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I held up the recording device. “Macht, I want you to leave this with us tonight.”
He nodded once before repeating, “Roger that, sir.”
“Thank you, gentlemen. Let’s meet here at zero seven hundred.”
Both men uttered their responses, then left.
Verity was standing by the window. Her arms were folded, and her shoulders were hunched.
“Come here,” I said.
“Sorry, what?”
Instead of waiting for her to approach me, I stepped closer and drew her into an embrace. When she put her arms around me, I let out the breath I hadn’t realized I was holding.
“I’m worried about Marchand,” she said, resting her head against my chest.
“As am I.”
“We need to find out when Schön is due to report to the command center.”
“Again, we’re on the same wavelength.” I rested my cheek against her hair, wishing she was no longer wearing the wig.
“I need to get out of all this,” she said, moving away and waving her hand down her body.
I smiled. “Can I help?”
Verity’s eyes scrunched. “Zeppelin…”
“Not Henry?”
She took my hands in hers. “I need us to take a step back from Henry and Alena.”
Her words hit me in the gut, but I got it. As I’d told her, this was the first time I’d gotten involved with another agent during an op. “I’m disappointed, but I understand.”
“You do?”
I squeezed her fingers. “Is it that surprising?”
“No, but…”
I raised a brow.
“Never mind,” she mumbled.
I wrapped one arm around her waist and pulled her body into mine. “Did you want me to protest? Tell you I wouldn’t be able to stand it if I couldn’t kiss you?”
“You’re being mean.” She tried to wriggle from my grasp, but I wasn’t ready to let go.
“How about I just be honest?”
“That would be refreshing.”
“Now, who’s being mean? Me or you?”
She looked down at the floor. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”
I cupped her cheek and looked into her eyes when she raised them. “I want you more than I’ve ever wanted another woman.Not just for kisses, although I’d be happy with a lot more of those. Not just for touching, but whenever we do, I feel a sense of contentment I’ve never experienced before. And, as much as I want to make love to you, I know it isn’t the right time. What I want is just…you. Getting to know you. Working with you. God, just talking to you makes me feel things I’ve never felt with anyone else.”