So, it was time to compartmentalize.He’d done it before in far worse situations and places than this.The mission needed to come first.His relationship drama (or whatever the correct term was for whatever he had going with Hadley right now) needed to wait.
He’d still rip Eric’s fucking head off if Hadley got so much as a split end tonight, though.He couldn’t/wouldn’t change that.
Cole almost convinced himself he was in control of the situation and mission at hand.Almost.Then Hadley bounced down the stairs andallbets were off.
He’d seen this woman naked, for God’s sake.Had his tongue and handsallover her body.How was it that seeing her in a simple, emerald silk blouse and fitted black slacks with her hair trailing over her shoulders in long, loose waves punched him in the heart?
His gaze shifted down and he noticed her feet were bare, her neon pink toenail polish on display.That made him smile.Even her toes were adorable.
She paused on the last step, her eyes locking on his.He knew he didn’t look as good as she did.His black pants and black dress shirt were presentable enough, but not even on his best day was he as effortlessly classy and put together as Hadley.Shit, had he even remembered to comb his hair?He didn’t think so.
And the glasses he’d been using for recording were stupid.He didn’t have the kind of face that looked good in glasses.And if he got hit and the stupid things shattered, he could lose an eye.That’d piss him the fuck off.
“You look—” she began.
He shoved a hand through his hair, which was, as he feared, sticking up all over the place.“Yeah.I should probably?—”
“—so fucking hot.”
Record scratch in his brain.
And just like that, his compartmentalization was nuked.Poof!Gone.Just like that.
Cole wasn’t sure who moved first.Did she leap off that last step into his arms, or did he yank her off that step into his arms?Maybe they each met at the halfway point.Who the hell knew?
What mattered was that she was now in his arms, legs wrapped tightly around his waist, his mouth devouring hers.
He had no idea how long the kiss went on.It could’ve been seconds, minutes, or hours.Fortunately for both of them, Hadley eventually had enough strength to pull back and rest her forehead against his.
“That was not my fault,” she said, breathing heavy.“You lookdiabolicalin these slutty little glasses.”
Nowthatwas information he’d store in his brain for future use.“You’re looking pretty diabolical yourself,” he murmured.
She laughed as he set her back on her feet.“No one debriefed me on what to wear when hosting a Russian sleeper agent in your house.I had to wing it.”
As if on cue, the doorbell rang.Cole fished his phone out of his pocket and texted Tenley it was go time.She responded with a little purple devil emoji.It actually made him nervous that she was having so much fun with this assignment.
He sighed and offered Hadley his arm.“Ready to get this show on the road?”
She looped her arm through his.“As ready as I’m going to get, I suppose.”
“Good enough for me.”
Chapter27
TENLEY: There’s a live, laugh, love sign in their kitchen.That’s enough to send someone to Guantanamo, right?
REN: No
TENLEY: Well, it should be
COLE: When I said I wanted updates on what you find, this is NOT what I meant
TENLEY: Sounds like a you problem.Bygones
Hadley sighed as she set her phone down.If she’d known how this whole evening was going to go, she never would’ve asked to be included on the Breaking and Entering Group Chat Ren had set up for them.
Tenley’s main sense of amusement seemed to be annoying (or robbing) men, and so far, despite Ren’s multiple warnings that she needed to get in, get the job done, and get out, she was still walking around Stella and Eric’s house without a care in the world.
