“I need to use your cell phone to call the Black Knights. Let them know what happened, and that we are not going with Grafton back to England the way I planned.”
He was gratified when she didn’t hesitate to hand over her phone. Balancing the paper-light phone in his palm, he shook his head. “Nice hardware.”
She winked, tossing the button in her hand and catching it. “Nobody ever said it’s an easy job, but it has its perks.”
A small gust of wind drifted in through the shattered back windshield, bringing with it the forest smells of damp foliage and moss, and tousling the ends of Sonya’s honeyed hair. One look at her pretty, smiling face reminded Angel that they were far from in the clear. His number one priority now was to keep her safe and well away from Grafton’s long reach. It was past time they beat feet to their destination.
“Just give me a second.” He thumbed on the device.
“Wait.” Sonya placed a hand on his arm. His blood bubbled up to greet her touch, heating his skin. He knew his eyes were predatory because she swallowed loudly and hastily withdrew her fingers. “I still don’t understand why I can’t send my information to Zhao. At the very least he can help facilitate AC/Dickmunch’s handover to the NATO forces. I’m pretty partial to that nickname, by the way.”
“Ever heard the phrase too many cooks in the kitchen?” Angel asked.
Her brow furrowed. “Of course, but—”
“Let the Black Knights do their jobs,” he said, cutting off her argument. “We trust this NATO instructor, but we don’t trust anyone else. Besides, like you said, Zhao believes Spider has contacts inside police forces and Intelligence agencies all over the world. So who would Zhao call to help that he could be one hundred percent sure was not on Spider’s payroll?”
Sonya frowned and chewed her lip. “True.”
“After the dust settles,” Angel continued, “we can call in an evac, and then you and Zhao can take what you have on Spider and disseminate it worldwide. You can clear your name, save your reputation, and watch Grafton’s evil empire come tumbling down. It’s a win-win. Everyone will be happy.”
She snorted. “The only way to make everyone happy is if you’re chocolate cake.”
One corner of his lips twitched. “I guess some things never change.”
He realized his mistake the instant her gaze sharpened. “What do you mean?”
“Just that women and chocolate have been in a love affair since the beginning of time.”
Her expression relaxed. “Or at least since the discovery of the cocoa bean and sugar cane.”
“Right.” He secretly blew out a breath. What the hell was wrong with him? He’d nearly blown his cover. Over chocolate!
The memory of one rainy Sunday lazing around her Paris flat tripped through his mind. She’d spent a good portion of the afternoon covering his favorite body parts in chocolate syrup. And then licking them clean.
“Mmm,” he remembered her humming, chocolate syrup smeared around the edges of her lips and all over the head of his dick. “My two favorite things in the world. Chocolate and your…”
She hadn’t finished. Had simply taken him into her mouth, letting her tongue and teeth and the suction of her cheeks complete the sentence for her.
He shook his head, trying to rattle his brain around enough that it focused on the here and now instead of the much sweeter past. “So, what do you say?” he asked. “Are you down with the game plan?”
The fire of purpose lit her blue-gray eyes. “Since it ends with me clearing my name and making sure Grafton rots in jail? Yeah, I’m down.”
“Good.” He smiled. Despite everything, being near Sonya made him happy.
“Ah, ah, ah.” She pointed at his face. “You better put that thing away. I’ve been paddling the pink canoe all by myself for a long time now, and that smile is enough to make me jump across this car, hold the Glock to your head, and demand you become my rowing partner.”
“Paddling the p-pink—” He sputtered before cutting himself off and shaking his head. And then something remarkable happened. He laughed. Not a snort or a chuckle, but a full-on belly laugh that shook his shoulders and brought tears to his eyes.
How long had it been since he’d laughed like that? Ten years?
Wiping a hand over his eyes, he leveled her with a look. “You cannot go around saying things like that to a man like me.”
“And why not?” Her mischievous smile was back in full effect. “Because it messes with your head? Makes you forget your own name? Makes you want to—”
“Yes, yes, and yes.” He cut her off before she could finish her sentence.
“Well, that’s good. That’s what your smile does to me. Now we’re even.”
