EPILOGUE
Eyes locked, muscles tensed, we squared off. On alert. Ready. Each waiting for the other to make the first move.
“Come on. Come at me.” I urged her forward with a small wave of my raised hands.
She shook her head. “Why don’t you come at me?”
“All right.” Without pause, I pounced, taking her off guard and off her feet with one swift move.
We ended up with her, flat on her back and me above her. Just as I liked it.
I smiled. “I win.”
I’d learned some things over the past few months. Enough I could now take Alex when we sparred. Not as often as she bested me, but I was working on it.
“I let you win,” she said.
“Bull shit.” I frowned and tried to decide if she was lying to me or not.
She smiled and fisted my T-shirt in one hand, yanking me forward and down until I was just a breath from her face. “Kiss me.”
“Not until you tell me the truth.” I locked my elbows and remained just out of reach of her lips. “Did you let me win?”
“No.” The way she screwed up her pretty mouth as she answered told me it was indeed the truth, and she wasn’t happy about it.
That made me happy.
Trying to control my triumphant grin and be a good sport, I leaned in. Her honesty deserved a reward. A kiss for now, and a much bigger reward later when we were in private.
“Thank you.” I bracketed her head with my forearms and kissed her, hard and thorough. Probably inappropriate for the gym in my Alexandria apartment building but fuck it. We were alone, for the moment, and I paid enough in rent I should be able to do whatever I wanted on the exercise mats—including giving Alex that big reward.
Hmm, would she go for that? It might be fun . . .
Before I could consider further, I found myself on my back with Alex over me, smiling. “Ha!”
I laughed. “That doesn’t count.”
“It always counts.” She leaned low and took control of the kiss and I couldn’t really complain about the sudden reversal in our positions.
With my hands on her hips I pressed her against my very happy length, growing harder by the second, and decided that maybe I should be letting her win instead of trying to beat her if this was the result.
I was about to suggest we get naughty next to the Nautilus machine when the clearing of a throat drew my attention.
I tipped my head way back and peered behind me to see who Alex was looking at and who had disturbed my bliss.
“Zane,” I said.
“Rosebud,” he replied with a smile.
Alex giggled. He’d already filled her in on the whole story. Now they both enjoyed teasing me.
“Dickhead.” I rolled my eyes. “I’m going to tell the doorman to stop letting you in.”
“You can try but he works for me occasionally and since I’m sure GAPS pays him better than the management of this place, I’m pretty sure his loyalty lies with me.”
That figured. I should have realized the guy at the front door looked a little too military for his job title.
I sighed. The more I hung out with Zane and Alex, the more I realized there were very few people who were actually who they seemed.
To add to my growing misery, Alex pushed off the mat and stood. “I’m going to shower. Meet you upstairs?” she asked.
“Will do.” Maybe if I could ditch Zane quick, I could join her in that shower and finish what we started.
She grabbed her bottle of water and towel, nodded a goodbye to Zane and pushed through the glass door of the gym.
When she was gone and I’d finally gotten up off the floor myself, he cocked up one brow. “So, you two living together now?”
“No. Well not full-time anyway. Only when we’re down here. She still has her apartment in Queens.”
The one that I’d finally gotten inside. She hadn’t kept me out of it because she had a roommate, which she didn’t. She’d prevented me from coming inside because it was set up like a frigging spy lair. Assorted weapons of all types. Surveillance equipment. Photos pinned up on a corkboard. State of the art computers. Even body armor.
Zane nodded. “She ever actually sleep in that apartment in Queens?” he asked.
“Occasionally.” I knew what he was getting at. We were as good as living together and it was too soon for that.
On a cerebral level, I agreed. But on a visceral level, I was more than ready to take things to the next level with Alex. And I had a feeling we would, soon.
I hadn’t discussed it with her yet, but I knew her lease was up in the spring. Perfect timing for us to officially move in together.
“Comment?” I asked Zane.
If he didn’t approve he might as well come right out with it now rather than beating around the bush.
“Not really.” He shook his head.
“No?” I asked, shocked.
“Don’t look so surprised. I like her.” He lifted one shoulder in a shrug.
I scowled. I wasn’t used to Zane supporting my decisions. I didn’t know what to think about it.
“So, the reason I came by . . .” he began.
Finally. I had been wondering the reason for his unannounced social call.
“Yes?”
“Any chance you’ve seen or heard from Chelsea today?”
“Your office manager? No.” The only time I saw her was when I was at his office visiting him or with Alex.
“Can you ask Alex for me, whenever you two are done.”
I frowned. If he was really worried about Chelsea I could control my libido long enough to ask Alex if she’d heard from her.
In fact, I’d do it right now. I reached for where I’d left my cell phone and punched in a text.
As expected, Alex responded right away. She was addicted to her phone. She probably had it in the damn shower with her.
“She hasn’t heard from her either.” I tossed my cell back onto the table and reached for my water bottle. “Why? What’s up?”
He hesitated.
Jesus, all we’d been through and he was still afraid to tell me things?
I clenched my jaw, about to tell him off when he said, “There’s a chance she might be missing.”
My eyes widened.
I’d had almost three solid months of no excitement except for what Alex and I created between the sheets. But I supposed all good things came to an end.
As I waited for Zane to reveal the details in his own good time, all I could think was, here we go again.
Next up: More of Tristan Fairchild in
The series
a Hot SEALs series spin-off
It was more than just a one-night stand.
Chelsea had been there for me when I needed her. Now, she's in trouble and needs help.
Luckily, I'm just the man for the job. MI6, be damned. She's worth going rogue for.
Get