Page 42 of State of Alert

Sam ran her hand down his bare back and over his equally bare backside, loving his smooth skin and the muscular contours of his body. “I was, too, for your sake.”

“So how do you conduct a fake homicide investigation?”

“Carefully. We were asked to go through the motions, hoping to uncover information that’ll assist NCIS in their effort.”

“Did they say who they’re targeting?”

“They believe Goldstein was the ringleader.”

Nick’s face lost all expression. “Damn. He was the one who was nicest to me while plotting to stab me in the back. Where’d they get the body?”

“Another military member who closely resembled Juan was killed in a motorcycle accident. The family has been notified and told the body will be turned over to them following an autopsy.”

“Wouldn’t there be fingerprints and stuff?”

“NCIS took care of that, and I gave an ID for Juan. It made me sick to lie to Lindsey and the others.”

“I’m sorry. It’s my fault you’re in this position.”

“It’s not your fault.”

“It is, Sam. Without me in the presidency, Juan would’ve had no reason to warn me about anything, nor would he have been in any danger. Thus you wouldn’t be asked to lie to your closest colleagues and friends.”

“It’s hot when you use words like ‘nor’ and ‘thus.’”

“Oh my God, did you hear anything I said?”

“I heard everything you said and focused on the hot parts.”

“Samantha, I’m being serious.”

“I know, and it’s hot as fuck.”

“My job has put you in a terrible spot at yours, and you want to make jokes?”

“Isn’t that better than making myself sick over the lies I’m being forced to tell people I love?”

“Yeah,” he said with a sigh, “I guess it is. But I’m still sorry about all this.”

“Hopefully, they’ll forgive me when the truth comes out.”

“What if they don’t?”

“I can’t think about that right now. I just can’t.”

He pulled her closer, pressed his lips to her neck. “Sorry.”

“Quit apologizing to me. It’s annoying.”

She felt his lips curve as he continued to kiss her neck before he shifted to hover above her.

“I regret putting you in this position. Is that better?”

Raising her hips to press against his erection, she said, “This is my favorite position of all the positions. You know that.”

Oh, she loved that gorgeous smile of his, the way it lit up his lovely hazel eyes and relieved some of the burden that weighed on him so heavily these days. She loved that she alone could do that for him. “So are you going to follow through, or is this all tease and no action?”

“You must be exhausted after the day you put in.”

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