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I grinned at that and laced my fingers with Nora's. "Looks like I did a good job then."

"Yup." Nora tipped her head back to gaze up at me, a smile lingering on her lips. "And soon to be Special Agent-in-Charge Donovan."

Anita wagged her brows at me, and I promptly flipped her off. She laughed and Nora grabbed my hand back into hers.

"I've agreed to the training. I haven't agreed to the position," I reminded them. "They haven't accepted my terms yet about position location, travel, and such, so I'm waiting."

"They mostly have…" Nora stroked my face with her now warm palm. "And I'm on your insurance now."

"A few things." I kissed her hand. "But not enough. They forget sometimes I can walk off if I feel like it. I don't care. But my linguist abilities keep me special to them."

Nora snickered and wagged her brows. "Especially to me."

"Naughty, Kitten." I squeezed her hands. "Twisting my words for your whims."

"Always."

"Not that good a linguist," teased Marita. "Come talk to me when you speak Malayalam and change my opinion."

"You volunteering to tutor me?"

"Nah. My mom is. Give her a call." Marita grinned.

"Ri." Anita laughed and swatted her. "Your poor mother."

"My poor mother?" Marita scoffed. "Poor Special Agent-in-Charge Donovan. Where do you think I learned to be so pushy and bossy?" Marita laughed and grabbed Anita into a rough hug.

The two of them tumbled into the sand in a heap of giggles.

Nora's grin never left her face while she watched them. I stole the moment to gaze down at her content, happy, relaxed form in my arms. I ran the back of my hand down her arm, then brought her hand to my lips to kiss her fingers. She looked up at me, a soft smile playing on her lips.

"Want to head home?" she asked, and I nodded my response. "'Kay."

We packed ourselves up and bid our goodbyes to Anita and Marita, leaving them to their sandy fun. As routine lately, we returned to the house we normally shared, but today found it vacant of the usual noise. I set our beach stuff down in the back hall to tend to later.

"It's later than I thought," Nora reflected while she ditched her bathing suit once we made it upstairs. "Are you hungry or anything, babe?"

"I'm okay." I leaned back against the dresser while watching her prance around naked.

"What do you think Anita and Marita were saying about Doctor Lewis?"

"I'm not sure. Do you see her often when you're in the office?"

"Usually, yes. She seems the same as always. Even when I had my last appointment with her. Nothing different." She gazed down at herself and poked at the small scar now barely evident on her side.

"What's wrong?"

"Sometimes it tingles." She brushed her hand over it then met my gaze. "Shower?"

"You know it." I winked at her and pushed off from my perch to follow her into the bathroom.

I undressed, ditching my damp clothes in the hamper while Nora ran the shower. She stepped in before me, and I swatted her rear when the water ran down her back. A squeak left her along with the loud crack and she laughed.

"You do that every time."

"I love the sound of that perfect wet slap." I grinned and grabbed her into a rough hug while the water beat down on us. "You taste beachy and salty."

"So do you." She pretended to gnaw on my arm.