Page 21 of Booker's Mission

Callie released a shaky breath as he spooled down the engine and waited for everything to shut off. She didn’t speak, just stared at him, eyes wide. Those kissable lips pursed together.

He frowned, leaning over to her side. “Are you okay? You didn’t get hit, did you?”

He started searching for wounds when she palmed his jaw — waited for him to look up at her. “I’m fine, I’m just… Remind me to thank you once this is all over.”

“Thank me for what? Not crashing? Because that’s kinda my job.”

“For being more than just a guy I can trust. You…”

She closed the distance — kissed him. Not the way they’d kissed that night before everything had changed. This was soft. Sensual. But damn, it spiked his heart rate even more than if she’d tangled her tongue with his. Had him fighting not to fist her hair — hold the back of her head and keep her there. Mouths pressed against each other. Nothing but the fog and the rain and the darkness surrounding them.

But now wasn’t the time. Or the place.

She eased back. Swallowed. Though, he didn’t miss how it seemed to take effort. That maybe she was fighting some of the same emotions that welled inside of him. How he wanted to live because she’d given him a glimpse of what life could be like if he had the balls to seize it.

He did his best to swallow, too. Nearly choked when her eyes darted to his mouth, again, but he managed not to die right there in the chopper.

Callie smiled, then brushed her thumb across his lip. “You sure you’re still up for this?”

He scoffed. “Do you really think I’d let you go alone?”

“No, but… It seemed only right to offer you an out when I hadn’t really given you one to begin with.”

“Don’t need an out. Just whatever Charlie left for us in the back because as crazy as it might sound, getting this far was the easy part. Now… now the true adventure begins. So, let’s saddle up, and catch the son of a bitch who set you up.”

CHAPTER6

Speechless.A first for Callie, but hearing Booker say he didn’t need an out — that he just needed a weapon and to help her nail the double agent who’d killed her team and left her for dead — took her breath away. They’d just been chased by armed mercenaries. He should be tossing her ass out, not gearing up. Hell, they hadn’t even really slept together — made any kind of promises. Just the start of something magical that had ended early because Booker wasn’t the kind of guy to ever take advantage of a situation.

Which only made all the heat swirling around inside her burn hotter. To the point she was surprised she wasn’t sending off little bolts of lightning. Just like the storm. Arcs from her to him. That law of attraction she vaguely remembered from school. And there was no denying she was attracted to Booker Hayes.

Booker grinned, that smile igniting another round of sparks beneath her skin. “What are the coordinates for that shack, again?”

Callie shook herself from her thoughts, focusing on Booker. He had one of the maps spread out in front of him, his phone illuminating the small space.

She reached into her pocket, then handed him the paper. “It’s just inside El Yunque, but I know that the crappy dirt road up that way has been blocked off. They say it’s for safety reasons — something about the road being unstable from the hurricane that destroyed half the island. But the cartel has enough officers in their pocket they can pretty much get anything cordoned off. And it limits who can sneak up on them.”

Booker nodded, quickly finding the spot on the map. “It’s not as close as we would have liked, but it looks like there’s a parallel trail. Probably overgrown and slower, but I doubt we want to amble up the main road when we have no idea if those assholes chasing us already alerted their buddies you were coming back for another round.”

“I still don’t know how they recognized me for the two seconds they might have seen my face, especially when we were pretty far away.”

He just laughed. “Your ass speaks for itself.”

“You’re such a jerk.”

“I know.” He glanced out the window, sighing at another round of lightning streaking across the sky. “I hope you’ve got a decent rain jacket in that backpack.”

“It’s one of the only things I brought. You?”

“Yup, along with those sexy boxers I mentioned. Ready? As much as I’d like to stay here and wait it out, I think it’s best if we keep moving. Hopefully stay a few steps ahead of your welcoming committee.”

“You got the route memorized? Or are you getting sloppy?”

Booker merely arched his brow. “Are you seriously questioning my skill as a tracker? That hurts, sweetheart.”

“Charlie said he packed a couple of med kits. I can get a Band-Aid for you, if it’ll help.”

“Brat. And we should bring one along. Just to be safe. You want the Sig or the Beretta?”

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