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I closed my eyes. Sometimes being the one in charge, being responsible, sucked. “On my way.”

There was a beat of silence.

“You need to go.” Greer sat up.

“Yeah, but I don’t want to.”

She gave me a small smile, a real one. I was damn glad to see it.

“I really don’t want you to go either.” She leaned forward.

The kiss was quick but deep, and I knew she tasted herself on my lips.

“I’ll see you in the morning,” she murmured.

I nodded.

“And thanks.”

“You never have to thank me for making you come.”

She slid off the counter and pulled her pajama shorts back on. “As long as you do it again.”

I could only manage a nod. My communicator pinged again and I muttered a curse.

“Go.” She pulled a face. “I need to clean up in here.”

I reached out and ran my finger down her bare shoulder, then I turned and forced myself to walk out.

“Jameson?”

I looked back.

“Be careful.”

I nodded, then strode down the corridor.

You have a damn job to do, Steele.

But all I could think about was Greer.

CHAPTER NINE

Jameson

The cow gave a low, indignant moo.

Marc tugged on the rope. “Come on, Bessie.”

“You named it?” Zeke said incredulously.

“I didn’t want to just call her cow.”

“We’re using it to lure a monster. It could get eaten.”

Marc covered Bessie’s ears. “Hey, don’t tell her that, bro.”

I sighed. “Get the cow up on the dam wall.” I spotted Maxim coming out of the workshop holding the spherical electro device. His dark hair was tied back in a short tail at the base of his neck. “We need to be ready to deploy the electro weapon, but we need a monster first.”