Page 39 of Play the Game

I shook my head. “We’d just need to get close enough for me to tweak them. I wouldn’t even need to get out of the car.”Don’t do it, Jason. Don’t drag her into this.But it would be so much better if she were with me. And we wouldn’t have to break any rules. At least not any major ones. “I can do it tomorrow night, after dark.”

“TJ’s already signed off on the idea?”

I hadn’t asked, and I didn’t plan to. Signal boosting would increase our chances of intercepting civilian communications, which is a whole other level of wiretapping warrants and red tape.

“It’s just a quick drive,” I said. “It will only take me ten minutes out of the way when I suggest ice cream for dessert tomorrow night, conveniently remember we don’t have any, and drive into town to get some.”

She lay back on the bed, no longer touching me. “You’ve already decided to do this.”

“Think of what it would mean to find Pasco twelve or twenty-four hours sooner.”

“That’s what this is about,” she said. “You’re worried about him.”

“That asshole?”

“That asshole might be your frenemy, but at one time, he was your friend. The part of you that’s still attached to that friendship is desperate to save him. I think it’s sweet.”

I wasn’t sure I agreed with desperate. Guilty, for sure. Worried, maybe. But she was approaching my side, and I didn’t want to spook her, so I skipped the discussion of motivations. I propped myself up on my elbow. “You won’t mention it to anyone, right?”

She sighed loudly. “You are such a pain in my ass, Jensen. Fine, I won’t mention it, as long as you take me with you so I can have your back, just in case.”

“It’s a one-person job.”

“Not anymore, it’s not. That’s my offer. Take it or leave it.”

Another adventure with Tam, even if the most exciting part would be picking out ice cream flavors? How could I refuse? “I’ll take it.”

“And we get a small, private container of mint chocolate chip ice cream.”

I stared at her mouth, distracted by the thought of tasting mint chocolate chips on her lips. “It seems unfair not to share it with the team.”

She stared at the ceiling, a grin spreading across her face. “I really don’t think you want the rest of the team licking it off your body.”

I grabbed her hips and rolled onto my back, taking her with me so she was straddling me, her hot, wet core nestled against my erection. “Is that your final demand?”

“Not quite.” She closed her eyes and rubbed up and down my shaft. “There is just one more thing.”

CHAPTER 15

Tamela

It was almost tooeasy to leave the team house Sunday night under the guise of fetching ingredients for an ice cream sundae bar. Jason told the story to the team, so all I had to do was follow him to the car.

“It wasn’t a lie,” he said when he caught me frowning. “We really are bringing back dessert.”

“You do know, when they swear in witnesses in court, they refer to thewhole truth, right?”

He turned onto the main road, then side-eyed me. “You know a lot of spies who spend time testifying in court?”

He gave a smart-ass answer, but he wasn’t wrong. The rules for us were different because they had to be. We gave up a lot to do this work, not the least of which was honesty and closeness with our loved ones who could never know what we did for a living. Jason’s divorce was proof of the toll that could take on an intimate relationship, but it was hardly the first time a HEAT agent had lost a significant other over the job.

I relaxed because there was a certain kind of wisdom in what he said and because tonight’s job would be quick, painless, and definitely not dangerous. Added to that, it gave us time to be alone together. I stroked my hand down his cheek, and he turned to kiss my palm.

“Hold that thought for later,” he told me.

I would. That thought and the thousand others I’d had about him all day today, from the time we’d gathered for our belated team breakfast, through hours of work and meetings, and then another team meal at dinner. We were proving we could behave, do our work, keep our heads in the game all day, then lose our minds and all control at night. Our sleep was taking a hit, but we’d figure that out eventually, too, once we were back to living in HEAT facilities and not right on top of our teammates for sixteen hours a day.

“I don’t know why I was so nervous about this,” I said.

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