Page 81 of Beyond the Rules

I stole in through the shop’s back door and went directly to the main floor. The overhead lights were switched off, but the flames of the heating stove illuminated the far corner with a soft reddish glow. The notes of classic rock played in the background, headlined by a kickass electric guitar. Zar was there, the dark outline of his body recognizable by the broad set of his shoulders and the wide stance of his powerful legs. The light of his torch glinted off his leather apron and reflected on his welder’s shield as blue sparks rained like shooting stars from hisflame.

I stood there, drinking in the sight of him, willing my heart to slow down. His shoulders rose and fell in a deep breath. He knew I was standing there, of course he knew, but he kept the flame going until he completed his weld. At that point, he turned off his torch and set it aside. Slowly, methodically, he tugged off his gloves, took off his mask, and stripped off his apron before he turned to face me. His black T-shirt stretched over his pecs. His thighs flexed beneath his black jeans as he braced his steel-toed boots on the polished concretefloor.

The breath caught in my throat. He was…magnificent.Here. Safe. Whole. The words poured over my wounded brain like a soothing balm.Thank you. Whatever God heard the prayers of hackers had answered mine. Hot. So hot. My body leaned forward as if connected to him by a tightly stretchedrubberband.

The words just blurted out of my mouth. “We foundCalamity.”

His mouth curled up in a sexy grin that sent goosebumps rippling through my flesh. “Iheard.”

My eyebrows shot up. “Youknow?”

“Talked to Josh Lane on the plane ride back.” He stood so still I thought maybe I was looking at an avatar of him. “Goodjob.”

Okay. All right. If only I could slow down my pulse, maybe I could stop the room from spinning. “Why didn’t you let us know youwereback?”

“I didn’t want to wakeyouup.”

“You don’t…um…need to rest? I mean…after your mission?” I was really fumbling the reunion I’d envisioned inmymind.

“I’m too jacked up. Can’t sleep after amission.”

“So…um…” I wavered on my feet. “Itwentwell?”

“It got sketchy for a while there, but the hostages are free and the teamissafe.”

Zar’s definition ofsuccess.

I let out the breath I’d been holding. “I was so worried. You didn’t answer mytexts.”

“Sorry, my cell got totaled.” He shifted on his feet and clasped his hands behind his back. “You don’t need to worryaboutme.”

“Like hell I don’t.” The rubber band pulling on me snapped. I launched across the room and into his arms like a stone shot out of acatapult.

He absorbed my body’s impact without a sound. His arms clamped around me and wouldn’t let go. He lifted me off the floor and crushed me to his chest. I wrapped my legs around his waist and buried my face under his neck, inhaling the scent of him, a trace of fresh soap mixed with heated metalandfire.

I clung to him with all I had, afraid that, if I let go, he would disappear like a hologram. But the heat of his body was real against me and it banished the chill that had afflicted me just moments ago. In his arms, I was warm, safe, and alive. In my arms, sowashe.

I hugged him real tight, struggling to hold back the tide of tears clogging my throat. I slid my hands up and down his back, relishing his solid presence, enjoying his strength, reveling in the smooth flow of his muscles and the pounding of his heart against my chest. I might’ve clung to him forever if my fingers hadn’t tripped on a subtle rise hidden beneath hisshirt.

“What’s this?” I dropped my feet to the ground and, circling him, lifted his T-shirt and stared at his back. The flames illuminated a rectangular bandage neatly stuck between his shoulder blades. I slid the T-shirt over his head and gawked at the ugly bruise spreading over his ribs. “Oh, my God, Zar.You’rehurt!”

“I’m fine,” he said. “It’s nothing,really.”

My gaze wavered between the bandage and his face. “Whathappened?”

“I had a rookie on the team and I had to give him anassist.”

“I knew it.” The tears just spilled out of my eyes. “I could feel it in my bones. I knew something had gonewrong.”

“Please, don’t cry, Nina,” Zar murmured, gathering me in his arms. “Lots of things change during a mission. We adapt and move on. I’m here now. Everything’s gonna be okay.” As if to prove his point, he lowered his face to mine and made my lifetrulyokay.

The kiss he landed on my mouth made me forget I wasn’t any good at adapting. It also forced me to move on from the fear and anguish unleashed by his absence. As Zar’s tongue traveled over the seam of my lips and dipped in my mouth, I forgot he’d been gone and I’d been lost. He cradled the back of my head in his hand and gorged on my mouth with a hunger that ignited myblood.

I looked up between my lashes and considered Zar. In that moment, everything fell into place. I’d fallen in love with Tanner almost instantly. What I believed had been a concussion-induced delusion had turned out to be something I never believed in: love at first sight, an instant, instinctual recognition of the treasure that Tanner was. My affection for Aiden had evolved via friendship born out of compatibility, two likeminded people, friends destined to be lovers. The relationship between Zar and I had been a lot more complicated, a challenge, a clash, a sometimes tortuous journey that had kept us apart before it brought us to the hereandnow.

Maybe I should’ve stayed away from Zar, knowing that the end was near. But I couldn’t, wouldn’t. I had to hack his life, too, seize my chance and close this circle. A little time with Zar would last me alifetime.

“Nina?” Zar said, running a single finger along the line of my jaw. “There’s something I have totellyou.”

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