Total pages in book: 60
Estimated words: 57237 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 286(@200wpm)___ 229(@250wpm)___ 191(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 57237 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 286(@200wpm)___ 229(@250wpm)___ 191(@300wpm)
“So I suggest we spar together,” he whispered. “Face me on the mats in the martial arts studio, and I will show you, Daddy.”
Jesus Christ. My brain flooded with images of the two of us, fighting, sweating, turning into animals…
The darkest desire slithered through me, and I kneaded his ass cheeks and let my fingers slide between.
His breathing hitched as he flicked the tip of his tongue against my own. “We’ll get there with baby steps,” he said quietly. “You’ll see my results from training and test scores.”
I made a rumbling, humming sound into a deep kiss, and I’d heard enough. He’d seduced me properly, and now I needed all of him.
After one more hard kiss, I spun him around to face the wall, and I reached for the baby oil.
“Push out that tight little bottom for Daddy,” I said.
The first round was going to be quick.
CHAPTER 9
One month later
“I’ve been saying that to Terrance for months,” I said. “Did you go to him directly?” I set a side salad next to my plate, then slid my tray right up to the register.
Darius nodded and grabbed a bottle of water. “He keeps saying maybe next year. Between you and me, I think he’s waiting for TJ to take over that bit.”
Wouldn’t surprise me. In Terrance’s defense, he’d run this agency on his own for too long. He needed the help. Thankfully, his and Arthur’s sons were getting ready, especially TJ. Quinlan was still technically with the Army and only came in when he was on leave.
Darius and I paid for our lunches, then went to find an empty table by the windows.
The cafeteria seated at least sixty or seventy people, but I’d never seen more than a couple dozen here at the same time. Kind of like now. Which suited me fine. Darius was a rare sight, and I wanted to catch up with him. He was off to Israel tomorrow.
I glanced toward the exit before I sat down and unwrapped my utensils.
“Is Danny joining us?”
“I’m not sure,” I replied. “He wanted to catch Sid before he flies out.”
I wasn’t privy to the details, but Sid was part of a larger detachment heading for Kandahar tonight. It was the first time I’d heard of Hillcroft sending a unit of eight operators.
“Fifty bucks he aces every test,” Darius said.
I chuckled and shook my head. “I’m not betting against that, kid.”
He grinned and tucked into his fish and chips.
I’d opted for meatloaf, because that wasn’t fish and chips. Allow me to have some Britishisms left. Mum gave me enough crap for not liking tea.
Even though I genuinely didn’t believe Danny would get here for lunch, I couldn’t help but glance at the entrance every now and then. I didn’t even know why I was nervous. He’d chosen to take tests within the fields he was already an expert, so it went without saying that he’d perform well.
Knocking those off the list would free up time for the things he needed to put more energy into, like infiltration, counterterrorism, and diplomacy. He’d made a face when I’d told him we’d rather use a client’s funds to bribe ourselves out of a situation than shoot our way out.
“Do you stay with family in Washington, or do you have your own place?” I asked Darius.
That was another thing on my mind this week. Danny was flying back to Kentucky this weekend to “pack a few bags.”
Darius furrowed his brow. “My own place. I mean, I live there.”
Huh. That one made me sit back. “You don’t consider yourself a resident here at all?” I did know he went home a lot, unless he was doing back-to-back gigs, but…
He grimaced and opened his water. “Not really. My condo here can be emptied in twenty minutes.”
Roughly a month ago, I could’ve said the same thing. But with Danny adding some stuff, mainly in the kitchen and our bedroom, I’d need at least forty-five minutes now.
My boy liked his gadgets.
“I’m not much for the city life,” Darius finished.
The real question was what Danny thought. Did he still consider himself to be living in Kentucky? Did he have plans to move here?
I was wary of bringing it up. He was focusing so hard on making it to Ecuador this November that I didn’t wanna add shit to his plate. At the same time, I believed we’d both feel better with concrete commitment. Not just saying things but to make an actual move. Such as, don’t renew the damn lease hundreds of miles away from me.
“But you didn’t ask because you wanted to know my situation,” Darius stated with a faint smirk.
I huffed and shoveled some food into my mouth.
These damn kids. You trained them, you worked with them, you helped turn them into excellent contractors—and then they used that shit against you.