Page 48 of For the Love of Animals

“The kangaroos are cute, but watch out for the snakes, spiders, sharks, and jellyfish. Wow. Black’s gone white.” She laughed. “Do me a favour and bring me back a packet of Tim Tams. I love those things.”

I liked her already. “Tim Tams. Those are like cookies, yes?”

“Yup. Chocolate ones.”

“Okay, I’ll bring them.”

“Black’s turned a funny shade of green now, and I need to clear up the coffee he spat. Have a good time.”

She hung up, and I looked across at Nate.

“Did that go well or badly?”

“About as I expected. Don’t worry—we’ve got Emmy on our side, and she’ll deal with Black. Let’s go and buy tickets. And bikinis. You need bikinis. And one of those kaftan things for when other men are around.”

“I’ll wear a bikini if you wear a pair of Speedos.”

“On second thoughts, let’s rent somewhere with a private beach and go naked.”

“I’m not sure my budget runs to a private beach.”

“Querida, you just earned a million bucks for your part in the Lozano job, and besides, I’m paying.”

“A million…? What?”

“Private work pays well.” He wrapped one arm around me and tucked me against his side as we snuck out of the closet. “Do you prefer a window seat or an aisle seat?”

If I’d learned one thing during my years at GAFE, it was that there was a time to fight and a time to yield.

And today? I yielded.

Little bits of my new world were filtering into my brain, and I still needed to find my place. But in the meantime, Nate could take over. I was exhausted. Five years in the army had taken their toll, and what better way to relax than on a deserted stretch of sand with a delicious man by my side?

“A window seat. I prefer a window seat.”

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