Page 5 of Ground Zero

Beyond fucking astronomical!

She takes off down the short drive, and I hope she turns right so I can think about how to handle this.

I grin when she does. Good. Now, how should I play out this stroke of good fortune?

Adjusting my stride to match hers, I admire her long legs and firm ass rolling from side to side with each stride.

She is heavier. Nice. More curves.

Her thick silky black hair is long now, and the ponytail she has it in swings wildly with the rhythm of her pace. She has the kind of hair that gives a sweet sensation in your gut when you wrap your hand in it to take control.

I fall in behind her, keeping a safe distance. She's moving at a good clip, and a cadence sounds off in my brain.

I don't know, but I've been told ….

Nina Fox is solid gold ….

Be it wrong or be it right ….

Nina Fox gets fucked tonight ….

I laugh. Every tryst after she walked into my life has been a physical necessity. Fun, but just a fuck. I know that Foxtrot is my one, so we shall see … we shall see. Tonight, may very well be the night.

When she reaches the corner, I am only about twenty feet behind her, and when she takes a sharp right, she catches a glimpse of me and stumbles, startled.

I chuckle. Did I spook her, or did she recognize me?

Time to make my move. I sprint to run beside her.

NINA

Shit! Rocket is right behind me.

Based on the time he ran yesterday, I thought I would be home before he came by if I left early.

I wonder if he recognizes me. It has been years since we've seen each other, and I've added some weight, and my hair is a lot longer.

I smirk. Don't be stupid, Nina! Of course, Crockett recognizes you! The question is, how is he going to react?

With the shock of seeing him yesterday, he's all I've thought about. All the feelings I had suppressed and buried, surfaced in one giant explosion. I even dreamed about him last night.

But I wanted to be in charge of the moment when he saw me again. I laid awake, plotting how I would target him. I decided I would go to his bar tonight all dolled up like a normal woman with my hair curled, makeup spot on, in high heels, and a sexy dress.

I wanted our reunion to be an introduction to the civilian me. I wanted to test that spark that was always present between us to see if it was the excitement and danger of the mission or chemistry between us. I wanted to know if I could set his sexual appetite on fire. Force him to take action on the passion denied for years and years. But now that plan is shot down.

So, the reunion will be here … running. Sweaty. In running gear, hair pulled up in a ponytail and sneakers. Fuck my luck! He's going to treat me the same platonic way he did before, and my heart will split in two.

When he pulls alongside me and matches my stride, I stare straight ahead, bracing myself to be treated like a team member. He moves closer, knowing I can't ignore him.

I brace myself and glance over. He's wearing that cute 'devil be damned' grin that makes a dimple in his cheek, and my heart turns to total mush.

I lift my eyes to his, and when we reconnect, fucking butterflies soar around my goddamn belly like I'm a teenager, and I stumble again. A spark doesn't flare. A whole damn fire erupts.

My God, he is a handsome son of a bitch!

Coming to a stop, I turn to face him. His shit-eating grin rocks my world. I smile back. Then his eyes hone in on mine with the intense look he wore when he focused on the mission and zoned in on his target, and every cell in my body tunes in, wanting to be consumed by him.

He closes the distance between us and invades my space.

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