used an M24 sniper rifle from 900 feet. A clean shot, one Seb admires in principle.

  He types a message back.

  More detail required. Time? Target profile? Price?

  The last one doesn’t matter. Seb doesn’t do this for money. His covert work for Uncle Sam’s Army left him with a disdain for terrorists and rapists and other lowlifes he’s asked to eliminate. These side jobs are a hobby.

  Not like Dante and Matteo, who’ve mostly done dirty work for the Dovlanese government. Seb’s a freelancer. A gig worker, as the cool kids say.

  His front door chimes, and a guy walks in, gripping his jaw. “You’ve gotta help me, man!”

  Sebastian taps the tablet into lock mode. “What’s the problem?”

  “Oh, hey—you’re the dentist.” The guy drops his hand. “Saw your billboard on Eighth and Main. Can you squeeze me in?”

  Seb’s not taking new patients today, but the guy looks desperate. “What’s going on?”

  “I’ve got this big hole in my tooth.” He bares his front incisors like a spaniel subjected to non-consensual butt sniffs at the dog park. “See?”

  “First bicuspid?”

  The guy runs his tongue over his teeth. “Whassssat?”

  “Left top. Three back from the central incisor.” Sebastian peers in the guy’s mouth. Solid, sharp cuspids. Some enamel discoloration indicative of a coffee habit. He scans the suspicious spot and nods. “That’ll require an extremely specialized extraction technique.”

  “Extraction?” The man uncurls his lips. “I’ve got a date in three hours. I can’t have her thinking I’ve got rotten teeth.”

  Sebastian slips a hand in his desk drawer. Finds a pack of plastic toothpicks with soft, bristled ends. “Congratulations, sir.” He hands off the pack of picks. “I declare you an honorary dentist.”

  The guy stares at the packet. “Is that some kind of pill I should take?”

  “Toothpicks.” Has he never seen them not made of wood and stacked in a pink box? “That’s pepper on your tooth. Use the mirror over there to get it off.”

  “No shit?” He pivots and stares at the mirror. “Huh.” He pops out a pick and starts on his teeth. “I swear I brushed.”

  “Pepper’s stubborn.” A glance out the window gives Seb a second glimpse of stubborn. Matteo and Dante in Teo’s 1973 Alfa Romeo Spider. They’ve got the top up and their eyes glued on Sebastian’s guest.

  Flipping them the bird, he checks his patient’s progress. “All good?”

  “You’re a lifesaver, man.” The guy pockets the pack of picks and makes for the door. “If I get laid tonight, I owe you.”

  “Wonderful.” He leans back in his chair and waits for the guy to go away in his Tesla. The second he’s gone, his buddies have their car doors open.

  “Afternoon, gentlemen.” He hooks his hands behind his head as his pals stride through the clinic entrance. “You here for a complimentary tongue scraping?”

  Matteo leans on the counter. “A fucking comedian.”

  Dante scans the waiting room. “Where’s your receptionist?”

  “Terri’s at lunch.” Seb drops his chair legs to the floor. “Which means she can’t slap me for calling her Terri.” It’s her name, but not one he gets to call his grandma. “Need her to schedule you for a denture fitting?”

  Matteo glares. “You can stop the comedy routine any time.”

  Not really. It’s kind of his thing. He’s mulling another crack when Dante leans in and lowers his voice. “Last chance to join the Svenson job. Shouldn’t take more than an hour.”

  “I thought you’d gone straight.” Dante’s a farmer now, and Teo took a job for some computer firm. “No more killing bad guys for money?”

  “No killing.” Dante cracks his knuckles. “Just talking.”

  A talk from big, bald Dante could scare anyone to death, so it’s kinda the same. “Good plan.”

  “And we’re not making money.” Matteo hands him a ski mask. “It’s a pro bono job.”

  The mask is a nice touch. Necessary, since Seb’s face decorates billboards all over town.

  “While I appreciate the anonymity, I’m out.” He shoves the mask back. “I’ve got a gum graft at two.”

  Teo lifts a brow. “Performing or receiving?”

  “Performing.” He does a lot of that. “Maybe the next job?”

  “Later this week.” Dante scrubs his bald scalp with one big hand. “Drinks with a guy who sticks kittens in a sack and throws them in his pond instead of getting his cats spayed.”

  Grounds for murder in Dante’s book. Seb can’t blame him. The big guy
loves animals.

