They’d walked half a block without speaking-- which wasn’t such a bad thing, TJ acknowledged. His mouth had done enough damage for one night. Relief pulsed through him at the opportunity to distance himself from their conversation.

Alyssa had been hitting too close for comfort. Unfortunately for her, the best way he knew to stop a frontal assault was firepower. Just like a behavioral psych training mission-- he’d lobbed a verbal missile and carefully observed it detonate. Watched Alyssa absorb the blow. The analytical part of his brain captured her eyes widening with shock before shuttering to mask the hurt he’d fully intended to inflict.

But the single shred of decency he had remaining tightened a band of regret around his chest. “Seriously, Lyss, I’m sorry for lashing out at you.” He paused on the sidewalk. “You didn't deserve it. I-- I’ll try to be better.”

What the hell made him say that crap? Alyssa wasn’t pampered. With her family’s money, she could sink her manicured claws into a guy who would provide for every whim. With Madeline lurking in the background, there was no doubt an endless stream of candidates for her beautiful daughter to choose from.

Instead, she'd chosen public service, forging a career that meant sixty hour weeks-On the surface, it was glamorous, but when you scratched off the luster, the underside was tarnished. She’d sacrificed her own ambitions to help someone else achieve his goals. Supposedly for the greater good.

“T-- you don’t need to be better for me.” She struggled to match his stride. “You should be better for you. Maybe give yourself a break.”

He winced, grateful for the shroud of darkness. Grateful for the lack of a streetlamp to confirm she’d managed to nail the target once again. One thing about Alyssa—she didn’t pull any punches. He always knew where he stood with her.

She had the annoying ability to back him into conversational corners. Where the only escape was talking. Before he knew it-- he was spilling private shit he didn't like thinking about. Now, her words would haunt him. What if it was a misunderstanding? He bit back a cynical laugh. Now-- that would be something. He and Finn both nursing a twelve year grudge? Over a misunderstanding? Finn was as stubborn as him. Was it possible-

He shook his head. Jesus-- he just needed to get away from this girl. She was too damned optimistic. Get the job done and get the hell out-- before Alyssa had him questioning . . . everything. But—she was Matt’s sister. That meant maintaining a truce. It meant civility. It meant not sleeping with her-- no matter how badly he wanted to.

Not that he'd have to worry. He'd pretty much mortared that opportunity. All that remained was friendship. An awkward one. With no benefits. He could drool over her. Fantasize about her. But no acting on it.

He glanced down. Taking two steps for each of his, her platinum head bobbed as she kept up with ease. Although the way she carried herself suggested her speed resulted from a competitive streak rather than athleticism.

When she slipped her hand in his, he stilled. His gaze kept moving, his eyes adjusted to the murky night. Streetlamps made it easy to scope out any lurking threat. If he were No-Key—he’d be watching. Waiting to make a move on Alyssa.

"Am I walking too fast?"

"No. I’m just . . . a little creeped out in the dark."

Stunned by the bravery of her admission, he glanced down at her. For an analyst of human behavior, he’d seriously had his head up his ass when it came to her. Of course she’d fear the night. Dark alleys were her enemy. He tightened his grip on her hand. “Is there anything I can do to help?” He could offer protection—but his leaving in three weeks made it an empty promise.

“Could you—just keep talking to me?” She met his gaze, her expression anxious. “I usually talk to myself when I’m walking. Somehow, it keeps me from losing it—at least until I get home.”

Humbled by the tiny woman next to him, he tugged her closer, slinging an arm around her shoulders. “I’ll tell you a story.” He expelled a cleansing breath. The darkness felt good wrapped around him. It was familiar, even comforting.

“Night here in Boston doesn’t feel dark at all.”

“It’s different in the desert?”

He chuckled. “On a starless night, it’s claustrophobic. Picture a black so dark you can’t see your hand. It’s almost a feeling of—absorption.” He’d grown accustomed to the anxiety-- that you were hell and gone from another living, breathing person-- and the first one you ran into would likely kill you.

“What do you mean?”

“You probably won’t like this, but it’s sort of like . . . you cease to exist. Like you’ve disappeared into the night. You . . . become the darkness.” He absorbed the shiver of fear that traced through her. “But-- on a starry night, it feels like you’re looking at the whole world. The sky is endless.”

She glanced up at him. “So—this doesn’t even feel dark?”

