Page 92 of Brushed By Moonlight

Mina pointed silently to the balcony of Henrik and Delphine’s room.

Roux smacked the table in frustration. “All right, already. Eight.”

We grabbed our things and followed a snaking path marked by dim garden lights. On the far side of the property — out of earshot of the barn, thank goodness — Bene pointed at a row of cottages.

“Oh, damn. Only three. Someone will have to share.” He waggled his eyebrows at Mina.

“You and Roux do make a cute couple,” she said dryly.

“A commander always gets his own quarters.” Roux speed walked into the closest building and slammed the door.

Clickwent the lock, and Bene sighed. “He really, really needs to get laid.” Then he brightened and looked at Mina. “Speaking of which…”

She crossed her arms, daring him to continue.

“Okay, okay. For real, now. We have two options. Option one, you and me.” Bene indicated himself and Mina. “Or option two, you and him,” he finished, pointing to her and me.

“Or boys in one, girls in another,” Mina pointed out.

Bene chuckled. “Like I said, you and him.”

I growled under my breath.

That put us at an impasse. Crickets chirped. An owl hooted. Mina scuffed the ground. I watched her, desperately trying to restrain my hopes and desires.

Finally, she closed her eyes. “I’m too tired to argue. And too tired for anything else,” she added firmly. “So, you two can duke it out. I’ll be asleep — on the couch — in that one.” With that, she headed to the middle cottage.

“On the couch?” Bene waved around. “In a place like this?”

“Goodnight,” she murmured in that flat,end of argumenttone she did so well.

Bene tilted his head as she opened the door and disappeared inside.

I smacked his shoulder, and he jerked upright. “What?”

He’d been admiring her ass, and I knew it.

“Maybe,” he chuckled, reading my mind.

I rolled my right hand into a fist and waved it in front of his face.

He backed away. “Like the boss said…goodnight.” He headed for the last cottage, leaving me alone.

I stood there deciding which feline I was going to kill first, and how.

Then Mina cracked open the door of the middle cottage, looked around, and flashed aThis is ridiculouslook.

I pointed silently at Bene’s cottage.His fault.

She searched the heavens, presumably for patience. Then she crooked a finger, beckoning me closer.

“Nothing personal, but considering we’re on a job…” she started when I joined her at the threshold. Then she petered out and put her face in her hands. “God, you guys have corrupted me already. I sound like a hardened criminal.”

Ha. Not by a long shot.

“I get it,” I said gruffly.

And honestly, I did. It made perfect sense…in my head. In my heart, however—