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“Hmm. That is a problem. What do you propose we do to solve it?”
His gaze dropped to her lush mouth, the lips he’d dreamed about capturing with his own since the day he’d met Teagan so many months ago. “Only one thing to do. Kiss you.” He flicked a glance up at her. “May I?”
Taking the first move out of his hands, Teagan bridged the gap between them and pressed her mouth to his.
Lightning sizzled in Seth’s veins as he took over the kiss a heartbeat later. His arms tightened around her as he eased her against his chest. This was what he’d been wanting for months. The sizzle and burn was worth every second of the wait. Perhaps he was crazy, but Seth wanted to spend the rest of his life with Teagan pressed against him.
On and on the kiss went until Seth’s tenuous control frayed to the breaking point. Although at any moment someone could walk into this conference room to see what was keeping them so long, he needed another kiss more than he needed his next breath. Man, this woman just lit him up. No surprise. He’d known they would be combustible if they ever got together.
Despite the inner warnings clanging in his head, Seth dove into another kiss, memorizing the silky feel and honeyed taste of her mouth. No other woman would do for him. He was well and truly hooked on Teagan.
After another minute of explosive heat, he slowed the kiss to one of comfort and teasing. Light kisses designed to drive Teagan crazy. He smiled as she moaned and chased his mouth for another kiss.
Oh, yeah. This was what he’d needed all these months. Teagan. When he could think and breathe again, he raised his head and stared down at her. Teagan’s dazed expression made him smile. “Wow.”
“Seth,” she whispered.
“Yeah, I’m right there with you. If you planned to cut me loose after this op, you’re out of luck, baby. I’m addicted to your kisses.”
Teagan blinked, then a slow smile curved her swollen lips. “Is that right?”
“Know what that means?” He dropped a quick, hard, possessive kiss to her mouth. “You’ll have to feed my habit daily. To do otherwise would be cruel and unusual punishment.”
“Can’t have that.”
“No, ma’am.” He pressed a light kiss to the side of her neck. “You are incredible.”
A hard knock sounded on the door. “Conference room. Now.”
Seth grimaced as he straightened. Maddox sounded irritated. “We’d better go.” He trailed a finger over Teagan’s cheek. “Will you tell me why your teammates are so concerned about you taking on this assignment with me, aside from the danger?” He knew something was there. Would she tell him the truth or brush him off?
“The short version is I grew up in a cult that didn’t mind using violence to keep their members in line.”
He froze. “They hurt you?”
“What do you think?”
The muscles in his jaw twitched. “I think if I ever get my hands on the people who hurt you, they’ll wish they’d never been born.” Reluctantly, he released her and wrapped his hand around hers. “I want the full story when you’re ready to share it with me.”
“It’s ugly.”
“Isn’t it always?”
Seth led her into the hallway and back to the conference room. He ignored Maddox’s glare as he seated Teagan at the table, then sat in the chair beside hers.
He turned to his lieutenant. “How are we doing this?”
“The ballistics report on your weapon and the bullet that killed Pico should be back late this afternoon. While the GSR test on you and Teagan was negative, chances are good the bullet that killed your CI came from your weapon. If it doesn’t, we may call on Fortress to falsify the results. I don’t want anyone from our lab involved in this case to prevent a leak of accurate information. We’ll follow the original plan to have you return to work tomorrow, along with your partner. I’ll call you both into my office, and we’ll go from there. At the end of that meeting, you and Noah will be suspended.”
“That’s not enough,” Maddox said. “In order for this to work, Dixon and Mann need to resign from the force. You can reinstate them after the mission is complete.”
“Is that all?” Noah asked. “Just destroy our reputations and take our careers for the sake of an operation?”
“No.” Teagan’s boss glanced at Murphy. “Can you hack into the police personnel files?”
“No problem.”
Burnett scowled at that.