“It’s too noisy. This feels-” He thought for a moment. There were so many sounds here. “I guess it feels more like dawn. When the base is waking up.”

“Is it big? Your base?”

“The main base is like a little city. But forward bases are much smaller.” And advance teams like his were basically scout camps.

She inhaled deeply. He felt the rise of her shoulders as she released a gusting breath. “You okay?”

Her head tipped back. “One more block. I’m good.”

“You’re doing fine.”

“Thanks for babysitting me.”

Her chagrined voice pricked his conscience. No way in hell should she be apologizing. “You lived through something traumatic. And you’re still out there fighting every day.” He stopped on the sidewalk, making sure she was listening. “Brave is doing something that scares the hell out of you. So—don’t minimize your efforts.”

TJ admitted feeling surprised. He’d talked more with Alyssa tonight than in the fourteen months leading up to it. She was too much like her brother. Blunt and to-the-point and clearly not afraid to get in his face. All qualities he appreciated from Matt. But in a female-- this female-- those qualities sucked.

She was right. He liked keeping people at a distance-- typically several continents. Though his family had screwed him over, he damn well wasn’t hurt about it. Besides, what did Mama Lou need him for? She had Finnie and Shea there in Boston. Brady and Quinn only short flights away. And Colin a couple hour’s drive. TJ had always been excess baggage.

When his mother had dumped him on Aunt Louise’s doorstep, he'd gone from a vagabond life with a neglectful mother who hadn't wanted him-- to being the kid everyone whispered about. The scrawny loser with the stupid name. Even at nine he’d recognized himself as the square peg who hadn't fit any hole. But the O’Briens had wedged him into their tight, boisterous circle.

Despite attempts to hide his true character under smiles he didn’t feel, he’d always known his rented family would discover the defects his mother had seen early.

To his surprise, it had taken them much longer to reach that conclusion. The summer night when Finn finally turned against him, TJ had been a senior in college. Mama Lou's worried pleas had forced his involvement. But his effort to protect his cousin had backfired . . . finally costing him the makeshift family he’d always expected to lose.

He didn’t want to lose Matt the way he'd lost Finn. At the time, he’d assumed his cousin would forgive him for busting his two-timing girlfriend. Hell, he’d expected thanks when Finnie’s anger wore off. The girl his brother had imagined himself in love with had slept with half the frat house. When she’d announced herself pregnant, Mama Lou had been terrified Finn would feel pressured to marry her. Even when she confessed the baby wasn’t Finn’s, his cousin still blamed him. TJ hadn’t anticipated their rift lasting more than a week. Twelve years later, he was still waiting.

Alyssa stopped on the sidewalk. “Do you feel that?” She peered anxiously over his shoulder. “For the past two weeks . . . I feel-”

Forcing his mind back to the present, TJ concentrated on his surroundings. Though he was worlds away from needing to worry about automatic weapon fire or the errant grenade being lobbed through the moonlit night, it wouldn’t help to grow lax. No-Key was out there, somewhere. “Like someone’s watching you?”

“Yes.” Her exclamation was one of relief. “So I’m not crazy?”

"I wouldn't go that far." Voice teasing, he squeezed her hand. “But you should always act on your gut. It’s telling you something. Pay attention to it.”

"T-- wait."

She stopped again in the middle of the sidewalk. Distracted, he turned. "What?"

"I'll do it."

He traced the thread of their conversation, coming up blank. Under the streetlight, her expression was determined. "You'll do what?"

Glancing around nervously, she tucked against him. TJ scanned the street, seeking any possible threat that might explain her skittish behavior.

"I'll sleep with you."

Mid-step, he staggered. “What?” Had he somehow missed a huge chunk of their conversation? Had he blanked out for a block or two? Perhaps he'd misheard? No-- his cock hadn't misheard. It was standing rigidly at attention. "You'll-- what?"

Arms crossed, she glared at him. "Sleep with you," she spelled out. "Friends with benefits? For twenty-four days. But that's it."

"You'll sleep with me?" He grinned down at the blond head, since she suddenly had trouble meeting his gaze. Her muttered 'yes' was directed at her painted toes. This would likely go down in his memory as the oddest conversation he ever had. Despite that, his pulse tripled. He was suddenly sweating. Wishing they hadn't parked ten blocks away. "Okay-- that's . . . that sounds-" Amazing. Fist-pumping-best-news-ever. "Great."