  As usual, Teo will pull the reins, insist they talk instead of slipping cyanide in the target’s beer.

  It’s nice how his pals complement each other. “Which night?”

  “Depends.” Dante looks at Matteo. “Which night were Jen and Nic doing that fancy charity thing?”

  Teo shrugs. “I’ll ask Renee. They’re all going together.”

  Sebastian rests a hand on the darkened tablet. It buzzed ten seconds ago, so The Union must’ve answered. “Can I let you know? I might have something going on this week.”

  “Busy guy.” Dante thumps the counter with a meaty fist. “I’m making elk chili next Friday night. Come by at five.”

  His week’s perking up already. “Will everyone be there?”

  Matteo shares a scowl with both of them before jerking a thumb at Dante. “Just because this asshole’s marrying one sister doesn’t grant you permission to date the other.”

  Seb stifles a snort. Nicole Bello needs no one’s permission for anything. “One of these days, she’ll stop hating me. Then I’ll be at all the family dinners.”

  “Dream on.” Teo heads for the door. “Let us know which night you’re free for the kitten guy.”

  “Will do.” He watches his buddies march out. One bald and brooding, one dark and scowling. Both big as hell. If anyone’s casing his clinic, they look like the weirdest couple to ever book a tandem cleaning.

  Grabbing the tablet, he taps in his passcode. Waits for the message to appear.

  Target is a female operator with 48 confirmed kills. Further details forthcoming only with signed contract.

  Sebastian snorts aloud this time. He’s been at this too long to take a job without more intel. He taps his favorite poop emoji, followed by a blue tyrannosaurus, a balloon bouquet, and a smiley face with oversized teeth.

  It’s meaningless crap and not code for anything, but The Union guys will spend hours deciphering its hidden message.

  No sharey, no signy.

  He’s barely set the tablet down when his door bangs open. He looks up, and his heart heaves into his throat.

  “God, you’re a jerk.”

  As his heart simmers down, a different part of him wakes up. “Afternoon, Nicole.” He gives her his best dentist grin. “You look lovely today.”

  It’s true, though her scowl suggests she doesn’t like hearing it from him. “How many times do I have to ask you politely not to let your patients park in my lot?”

  “Politely?” He pretends to ponder. “Once would do it.”

  She huffs out a breath. “Seriously, LaDouceur. My families need to get in and out of my building as quickly as possible. They can’t trek across the lot every time some douche in a Porsche shows up late for his teeth whitening and parks in front of my daycare.”

  Nicole Bello runs a childcare facility for families in hiding. Moms fleeing abuse or dads in witness protection. A remarkable gig, and she’s remarkable for running it.

  Doesn’t mean he won’t mess with her. “Much as I’d love to be the first dental clinic in Oregon to have valet parking, that’s not in the cards. I put up a sign. What else do you want?”

  “They’re not getting the message from your stupid sign.” Nic blows blonde hair off her forehead. “Make it bigger.”

  This bickering sends conflicting signals to his libido. “You want it bigger, huh?”

  “God, you’re a pig.” Nic folds her arms. She’s wearing one of her teacher dresses with a thick cardigan, but he sees the swell of her breasts behind the fabric.

  He’d see them if she wore a suit of armor.

  “Seriously, Minty Fresh.” Her eyes soften, but her voice stays sharp. “It’s a safety issue. I need you to take this seriously.”

  The fact that she said “seriously” twice means he shouldn’t joke around. “Seriously seriously, or just sorta seriously?” He tips back in his chair. “Because there’s a difference between—”

  “Between me speaking plainly to you—business owner to business owner—versus me involving the police?” She grits her teeth. “Is that serious enough for you?”

  Yeah, that’ll do it.

  He sets down his chair. “You know I’m just messing with you.” He ordered the new sign last week. “M’lady wants it bigger, she’ll get it bigger. It’ll be up by the end of the week.”

  Her face softens like her eyes. Green eyes the color of sea glass or ocean waves or the little jade roller Terri uses for her face cream.

  Thinking of his grandma helps make his hard-on go down.

  “Thank you.” Nicole rests her hands on the counter, and he does his best not to look at them. Not to wonder what they’d feel like trailing down his chest. “I don’t mean to be a hard-ass. It’s just really important.”

  Sebastian nods gravely. “All asses are important. Particularly yours.”

