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She swallows with effort. “I can stay for a few minutes.”
“Perfect,” Carl says. He opens a beer and hands it to Ana. Before I can take it away, Ana glares at me and takes a long pull at the bottle. If she finds the drink unsavory, she doesn’t show it.
Every nerve ending in my body perks to attention when she strolls deeper into the room. Words don’t formulate in my brain. The only thing that’s clear is that she’s here and I don’t want her to leave.
“… big deal even for the professors in the department…” I catch the tail end of Liz’s prattling.
“I’ve heard of Kopfke,” Ana says thoughtfully. “Artificial intelligence work, right?” she asks.
“They have a contract with the Department of Defense. Our guy is about to work deep-cover spy stuff.”
“You guys are ridiculous,” I dismiss the chatter.
“Isn’t that why you have to go to Washington, D.C.?” Sarah says. “To turn into a secret agent or whatever. Or is that classified information too?”
“You’re moving away?” Ana mumbles, refusing to meet my gaze.
If I thought I fucked up because I didn’t tell her about the job, I can see how my mistakes are only piling up. I’m not sure how to fix her disappointment, but I have to try.
“Guys, can you go ahead to the bar? I need to talk to Ana alone.”
The groans of my friends are immediately cut off by a shake of my head. If I have to physically haul them out, that’s what I’ll do. Now that Ana is here, there’s no one else who claims my attention. And my apologies.
“No!” Ana exclaims. “Don’t send them away. I’m leaving.”
“Yeah, Bryce. Don’t send us away,” Stanley whines.
“Out.”
They grumble but know when I’m serious. This rudeness will cost me a few rounds of drinks, but that’s a small price to pay for privacy with the only person I want to talk to.
“Nice to meet you, Ana!” “Till next time!” My friends ham up the goodbyes, which only increases Ana’s embarrassment. I practically hit Sarah’s ass with the door I’m shutting behind them.
The quiet that descends between Ana and me is heavy with tension. The other thing that’s weighing a ton? My cock. Because having her in my space exposes all the ways I’ve lied to myself the last few days.
It was a moment of passion. There’s no reason for anything to change. Her body isn’t mine to claim. I do not need to be with Anastasia Petrov every minute of every day.
All. Lies.
I want her so badly, logic and consideration cease to exist. My hands vibrate with the need to grab what doesn’t belong to me. She isn’t mine to claim, but I’ll do it anyway. Every minute since we kissed is too fucking long.
I close the distance, the sweet aroma of her hair and the heat of her body calling to me. Holding her is the only thing that matters. My hands land on her hips.
“Don’t touch me,” she hisses. I pull back like I’ve been burned.
“I’m sorry I didn’t come over sooner, Ana. Maybe I should have told you about the job the moment I decided. I announced it to my department today. That’s why my friends invited themselves over.”
“Did you decide, like, today?”
“No. But it only felt real today. That’s no excuse. I’m so sorry.” I pause, attempting to gather the right words. “My mind has been preoccupied with the logistics, the paperwork, the alternate arrangements for my current jobs…”
She rolls her eyes, aware of my various income streams. Then, with a quirk of her lips, she says, “Tell me more about it. This job. Is it true you’ll have to move?”
“For a few months. Because of the classified level of the job, I need to go through training. Some of it is typical of government contractors, but the job is a bit more… extensive.”
“Are you going to spy school, like your friend said?” There’s a teasing quality to her tone that I cling to. I look for other signs that I’ve got permission to come closer.
“Hardly. More like clearance checks, which is boring as hell,” I explain, pleased when she takes my hands and places them at her hips. My fingers clench automatically, relishing the soft curves under rough denim.
