Page 29 of Lars

Hot, hot, HOT.

However, I put my physical attraction aside and remained 100% business.

There had been one occasion in the distant past where I’d returned a colleague’s flirtations, and I had paid for it when he turned into a chauvinist pig. Unfortunately, letting a man know you fancy him tends to undermine his professional respect for you.

Never again.

“What can I do for you, Henriksson?”

He seemed slightly disappointed – like he was hoping I might be a bit friendlier.

He’s attracted to you, a little voice whispered in my ear.

I ignored it.

There were very few women in my line of work, so you got used to men being constantly attracted to you.

…just not ones this hot.

But Henriksson got the hint and remained 100% business, too.

“You might want to take Delgado off the team.”

I’d been considering that very same thing.

What I didn’t know yet was whether Henriksson was a good guy…

Or whether he thought I couldn’t handle an asshole.

“And why is that?” I asked, reserving judgment until I heard more.

“One of the guys in his unit warned me that if you get on Delgado’s bad side, you don’t want him backing you up in the field.”

“…because…?”

“Because if he has a problem with you, he’ll let the Taliban take care of it.”

“Delgado has intentionally left other soldiers unprotected so that they’re injured or killed by the enemy?”

“That’s what the guy said.”

“Which guy?”

I knew he wouldn’t tell me.

He didn’t disappoint.

“Just a guy.”

“Have you reported this?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

Henriksson shrugged. “There’s no proof. It’s just something he heard from someone back in Spain.”

“That’s a serious charge,” I pointed out.

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