Dangerous Games (Aegis Group, #3) (33 page)

Zain stared at his boss. He’d always seen himself as the guy behind the scenes. The computer geek. Until San Diego. Until he’d stumbled into a woman dressed as Princess Leia. Moving to Seattle would be...perfect. Taking on the operations side of an Aegis office would be challenging, but he’d have a team with him. Men he could trust. It was a world better than the list of options he’d brainstormed with Andrea once. That list had left him depressed and bored with his future in Seattle. A command, as Crawford said, would be a new challenge, but he could do it. Couldn’t he?

His knee jerk reaction was to say yes. Hell yes. Because that meant being with Andrea full time. Living together, maybe, if she were up for it.

“Can I think about it, sir?” Zain asked.

“You mean, can you talk to your lady friend?” Crawford rolled his eyes, one side of his mouth hitching up. The man might play the old and grouchy card, but Zain had seen Crawford with his family.

“Yes, I’d want to discuss it with Andrea. Sir.” Because this wouldn’t just change his life... It would change theirs.

“Go. I need an answer by Monday.” Crawford waved toward the door.

“I’m out until Tuesday.”

“Then you’d better turn your damn phone on and give me a call Monday, Lloyd. Understand?” Crawford’s brows rose and he tipped his chin down.

“Yes, sir.”

“Go.”

Zain was halfway to the door before Crawford repeated the order.

Andrea peered through the blinds.

Zain was finally home.

She scampered back to the kitchen and pulled the lasagna out of the oven. She’d never been one for domestic bliss, but for some reason the first meal of a weekend with Zain made her into a freaking Betty Crocker. The rest of her stay would be leftovers, take-out, and frozen pizza. And neither of them would care. Because they’d be too busy demoing the new game when they weren’t in bed, but that was the way things went.

The front door banged open with more gusto than usual. She jumped and turned, a basket of breadsticks in hand. Everything was just about ready. Her stomach fluttered and even now her knees went a little weak.

“Hello, honey, I’m home.” His grin was big, brilliant and everything she’d missed. “Fuck me.”

His gaze dipped lower.

“Hi.” She grinned back, swiveling her hips to make the skirt do that swooshing thing. Eventually sex was the point, but first—food. Her new, flirty, short R2D2 dress was clearly a hit. Wait until he saw the bra and panties though... She’d wait for that little reveal until after dinner.

“Give me that.” He took the basket from her hands and set it on the counter.

She took a step back and he kept coming until she was backed up against the sink, his hands on either side of her hips. She flattened her palms against his shoulders.

He was there. For three whole days, they’d be together.

Andrea found it a little hard to breathe—but that’s how it was with him. Zain made her crazy for all the right reasons. She tipped her chin up, hungry for that first kiss, the way his mouth felt against hers, how her body would melt...but he stopped, his lips so close.

“I have news,” he whispered.

“Can it wait?” She wrapped her arms around his neck. Whatever it was, it was probably awesome and exciting, but she wanted her kiss. Call her greedy, but she had to wait a long time for them and she wanted to get started with the kissing now.

“No.”

She inhaled.

Was it...?

Shit.

“What is it?” She gulped, leaning back to take him in. It had to be work. Something she wasn’t going to like if his stern tone and emotionless expression said anything.

Crap.

Did he have to go away this weekend?

Would he get hurt?

She tightened her grip just a little in some vain, hopeless move to keep him there.

“How long have we been together?” he asked.

“Uh...” She blinked, unprepared for that question. “Six or seven months?”

“What do you think the next step for us is?”

“Well...” He wasn’t smiling. Oh God... Was this the
it’s been great but it’s over
talk? They’d had rough patches, she still had anxiety every now and then and that could create problems, but he always talked through it with her. He was really great about stepping back and pointing out that it wasn’t his socks on the floor—it was her inability to control everything or her attachment issue or the birth control making her wonky.

“What are you thinking right now?” he asked, searching her eyes.

“That you’re about to break up with me.”

“How does that make you feel?”

“Scared. Sad. Please tell me you aren’t breaking up with me.”

