Page 15 of Centurion

When she walked up to him, he didn’t resist the temptation of placing his hands on her hips. “Maybe we should have that kiss now.” She looked up at him. He could consume the woman. She fanned a flame inside him he didn’t know existed. Everything about her, from the light dusting of freckles over her nose to the fierce independence she wielded like a sword, did nothing but heat the intensely desperate need that had sparked in him on that island all those months ago.

She lifted her hands to his chest, and he dropped for that kiss.

“Con, you’ve got to see this.” Ethan’s excited voice stopped both of them a fraction of an inch from touching.

“Not fucking again.” Con tapped his earpiece. “My computer is packed up, Ethan. Can it wait?”

“No. Dude, Eisenberger is on Molchalin’s payroll, or should I say was. Ask me how I know.”

When Con groaned instead of asking, Ronnie tapped her earpiece. “How do you know?”

“Oh, hi,” Ethan said. “I don’t know if you’ll understand this, Centurion, but he was being paid huge amounts of money from Plume Pharma’s bank in?—”

“Switzerland.” Con straightened and dropped his hands from her hips.

“Exactly. I had a hunch and followed the money. Eisenberger’s bank account is offshore, but, dude, it isn’t shielded withanyeffort. He’s pulling the money from the offshore accounts into banks in England.”

“You mean he was,” Con corrected.

“True,” Ethan conceded the point.

Ronnie asked, “Can we see what he was doing with the money?”

Ethan chuckled. “I’m getting approval to bust through those firewalls as we speak.”

Fury’s voice cut through their conversation.

“Your transport is waiting. Get to a secure hookup on that aircraft and help Ethan.”

Con snorted. “On a commercial aircraft? I’m good, man, but no one is that good.”

“You’re not on a commercial aircraft, asshole,” Fury growled. “I don’t know how you worked it, but you’re on one of the boss’s private birds. Now, get your ass to the airplane and plug your shit in.”

Con tipped his head and closed his eyes. He counted to ten and then counted again before singing that baby shark song Fury hated. Ronnie looked at him like he was insane, but Fury sure as hell clicked out of the convo in a hurry.

Ethan chuckled. “He’s offline; you can stop now.”

Con sighed. “I’m telling you, one of these days, we’re going to end up killing each other.”

“He’s an assassin.” Ronnie crossed her arms and looked at him. “I think he’d probably win.”

“Granted, but before I challenge him, I’ll design a program that haunts him after he kills me. I’d still have the last laugh.” He grabbed his backpack and shouldered it, picked up his bag and then hers. “After you. Ethan, Ronnie found some information on the invites of the victims. Are we still secure?”

“Of course, I would have told you if we weren't,” Ethan confirmed. “What do you have?”

Con filled him in as they walked to the front door. “I’m leaving the hotel room now. I’ll work on getting into the embassy’s phone records when I get set up. Let the big guysknow what she learned and that I’m on it. You keep chasing Eisenberger.”

“Will do. I’m going to call Zane, too, and find out where Jewell is on that information on the Undersecretary.” They entered the elevator and made their way to the lobby.

He gave his car keys to the concierge. “Please get that back to the dealership and tell them I said thank you.”

“Absolutely, Mr. Solomon.” The concierge’s eyes landed on Ronnie as she walked out of the luxury hotel. Con may or may not have blocked the man’s view on purpose. Ronnie was beautiful, but she was his—or going to be his … somehow.

He handed off the baggage to the chauffeur and got into the limo that picked them up. Ronnie raised the privacy screen and turned to him as he shut the door. She cupped his face with her hands and kissed him. Oh, hell yes, he was on board with that. He wrapped his arms around her and drew her closer. The sweet taste of the woman hit his system like a blast of pure cocaine to a strung-out druggie. When he licked her lips, she opened for him. His capability for rational thought dissolved as their tongues danced.

He chased her lips as she pulled away, but she smiled and put her finger over his lips. “Answer your earpiece.”

Con blinked. “What?”

---