Page 14 of Polestar
Studying her down-turned face, he noted the concealer powdered across the delicate skin below her eyes as she stifled a yawn.
Raya Burns’ laughter echoed in the corridor before she appeared in the door, followed by another familiar face.
Magnus smiled at his teammates.“Nice to see you up before noon, Connor.”
“That’sAgentConnor to you, Bjornson.And you should try it, you know.You could use the extra hours’ beauty rest.”
Magnus snorted.
Connor turned to Agent Ortega, proffering a hand.“Aaron Connor.”
“Analiese Ortega.Stationed on the West Coast—California,” she added as she accepted Connor’s hand with a wide smile.
Magnus sipped his coffee as he observed her friendly interaction with Connor.
She hadn’t smiled athimlike that,although shehadoffered her hand as a professional courtesy.
The fine bones of her slim fingers had all but disappeared in his grasp.
Unbidden, he recalled the sensation of her smooth skin under his palm as he tended her unconscious form at the hangar.He cleared his throat, shoving the image of his vulnerable colleague from his mind, and sipped more coffee.
“I see you brought the boots I sent you,” Burns said to Ortega.
“You sent Ortega boots?You’ve never sent me boots, and we’ve been working together for years,” Connor complained.
Mischief glinted in Ortega’s eye as the corner of her mouth quirked.“Well, the incident involved a mountain forest run and a taser.”She shrugged her narrow shoulders.“Burns owed me.”
“Come on, Ortega.What happens on the mountain, stays on the mountain,” Burns growled.
Magnus chuckled, recalling Burns’ report of events that led Ortega and Perenga to working with their team.“I’m impressed.No one has ever tased Burns before.”
“Shit, you must be fast with that thing,” Connor said, looking from Ortega to Burns.
“Fast and fierce when it comes to my favorite boots,” Ortega said, biting into her scone.
Burns grabbed a couple of pieces of fruit.“I heard Lirikai owes you a new skirt.”
“She does.Where is she, anyway?”
“We sent her to Iceland in your stead.Not happy about it, either,” Connor said, as he grabbed his own breakfast, and followed the small group over to a table.
“Would anyone be?Better her than me, though.”Ortega shuddered.“I hate the cold.”
“Bjornson would be.He’s the only nutter around here that loves it.Colder the better,” Connor said, pulling a chair out for Ortega before she could put her breakfast on the table to do it herself.
Magnus grunted as she smiled at Connor again.
Ortega sat.Her gaze flicked up and down Magnus.“All that Viking blood, I bet.”
Connor snorted.“You’d think.Bear blood.Polar Bear.”
Ortega’s dark brows arched, her expression changing to one of interest.“I’ve never met a polar bear shifter before.”
Magnus’ cheeks warmed.He couldn’t say why.
“We all know you’re a mind reader, and you know Raya is some kind of water spirit.”Connor went on.“And I’m a white tiger.Now we all know everyone’s secrets.”
“Why, agent Ortega, I do believe you’ve made our Magnus blush.”Burns’ smooth voice turned mirthful.