"Fine. Let's go." Stalking past him, she grabbed his hand and pulled him along. "It better be as good as last time."

Her muttered insult cracked him up. “I’ll . . . do my best.” Soon, his amusement died and he was unable to focus on anything other than getting her home. Imagining the breasts he'd held in his hands that morning, he tripped on a root in the sidewalk. Her skin. Soft, scented expanses of beautiful skin. The breeze over his own was suddenly painful. The air to his lungs strangely deprived of oxygen. "Hell-" he said to the back of her head, "with you, it’s gonna be great."

"Duh."

The air surrounding them was suddenly suffused with need. Sparking like a pending electrical storm. TJ braced himself for thunder. Forgetting No-Key, he pulled her into the shadows of the magnolia outside his apartment.

"T-- come on."

Her urgent voice made him smile. "Soon." He swallowed her gasp as he ravaged her mouth. The touch of her lips set off an explosion in his chest. This night would be unlike any other. When she moaned into his mouth, a ripple of sensation burned through him. While his brain tried to hang on for the ride, part of him knew only craziness. Need. Desire that would overwhelm any good sense he had remaining.

No amount of touching her would ever be enough. His thoughts grew hazy as he took the kiss deeper. As he drank from her like a quenching water. When he drifted to her throat, he sought the sensitive hollow that for inexplicable reasons-- drove him mad. She arched her neck, her ragged breathing leaving no doubt about the effect he was having on her.

Her scent wove through his muddled brain, blending with the heady magnolia blossom and the faint odor of cigarettes. Somehow, Alyssa’s fragrance pooled at the hollow of her throat, making him wild as he pressed his tongue to the erratically beating pulse he found there.

He forced himself to remove his hands from her. Dragging in a sanity-retrieving breath, he smiled when she protested. "Baby-- we still need to get inside." A seemingly impossible task from twenty feet away. The minutes blurred as they entered the building. The elevator-- thank God-- was working. If he'd had to wait through four flights, he would have taken her in the stairwell. As soon as the elevator doors slid shut, Alyssa pulled his head down, her fingers tugging through his too-long hair. Her kiss seemed intent on pulling his soul from his body. After stumbling down the hallway, he managed to unlock the door-- no easy feat now that there were four locks. TJ pulled her into the foyer and closed the door. Relieved they'd made it inside-- he acknowledged the residents of 4A and 4C would likely only hear them in the coming hours-- instead of witnessing him stripping Alyssa in the corridor.

Heat fisted as time slowed and stilled and thickened. Each action created its own sensation. Her soft moan. His muscles clenching when her fingers trailed over them. The way his jaw ached with the need to groan. Until tonight, TJ would never have considered himself helpless. He was the exacting, ruthless definition of self-reliance. But on this night-- he was powerless. Shedding her clothes as she led him through the apartment, he acknowledged he'd do anything to have her.

With each smile, Alyssa drained him. Of strength. Resistance. The numb existence he thrived in. Each touch. Each stroke. Every soft, sweet kiss that brushed his skin left him weaker than the one before. Like a sickness raging through his body, he would soon be depleted. Unable-- or unwilling to defend himself.

By the time they made it to his bed, he was officially mindless. Part of him detached from the experience-- if only so he could watch it happening. His hands-- giant, rough, battle-hardened. Touching silky, scented skin. Everything about her was soft. Responsive. Craving him as much as he craved her.

"Lyss-- you're beautiful." He stroked her thigh, the strength of muscle twitching under smooth skin. Heard her breath catch as he took his time . . . driving himself to the edge of reason as he traced her beautiful breasts before he finally lowered his head to them.

They both startled at the exquisite pleasure lanced with pain. His breath shuddered out involuntarily. Staring into the bluest, most honest eyes he'd ever known, he managed a pained smile. "Just making sure this is okay."

Her head thrashed against the pillow. "Of course it's . . ." Her breath coming in short pants. "Are you crazy?"

His mouth on the tight, raspberry bud, he stroked down her body. His hands were busy everywhere, unable to wait. Unable to resist. Skin. Softness. Unable to go slow. They were greedy for more. When he palmed her wet heat, she nearly flew off the bed. "Easy, sweet."

"Now," she moaned.

"Not yet." He closed his eyes as his will faltered. He fingered the wetness, wanting more than anything in his entire life to sink into her. But . . . he wouldn't. He would torture her. Torture himself. He would bring her to the edge of reason before providing the relief she would beg for. The relief that in a few short minutes, he would likely trade his life for.

