Page 32 of Beyond the Rules
I walked into the bliss of his embrace. His arms tightened around my waist, infusing my body with his strength. I melted against him, relieved to be back in his orbit. Maybe I could handle a cyberspace blackout, if he was around, if I kept otherwise occupied. I pressed my cheek against his chest and inhaled a breath full of him. Even his scent wassoothing.
“I understand how you feel.” He looked down on me and tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear. “But Zar’s right on this one. Security has to comefirst.”
“Oh, God, Zar. What is it about that man?” I plopped down on the big stuffed chair by the bed, ready to sulk some more. “He drives me crazy. He pushes all my buttons and not in agoodway.”
“Zar can be blunt,” Tanner admitted. “He can be cranky as hell. But he knows what he’s doing. He’s the guy you want in your corner when the going getstough.”
I met Tanner’s gaze. “Youadmirehim.”
“He’s got his defects, but if you got to know him, you might trust him. Hell, you may evenlikehim.”
I rolled my eyes. “Now you’repushingit.”
But Tanner’s words left me thinking that I had focused my rage on Zar because he had delivered the bad news. I put myself in his position. He couldn’t risk his team by attracting the enemy directly to Ulysses. And he was right about one other thing. The best way of covering my trail was not to leave one in the firstplace.
The shopping bags held a very decent selection of clothing: shorts, a pair of jeans, some shirts and sweaters, a coat, hiking boots, and even some yoga pants—everything a girl could need. Tanner put them away in the closet as he showed me the purchases. There was also a drugstore bag full of womanlythings.
“You guys thought ofeverything.”
“Credit Zar with the drugstore haul,” Tanner said. “He’s the only one of us who’s been marriedbefore.”
“Zar?” I had to close my mouth. “Married?”
“You’d be surprised. He was a really good husband. His ex, on theotherhand…”
“What?” Now I was reallycurious.
“Ask Zar.” Tanner unpacked some more stuff and hung it in thecloset.
His evasion did nothing to satisfy my curiosity, but I got sidetracked when I spotted the lingerie bag, where a package of utilitarian black panties mingled with some veryracysets.
“And who picked out these?” I stabbed a finger through the edge of a leather thong not intended for daily use and held it up intheair.
Tanner’s shoulders drew up. “We thought a little fun may be in order. The way you are, feisty, sexy. Thesejust…fit.”
Nothing strengthened a girl’s sexual self-esteem like a naughty outfit…orfive.
“Do you guys always…you know…talk everything out…um…shareeverything?”
“We try to keep the communication lines open.” He folded a tank top and tucked it in one of the drawers. “Easier that way. We own the land, the house and the shoptogether.”
The shop, yes. Sounded like the perfect cover for guys who went to war every day incyberspace.
“I can take you to the shop tomorrow, ifyou’dlike.”
“I’d like that,” I said. “I guess I’ll take a look at thosereceivables.”
“You don’t have to do anything youdon’twant.”
“I like to carry my weight,” I said. “But I should warn you. About cutting me off from my laptop and my devices? I’m a horrible human being when I’mbored.”
“In that case, we’ll just have to make sure you’re notbored.”
God. The way he said it. The promise of those words had me pressing my legs together and dizzy on my feet. It was brain freeze and pussy meltdown happening at thesametime.
“As a matter of fact…” He pulled out a posh black box out of the lastshoppingbag.
“Whatisit?”