Page 44 of Rogue Mission

“I’ll wait if you want me to,” she offers, wearing a kind, sisterly expression that makes me feel warm for a different reason.

Huh.All kinds of things are happening to me now. Maybe people were like this before. Maybe I just missed their warmthbecause I was so in my own world, or maybe I’m in a whole new world with Justice and his team.

“I’ll be fine, promise. I need a minute anyway, if you get my drift.”

Her laughter trails behind her. “God, do I know. I’ve been there, babe.”

Before she disappears around the corner, she stops, her hand resting on her hip. “I feel like I should tell you something.”

Just her stance makes my heart drop.

“He’s already fallen for you, and I’m talking about the big L, not the little one. But he’s going to be like Beast and fight the internal battle, so get ready. Saddle up. It could be rough for a bit, but men like him love hard and it’s so worth the fight.”

I’m too struck by her words to reply. She finishes with a smile and spins on her heel, the fall of her red hair whipping behind her.

That drop my heart took was a doozy of a tumble that leaves an achy, nervous feeling in my stomach.

Love.

Love.

Wow. Okay. I’m flying blind with my limited knowledge of relationships, but I already know Justice is worth it.

I fall against the door when I close it, the cold metal pressing through the cheap dress. Truthfully, I’m still a little dazed, my pulse a little too fast from everything.

Each movement is a reminder of what happened in the car.

There’s a new kind of tenderness inside of me that I’ve never felt before. It’s delicious. I never want it to go away.

What would having Justice in my bed every night be like?

“Get a grip, girl,” I chide myself for even thinking what Camile just said is true. It’s too fast, right?

But I’m familiar with the chemical bonds in nature.

There’s something about him… the hard with the gentle. The protector with the locked-down heart.

I need to pinch myself, and definitely need to clean up. Although I hate to wash any of Justice’s scent off of me.

Okay. This is serious. I sound like a crazy person.

Bypassing the mirror, I head straight for the stall. But my thoughts refuse to stray from Justice.

Never before have I wanted to get below someone’s armor, to seek out any broken pieces and share the weight of their baggage, but with him, I’m in.

All in.

He hasn’t said anything about why he’s got scars on his heart, but his armored shield is visible even when he doesn’t want it to show.

I hurry and do my business, flip my dress right-side-out, wash my hands, and open the door. A rush of cool air makes me shiver as I walk down the dim hallway toward the others.

No one turns my way this time, so I hear the unfiltered conversation.

“I’m straight,” Justice rumbles, instantly catching my attention. “You deal with the package. The job is mine to finish.”

“So who’s taking the package?” Truck asks.

For a beat, there’s a tense discussion; finally, a man I don’t recognize says, “Put the package in truck one. I’ll drive it.”