Page 40 of A More Perfect Union

The voice in herhead, the one that kept her life ordered and on track, said she should easeaway and insist on structure, boundaries to guard against her growing feelings,but a much louder voice, one that usually gave in, yelled for her to stay hereon the couch, by Rook’s side. Zoey cast for the right words to state her honestfeelings. “I have no idea if I can focus, but I want to be here. With you.”

“Good,” Rook murmuredas she drew closer. She slipped her hand over Zoey’s and gently extracted theheavy tumbler still full of whiskey. She set it on the coffee table with herother hand, never letting go of Zoey’s. When she turned back to face her, hergaze was dreamy and she said, “There are times that focus is overrated.”

The heat ofattraction melded them closer. Zoey tugged at Rook’s jacket and drew her in asthe differences between them receded against the urgent need to touch her, tofeel her lips pressed against hers. She was focused all right, like a lasertracking its target.

When their lipstouched, Zoey groaned with pleasure, certain she’d never felt this good beforeand never would again. This moment, this mind-numbing pleasure, was the perfecterasure, removing the lines she’d been so careful not to cross. She dipped hertongue between Rook’s lips, seeking, claiming, wishing for more, and Rook mether with forceful strokes, stoking their heat to new levels.

“You taste so good,”Rook murmured, trailing kisses along her neck. “Best ever.”

“You can say thatagain,” Zoey said, sucking in a breath as Rook found the sensitive spot justbelow her ear.

“You’re ticklish,”Rook said with glee, diving back in to kiss the spot.

“Ticklish isn’t theword I’d use for it.”

Rook drew a long,slow circle around the area with her tongue. “What word would you use?”

“Imagine a line goingdirectly from the spot you just discovered to…” She didn’t get to finish thesentence before Rook was back at the spot. Zoey gripped her shoulders, certainif Rook kept it up much longer there would be no such thing as focus everagain.

A piercing ringfilled the air, startling them both.

“Your phone,” Zoeymurmured, but Rook seemed determined not to stop.

“It can wait,” Rookwhispered, but her voice was already starting to resume its crispprofessionalism.

Zoey gently easedback, out of Rook’s grasp. “You should get it. Maybe there’s been adevelopment.” She hesitated adding, “Or maybe someone else needs you.”

Rook looked up intoher eyes, and Zoey saw kindness and compassion mixed with raw desire. The blendwas nice, new, and completely unfamiliar to her. She didn’t want Rook to answerthe phone, but she also didn’t want to be the kind of person who stood in theway. She picked up Rook’s phone, slid the answer button, and handed it over.

Chapter Thirteen

Rook tore hergaze away from Zoey and spoke into the phone, adopting a casual tone like doingso would keep her friend from knowing she’d just been lusting over her Pentagonliaison. “Hey, Julia, I was just sitting here with that liaison from thePentagon, Major Granger. I’m happy to report, we seem to be working welltogether.” She shot Zoey a smile, but it faded quickly at Julia’s no-nonsensetone.

“Rook, I need you andyour team to get to this address, right now.” Julia’s voice was thick withurgency. “One of the people on your list of interviewees is dead.”

Rook listened asJulia filled her in and then reached for a piece of paper and scrawled theaddress. After she hung up, she sent a quick text to Blake, studiously ignoringZoey’s curious gaze. Once she’d sounded the alarms and notified George to pickher up downstairs, she slipped the phone into her pocket.

“What was that allabout?” Zoey asked.

“I need to go.” Rookleaned in and kissed her softly. “I’ll call you later.”

“Has there been somekind of development?”

Rook had made asplit-second decision she was going to handle this on her own, but it wouldn’thurt to have a little more information first. “Did you or Dixon wind up talkingto Colonel Mitchell this afternoon?”

“No,” Zoey saidemphatically. “I mean, he came by my office late yesterday and yelled at me foreven trying to talk to him, but I don’t think that counts.”

“Yesterday? Why didn’tyou mention that when we discussed him this morning?” Rook shook her head,instantly zooming from zero to furious Zoey hadn’t shared this detail with her.“Never mind. What exactly did he say to you?” Rook watched while Zoey cycledback through her memory and wasn’t surprised when the slow burn of realizationhit. “He told you something about the case, didn’t he?”

“He said somethingabout how he knew the students that were involved with the Lorraine DarcyAgency, but he didn’t have anything to do with them. Blamed his name being intheir files on the fact he is a hard grader and his students might want to gethim in trouble. He sounded like he was posturing a little, trying to keep outof the fray. Why? What’s going on?”

Rook shook her head,and Zoey pressed harder. “You can’t keep me in the dark. This is myinvestigation too. One way or another I’m going to find out.”

“You’re right,” Rooksaid, not disguising her annoyance. “We’re supposed to be working together,which is why you should’ve told me he came by your office. I’ll do you onebetter than you did me. Colonel Mitchell put a bullet through his head thisevening, so whatever conversation you had with him was the last. I hope you’reprepared to answer questions about exactly what you two discussed.”

Rook was instantlysorry she’d delivered the harsh words when she saw Zoey’s shocked expression.She sincerely doubted Zoey had anything to do with the colonel’s death, but shehad to be suspicious about everyone until they were eliminated, whether she’dkissed them or not.

She’d planned to headto Mitchell’s house on her own, but with Zoey’s revelation that she’d spokenwith Mitchell the day before, she had second thoughts. Before she could changeher mind, she said, “Come with me, but know this: I don’t care about your rank.I’m in command on this particular operation. Get it?” She didn’t wait for ananswer before heading to the door, hoping she wouldn’t regret any of herdecisions this evening.

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