“Were there other agents in pursuit when you caught him?”
“Only Agent Atkinson.” Sable’s cheeks heated just from saying Derek’s name. She hoped the perceptive captain didn’t notice.
“You seem to run into Atkinson quite a bit. Do you think he suspects you?”
“No way.” She knew that for certain. Derek would never have fucked her if he’d known she worked undercover for Internal Affairs. Instead he’d have looked at her with disgust and considered her a rat for hunting fellow agents. Her chest tightened painfully at the thought. Losing his respect would be too much to bear.
“Have you discovered anything new since last I talked with you?” he asked.
She wrinkled her nose. “You know I can’t share IAB information with you, Captain. Not while the investigation is still underway.”
Hoff’s pale blue eyes narrowed. “When you make your arrest I want to be the first to know. I can’t believe one of my agents is selling information to the Federation. You’ve been undercover for two years now and you haven’t turned up anything incriminating. Maybe IAB is wrong about the leak coming from this field office.”
Sable kept her face impassive. She knew IAB wasn’t wrong. Within the last two days, the informant from this office had sold false information that she’d planted in the database. While she hated to have missed the opportunity to apprehend the traitor, she was relieved to exonerate Derek without a doubt. He’d been in bed with her for the last two days. And the shower. And the dining table. And the…
Damn, best not to think about that.
In any case, he hadn’t gone anywhere near the controls of his ship to access the main computers.
“IAB is rarely wrong,” she said with confidence. “There’s a leak. And I’ll find it.” She stood.
As she made her way toward the door, the captain called after her. “You’re dismissed, Agent Taylor.”
She rolled her eyes.
Stepping out into the hallway, she crashed into a rock wall. At least it felt like one.
“Watch it,” she ground out, as the wall steadied her. She looked into fiery silver eyes and bit back a groan. “Dere—er, Agent Atkinson.”
Derek wore his dark blue STF uniform and she could barely catch her breath at the sight of him. She’d always been a sucker for a man in uniform and Derek made it look especially yummy.
He slid his hands down her arms, burning her skin and causing heated ripples of awareness to pool in her core. “Hello, Sable.” His voice was rich and warm and filled with sensual promise. “In trouble with the captain again? What did you do this time?”
She scowled and shrugged off his touch, digging deep for the strength she needed to walk away. “I entered the docking bay a little too fast,” she lied. Circumventing him, she headed down the hall with rapid steps.
He fell into step beside her. “Who are you tracking now?”
“None of your damn business,” she snapped, trying not to look at his handsome face with its sexy smile and angry gaze. He was obviously still pissed about her leaving him at DS12 two days ago. In a way, she was glad. It showed that he cared, if only a little.
“Fine,” he said smoothly, but she heard the frustration in his tone. “Is my come still dripping down your thighs?”
She halted abruptly, her mouth agape. “What?”
He shrugged and tried to look innocent, which was impossible. “That would be my business, wouldn’t it? I mean if my bodily fluids are in your—”
“Shut up.” Arms akimbo, Sable was certain she’d never been as furious in her life, which was exactly what Derek had intended with his outrageous question. He was not a man who took well to being ignored and he fought back with no holds barred.
He mimicked her posture and raised a raven brow. Despite his fury, he looked like heaven, her heaven, but she couldn’t do a damn thing about that as long as she was undercover in his field office.
Sable loved his smile and his body, his silky hair and piercing fangs. She admired his strength and his control. He was cool and levelheaded when she was hot and brash. He was pulled together and quick on his feet, when she was falling apart and frozen in place. He complemented her in every way that mattered.
Except she wanted him forever and he wanted her for right now.
She used to love her job, used to love knowing she kept the Task Force clean and free of dirty officers. Now she hated it. She’d hated it ever since she met Derek two years ago, because her job prevented her from having him for however long he’d give her his attention. She was enough of a glutton for punishment that she’d be willing to take what she could get when it came to Derek Atkinson.
Sable closed her eyes and released a long, slow breath. When she looked at him again, she was much calmer and not as angry. “Listen, Derek. The time we shared was great, I have no regrets—”
“That’s something, I suppose,” he muttered.