Page 47 of Code Name: Admiral

Pershing leaned forward and kissed me, then stood, pulling me up with him. He reached behind him, grabbed a towel, then wrapped me in its warmth.

“Go get dressed, and I’ll join you in a minute.”

“Did I, err, do something wrong?”

He brushed my lips with his. “You did everything right, Alice.”

“But…”

“I’m slowing things down because it’s what we both need right now.”

He was right. I was the one who’d said I wasn’t ready for sex. If we’d continued as we had been, I probably would’ve instigated more.

I stepped out of the tub, dried off more, then padded into the bedroom, smiling when I saw he’d brought up more than my clothes. He’d also gotten my crystals, candles, sage, and zafu cushion. As if I wasn’t already falling in love with this man.

16

ADMIRAL

Within a few minutes after getting in bed last night, both Alice and I fell sound asleep. Like yesterday, when I opened my eyes, she wasn’t in bed beside me. Since she wasn’t in the bathroom, I figured she must already be working.

“Good morning,” I said, walking into the other room and finding her seated in front of a monitor as I’d expected.

“Good morning,” she said, looking up at me. I leaned in for a kiss.

“How long have you been awake?” I asked, breathing in the scent of her tea and longing for some coffee.

“Maybe thirty minutes. You looked so peaceful. I didn’t want to disturb you.”

That she’d gotten out of bed without me knowing it, bothered me. However, she’d also managed to sneak out a bathroom window and, for forty-eight hours, elude not just me but several of the best operatives I knew.

“Where is everyone?” I asked, looking around the empty room.

Alice shrugged. “I haven’t seen anyone else yet.” She pushed her chair back and stood. “Would you mind if I moved all this?” She motioned to the computers.

“Not at all. Do you have a spot in mind?”

She pointed to a space off the main living area that my grandparents used to call the morning room. It had windows on two sides where they’d watch the sunrise.

Alice held up her phone. “This faces both east and north.”

“That’s right.”

She motioned to the western side of the room. “I could set everything up here. That way, I could face the windows. And from this vantage point, I could see the door but not be directly in line with it.”

“Following,” I said, not that I really was. Alice’s excitement about the setting was infectious, though.

“I would need at least one more table, maybe two.”

“Like the ones in your apartment?”

Her eyes opened wide. “Yes!”

I chuckled. “They’re here, Alice. As Tank said, everything is.”

“Can I bring them upstairs?”

“I will. Just tell me where you want each one placed.”