Page 139 of Ruthless

I shrugged. "The usual. I'm too young. Too hot-headed. But effective. They know my record."

"They don't have to like you," Vincent pointed out.

"No," I agreed. "They just have to do their jobs, take their pennies, and not cause trouble. The old guard can grumble all they want as long as they follow orders."

"And if they don't?" Vincent asked.

I smiled, all teeth. "Then they'll see exactly why Prometheus kept me around for twenty-six years."

Vincent shook his head, but there was fondness in his exasperation. "Always the assassin."

"Director now," I corrected, moving closer. "Though I admit the job change has some unexpected perks."

"Such as?"

"This office. That chair. This desk." I reached out, my finger trailing along his tie. "You bent over it."

A soft knock interrupted us. Before I could answer, Ana peeked her head in, her smile brightening when she saw Vincent.

"I brought housewarming gifts," she announced, entering with a small potted plant in one hand and a takeout bag in the other. "Office-warming? Whatever you call it when your brother becomes director of an assassination organization."

"You didn't have to," I said, taking the plant while Vincent relieved her of the food bag.

"Someone has to make sure you eat something besides sugar and caffeine," she countered, eyeing my energy drink. "Real food occasionally won't kill you."

"Debatable," I muttered, but the corner of my mouth twitched.

Ana circled the office, appraising the screens and modern design. "It suits you," she said finally.

"We're still on for tonight?" she asked, glancing at her watch. "I have to run. Meeting with the hospital board in twenty minutes."

"Wouldn't miss it," I assured her, surprised by how much I meant it. "Eight o'clock at the children's hospital fundraiser, right?"

She nodded. "I've already told everyone my brother will be there."

She hugged Vincent goodbye, then hesitated before giving me a quick, slightly awkward embrace. Progress. Small steps toward normal, whatever that meant for us.

As she left, I found myself staring at the plant she'd brought and smiled. It was a peace lily. Very on brand for Ana.

"She's recovering well,” Vincent observed.

"Better than I would have predicted," I admitted. "Must be genetics."

"Must be," Vincent agreed, his eyes returning to me. "Now, where were we before we were so politely interrupted?"

Something in his touch, casual yet possessive, sent heat pooling low in my belly. I rounded the desk, closing the distance between us.

"I've been thinking about this moment for days," I admitted, backing him against the desk's edge. "Since they first told me this office would be mine."

"Have you?" Vincent's voice dropped lower, his pupils expanding as I moved into his space. "And what exactly were you thinking?"

I placed my hands on the desk on either side of him, caging him with my body. "I was thinking about christening my new domain properly." I leaned in, my mouth a breath away from his. "I need to make this space mine. Erase all traces of him."

Vincent understood immediately. His hands came up to frame my face, his expression softening. "Then let's replace those memories with new ones."

His mouth crashed against mine, hungry and demanding. I pushed against him, backing him toward the desk. His hands slid up my chest, finding the loose knot of my tie.

"Lock the door," he gasped between kisses.

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