It would be a long process of cleaning up the group once it folded in on itself, but I felt safe turning it over. The case was in good hands.
I paused at the door to leave the FBI office building in Atlanta. A smile spread on my face when I saw Austin outside. He was pacing like a caged lion, looking about ready to come charging in here. His face was still bruised, but it didn’t take away from how fierce and beautiful he looked.
After getting filled in about Lipton’s capture by Keller, I’d decided to turn myself in before Austin returned to Atlanta. I was hoping it would cut down our time apart, but I had to wait for SAIC Silva to make it down here to interrogate me. I’d asked about Austin, and Silva told me he and the others had been cleared.
To say I wasn’t pissed at Austin would have been a lie. I hadn’t talked to him in days. He’d left without even telling me. All I knew from Reed was that Austin came up with an idea and he was working on something. Austin was gone and he didn’t answer his phone. And it wasn’t like I could leave the penthouse to even attempt to track him down. He could have been dead for all I knew. So, yeah, I had every right to be pissed.
But… I couldn’t stay mad at him.
I pushed the door open and it caught his attention. He froze, eyes staring at me like he had to make sure I was real.
The relief was instant the moment our eyes locked. I’d been worried about him just as much as he’d been worried about me. After all he did to keep me safe and clear my name, the least I could do was not be mad at him over it.
The last few days had been even more exhausting than the nearly two weeks I’d spent on the run. But having Lipton in custody certainly made it less terrifying.
We could finally breathe.
I walked right up to him and stopped once the tips of our shoes were touching.
“Well, hello, Mr. Agent Ford Priestley,” he teased with a crooked smirk, causing me to snort and shake my head.
“Call me Ford.”
“Just Ford?” He tried to bite his lip to hide a smile, but it slipped out anyway. “How about I call you mine?”
This time, I was the one who couldn’t hold back a smile.
“Is that supposed to be a pick-up line?” I asked.
“You know,” he said, his eyes rolling skyward like he was taking a moment to think. “I’ve never really used one of those before.”
“I don’t think you should start now,” I told him teasingly.
“I suppose I don’t really need to.” He snaked his arms around my waist and pulled me into his body. His lips brushed against mine, but he didn’t kiss me. “I got what I want.”
He kissed me quickly. We were awkwardly standing outside of a federal building, so I appreciated it. Then again, part of me didn’t give a fuck.
“So you’ve got me and that’s it?” I teased.
“What?” His head reared back. “Hell, no. Now I get the pleasure of keepin’ you happy for the rest of our lives.”
My brows went up in surprise and I was stunned into silence.
“Too much?” he asked, pulling away.
“No,” I snapped as I grabbed the front of his t-shirt and pulled him back into me. My hand went flat against his chest and his heart was kicking under my palm. “I like your plan. I want in. I want to keep you happy—”
I didn’t get to finish that statement because his mouth was on mine, and this time, the kiss was… well, intense and not appropriate for the setting.
But did I care?
Not one fucking bit.
“So… what now?” I asked after I pulled away and got my wits about me.
“First, I want to stop by and see Reed. Fill him in.” He slipped his hand into mine before turning and walking toward the parking lot. My legs easily kept up with his quick pace.
“Okay,” I said. I needed to thank Reed for everything he’d done and let him know I was alright. “Then what?”
