Page 2 of S.O.S. Perk

“Well?” Perk actually winked at her. And just like that, the gears in her timepiece ground to a halt.

Goddammit.Nobody, in a very long time, had tried to make nice with the dour Agent Vessers persona she purposely projected, and Henry Perkins was throwing her off her game. She should shut down the dimply, man-child immediately, but…

Her hesitation was her undoing. Before she could regroup, Perk slid his hand southward and captured her fingers, insistently tugging her in the direction of the crowd.

Fuckity-fuck-fuck. But…

His palm actually felt good, pressed against hers. She might even admit there was a little warmth seeping up her arm?

Shit. She was going to do this, wasn’t she?

“I’ll stay for one hour,” she told him definitively. “Then I’m done.”

He simply grinned and kept walking, actually daring to tuck her fingers into the crook of his arm while keeping his free hand on hers.

Seriously?

“You know this is a dangerous way to hold someone,” Sloane apprised him grumpily. “If I wanted to flip you, all it would take is a single move and you’d be on your back.”

His blue eyes turned down to hers, but they didn’t lose a trace of their good humor. “You sound pretty sure of yourself, Agent Vessers. But I’ll warn you, even if you could manage to throw me to the ground when I have six inches and seventy pounds on you, the eventuality of being in that position doesn’t sound so bad to me.”

He actually winked.

“I’d place a wager on that action.” Prez’s teasing voice came from behind them.

Oh, good.Now Perk’s teammates were engaging.

“For me or against me?” Perk asked cheerfully.

Did the man never lose his aplomb?

“Foryou, little buddy.”

Right.Littlebuddy. Because to Prez, who was like, six-foot-a-hundred, everyone appeared small.

Prez continued. “I’ve never seen Agent Vessers working the mats, of course, but I know you, Perk, and you’re pretty darned slick.”

Sloane held her tongue. There was no need to posture or engage. This was only banter, and it was all moot anyway, because this kumbaya-get-together was a one-and-done for her.

“Well, if you want my opinion,” another voice piped up, “my money’s on FBI.”

Great.Now Brent Devons—or Peaches as the man had been known before he left the Bureau—was chiming in. They’d never worked in the same office, but his reputation as a sharp operator preceded him.

Sloane sighed, knowing that some form of acknowledgement was expected of her as the conversation paused.

“Thanks. I think,” Sloane clipped. Even though she wasn’t normally involved in banter, it didn’t mean she hadn’t studied and understood how it worked. She just wasn’t in the mood to give it her best.

“Uh, guys? Let’s save the rough stuff for another time, okay?” Del, the SOS boss and voice of reason for his team, entered the conversation, coming to her rescue. “I wouldn’t mind seeing Perk and Agent Vessers do some sparring, butthis is Billboard and O’Shea’s wedding day. So, no bloodshed allowed.”

“No problem, boss,” Perkins responded happily. “I wouldn’t want to mess up Agent Vessers’ nice outfit, anyway.”

Sloane’s back went up. She chambered a growl, ready to fire, only to have the charge jam in the barrel when she realized Perk wasn’t blowing smoke. He was actually looking at her dark suit with appreciation in his eyes.

What the fuck?

Sure, this wasn’t her black and white, going-to-work, no-frills attire, but still, there was nothing feminine about the boxy jacket and slacks she’d purchased for the occasion. The get-up was just a nice shade of brown that the lady in the department store said matched her eyes. But… Maybe it was the white dress shirt she wore underneath today? It was more indicative of her civilian wardrobe; the one she espoused when she wasn’t on the job or around people who expected to see her in her agent capacity. This shirtdidhave some actual pleats that molded the material to her body, unlike the loose, starched version she wore while working. It could be that’s what Perk was referring to.

Sloane swallowed. She didn’t like the tiny thrill she felt that Perk might have noticed her little nod to fashion.

---