"Teagan . . . please."

Alyssa moved against him and his heart stumbled into an erratic beat. Fiercely beating as it strained against his chest wall, it was possible he might be experiencing a heart attack. Yet he kept up the onslaught. His ears drowning in her glorious moans until he had to silence them. Capture them with his mouth. Take them into his own body. Preserve them for later. The endlessly long later. When he finally stroked her slick heat, she jerked upward against his palm. Her body was on automatic pilot, no longer capable of obeying her glorious brain.

His own body damp with perspiration, TJ leaned into her, capturing her frantic lips as they moved wordlessly. “These beautiful lips . . . with nothing to say?” Thrusting his tongue in her mouth, he swallowed her whisper and regained a modicum of strength. Repeating the action, he smiled when his name erupted on a long, sexy moan.

"Let me soothe you, sweet. We have so much time," he whispered, surprised he could form sentences when he was nearly out of his mind with desire. The first time-- so long ago-- had been at night. The darkness had caused him to miss so much. The years since then had been memories of sensation. Touch. Sound. Taste. Her beautiful eyes had been shrouded in moonlight. This time he would witness all of it. The way her ribcage lifted with each panting breath. The way she chewed her lower lip as though it might prevent her from moaning. In lamplight he would watch her mesmerizing eyes as they slowly lost focus because of what he would do to her.

"Teagan-" Her demand was lost in a harsh cry.

He stroked her again, his fingers seeking the tight bud that would provide a measure of relief. He teased her, smiling when she clutched his shoulders-- honing in on her release. The first one, anyway. "Give it to me, sweet."

Her breathy gasp against his throat heated his skin, sending tingles rocketing through his body. She nipped his earlobe, shocking him with a stab of pleasure. And then she was quaking against him, sending a sharp, aching pang through his chest. "So beautiful." He crooned the words as she trembled in his arms. Before he slowly eased her down against the tangled sheets.

Still drugged with sensation, her body shimmering, Alyssa stared up at him. The hard, determined, beautiful face of her nemesis. The man she'd never been able to forget. The beautiful eyes heated to a molten, velvety gray. "That was so . . . nice."

"Nice?" Teagan shrugged out of his shirt, tossing it to the floor. "Nice is not the word I'm looking for."

"Amazing," she offered, smiling over his frown. "Great." When he unbuttoned the khakis he'd donned only a few hours earlier, she rose to her knees.

"Can I help you?"

"Hell, yes." His eyes heated when she crawled to the end of the bed. He was hard. His pants almost too tight to unbutton. She stroked him as she worked, smiling when he staggered against her.

"Jeez, Lyss. Be careful," he warned. "It's been awhile." His expression didn't change when she raised an eyebrow in surprise. "It's not as though I've had a girlfriend over there-"

"Still, there must be women-" She hid her delight over his honesty.

He stared at her with an intensity that left her breathless. "I've wanted you since I walked through that door-"

She'd wanted him longer than that. "Broke down that door," she corrected.

"I've wanted you since you jammed my wrist-"

"Now, you're not being fair-"

"Since you chewed off my finger."

Her shoulders shook with laughter. Apparently blunt honesty was something Teagan embraced.

He expelled a sigh of relief when she finally got his pants unzipped. "Thank God."

"What about me kicking the hell out of you on the living room floor two nights ago?"

His gaze burned into hers. "All worth it." He yanked her against him for a hard, wet kiss. Skin on glorious, hard, hot skin. "I did extra sit-ups this morning. My abs are ready for your next beating."

He was patient while she attempted to free him. Until she began exploring his beautiful body. Too soon, he jerked free of her wandering hands with a groan and kicked his pants off. "Are you trying to kill me?"

Alyssa silenced his protest with her mouth, drinking him in as though he were water. And she-- a long parched desert. His big hands captured her face, as though he, too couldn't get enough.

This was what she'd been unable to forget. The inferno between them. The drugging need to be closer. His scent wrapped around her. His hands touching her. Awakening the memory of him on her skin. She stroked strong, muscled arms, pausing over the long-healed scar on his elbow. When she placed her lips against it, a shiver coursed through him.

"How many more," she whispered, grazing his bicep where she discovered a new tattoo. His body had changed in a decade. He was harder. Leaner. His smooth, heated skin covering sinew and strength. Tougher. His tightened abs rising and falling with each tortured breath.

