Page 66 of Play the Game

“I need so many things.”

He nuzzled my neck. “Mmm. Good to know. After some sleep.”

I wanted to argue with him, but my body was on his side. My limbs were heavy and loose, and I couldn’t hold my eyes open. “You win. And you’ll finally get to enjoy your morning-sex fetish.”

“I wouldn’t call it a fetish, but I do have some pretty hot fantasies about you in the morning light. I’ll show you.”

“I know.In the morning.”

“Hey, Sparks, one more thing.” He kissed my shoulder. “In case you forgot, I’m in love with you.”

“Thanks for the reminder.”

“That’s it? You don’t have anything to say to me?”

“Maybe.” I smiled and pressed back into him. “In the morning.”

CHAPTER 24

Jason

Two days had passedsince our wild night of rescuing and recruiting a civilian, taking down the Chicago branch of the Carbonados, disarming a chemical bomb to save an entire city, and most importantly, admitting we’d fallen in love. That last bit only applied to Tam and me, but the rest of the list was for the whole team to celebrate.

And finally, the paperwork, cleanup, and recovery from the traumatic night were behind us, save for Penn’s ongoing convalescence. Thursday night was Alpha Team party night. Hart was flying out tomorrow for her new post in New York City, and Pasco was heading to DC and HEAT HQ for a week of formal induction. He’d be flying with X. Poor asshole would probably never be the same after that.

But right now, our fearless leader, who had shown up Wednesday morning wearing a black pantsuit and her trademark scowl, was in the HEAT lounge, celebrating with the whole team. She was wearing a black cocktail dress and laughing—actually howling—with Penn. His laughter ended in a wince, and he glared at me.

I patted his shoulder. “Sorry, man, I really am. What’s so damn funny that you’re risking reinjury for it?”

“The story of you and Pasco melting down in the control van Tuesday night,” X said. “Funny, of course, only because everything turned out so well.”

“Of course.” Given the work we did, gallows humor was never off the table. It was a coping mechanism. That didn’t mean we had to be proud of it. “But I think it’s important to point out, Pasco was the only one melting down. And we’ll train that out of him.”

“Glad we can hire him and give Sparks the promotion and raise she deserves,” Penn said. “That hiring freeze and budget scare were fucking twin nightmares.”

“Nothing that saving one of the country’s major cities couldn’t fix,” X said.

TJ joined. “Talking about that heroic effort by the FBI the other night?”

Calling out the nature of the double-edged sword of being a completely covert agency was another coping mechanism we sometimes indulged in.

“Cheer up,” I told TJ. “I have just the thing to make it all worthwhile. Gather ‘round, people! I’ve created a special drink to mark the occasion.” I pulled out a pitcher full of red liquid. The smell of alcohol was so strong, it stung my nose, and I had to hold it away from my face. “I give you the VX Cherry Bomb!”

Everyone groaned.

“Too soon,” Bond said, but she was smiling.

In a group of normal people, she would be right, since DHS had determined that the nerve agent in the bomb was the uber-awful VX. But that wasn’t how the Alpha Team rolled.

I filled the glasses, and Alder handed them out.

Li held hers up and peered into the cloudy red liquid. “Is that mouse poop floating in there?”

I pressed my hand over my heart. “You cut me to the quick. I’ll have you know, I keep an immaculate kitchenandbar. Those are chocolate chips.”

“In a cocktail?” Pasco asked.

Tam nudged his shoulder. “Oh, you have so much to learn.”

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