“I’m not.” He folded his arms around her. “Why would you think that?”

Andrea had thought this one through. She rested her cheek against his shoulder and looked up at him.

“Everything’s been too good.”

“Why’s that a bad thing?”

“Because where do we go from here?” She wanted to come home to him. To spend weekends on the couch. Being together. But that meant leaving Drudge after spending her whole life getting there.

“I think that’s up to you.” He rocked her from side to side and bent his head to kiss her brow.

“I can’t leave Drudge until we’re done with D8. I just can’t.” And that was a year and a half, to two years away.

Zain lifted his head, brow scrunched up.

“Leave Drudge? Why would you do that?” he asked.

“To...move here...”

“You can’t leave Drudge. That’s ridiculous.”

“Then, what? What do you want me to do?” The truth was she hated this long distance stuff. Going home killed her. She had to put on a smile and pretend she was happy when every time they parted she died a little bit more each time.

“If it ever came down to one of us quitting our jobs, it’d be me,” he said, putting that whole alpha I-make-the-decisions tone behind his words.

“But Aegis is your whole life.”

“No, Aegis is my job. You are my life.”

Oh, God...

It hurt.

“I don’t like this.” She squeezed him and buried her face against his chest. It wasn’t the first time he’d said something like that. Each time though, she lost her resolve to finish out the game a little bit more. She wanted to be with him now. To have a life together.

“Hey.” He rubbed her back. “Look at me for a second?”

She straightened, doing her best to hold the stupid, silly tears in. Here she’d been so happy...

Zain clasped her by the shoulders and leaned back. “Crawford wants me to move to Seattle and open a base of operations there. I wanted to say yes, but what do you think? I won’t do it if you aren’t on-board. It’s going to be hard, and take a lot of time to set up and get business rolling, but—”

“Move?” She stared at him.

Was he serious?

Him move to Seattle?

That was the best news since she got feeling back in her fingers. Since she’d gone back to work. Since he’d told her he loved her in elvish. It was crazy awesome and perfect. They’d both get to keep their jobs. No one would have to compromise. It was the best of both worlds.

“I have to tell him Monday, but I thought we could talk about it and—”

“Talk about it? What is there to talk about? That’s fantastic. We can make that spare room a home office for you. It even has an entrance if you wanted to use it until you got set up. Are you serious? Please don’t tell me you’re joking.”

“I wouldn’t joke about this. You think it’s a good idea?” He asked as though he really weren’t certain. Was the man crazy? Had he hit his head recently? Did she not send him enough whining IMs about missing him?

“Yes!” She dug her fingers into his hair, but he didn’t bend closer.

“Really?” he asked.

“Yes. Zain, OhMyGod, yes!” She hugged him tight, more than a little excited about the possibility of waking up every morning with him in her life. For now until forever. Her very own superhero. The man who’d do anything for her. And the one she’d spend forever showing just how much she loved him.

“Andrea, I need you to know this is a permanent thing.” He stared at her with that completely serious face, the one he used when something was wrong—or when he was about to make her really, really happy. “Are you sure?”

She swallowed.

Reading between the lines was easy.

If she said yes—and she was—they might as well set a date and pick a place for the wedding. Not that she hadn’t already discussed that and every other little detail with Crystal. That was their secret Zain didn’t need to know about. At least not yet.

She lifted up and kissed him—because she hadn’t yet and she wanted to.

“Yes, I’m totally sure. I love you, Zain.” She slid her palm along his jaw, staring deep into his eyes.

His grin was—the best. He slid his hand down to her hip and stared her right in the eye before saying, “I know.”

The end.

You can stay up to date on the whole Aegis Group team in
Dangerous Attraction
and
Dangerous in Training
out now.
Dangerous Assignment
and
Dangerous Protector
are coming soon!

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www.SidneyBristol.com

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See where it all started...

Blind: Killer Instincts

Available Now

He recognizes the darkness in her. It’s in him, too.