Beautiful, gray flannel eyes registered confusion. "How many?"

"Tattoos." She nipped the cross on his shoulder, tasting salt and clean, soapy skin. His involuntary shudder made her smile as she continued her exploration.

"Three . . ." A groan rumbled up from his chest. "God-- keep doing that."

She traced a rough patch on his shoulder, placing her tongue where her fingers had been. "What’s this," she whispered.

"Lyss-" He swallowed several times, as though it was painful to speak. "You feel so unbelievable-" Hands shaking, he stroked every inch of her skin. "So soft."

When he drew her breast into his mouth, her knees buckled, but his big hands held her up when she would have collapsed to the bed. Held her in place while he drove her out of her mind. His tongue on her nipple almost painful in the exquisite pleasure.

"Were you hurt?" She grazed the raised skin.

Hot, black pupils stared back at her, shrouding the gray-- as though the supercomputer brain was no longer capable of processing information. "Shot," he muttered, his voice distracted when he finally released her, lunging for the nightstand.

Though Alyssa experienced a quiver of fear over the confession, she shoved the matter aside for later. "Let me help you." When she took him in her hands, his groan was raw with both pain and pleasure. She stroked the heated length, thrilling at his indrawn breath-- the raspy sound sending tingles of anticipation quaking through her body. By the time she could tear open the condom, they were both shaking.

When he fell with her to the bed, she gazed up at the beautiful man hovering over her, his smile turning her heart to a useless, flopping mass in her chest. Unable to process the expression on his face, she felt a spear of apprehension. "Teagan?"

"So beautiful, Lyss," he muttered, his mouth caressing her throat, her collarbone. Moving to her shoulder, he smiled when she rose up from the bed to meet him. "We have time, sweet."

"Not enough," she admitted as she reached up to trace his smile. "Overtime might be required."

His chuckle fanned across her breast. When he latched onto her with a warm, wet tongue, she cried out.

"I've dreamt of this freckle," he admitted. "A thousand times."

"T-" She thrashed against the sheets, tired of the torment he was putting her through. And loving every moment of it.

He worked his way down her body, his mouth everywhere-- until she was frantic with the need for release. When he finally slid into her, his voice joined hers in a long, ragged groan. "You're so perfect." He squeezed his eyes shut. "This. I remember . . . this."

She gasped at the fullness, her body stretching to accommodate him. As his languid, stroking heat pulled her along with him, a feeling of absolute rightness swept over her. She reached up to soothe his clenched jaw. Serious, gray eyes locked with hers, his fierce expression suddenly melting into a smile. Alyssa's mind splintered with the memory. That smile. In a single moment, a decade fell away.

"So good." His movement grew more frenzied. Alyssa reached for him, pulling him down to kiss her, wanting all of him inside her when she came. Mindless to anything but pleasure, she traced his lips with her tongue, thrilling at his growl of raw pleasure. She felt him tighten. Sealing her mouth to his, she captured his endless groan as his body seized against her. Her pleasure spiraled as his release rolled over her.

Teagan collapsed against her, his breath shuddering against her throat. For several minutes, time stood suspended as she slowly returned.

"You'd better not say that was nice."

Arms still wrapped around him, she smiled. "More like cataclysmic." She felt his smile against her collarbone. "The earth moved."

"Damn straight it did."

Several minutes passed with Teagan seeming content to remain inside her. Enjoying the extra closeness, she trailed her hands over his back, loving the feel of slack, warm muscles under her fingertips. Eventually wandering to his hair, she tugged her fingers through it. "Still too long," she whispered.

Finally rousing himself, Teagan offered a lazy smile that sent her heart skittering to the pit of her stomach.

"You can trim it for me." His amused voice was edged with sleepiness. "Later." He settled against her and closed his eyes.

Alyssa forced aside the tremor of unease. She would not get attached this time. She would enjoy the next several weeks for exactly what they were. A wild, no-strings good time. An adventure. With the guy she'd never been able to forget. With the guy she would absolutely, positively, no-way-in-hell fall for again.

* * *

"Lyss, baby." Hours later, TJ groaned as she rode him hard. Eyes glazed, breasts bouncing, she was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. Her breath huffed over soft, pink lips he'd kissed a hundred times. Her back arching as she strained to take him, his unsteady hands skimmed the narrow ribcage, his thoughts growing disjointed as she edged him closer to the precipice. After a night spent not sleeping, he still hadn't gotten enough.

