Page 25 of A More Perfect Union

Dixon’s head bobbed,but Zoey read conflict in his eyes. She got it. They might be the same rank,but she had seniority and Sharp had made it clear she was in charge. Was hejealous of her command and access or was this his usual demeanor? She didn’thave the time or energy to figure it out and she wasn’t sure she cared eitherway. If she cared more about making friends than doing her duty, she neverwould have come forward about Nine Tech. Determined to focus on the task aheadinstead of worrying about whether she was liked, she picked up her pace, butthe sound of a voice calling her name thwarted her plan for a quick getaway.

* * *

Rook was beginning towonder if power walking was a requirement for everyone in uniform, but shefinally caught up to Zoey and her surly fellow officer. “Major Granger, could Ispeak to you for a moment?”

“Of course.” Zoey’sclipped voice conveyed the exact opposite.

Rook took a breathand shot a look at Dixon who was looking between them with way too muchcuriosity. “If you could come with me, please. Major Dixon, we’ll only be amoment.” She spun around without waiting for a response and walked back toJulia’s office.

As they crossed thethreshold, Zoey asked, “Did Ms. Scott need to see me about something else?”

“Julia’s in the Oval.I’m the one who wanted to see you about something else.”

“What can I do foryou?”

Rook studied Zoey’sstoic expression and wondered if it was a natural extension of her personalityor the result of years of training. Either way, she desperately wanted to prybeneath the stone and find the soft side she’d witnessed at Meridian Park.“We’ll be working together for the foreseeable future, do you really plan toact like you don’t know me the entire time?”

Zoey’s breath hitchedslightly, a tiny fissure, so small it might have gone unnoticed, but Rookcaught it before Zoey replied “But I don’t know you. Not really.”

“Would you like to?”

“What I like or don’tlike doesn’t matter. As you said, we’ll be working together. Key word working.”

“I’m going to pretendyou’d like to know me if you were allowed to.”

Zoey frowned, andRook wondered if she’d bristled at the “allowed to.” Why was she so focused ongetting a rise out of Zoey? Was she having a childish reaction to Zoeypractically ignoring they’d been on a date?A date you abandoned.Nowonder Zoey was pissed. A woman like her probably never got stood up.“I’m sorryabout our aborted picnic.”

Zoey smiled, but theexpression didn’t reach her eyes. “You had to work.”

“I did.”

“And work comesfirst.”

The characterizationstung, but Rook couldn’t deny it was true. “I suppose it’s a hazard of owningmy own business.”

“We all make choices wecan live with. And I’m sure you understand how my first allegiance is definedby duty and whatever orders I receive.”

The message wasclear, but Rook stubbornly wanted to hear Zoey say the words. “So, thisattraction between us just disappears because the Army put you on this case?”

“Something likethat.”

“I don’t believeyou.” Rook hadn’t pulled Zoey aside for this. All she’d planned to do wasapologize in person and clear the air between them, but now that Zoey wassingularly focused on ignoring they had ever shared a connection, she wassuddenly hell-bent on making her acknowledge its existence.

“I suppose I’ll haveto live with your disbelief.” Zoey looked at the door. “Did you need somethingelse from me?”

She should makesomething up. Something provocative to tease back the Zoey she’d met at theairport, at Addison’s party. She hadn’t imagined their connection, butapparently she had no power to reignite it. She’d find another way to burn offthe heat that consumed her when Zoey walked into the room. There was noshortage of women in the city who’d gladly fill the role. Ignoring the voiceinside that whispered Zoey was different and other women weren’t going to cutit, Rook responded in the only way she could and keep her dignity. “No, Major.I think we’re done.”

Zoey nodded andwalked out of the room past Julia who entered with a curious expression. Juliashut the door behind her. “What is it about women in uniform?”

“Excuse me?”

Julia waved a hand infront of her eyes. “Earth to Rook. Uniform equals hot. I might be in arelationship, but I’m not dead. Don’t tell me you didn’t notice.”

Oh, I noticed, Rookthought. Zoey Granger had her attention, but she wasn’t going to cede all thepower that easily. She feigned nonchalance, but she was going to have to workhard to keep her libido in check during the course of this investigation orrisk losing her heart and her reputation.

Chapter Nine

Rook returned tothe car and contemplated her schedule while George navigated back through theguard gate. In order to make the appointment at the Pentagon, her afternoon wasgoing to undergo some serious shuffling. She should never have allowed Julia togoad her into taking this case, but now that she had she was determined to wrapit up in short order. A few interviews today, a few over the next week, andthen a report detailing their findings which she imagined to be something like,military men chose to use dicks instead of brains when exercising judgment. Nonew story there—the list of sex scandals in the military was longer than shehad time to recall.

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