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“The I’ll-do-anything-for-my-girl test.”

“Oh.” I raised an eyebrow and wrapped my arms around his neck. “There’s a test for that?”

He gave me such a pointed look, I laughed. “Okay, okay. Since I’m apparently the one grading your performance, I’m giving you an A-plus. You passed with flying colors, even though it wasn’t really a test. I really did need a box.”

“I know.” He looked around the kitchen, noting the wine and cheese were gone, the dishes had been done and the counters were wiped. “So, how didyourafternoon go? Looks like you’re alone.”

I dropped my hands and stepped back, sighing. “It was hell of another sort, although not nearly as dangerous as your afternoon. I looked at a lot of wedding dresses I’m never going to wear, drank too much wine, and wished with all my heart I was facing down terrorists or dealing with a matter of national security.”

“Welcome to my life.” A smile crossed his face. “We’re a pair, aren’t we?”

“I guess we are.”

He trapped me between himself and the counter, sliding a hand behind the base of my neck and pressing a kiss against my mouth. “Best pair in the world.”

“Absolutely,” I murmured against his lips. “Now about that matter of national security...”

“Ah,cara, I think the fate of the world can wait another day. Let’s salvage what’s left of this one by spending it with our feet up, drinking beer, eating chocolate, and doing a little gaming.”

I leaned back, not sure I heard him correctly. “Whoa. Did you just say beer, chocolate and gaming in the same sentence?”

“I did.”

“Wow. You realize you receive extra credit points for that, right?”

He tapped me on the chin with his fingertip, sliding it up and across my lips. His eyes darkened. “Trust me, professor. I’m keeping score.”

Gwen

“I got the assignment!”

Gwen launched herself into Elvis’s arms the second she walked through the door, nearly knocking him over. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and he held on tight, spinning her around a couple of times before setting her down.

“I knew it!” he said, giving her a kiss. “What happened?”

She gave him a brief rundown of the events. He listened quietly, taking it all in. She’d never met a better listener in her entire life.”

“Wait. You took on protestors with a Molotov cocktail, all by yourself?”

“Well, I’m not one hundred percent it was a Molotov, but definitely incendiary. Flash fire and all.”

“So, you saved the CEO, and it was she who was planning to do the interview. Then she hired you on the spot?”

“Pretty much.”

He shook his head, but not in disagreement or surprise, as if he were trying to get it all straight in his head. “I’m beyond impressed. When did you become such a badass?”

She couldn’t help it, she was proud of herself. “I have no idea. I just saw it unfolding and decided to stop it. I guess, maybe the way Lexi is so brave all the time encouraged me.”

“But...you had no backup.” She heard it in his voice—he didn’t like what she’d done. She appreciated his concern, but had no doubt she’d done the right thing.

“Look, Elvis, there wasn’t time to do anything differently. She could have been seriously injured or worse. It was not a good situation. So, I made the decision to do something. I’m happy it worked out for the best and no one got hurt, including me.”

“Thank God.” He sighed and leaned his forehead against hers, his breath warm on her nose. “I learn something new about you every day, Gwen Sinclair. So, did the CEO even interview you?”

“She did. Even though I think I got the job before we had the interview, she still wanted to talk to me. She asked me a lot of questions about my experience doing fieldwork and was really interested when I told her I’d interned at the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta and had done some research in the field while I was there. I also told her about working with you in Egypt, even though that matter was a personal one. I only gave her a sanitized version of that, but she thought it was so cool. It wasn’t an easy interview, though. She drilled me hard about my research. Then, finally, when we were done, she told me the job offer still stood. We shook hands and that was that. She’s going to tell Cutler I’m on board effective immediately. OMG, Elvis! I’m still in shock.”

“You deserve this. The introduction of yeast into the vaccine process was brilliant, Gwen. You have such an incredibly important career in front of you. Think of all the people you can help and save.”