Page 14 of Stalking His Target

“No, sir.” It’s vital I stay any concerns he has or he could pull me off the case and station me somewhere across the country or overseas.

“Where are we on Pablo Hernandez? Any closer?”

“Yes, sir,” I reply. “I was actually going to call you tomorrow. It’s his birthday next week. Layla’s invited, and she’s going to ask to bring me. If she can get me in, I can complete the task myself.”

“And if she can’t?”

“Then I place a tracker on her which leads us to the location, and we sent in a strike team.” My voice is barely a whisper. No one, especially Layla, can hear me talking like this.

There’s a pause before Neal responds. “Get her to invite you. I don’t care how you do it. Just make it happen. A strike team on US soil will cause a lot of problems. I needyouto take care of this. Quick and clean and quiet. Understand?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Check in with me before the party,” he says. “And don’t get lost out there.”

We both know what he’s referring to. Nothing more needs to be said.

“No, sir. I won’t.”

I hang up and lean my head against the door to Layla’s apartment.

The truth is, I’m already lost.

5

LAYLA

I absolutely lovewhen Taylor comes home from work all sweaty and covered in dirt. I take him into the bathroom, strip him out of his grimy clothes, and we jump in the shower together like the very first time we did it.

Whenever he comes home from work, I’m ready for him. I hurl myself onto him and kiss his stubbled face as he engulfs me in his enormous arms and makes me feel so small. But today, when I leap up and wrap my legs around his waist, it feels as if something is off. I can’t describe it. I guess it’s just a feeling I have.

He smiles and kisses me, holds me how he always does as he carries me to the shower. But there’s something about his demeanor, like he’s holding back, and it has my heart trembling.

“How did work go today?” I ask. I love Taylor, but he’s not the type to open up about himself without being pressed to first.

“Fine,” he replies, avoiding eye contact as he presses his lips to my neck, sending a delightful shiver up my spine. “Same as always. How about yours?”

Every day, without fail, Taylor makes it a point to ask me how my day was.

“Fine,” I tease, mimicking his reply. “Still not my own boss though.”

“You will be one day.”

His words sink into me, swelling me with joy. “You really mean that, don’t you? You believe I’ll have my own shop one day?”

Taylor huffs a single laugh, puffing his chest against me. “Of course I do. And you’ll have a back room where I can fuck you whenever I want. Including when you’re working.”

I duck and swivel, forcing his eyes to meet mine. He smiles back with them, and it warms me. Am I imagining there’s something wrong? Maybe I’m just overthinking things. Letting my past influence my present.

Taylor’s hands explore my body. I watch his reaction as he sees the red lingerie I picked out to wear for him today. He’s never once come out and asked me to dress up for him. He says I look gorgeous all the time, even when I’ve just rolled out of bed and have no makeup on and am wearing my pajama bottoms. But I guess I just wanted to look more womanly for him, given what I have to tell him today.

Feeling his center grow against mine arouses me even more and causes goosebumps to form across my arms. “You like my outfit?” I ask.

Taylor nods, a sly smile forming on his lips. “I sure do, baby. It makes you look so womanly. So fertile.”

We’re always on the same wavelength. I’m swollen with glee at the fact that he recognized what I was going for with the lingerie. My heart beats rapidly as I lean in and suck the lobe of his ear tenderly. “Take it off me, hot stuff.”

“Your wish is my command,” he rasps, his voice gruff, his grip on me strong and unforgiving.

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