Page 17 of The Operator

“They were in high school and had only had sex with each other. Neither of them knew any better.” She lowered her voice as the men walked through the door. “We’ll get her opinion when they eventually get together for real.”

Yeah, I didn’t see that happening anytime soon.

“Anyway. Urban legend sex is not a reason to hook up with someone.” I kept my voice low as well.

“What do you mean? That is exactly the reason to hook up with someone. It may not be the basis for a solid relationship, but everyone needs to start somewhere.” She folded her arms and lifted a brow, not bothering to keep her voice down. “Besides, when last have you gotten laid?”

Just then Nick and Noah walked into my kitchen. Nick was unsuccessfully suppressing a smile while Noah brows almost reached his hairline.

Noah turned to Nick. “Did I hear your sister-in-law correctly? Is this the kind of conversation I need to get used to?”

Nick chuckled and shook his head. “This is nothing. At least you didn’t hear the termurban legendbeing thrown around.”

“We’ve moved on from that already.” Lilly needed to not speak. She was not good at keeping secrets in general. And certainly not when it came to each other’s love lives. “That was one of the first things we spoke about since we have the man responsible for the term right here with us.”

“Lilly.”

I shrieked at the same time Noah yelled.

“What?”

Lilly smiled and took my laptop from me. “Come on, Nick. Let’s get this laptop to Jared. These two have some things to talk about.” She turned and winked at me. “Send your passwords to Jared and he’ll be able to retrieve the emails you’ve deleted. We can have a timeline and get a beat on this sicko by tomorrow.”

“It's the weekend Lil.” I didn’t want my friends putting themselves out for me. “You can get to it on Monday.”

Lilly stopped and turned to face me. “And you’re family. I don’t know if you’ve noticed but we drop everything to help family. Just like they went to South America to get Noah and his team. Because, if nothing else he’s Skylar’s dad, and she’s our family.”

My heart stuttered in my chest. I looked up at Noah. “You were the reason they were in South America.”

“Not now, babe.” Noah shook his head. His words suggested that we would talk about it at another time, but his tone indicated that the subject was not up for discussion.

We weren’t anything to each other, it shouldn’t hurt that he would not want to talk about things with me. And, of course, not all of it could be a secret if Lilly mentioned it so casually. No. It was me that Noah didn’t want to speak to. I was not military or law enforcement and therefore not privy to whatever had happened to him. I understood that, still, it hurt.

10

NOAH

After much back and forth I finally gave in and slept in Everly’s bed while she went to sleep in Skylar’s room. My plan was to sleep on the couch until I could move both mother and daughter to my new place. As soon as I found one. I was not going to sleep in Skylar’s room since that was at the end of the hall and too far away if anyone broke in.

There wasn’t so much an argument as much a discussion. She understood why I wanted to be closer to both entrances and didn’t have a problem sleeping in Skylar’s bed. I was the one who didn’t want her inconvenienced.

A wet licking at my cheek had me popping one eye open. Fontaine, the three-month-old, German Shepard Mix puppy was on the bed. A gift from Daniel Salinger to his honorary granddaughter. The dog’s sad eyes and crooked ears were not easy to resist. Besides, I was not in the mood to clean up puppy mess from the bed.

“Come on, buddy.” I picked up the pup and carried him to the back yard. I surveyed the perimeter, noting the high wall that at least had electric wire at the top. I was not sure why the security of the property was so lax, but if Skylar and Everly were going tocontinue living there, I would make sure the place was safer than Fort Knox.

After a long sniff of every blade of grass, and doing his business, Fontaine came trotting back to me, sitting alongside me.

I heard the yard door opening and sensed her standing behind me. “Thanks for taking him out already.” Her voice was sleepy, and it took me back thirteen years. “Usually, he wakes me. He must’ve gone to my room out of habit.”

“No problem.” I picked the dog up and turned. I stifled a gasp and prayed that my sweatpants hid how turned on I was at the sight of her. She was wearing nothing more than an oversized T-shirt. I remembered her wearing something similar the weekend we spent together. Only then it was my t-shirt.

My gaze traveled the length of her. Starting at her feet with bright red polish on her toes. Up those bare legs that seemed to go on forever. That T-shirt barely skimmed the tops of her thighs and I bet if she bent over, I would get a delicious view of that stunning ass. My eyes traveled even further up to the swells of her breasts. With the way her nipples poked at the fabric it was clear she was not wearing a bra. Was she completely naked under the shirt? I cleared my mind of those thoughts and my gaze caught hers.

Busted.She’d caught me checking her out and the blush hitting her cheeks was adorable. I was not wearing a shirt and her gaze lowered to my chest. As soon as she realized what she was doing she lifted her eyes again, her cheeks nearly the same color as her toes.

Everly cleared her throat. “You hungry?” She shook her head and walked back inside. “I can make breakfast.”

Her shy streak was new. Or at least it was a side of her I didn’t get to see before.

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