Page 34 of Recon Rendezvous

Grabbing our things, I offer an arm and lead her outside, back into the warmth of the sun, and to my waiting SUV. Closing the door with a slam, I hurry around to jump in before she can change her mind. Karina turns as I climb in.

“London, this is Karina.”

“Karina, this is my dear friend, London.”

She side eyes me. “Dear friend is a stretch. Relax.”

I huff as Karina giggles. “Oh, I like you.” I watch as her eyes practically bulge out of their sockets as she stares at my pretty girl in pink. My stomach churns at the memory of Karina’s type.Busty. Bouncy.Looking over at London as she laughs at Karina, I nod. London absolutely fits the bill.

“Fine. This is Ty’s cousin. We’re not friends at all. I’m just being nice.”

“See, was that so hard?” she teases before turning back to Karina with a smile. “Nice to meet you.”

“You too. And I totally see it. It’s the eyes, but yours are more striking. You’re stunning.”

“Thank you. You are too. I’ve always loved a blonde bombshell.”

Karina blushes. Her fucking cheeks bloom strawberry red as she ducks her head for a moment, but then those eyes are back roaming all over London and I’ve had enough of whatever this is.

“Karina? Do you have the address I sent?”

“Yes, I got it. Cool your jets.” She shoots London a wink before turning and smiling at me in the rearview mirror. “The items your assistant sent over are on the backseat.”

“Perfect, thank you.” Before I can say anything else, Karina pulls out into traffic, and she and London laugh and talk, excluding me from the conversation all the way to our destination.

Before I can move an inch, Karina is already out the truck and sprinting around to open London’s door. I hide my sneer as I reach back, grab the bags and climb out. The girls are still gossiping away as I make my way around the car and they don’t look in my direction as I approach, so I clear my throat.

Karina looks up, smiling sweetly. She knows what the fuck she’s doing. What a little cockblock. “I’ll text when we’re ready. Thank you,” I say with gritted teeth.

She laughs with a nod. “See you later, London.”

London waves her off before turning to me. “She’s so sweet. How does she put up with you?”

Ignoring her teasing, I swing the bags between us. “Are you ready for your surprise?”

She actually smiles at that, her eyes lighting up as she asks, “A surprise?”

My heart gives a weird little flip as I take in her expression. It’s certainly different from when I first saw her in the coffee shop and that was my goal, so I nod.

“Let’s go. We’re headed this way.”

Falling into step with me, she asks, “Do I get a hint about this surprise? Are you locking me in a small room and throwing water balloons at me?”

I snort out a laugh. “That’s very specific.” I grin at her. “Now you’re giving me ideas. I should be writing this down.”

She throws her head back with a big laugh and her happiness makes any uncertainty I was feeling float away, so I lean in to say, “Actually, if I got you in a small room, you’d be soaked, but it wouldn’t be from water balloons.”

The sound she makes as her laughter cuts off abruptly and she sucks in a breath sends heat racing through my body. She tries to fight it, always with a smart-ass comment, but she’s not immune to me.

“You got me. I walked right into that one.”

“You sure did, but you’d feel better if you just walked right out of these clothes and into my bedroom.”

“Ugh. You are a ruiner of fun. Shut up.”

I laugh as I open the glass door “After you.” Her little nod is appreciative, and I have to fight the urge to slap her ass as she passes. Fuck. If she were mine… I stand there, frozen staring after her.

Where the fuck did that come from? She’s not mine. But as she turns and stares at me expectantly, those golden green eyes catching the sun and mesmerizing me, the thought rings in my head again. If she were mine, I’d disrespect the fuck out of her body, in all the best ways, and cherish the ground she walked on.

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