Page 2 of Dangerous Devotion

Tap, tap.

Henner jerked his head to fix the woman in his stare. “Who is this?”

At his brusque manner, the young woman sat up even straighter in her chair, which seemed an impossible feat when she already sat like she had a plank up her ass.

Both of her refined black brows lifted, but she didn’t speak up.

Con gestured toward her. “This is May Lin. She’s the bomb disposal and explosives expert we requested. She’s joining us on this op.”

Her sharp eyes centered on Henner as she nodded at the introduction.

Of course. He justknewthat something would keep him from doing this job to the best of his ability, and she sat right across from him.

He sat back in his seat with a chuckle. “She’s young. How much of an expert can she be? She’s not even old enough to have grown up watching violent cartoons. And you say she’s a bomb disposal expert? She has all her fingers.”

The room fell silent at his outburst. He was known for teasing people—it was how he boosted morale in the heat of battle. They might not be in the trenches right now, but they would be very soon if his sixth sense was on point—and it always was.

She gave him a look as straightforward as any of his teammates. “You can address me directly, Special Operative. And to answer your question, I’m the expert who’sso goodI never lost a finger.”

Laughter rippled around the table, but Henner didn’t like where this was headed. The unknown reason for Con waiting so long to introduce May Lin hung in the air like a cloud of gunpowder. And he held the match.

Henner didn’t shift his stare from the woman’s, matching the challenge in her deep onyx-colored eyes.

“What’s the plan once the team reaches Virginia?” he asked his leader.

As he spoke, the woman continued to keep up the nonchalant act. Her calm confidence grated on him. Maybe because she seemed far too unbothered to be involved in a high-risk mission.

Or because she had the same rising disdain for him that he did for her.

“There’s a gala in DC,” Con replied.

He rocked forward, gripping the edge of the table. “Really, Con? A gala? So what’s the plan? Put on a suit and schmooze war profiteers?”

Con’s smile was grim. “That’s exactly what you’re doing. Pack your penguin suit. You and Miss Lin will be partnering up. Chopper is waiting on the helipad. You leave immediately.”

One by one Henner’s muscles tensed into immovable boulders.

Dammit, he knew the storm cloud was about to burst. He just hoped it wouldn’t hail shrapnel on his head.

He was stuck with a woman he could already tell would make this op difficult. The only thing they seemed to be on the same page about was disliking each other.

Slowly, Henner twisted his head to fix his stare on Con. “You’re kidding.”

His brow twitched without a hint of amusement. “Pack your bag, Chickie.”

Hearing his nickname sent a rumble of annoyance through his chest.

May Lin folded her arms on the table, stretching out all ten of those fingers she hadn’t lost deactivating bombs. “This is going to be fun.”

“Yeah. Sounds like ablast.” He pushed away from the table and walked out of the room. As he strode to his quarters topack his clothes—the damn tuxedo too—irritation reverberated through him on repeat.

Just what he needed on what might be the most important op of his life.

Somebody to babysit.

* * * * *

May remained in her chair, waiting for Charlie team to clear out of the conference room. Constantine, the leader they called Con, didn’t move from the head of the table. At least one man on the special ops team seemed to possess some manners, unlike the guy she was partnered with.

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