"Teagan-" His name a sharp cry as her eyes widened. By now, he knew that look. Surprise. Delight. Alyssa was like a tornado of pleasure. One minute he was there-- fully cognizant of the breathtaking woman with him. The next, he was sucked into a vortex. Battered by a force too powerful to resist. Splintered into jagged pieces. Eventually returning to earth, surprised to find himself still whole.

She tightened around him, her long, breathy moan making him smile. Her body clutched him . . . like nothing he'd ever experienced. Like she . . . owned him. Like she wouldn't let go without a fight.

"Oof." He smiled when she collapsed against him, her warm, scented body folding like a house of cards. Like an addict needing another hit, he sought her mouth. He liked the feeling of being all in. Liked swallowing her panting sighs. His cock still twitching inside her, her body still working him as he kissed her. As though they could somehow keep it going. He held the slender body against him, her chest rising with his. Endlessly soft, whisper pale skin plastered to his tanned hardness. Whatever this drugging sensation was . . . he liked it. "We need to get up soon."

"No." A sexy arm slung around his neck in protest.

He traced her spine, enjoying her shiver. "I'm thinking we should leave at 0700."

"Are you crazy?" Her protest tickled his collarbone. "No one even gets there until nine."

He shifted to plant a hand under his head, enjoying the feel of her body anchoring his. Her breasts pressed to his chest. The view wasn't bad either. "All the more reason to go in early. I want time to snoop before a ton of people are milling around."

"Skulking takes two hours?" Her scowl suggested an appalling lack of appreciation for his reconnaissance skills. "How about eight?"

"How about six-fifteen?"

She groaned, the sound vibrating through his chest where her lips rested. "0700 sounds wonderful."

He grinned as a wave of sleepiness stole over him. It would be a very long day. Another hour of sleep was exactly what they needed. "I thought it might."

* * *

"Remember, drive straight to the garage." Two hours later, TJ scanned the street as he walked Alyssa back to her car. The scent of freshly ground coffee scented the air. His stomach rumbling, he ignored it."

"I've got it, T."

"I'll be thirty minutes behind you. I'm taking the subway. It's better for us to arrive separately."

"Uh-huh." She dug through her monstrous purse, surfacing with sunglasses.

"I'm meeting with Burke to review the office layout and any security issues that may have cropped up." When she didn't answer, he continued. "I'll still get to you by nine." He paused when she glanced longingly at the coffee shop. "Are you getting all this?"

She lowered her shades. "Do you remember me telling you a half hour ago that I got it the first time?"

"It's called mission prep." Unimpressed, Lyss scowled up at him, the smudges under her eyes reminding him how little they'd slept. Defiant sapphire eyes only emphasized the fragile beauty of her face. "So far, you suck at it."

"As fascinating as the first three times were, I'm getting a little bored."

TJ grinned as he shifted her thermos and briefcase. "Are we talking about last night? Or work today?"

Her cheeks flushed. "I'll try to walk with someone to the elevator," she said, ignoring the bait. "I'll ruin someone's Monday morning by latching on to them and chatting all the way into city hall."

While she searched for her car keys in a giant handbag, TJ set her coffee on the roof of the Toyota. After her third attempt, his patience eroded. "What the hell is in there? I could spend a week in the Bahamas with a bag that size."

She shot him a withering glare. "You try walking six blocks in heels every day. I have my work shoes . . . a book, my lunch," she recited. Thankfully, on the next dive, she surfaced with the damned keys.

"Here's your briefcase." TJ was struck by the pleasant sensation of normalcy. As he'd made coffee that morning, he'd noticed the Bruins thermos in the back of the cabinet. On a whim, he'd filled it up for her. It had taken only four days with Lyss to realize she was not a morning person.

He'd insisted on walking her to the car. Though Alyssa had been adamant she could fend for herself, the flare of relief in her eyes suggested differently. So, here they were, early on a fragrant, partly sunny morning. Was this what couples did? Wish each other a good day, say their I love you's- He frowned over the dangerously weird path of his thoughts. Could he get used to this? If he'd grown accustomed to the racket of a base coming to life in the gray, bleak hours before dawn, the unholy racket of sirens at all hours of the day, the non-stop testosterone-laden bullshit that resulted from being crammed into a too-small barracks with nineteen other guys-

How could he possibly have a problem relating to the day-to-day minutiae of living with another person? One other person. His thoughts scattering when the car door closed, he remembered her coffee on the roof. "Don't forget your thermos."

