Nori's Delta (Delta Team Three #1) - Lori Ryan Page 0,42
weighed how much she could give to him.
“If the hostages are released safely in the following 24 hours, I’ll see that you get satellite images taken immediately after that and an additional set of satellite images at a time of your choosing. This is a one-time offer that won’t be made again.”
She could see his hesitation and had to wonder again why it was so important that he hold onto these hostages.
“I’m going to need to speak with my brother before I can agree to this.”
Eleanor had to admit the statement shocked her. She knew Farid was his right-hand man, but she honestly hadn’t thought Demir would defer to him in any way and the way he just said that made it sound as though his brother was going to be offering more than simply counsel on the decision. She kept her face blank as she nodded.
It was possible Demir was using his brother as a delaying tactic. Why had he opened these talks if he was only going to delay her at every turn?
“I can give you until this evening and then the offer is rescinded and our talks will be closed.” She paused making sure she had his full attention. “If I leave this country without an agreement, we won’t reopen negotiations. This is a one-shot deal for you and your people.”
As Eleanor left the room she wondered if she should’ve already closed these talks and walked away. This had been off from the start and it didn’t seem to be getting any better as time went on.
Chapter 21
Eleanor felt the frustration of the day build to a boiling point. Luckily for her, Heath had finally put an end to it, whisking her out of the room where she’d been rehashing the day’s events with her team.
She felt the relief wash over her when she and Heath entered what she now thought of as their room.
She kicked off her shoes and turned to face him, but instead of finding him across the room at the door, she found he was standing inches away from her. Eleanor’s whole body tightened with awareness. When this man was near her, everything in her called out to close the distance between them, to come together like they used to years before.
She wanted that again. Maybe it was the tension of the situation. Maybe it was just their past. Or maybe it was the fact she’d never met a man who did more to turn her on without even trying than this man.
He met her eyes and she saw the heat in them. Heat and desire she felt powerless to fight against. Who was she kidding? She didn’t want to fight against this.
His eyes ran over her body, heating her with nothing more than his look. “You’re so fucking sexy, Nori. It’s been all I can do to keep my hands off you from the minute I saw you again.”
She blinked up at him. Was he really saying these things to her? She licked her lips and saw his eyes flare, focused on her mouth.
His voice was husky with desire. “You okay with us taking advantage of the fact we’ll be together for another night before this is all over and we have to go back to our lives?”
She wouldn’t say no to that. Couldn’t say no to that.
She’d had a few boyfriends after him in college and she sometimes dated here and there, but truth be told, she worked too damned much. She didn’t take the time for a relationship or, frankly, even a one-night-stand.
And she hadn’t realized until now how much she missed that. So, yes, she was definitely okay with this.
“I want you so damned much I can taste you on my tongue, feel you in my hands. I fucking need to touch you, Nori, but I need you to know it can’t go anywhere,” he said. “I’m just not that guy. But we have these few days.”
If even that. They would likely be leaving her in the next day or two. “It works for me if it works for you,” she said. “For whatever time we’re together for this mission and then we go back to our own lives.” She wasn’t surprised to find her voice was as husky as his had been.
And he hadn’t even touched her yet.
She was shaking when he reached his hands out to touch her, his hands barely fluttering over her skin as he skimmed her neck, then cradled her face. Her whole body