Page 53 of Covert Operation

I lift the hand that isn’t pinned under her body to scrub at my eyes, trying to wipe away the lingering fog making my thoughts slow. I haven’t slept that hard in years. Hell, I don’t normally sleep at all. Most nights go exactly the way the last one started. After exhausting my body, I manage to crash, but the second my mind can, it wakes me up. Reminding me of all my failings. Every bit of bad shit I’ve seen and done.

Normally, that’s when I get up. Not last night.

Last night Savannah came to rescue me. Crawled under the covers like she could chase away my demons.

And she might not have been wrong.

Carefully, I extricate myself from the grip she still has on me, inching my way across the mattress until I can slide off the edge. I grab a set of clothes and shut myself in the bathroom. After quickly dressing and brushing my teeth, I take one final look at her soundly sleeping in my bed, tuck the blankets around her, and silently duck into the hall.

She’s going to wake up hungry. And I need a little time to organize my thoughts before she gives me a sleepy smile and my brain loses the capacity to think of anything except how good her body felt under mine.

I cut through the atrium to get in line at the coffee shop near the front of the hotel, ordering Savannah one of the frozen coffee drinks she got on her rides in with Elise, along with a selection of overpriced breakfast sandwiches. After collecting all that, plus my own cup of drip, I square my shoulders and head back to our room.

Back to the woman I’m not sure what in the hell to do with now. I know what I want to do with her, but I’m caught between two truths I fully believe in: I should be a safe place for Savannah. Someone she knows would never take advantage of her or our agreement. But if I ask for her trust, I should offer mine. She is capable of knowing what she wants and needs.

I reach the door to our room way too fast, leaving me with no clear answer on what to do. How to handle what happened between us.

After taking a deep breath, I let myself in, planning to act like nothing happened—it’s the only viable option I have. And I would have been successful.

If Savannah wasn’t fucking missing.

Instead of the cool, calm, composed facade I attempted to put in place while I was away, my stomach bottoms out and panic laces my voice. “Savannah?” What if she went out to find me? Woke up scared and alone and I wasn’t there because I was out with my head up my ass trying to act unaffected by what we shared.

The bathroom is open and dark, so I go straight past it, hoping she’s hiding in plain sight somewhere.

Hoping I haven’t let her down. Again.

Stalking past the made beds, I drop the food and drinks onto the desk in the corner, planning to unload and then hunt her down. As I straighten to turn away, the curtains covering the French doors leading to the balcony shift, and a little of the tightness in my chest uncoils.

I creep toward the first spot where I let things go too far last night and find Savannah sitting in one of the chairs, her bare feet propped up on the small table as she looks out over the lush greenery. As if she can sense me, her head turns my way and she smiles. It’s bright and wide and only for me.

I’m frozen in place as she stands and comes through the split in the sheers, that smile never wavering as she pushes up onto her toes and presses a kiss to my mouth. “You’re back.” Her eyes fall to the food and drink, lighting up. “And you brought coffee.”

I flatten my lips as if it can seal in the feathery softness of her touch. The sweetness of her taste. I clear my throat, trying toregain control over my voice. “I didn’t know what you would want, so I brought back a few different options.”

She rocks up to kiss me again. “I like options.” Savannah goes to the desk and reads through the labels on each wrapped sandwich. “These all sound really good.”

Scooping the whole lot up, she carries them over to the bed we accidentally shared last night, dropping them onto the smooth blanket before climbing on. “Come sit down. We can try them all and decide which one we like best.” Her green eyes hold mine as she pats a spot right next to her.

I didn’t intend to find myself on the bed with her again so soon. I wasn’t sure I’d allow myself to be in a bed with her again at all. But I’m fully dressed, and no one’s getting under the covers, so I make my way over, kicking off my boots before taking the spot at her side.

I’m rewarded with another quick kiss as she opens the first of the packages. She takes a bite, eyes rolling closed on a soft moan as she chews. “This is really good.” Her eyes fix on my face as she leans toward me, bringing the sandwich to hover right in front of my lips. “Try it.”

I’m starving, and I need a distraction, so I do as she requests, tearing off a chunk of crusty bread, turkey bacon, egg, and avocado with my teeth.

Savannah beams at me, lifting her brows. “Good, right?”

I swallow hard, the delicious mouthful of sandwich feeling like lead as I try to get it down. “Very good.”

I don’t think she knows the entirety of what she’s doing. How much she’s tempting me. Not just with herself, but what havingher the way I want would mean. No more lonely nights. I would have someone waiting for me to come home. Someone to tell me to be careful. Someone to hold close when I wake up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat.

But even those things dull in comparison to the overwhelming need I have to take care of her. To protect her. To make her happy. To give her every-fucking-thing she ever wants. And the way she’s acting now, I might get to do all those things.

The possibility has me forgetting my plan to act like nothing happened last night. Has me hooking an arm around her shoulders, as she opens the next sandwich. Pulling her close and smoothing a soft strand of dark hair out of her face as she looks it over.

“This one is on an everything bagel, but I think it’s vegetarian.” She appears unimpressed by the stack of spinach, egg white, and melted cheese. “At least it smells good.” She turns to me, offering up the first taste. I take a bite and have a mouthful that I’m chewing through when she hooks both legs over mine, angling herself closer. “What do you think?”

I think I need to be drawn and quartered. Shot and thrown over a fence. At the very least, someone needs to come kick my ass for how much I’m enjoying this moment. The way I want to drag her closer. The desire I feel to touch her hair. Her skin.