Chapter 10

Grey looked at the woman sitting across the table from him. She was almost as much a hard case as he was, but he could tell Lucky's story had moved her deeply. Some intangible something gave him the sense he could trust her, so he walked her through the basics of his plan, making sure she understood all of the risks involved. He also checked her out on some of the electronics he'd purchased. He wasn't yet ready to read her in on everything he'd found on Bostic's thumb drives, but he gave her a brief overview. By tomorrow, if his gut still told him to trust her, he'd be ready to formulate some plans with her. She knew far more about Bostic and about Tampa than he did, and it paid to take advantage of that.

They had finished the pot of coffee, although they were both so fueled by adrenaline he doubted they'd even needed it. What they did need, however, was some rest so they could get to the meat of the planning. He had been meticulous about leaving no trace at Bostic's house, but with the appearance of Athena and his haste to get them both out of there, anything was possible.

He'd managed to plant a couple of high-octane listening devices that would feed into a sophisticated recording system he had set up. Tonight, he'd check them for any conversations.

For good measure, he wanted to drop a couple in the man's office in Titan Towers. Maybe Athena could help with that. They needed a workable plan.

And some space from each other. How in the fucking hell this woman made his cock harder than steel and his balls ache just from looking at her he had no idea. He certainly hadn't been looking for anything like this. He had business to take care of. But every time their hands touched or their gazes locked for a split second, the power surge was enough to light up all of downtown Tampa.

"We should probably get some sleep." He rose from the table and collected their empty mugs.

Athena rose with him. Every one of his nerves went on high alert, but he wasn't about to let it show. He needed activity, not rest. Too bad the activity that kept popping into his mind was off-limits. He wondered if Athena felt the crackling sexual tension that filled the room like some giant power surge. He made a supreme effort to chase the thoughts from his mind, but her next words knocked that sideways

"I'm too juiced to sleep."

"I learned a long time ago," he told her, "how to tune in my body to power naps. Thirty minutes and we'll be ready to roll again."

He watched her look around, her eyes finally settling on the couch.

"That will do. I'm guessing you aren't exactly prepared for guests here."

His laugh held little humor. "You'd be right on that one. You can sleep in my bed."

Shit! Did he really say that?

Athena stared at him, a question plain in her eyes.

"I, uh, mean, I'll take the couch," he corrected himself.

"I hate to put you out." She lifted her arms and did a full body stretch.

Grey's eyes were drawn to the way the T-shirt lifted, exposing a strip of skin between the hem and the waistband of her jeans. The soft material pulled more tightly against her breasts for a moment, reminding him of how they'd felt pressing against him when he'd carried her out to his car.

And just like that, his cock got so hard he was afraid if he bumped into something it would break.

What the fuck?

He had a healthy sexual appetite. No doubt about it. When he was between missions, he indulged it fully. But when he was focused on a goal, like now? Never. Really, never. So what was it about Athena Madero that pushed all his sexual buttons when he had business to take care of?

She had removed the baseball cap and taken down her ponytail, leaving her thick black hair to fall in rumpled waves to her shoulders. He itched to run his fingers through it, to see if it was as soft as it looked. Her eyes, which at first he'd thought had a hard look, he now realized had a cauldron of emotions swirling in them, hinted at unexplored depths. He wanted to strip away that camouflage black outfit and see what was really beneath it.

Really, Grey? For fuck's sake. Get your shit together here.

He blinked, suddenly aware she was saying something. Oh, good going. Pay attention, asshole.

"Sorry. What did you ask?"

She tilted her head and gave him a look of curiosity. "Are you okay?"

"Yes."

He hadn't meant to spit the word out, but he was far from okay. In the middle of planning a delicate mission, he had a raging hard-on for a woman he knew next to nothing about. He looked at her and she swiped her tongue slowly along her bottom lip, a purely automatic gesture, but it sent heat waves right to his balls. He needed to get the fuck away from her.

"I mean it about the couch, Grey. I've slept in worse places. Forget chivalry, okay?"

Maybe that was for the best. He could lock himself in his room until morning.

"Let me give you some blankets and stuff."

She followed him to the linen closet in the short hallway where he rooted around for bedding. When he turned to hand it to her, she was right there, so close to him in that narrow hallway he could almost count her eyelashes.

What the hell. Dropping the bedding and dragging her up against his body. He had one fleeting moment to notice how well they fit together before winding her thick tresses around his hand to hold her head in place and bringing his mouth down on hers.