Page 157 of Stealth Mission

Her strength rocks me. Makes me feel like the luckiest man alive. “I’m proud of you for taking care of yourself.”

She surprises me with her next announcement. “I’m going to try to forgive Peter.”

Damn. She’s a better person than me. I’m not sure if I can ever excuse his actions, but I’m not going to tell her that.

Glancing at the floor for a beat, she sighs. “I just wish he would have talked to me.”

I just wish I could take her pain away. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. You deserved to know what was going on.”

When she looks up and I search her eyes, I fall for the thousandth time into the warmth of the golden shine. “You’re so fucking strong, you amaze me.”

“It’s because you’re holding me together.”

I lean down to her and take the kiss I need.Fuck, that feels good.

When I pull back, her eyes are softer and her lips are pure temptation.

“You look really pretty.”

She slowly grins at me. “Why thank you. Some handsome man had a new dress sent to my hotel room this morning.”

The band around my chest loosens a fraction and some of the stress of the last few hours fades. With her smiling at me like that, it’s impossible to resist the urge to pull her into both of my arms. “I like you in red.”

“Just because I was wearing this color on the day we met.”

“Maybe. Could be because you look like an exotic piece of fruit.”

She smacks my arm playfully, but her blush tells me how much she likes it.

Unable to resist, I nibble on the side of her neck.

“Ahem. The elevator is open. We’re supposed to get out now.”

Damn, she’s right.

I slide my hand under her hair and let my fingers wrap possessively around her neck. We ignore the stares from the motor-mouth hotel clerk who was giving the mayor all the information about me, and step out onto the sidewalk.

Rain is coming down in sheets outside. But we’re safely tucked under the portico. A few seconds later headlights pierce the downpour. The Agile Security & Rescue truck pulls up with Scout behind the wheel. As expected he’s wearing his usual arctic expression.

I’m beginning to think his face is frozen that way.

We dash out into the rain. I open Marianna’s door and help her in the back seat, before I jump in the front.

“Something looks different.” I shake the water out of my hair, and shut the door. “Is this a new truck?”

He gives me a look. “I wondered if you fucked your brain out and wouln’t notice.”

I flip him off. I also need to warn Marianna that my teammates have no couth. “Crude. But, how did Marshall get one here so fast?”

“Luke had it flown down to Vandemora overnight.”

I sit back, surprised. “Damn, that man’s got fucking bank.”

“Yep.” Scout throws the truck in drive. “You know he became a billionaire after inventing some kind of special prosthetic. The man’s got bottomless pockets and he has no problem pumping money into Agile.”

He takes off so fast, Marianna slides across the back seat. The tires sling water as he pulls away from the curb. Grabbing for the handle, she grumbles at him. “Here we go again. I need to remember to buckle up before I close my door.”

“We got work to do.” Scout drives through Karma a hair too fast, throwing water in wide arcs around the truck tires.

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