“Gotta love a bossman,” she murmured as they walked down the eerie hallway. With each step, recessed ceiling bulbs flicked on, bathing them in muted light.
He reached into the front of his pants, extracted his Glock from its holster.
“I like the way you think.” She pulled her SIG. “What is it about this place?”
“It’s creepy as fuck,” he said.
She chuckled as they rounded the corner. “It sure is. Where are we going?”
“To the residential wing, then I’ve got something I want us to do.”
She waggled her eyebrows. “I hope Prince Charming won’t disappoint.”
“Never.”
“Are you always this confident?”
A faint sound had him pulling her to a stop. He let go of her hand, put his index finger against his mouth to silenced her. In tandem, they moved with their backs against the wall, and they waited.
Faint tapping continued, getting louder.
At the same time, they both racked their weapons. He shook his head, wondering how in the hell someone had breached the entrance without triggering the alarms.
And then, two rats scurried by, hurrying past them in the opposite direction.
He and Sydney started laughing as he returned his weapon to its holster. To his surprise, she knelt, aimed her gun toward the rats. He didnotwant her to shoot them. Shooting the world’s most wanted was the dark underbelly of their careers, but shooting an innocent—which included animals—was something else.
She stood and holstered her SIG. When her gaze found his, she laughed. “I wasn’t gonna kill ‘em. Just wanted to see if I could.”
“You might have missed,” he pushed back. “They were moving pretty fast.”
“I don’t miss.”
“Who’s the badass now?” he said as they entered the residential wing.
She flashed him a smile. “Whatcha gonna do about the rodent problem?”
“Greystone can chase the rats.” He pulled to a stop in front of the suite she’d claimed. “Where do you want me?”
She sidled close, lifted her beautiful face to his. Her eyes dilated to midnight black as her pupils bled over her dark brown eyes. Her shoulders rose as her breath hitched. “Where do I want you?” she repeated. “Where doyouwant to be?”
He could play this any number of ways, but he was going for the truth. “With you. I want to be with you, Sydney.”
She pushed onto her toes, dropped a tender kiss on his lips. “In we go.”
“I like the way you think.”
He set his duffle and computer bags on the floor.
“I’m a woman of action.” With hands on her hips, she looked him squarely in the eyes. “Whatcha got, Tank?”
In three seconds, he could have her splayed on the king bed, trapped beneath him, but where’s the fun in that? He was gonna make her wait. Make her sweat, then beg for him.
“Trust me?” he asked.
She peered into his eyes for longer than he’d expected… or liked. “Yes. I. Do.”
He clasped her hand, drew her close, and kissed her finger. Then, instead of doing what she expected, he led her down the hall, stopping in front of a closed door. After he opened it, she glanced inside, her eyes lit up, and she shot him an approving smile before entering the room. Leaving the door open, he followed.