After starting the engine, Alyssa rolled down the window. "Thanks. You can go now."

No chance, sweetheart. Her mutinous expression suggested she didn't want witnesses as she probably ended up fender bouncing in the futile attempt to unwedge the car. During the night, the three feet of clearance he'd left them with had eroded. Some dick had pulled close behind the Corolla, leaving her approximately six inches to back out.

"Babe, it's kinda tight." Suppressing a grin, he nodded to the space. "Sure you can maneuver without my guidance?" Eying the wedged vehicle, he cracked up when Alyssa flipped him off. After only two tries, she had the Corolla out of the tight space. Wincing as she rocketed into the street, TJ watched the taillights until she rounded the corner. "Aggressive drivers." Shaking his head, he pulled out his phone and dialed Sean. "She's on her way. You've got someone following her, right?" Performing an unobtrusive perimeter check, he strolled back to the apartment while Sean brought him up to speed. "What about the garage? You've got someone to tag her?"

"What's this about?" Mullaney's suspicious voice broke his train of thought. "What else is goin' on that I need to know?"

Despite Alyssa's demands otherwise, he'd known he would have to confide in Sean. "The garage," he repeated.

"Off duty cop. A rookie who'll look like an eager new hire at city hall." The old man paused. "Now, what the hell is goin' on?"

Closing in on the brownstone, he stopped on the sidewalk. Feigning a key drop, he perused the parked cars. If Alyssa was being watched, the guy had to be here. Somewhere. Staking out the apartment. No cars had pulled into the street since she'd roared away a minute earlier.

"There's more to this gig," he admitted. Lyss might wish to kill him, but the old man needed to know exactly what was going on. Lowering his voice, TJ launched into an explanation. He catalogued everything he knew-- down to the bearded guy he'd followed two nights earlier. All to the low hum of Mullaney's profanity-laced muttering. "I get that you're mad-- but Lyss says Maddie can't know. She doesn't want her worried again."

"Like anyone can stop her?" Mullaney sighed. "She's only known about the blackmail for twenty-four hours and already Maddie's driving me crazy," he admitted. "By the time I realized she'd left the room last night, she'd already called Maggie Robbins."

"Yeah-- thanks for that."

"Hell if I can control her." Mullaney's raspy chuckle over his admission made TJ smile. "If she thinks for a second this could be related to Alyssa's attack two years ago-"

"She can't find out, Sean." Smile dissolving, he raked a hand through his hair, second-guessing his confession to the old marine.

"Then we need to keep her busy," he admitted, his voice grim. "Once you're in there today, you need to feed me some loose-end bullshit for her to focus on."

A block out from the apartment, TJ slowed to a crawl. "How about this?" He fed Sean the list of names from Theo's army picture.

"Why are we lookin' at them?"

"We've got to start somewhere." What was the harm in looking into it? "It'll take her a long time to research," he reminded. "What's the possibility of Luther being involved?"

"What do you mean-- involved?"

TJ glanced at the magnolia in front of his building, then raised his gaze to his apartment window. Not a bad place for someone watching people coming and going into the building. "Like-- could he be the one blackmailing Theo?"

Sean hesitated on the line. "Luther is a little odd. But most cops are," he admitted, "including me." He chuckled. "But-- he's loyal to Theo. Besides that, I knew him for ten years on Boston PD," he reminded. "Burke wasn't a guy who messed around. Clean record. No whispers about him."

TJ digested the information. "What about the other guys? Could there be a connection besides combat friendship between the others?"

"That, I don't know." Mullaney shuffled some papers. "That's where we can keep my Madeline busy."

"Tell her we need as much background information as she can find."

"Hell-- I'll have her diggin' back to grade school."

Hanging up with Mullaney, TJ avoided glancing at the lush, sprawling tree ten feet from the walkway. If someone was there, he didn't want to give him a head's up. His pulse quickened as he entered the elevator, remembering how he'd dragged Alyssa there the previous night. Hell-- if there'd been someone there, would he have even known? He'd been intent on getting her clothes off. Checking his watch, he shelved his thoughts and hustled down the hall to his apartment. There'd be time to investigate later.