Page 43 of Sweet Little Spies

His head shook like he was disappointed in her. “I told you.No one else. Not ever. You’re the only woman on earth I’ve ever had sex with,and Aidan’s the only other human I’ve shared any kind of intimacy with. Tryagain. Ask a hard one.”

“Did you miss me?” The minute the question was out of hermouth, she regretted it.

He started to take a step toward her but backed off. “Ofcourse. I’ve missed you every single day.”

“Would you take it back?”

He hesitated. “I don’t know. Part of me says yes. Part ofme….part of me is addicted to this life. Part of me can’t stand the thought ofnot having this kind of power. I want to tell you I’ll walk away and come homeand work for my dad. But I don’t know if I can.”

Well, he’d said he would be honest. She glanced at theclock. It was so late. “Can I take the night to think about it?”

Tristan nodded and moved to the door. “Of course. If youdecide it’s a no and you still need a session, Cooper can run one for you. Kalawouldn’t mind helping.”

They would give her the pain she needed but none of thepleasure.

She knew what she was going to say but she couldn’t give itto him tonight.

If this was the end, she wanted something from him. Fromthem.

“Okay,” she agreed. “I’ll let you know tomorrow.”

“It is tomorrow.” Tristan yawned. “Can I have a pillow?”

She picked up the extra. Kala’s room was oddly spartan. Themost decoration she had was a wall of pictures of her and her family andfriends. There was a pic of her with Bud One, along with his old collar hangingoff it. A pic of her and Lou and Cooper and TJ in high school.

Her and Aidan’s apartment was filled with memories. Did shewant to lose them? Would she even be able to look at the pictures if they brokeup?

She handed Tristan the pillow, careful not to touch him.“You staying on the couch? It might be better than the office, or so I’veheard.”

He opened the door and stepped just outside. There was asleeping bag rolled up on the floor. “I’ve been told the only place I shouldsleep tonight is outside your door. Your father gave me a whole lecture on howit’s the traditional sleeping place of a Taggart who fucked up.”

Her father was mean, but she’d certainly heard the stories.“My mom kicked him out of their bedroom once, and he slept outside her door. Hewas worried about her at the time.”

“And apparently your brother did the same for MaeBe.”Tristan unrolled the sleeping bag. “But this is where I’m smarter than theywere. I only have to take half the night because I have a partner. He might bepissed at me, but he’ll do his part. Also, I came prepared. I got a bunch ofcomplaints about how crappy it is to sleep on the floor. This baby has a newtype of memory foam built in.”

“Good for you,” she said and couldn’t keep the sour notefrom her tone.

“There’s room for two,” he offered. “Or I could stay withyou.”

She hadn’t let Aidan stay with her. She certainly wasn’tabout to invite Tristan in. She slammed the door in his face.

“All right, then,” he said. “I’ll be out here doing theTaggart tradition proud.”

Carys turned off the lights and forced herself into a lonelybed.

* * * *

Tristan came awake suddenly with the knowledge he wasn’talone. Adrenaline flooded his system as his brain came back online.

He reached for his gun, kept hidden under the pillow, andbrought it up.

“Hello.” Daisy O’Donnell sat cross-legged at the end of thetorture device the twins called a pull-out sofa bed.

Fuck. He was at the twins’ place. He wasn’t out in thefield. He wasn’t The Jester here. He was Tristan Dean-Miles. He was himself.Whoever that was anymore.

He’d offered to stay on watch when Aidan had come to relievehim at four this morning, but Aidan had insisted, and his best friend hadobviously had enough, so he’d given up his fairly comfy spot forthis…punishment of a “bed.”

He pulled the gun away and forced his body to an uprightposition, taking a long breath to banish the fear response. “Sorry.”

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