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“In public, nothing more than an occasional touch. Maybe a short kiss.”
“And in private?”
“I’m going to do my best to convince Omar, without offending him, that we’ll stay in a hotel. If I can do that, we might have to contend with a passionate kiss or two in the lobby to make it convincing.”
“And if you can’t convince him?”
“Then there will be more than a few passionate kisses.” He eyed her closely. “How do you feel about that?”
“I’ll be fine.”
Would she? Ash moved close. Crowding her, he put his hand on her shoulder, caressed down her arm, and tried to ignore the silky creaminess of her skin. He was giving her a test, but his body apparently didn’t get that message as thick heat flooded through his veins.
Her eyes wide, she stuttered, “Wh-what are you doing?”
“Gauging how you react to my touch. It’s not very flattering.”
“What?”
“You’re as stiff as a board, and you have an expression on your face as if I’m trying to sell you a used vacuum cleaner.”
“That’ll change when we’re on the job.”
Ash shook his head. “Not gonna fly. You’re an OZ operative. You’re always on the job.”
She lowered her gaze for an instant and then raised her head to look up at him. Her expression…her entire demeanor had changed. A smile lifted her mouth into an expression of sensuous hunger. Her eyes glittered with heat and life. And somehow, she’d managed a slight, pink blush in her cheeks. Without moving, she seemed to draw closer as her fingertips lightly touched his face in the hottest, most sensual caress he’d ever felt. Every part of his body zinged to life.
“Umm…that’s…” He cleared his throat. “Better.”
Her eyes gleaming with triumph, she whispered softly, “Just doing my job.”
* * *
“Oh, excuse me.”
Jules whirled around. She’d been so immersed in the moment with Ash that she hadn’t heard Jazz move the curtain aside. From the look on the other woman’s face, she certainly hadn’t expected to find her boss and the newest member of their team in each other’s arms.
A different kind of heat flushed Jules’s face.
Apparently not the least bit embarrassed, Ash explained, “Omar Schrader has invited Humphrey and a companion to his estate this weekend. Stone and I will be attending.”
Comprehension replaced Jazz’s startled look. “Gotcha.” She turned her attention to Jules. “I’ll get Rose to send you a stats questionnaire.”
“So I’m going to finally get a chance to interact with the elusive Rose Wilson.”
Over the past few days
, Jules had heard Rose Wilson mentioned several times.
Jazz’s mouth tilted in an affectionate smile. “Like I said before. Rose is the person who actually runs OZ.”
Jules noticed Ash didn’t dispute the claim.
“What’s a stats questionnaire?”
“You’ll need to provide your sizes and list things you’ll need to be convincing in your cover. Rose can provide you with whatever you need for the op. Clothes, shoes, other accessories.”
“As soon as I hear back from Omar, we’ll have a briefing.” Ash’s gaze swept over Jules, and she felt her body heat up again. “You good with everything?”