Page 107 of Take It Offline

I keep waiting to reach the end of it, this thirst for his opinion, a smile or a joke, the frustrated sighs from behind my screen that tell me Ops is being needy again.

But the end is nowhere in sight. And I don’t think I’ll ever find it.

There’s a treasure trove underneath the suit and tie, and I want it all.

It’s hard to remember that he’s the same man who cornered me once, fire in his eyes and an insult at the ready. Like this, he’s soft, a relaxed curve of heat and muscle, a safe harbor. Protection. His hair is mussed, lips as pink as ever. Gorgeous doesn’t even begin to describe him.

I can’t hold back from stroking his hair. After a silent moment, I lower my hands and shift until I’m sitting next to him, staring down at my knees.

Slowly, he reaches for my hand. He turns it over and slips his fingers between mine. His grip is sure, his palm soft and warm. It’s not until he gives me a gentle squeeze that I look away, choking on the weight of his tenderness.

“Thanks,” he rasps. “I guess I haven’t grown out of the habit of worrying about people.”

“But who worries about you?” I ask, that ache returning. He’s always using his endless fucking care for everyone but himself.

I inch closer so we’re pressed together from hip to shoulder. “Maybe we both need someone to look out for us.” Softly, I kiss his shoulder. “Maybe we can look after each other.”

He turns his head toward me, eyes dark and intense, never leaving mine as he cups my cheek. He’s so silent, holds so much inside, keeping it safe. As though he could save the world simply by taking its pain as his own.

And in that moment, I want him to know I see him too, that I don’t just want the pretty packaging, but everything underneath, even the shadows.

Even the scars.

In this moment, in the dark, as the moonlight shrouds Charlie in silence, I close the distance between us and kiss him.

CHAPTER 35

IT’S US AGAINST THE WORLD

CHARLIE

“Are you sure about this?” Emma asks, heel tapping on the floor.

If we weren’t in an elevator, she’d be pacing, I’m sure of it.

“Are you kidding me? He’s been against you from the start. We’re not going to make anything up. This isn’t about forcing him out, even if I wish I could. I just want to see if there’s anything to find.”

“And if there isn’t?”

Fuck, I hate how discouraged she sounds.

“Then we’ll think of something else. But he can’t just fucking get away with this,” I say. “Haven’t you ever wanted to give a bad guy his just deserts?”

She says nothing, but there’s no hiding the twinkle in her eyes.

I grin at her. “You have.”

“Of course I have,” she says, and I want to kiss the pout off her lips. “But that doesn’t mean I feel comfortable hacking into his computer.”

“All right, Neo, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. All I’m proposing is that we visit a friend of mine over in security.Manish’s a good guy. I wouldn’t ask him to do anything that would risk his ass or ours.”

“You promise?” she asks.

I brush my thumb across her cheek, needing the touch too much to care that we’re in the office. “Don’t you trust me?”

“Of course I do,” she says, delivered so genuinely I’m knocked off my axis for a full minute.

“Okay,” I say, when I can think again. We haven’t talked about the kiss, but I can’t stop thinking about it. Emma, though, hasn’t made a move to repeat it, and for the first time in my life, I’m thinkingbeforeI do something reckless.

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