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He eased his fingers out and stroked lazy circles around her clit. “Want another one?”

Cleo lay prone on the couch, panting. She reached for him. “I have to feel your cock inside me. Hunter, please.”

He hated to hear a woman beg for anything. And since he wanted to give this to her so badly, he had to agree with her. Sex was the perfect solution.

Hunter slid up her body, kissing her damp skin, sucking on her nipples, and stroking his fingers through her heat. He reached her mouth and lost himself in her desperate kisses as their tongues collided, and she wrapped herself around him.

“I apologize for the interruption. This is a ten-minute reminder for your meeting with High Command,” ELVIS said.

Cleo instantly tensed beneath Hunter, and the panic returned to her eyes.

“Fuck!” Hunter growled and tugged his pants back on with a grunt of frustration. “Talk about a mood killer. Thanks, ELVIS.”

“You’re welcome.”

Cleo struggled out from underneath him and rose to her feet as she adjusted her clothing and pulled on her pants and boots.

Hunter caught hold of her shoulder and turned her toward him. “Are you okay?”

“No. Yes. I mean... thanks. I needed that.” Cleo gestured at the couch. “And I didn’t mean to be such a jerk. I don’t... I mean, it’s not just sex. I don’t know what I need to say to you. Sorry? Thanks for the great orgasm?”

He pressed a finger against her lips. “You have nothing to apologize for, or explain. I know this is difficult for you. But I want to make sure you know how serious I am about you. And if you want that every night, you know what you need to do. Make a commitment to me. I’m not taking back my love for you. It’s there and waiting for you to be brave.”

“Yeah, I think I’m getting that now.” Cleo glanced back at the couch and bit her lip as color flared across her cheeks.

Hunter’s cock twitched at the desire in her eyes. He wanted her so badly, and he wasn’t sure how much longer he could wait for her to see how amazing they’d be together.

No, he would wait. It had been a year, he could handle another. Maybe.

Cleo smoothed her hands through her hair. “How do I look?”

“Like I just gave you an amazing orgasm using my tongue and fingers.” Hunter grinned at her as she huffed out a breath.

Cleo whacked him on the arm. “That’s not the look I was going for. I need High Command to know I’m in charge of this situation. They have to know I have everything under control.”

Hunter pulled her close and gave her another deep, slow kiss that had her gasping. “They will. They’ll know you mean business. Come on, let’s go get our butts handed to us, beautiful.”

***

Cleo stood beside Hunteras they waited for the connection to link up with High Command. Her body was still in shock from the incredible orgasm he’d just given her. It had been out-of-this world incredible. But it was more than that. It was his honesty that made her insides shake like they were made of rubber. He’d laid everything out, and she wanted so badly to trust him. Maybe Hunter wasn’t hiding anything behind his charming words. He could just want her, and there were no secrets or hidden agenda.

Just breathe. She couldn’t focus on the hot Apexian declaring his love for her, or the promises of the ride of her life if she accepted him.

“The connection is online,” ELVIS said. “Linking you in to High Command and Jagger now.”

“Here we go,” Hunter muttered. “Remember, don’t take any shit from them. We did amazing work.”

The second Cleo saw Commissioner Viewick’s face, she knew she was in a world of trouble. Bright spots of color sat on his cheeks, and his already thin lips were pressed together so tightly they were invisible.

Jagger sat back in his seat, his expression neutral.

“You have some explaining to do,” Commissioner Viewick said.

“Of course. I understand you might be concerned that we went off mission. I have an explanation,” Cleo said.

“Let’s hear it,” Jagger said. “This was a covert operation. Stealing a Siblet ship is hardly covert. It was a rookie move.”

“That ship contained valuable cargo,” Hunter said.