  Nic flings her arms up. “You’re hopeless.”

  “Not true.” He lifts one brow. “I’m very hopeful you’ll go out with me tomorrow night.”

  “No.”

  “Wednesday night?”

  “Sebastian—”

  “Okay, okay.” He rests his arms on the counter.

  Is he seeing things, or did her eyes just flick favorably to his biceps? “Thursday night, and that’s my final offer.”

  “Well, that’s a relief.” She backs toward the door. “Even if I wanted to—which I don’t—I have plans Thursday.”

  “What sort of plans?”

  “None of your business.”

  “Tuning your harp to play hymns with the angels?” He dials up the wattage on his grin. “Renewing your license to drive me wild with desire?”

  Nicole snorts. “Do lines like that ever work for you?”

  “Dunno.” He grabs a paperweight off the counter. He’s got no papers to anchor but wants to watch her ogle his arms as he throws it from one hand to the other. “I save all my best stuff for you.”

  “Please.” Nic’s eyes flicker.

  He tosses again.

  Another flicker.

  She licks her lips. “If that’s your best, God help the women who get your lousiest.”

  “There’s only you, Nicole.”

  Another toss.

  Another flash.

  A roll of those green eyes. “Goodbye, LaDouceur.”

  She shoves out the door, and he sits up to watch her walk from his clinic to her car across the lot.

  Wait. Not to her car. To the dry cleaner two doors down. He stares through the window as she hands them a ticket, then waits while the clerk shuffles in back.

  Seb’s not kidding about the date. From the instant he laid eyes on Nicole Bello, he wanted her. The fact that she hated him on sight may be a motive.

  Sebastian loves a challenge.

  But he loves her fiery personality more. Her beauty, her brains, her fierce love of family. He even loves how she tells him off. It’s a game he enjoys, and deep down, she enjoys it, too. He’s almost sure.

  The dry cleaner comes back with a plastic-wrapped garment on a hanger. Sebastian squints to see it. A dress? Not one of her teacher dresses. This one looks slinky. Something long and curve-hugging and…

  Red?

  She swings through the door with the bag over her arm, and he follows her with his eyes. Stares as she slings the dress into her sensible Volvo. She checks the mirrors and buckles her seatbelt like a fine, upstanding instructor of young minds.

  As she drives away—hands at perfect ten-and-two on the wheel—Sebastian feels his arms prickle.

  Dragging his eyes to his tablet, he shoves it aside. Wiggles the mouse for his desktop computer and toggles past the patient portal. In the search bar, he plugs in “charity benefit events.” Three clicks later, he’s on the website for the chamber of commerce.

  It’s the silliest hunch he’s ever had.

  But as he scans the listings, he can’t lose the tingle in his gut.

  Chapter 2

  “You want more bubbles?”

&
nbsp; Nicole shakes her head and sips her virgin cider. “I’m good, thanks.”

  Her sister tips the bottle of champagne to Renee’s glass as Nic swallows her lukewarm drink. She swapped the contents of her flute when Jen and Renee ran to the restroom.

  Not that she doesn’t like booze.

  But her gut says to keep her wits sharp tonight. Her gut’s rarely wrong, so she’s swilling this non-alcoholic crap. “I wonder where that guy is with the bacon-wrapped shrimp?”

  Jen shrugs and sets down the bottle. “Maybe we ate them all.”

  “They were damn tasty.” Nic’s distracted as she scans the crowd. Is that a gun on the hip of the waiter with the canapes?

  No, it’s a bar towel.

  Or the woman in the green cocktail dress—what’s she slipping in that mug? Poison or roofies or—no. It’s fucking Sweet-n-Low.

  “You okay, Nicole?”

  She snaps back to Renee. “I’m great!” Resettling in her seat, she lifts her champagne flute. “Just wondering who won that helicopter tour in the silent auction.”

  Renee makes a wistful face. “I lost out on the necklace.”

  “Seriously?” Nicole huffs. “Some asshole outbid you?”

  It’s Nic. She’s the asshole.

  “Probably best.” Renee shrugs. “I couldn’t afford it, anyway.”

  Exactly why Nic placed a secret bid. “It would have been great for your wedding.” And now it’s a great birthday gift. She’ll give it to Renee at family dinner next Friday.

  Shifting to Jen, Nic smooths hair off her sister’s temple. “I love you in an updo like this.”