Page 61 of Covert Vengeance

“What?” he murmured.

She shook her head. “You just…get me. And you don’t judge me.” She reached up to stroke two fingers over his lips, pausing on the lower one. “It’s strange.”

He caught her hand, kissed her fingers. “Because we’re a lot alike.” And that’s why he was so sure they’d be good together in the long run. Though he wasn’t going to say it and watch her pull back to rebuild the wall he’d finally knocked down between them.

She stared at his mouth. “Yeah, we are.”

Sensing she was about to pull away again, he decided to lighten the conversation. “What do you like to do when you’re not working?”

“I’m always working.”

He squeezed her. “Come on. I know you have things you like to do.” He chuckled when she gave him a perplexed look. “All right, we’ll start with something easy. Favorite cereal. Mine’s Frosted Flakes.”

“Honey nut Cheerios.”

“Good to know. Movies? I like action and spy thrillers. Some comedies.”

“I prefer TV series. I can get to know the characters better. And I like thrillers too, and some historical stuff. Not comedies, though. Most of the ones I’ve seen are stupid.”

So serious. He hid a smile. “Hobbies? I like camping and hiking.”

“I like building computers and gadgets.”

Of course she did.

A slight frown formed on her forehead. “What’s your biggest regret?” she asked softly.

The abrupt shift in topic caught him off guard. He stilled inside, his mind wrenched back to the past. But the answer was clear. “My brother. I’ll always regret not staying in touch with him more while he was alive.” Damn, he wished he could go back in time and fix that. “You?”

She rubbed her cheek against his chest. “Not researching about Megan when I was old enough. They told me she was dead and I never dug past the surface to see if it was the truth.”

He kissed the top of her head, aching for her. Aching for the pain of the past, and for the future he wanted for them. “And now you’ve found her.”

“Yes. I wish you could see your brother again too.” She cleared her throat and got to her feet, leaving a blanket of cold where her warmth had just been pressed to his body.

But as she stood there her eyes tracked over his bare chest and stomach, and he could sense the hunger in her. For the pleasure he could give her. But there was something more as well. Like she secretly longed for more of their intuitive connection.

“Should we go in and see how the meeting’s going?” she asked.

“Sure.” He snagged his shirt and jumped to his feet, yanking it over his head. She was already halfway to the door when he caught up and linked his fingers through hers. He hid a smile at the startled look she gave him.

Yeah,belleza, I’m playing for keeps.

Chapter Seventeen

This had setup written all over it.

Yury folded his arms as he studied the computer screen, rereading the latest message from Cordova. He wanted the meeting to happen in two days’ time, at a specified location.

Yury tapped his fingers on the desktop. He’d just looked it up. An industrial area near the docks on the Thames in east London. Obviously Cordova had selected it for a reason, no surprise considering he’d bilked Yury for more money. What was he up to?

As bad as he wanted Amber, and to kill Cordova, he wasn’t walking into a baited trap.

The location worked, however. At least, the spot Yury had just picked out after doing his own research. At night there would be few or no people around there, and maybe his hacker could cut some of the video surveillance in the area for a short window of time as well as an added precaution.

He typed back a response, naming the exact location for the drop off point.

Tonight. 2 a.m. Come alone.

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