Roni fixed her attention on Morrow. “I’ll expect to see those papers signed,” she said.
“I’ll expect those juicy stories to come rolling in.”
She frowned. “I’m working on it. I have some good stuff coming down the pipe.”
Morrow lifted a brow. “Do tell.”
“Not yet. I need to firm up some…details first.”
“Don’t take too long.” The fucker smirked. “Your sister isn’t getting any younger.”
Sterling’s gut began to unclench as Roni and Ant headed for the door and Morrow turned back to his desk. But the guy stopped. Frowned.
Fuck. Everything clenched back up.
“Get out of there,” he hissed into the mic.
“Oh, and one more thing, Roni…” Morrow said.
Roni stilled. Glanced over her shoulder. Sterling’s heart pounded in his temple. “Yeah?”
“Don’t ever go dark on me again.”
Shit. Sterling blew out a breath.
Roni shrugged. “I do what I need to do, Marcus. Don’t ever forget that.”
His bushy brow wrinkled. “Where are you heading now?”
She glanced at Ant. Stroked his cheek. Then she sent a cocky smirk at Morrow. “Like, Malibu?” And then, without another word, without even responding to Morrow’s bellow, she swept from the room, with Ant in her wake.
Sterling and Steele remained where they were, though Sterling wanted to rush downstairs and across the street and grab her and hold her. But they needed to make sure Morrow wasn’t planning to follow. He didn’t. He sat at his desk and scrubbed his face, then picked up his phone once more.
They listened to the conversation—over the freshly placed bug—until they realized Morrow was talking to his mistress. Then they packed up their gear and made their way from the office and back to the van.
Roni was there. A little shaky and wide-eyed and perhaps a little too full of herself. The second the door slid shut, Sterling yanked her into his arms and kissed her. Hard. Hot. Filled with relief and release.
They’d made it. Done it. She was safe.
And he ignored Ant when he said in a pouty voice, “Dude. You’re like, totally kissing my girlfriend.”
* * *
Roni sighed as she curled up next to Sterling. Damn, he’d been wild. All the way to the airport, the whole flight back to the Deep Ellum air base, he’d stared at her with a simmering, possessive air. And then when they’d finally arrived home, he’d scuttled her back to his place and…daham.
It had been phenomenal.
But then, it always was with him.
Now that the passion had been exhausted, now that they’d both worked off the sizzling energy of the mission, she was boneless, replete. As was he.
They’d collapsed into each other’s arms and just lazed there. Panting.
“Are you okay?” he asked after a while, his voice a low thrum.
She peeped up at him. “My ass hurts.”
For some reason this made him smile. “I thought you were too friendly to Ant.”
“Hey.” She smacked him. “It was my mission to be friendly.” And was it wrong that the whole operation had been a thrill to her? She grinned. “I really enjoyed that. I can’t wait to do another mission.”
He bristled. “No. No more missions for you.”
She tried not to pout.
“You can leak stories to him, but only through email. I don’t want you ever seeing that guy again.”
“I have to see him…if I want to see Annabelle.” The jerk always insisted on supervised visits. Probably because he knew, given half a chance, Roni would take Annabelle and run.
“Then we’ll just have to get Annabelle back ASAP.”
God, she liked that. The we part.
“Do you think it will take long?”
“Not with the lawyer HQ sent. You heard what Morrow said. He threatened to break his kneecaps.”
She went up on her elbow and gazed down at him. “Would he? Really?”
Sterling snorted. “If he’s lucky. If I know HQ, that would be foreplay.”
“Yikes.”
Silence settled between them and Roni toyed with his chest hair. She really liked a man with chest hair. But hell, she’d like Sterling if he were shaved bald. One thing bothered her though…
“Sterling?”
“Mmm hmm?”
“Who’s…Dancer?”
She hated that he stiffened the way he did. Hated the pain that flashed through his eyes. “Where did you hear that name?”
She shrugged. “I’m a reporter. I eavesdrop.”
He laced his fingers in her hair and held her still, frowning at her. “Baby. You can’t eavesdrop here. You might hear something that would put you at risk.”
“I thought I was part of the team. That’s what Steele said.” She tried not to sound petulant. But seriously.
“You are. You are. But…it could still be dangerous.”
She tipped her head to the side and studied him. “Are you trying to