Detective Jacob Payton knows the clock is ticking down. Someone is about to die, and his best suspect is also his only source of information. He’s known Emma Ration’s story for years—after all, a brutal serial killer left his mark on both their lives when they were still young. Meeting her is another experience altogether. She challenges his control and entices him in ways no other woman has.

But is she the killer? As the bodies pile up and their passion ignite, Jacob runs the risk of losing his control. Falling for Emma was never in his plan, but now that she’s part of his life he’s not about to give her up. Not even to the FBI on the trail of the very same killer.

Jacob must figure out if it’s Emma in danger, or himself. If he can’t uncover the identity of the copycat killer, it could be the end for both him and the woman who has fast become the center of his life.

Blind, a new romantic suspense book for fans of Criminal Minds and The Following, from New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Sidney Bristol.

Dangerous Attraction: The Complete Serial

Ex-Navy SEAL Travis Ration is an expert hunter. Whether his prey is criminal or victim, he always gets his mark. He's no hero, just a man doing his job. It’s all he has after a felony conviction after a bad judgment call. When the FBI call in a favor and ask him to look into a serial killer over the holiday break, he jumps at the opportunity to fill the long, cold days with something besides regret and bad movies. In Las Vegas, he's on the hunt for a prolific serial killer no one wants to admit exists. The leads are dry and the evidence gone, until she walks into his life. Bliss Giles—curvy, sassy and everything he can't have.

What’s worse, Travis knows Bliss’ sister is the killer's latest victim. She fits the profile. Time is running out and the fastest way to retrace the killer's path is with Bliss at Travis' side. In the seat of danger. He vows to keep Bliss safe and his hands to himself, after all, a nice girl like her doesn't need a guy like him in her life. Too bad no one told Bliss Travis was off-limits. She tests his boundaries and pushes his control every minute they're together until he can't remember why wanting her is a bad idea.

The hunters become the hunted in this tale of serial killers and SEALs for hire. One broken man must unpack his baggage, a woman has make a leap of faith and a sister chooses to live in this new, romantic suspense serial by NYT & USA Today bestselling author, Sidney Bristol.

Warning: Hold onto your panties, because nothing is safe.

Dangerous in Training

Disgraced Navy SEAL Mason Clark knows how to track his prey. He is an expert operative with a history of wrong-place-wrong-time luck. Landing a gig as a vacation bodyguard should have been an easy job—if he wasn't supposed to be protecting her body.

Hannah Stevens. His boss's virgin daughter. Their lust is forbidden and a relationship is out of the question—but what happens in Mexico is their secret. Getting lost between the sheets is their one and only goal, until Hannah's friends are brutally kidnapped by a human-trafficking ring. Things quickly spiral out of control when the kidnappers put Hannah in their cross hairs.

Mason is a man ready to put it all on the line to rescue the woman he loves. Love and honor are put to the test in this new, romantic suspense series by NYT and USA Today bestselling author, Sidney Bristol.

Warning: Deflowering virgins doesn't come with volume control.

Dangerous Assignment

Veteran Navy SEAL Luke Briar has a solution for every problem, except when his latest job goes sideways. Things were so much simpler when all he had to worry about was how to put a smile on Abigail's face, though nothing he does chases the shadows from her eyes. Now Luke and his lovely new partner must protect a pair of criminals from people trying to kill them.

Abigail is a lie. Everything about her is false, but keeping the truth from her partner is becoming increasingly difficult. Her mission was simple, kill two internationally wanted criminals and get out. But she wasn't counting on him. Luke. He awakens parts of her she long thought were dead. But people like her don’t get second chances at life, and her betrayal will crush any happiness they might have had. Falling for Luke can't happen.

When the tables are turned and someone else gets to Abigail's targets before she can, all hell breaks loose. Luke doesn’t know if the woman he’s fallen for is a terrorist or something worse. Explosive desire isn't a license for murder, but he can’t live without her. With the authorities closing in, Luke must decide who to trust—law or love.

Warning: Explosive chemistry ahead.

Book List

Aegis Group

Blind: Killer Instincts

Dangerous Attraction, parts 1, 2 and 3