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She nodded, knowing the Honeycomb Café was his favorite, and so much more than just a coffee shop. They served sandwiches on warm, freshly-baked ciabatta and their desserts were to die for. And while Inda preferred the caramel mochas, Lucas always got hot tea.
“Great. Can you grab me a hot tea, honey stick and—”
“One almond scone,” Inda finished.Warning, dimples ahead!her mind yelled.
“Yeah.” He cocked his head and smiled. And it was like a sucker punch to her heart. “Wow. I’m pretty predictable, huh?”
“Just a bit.”
“Maybe I should try to be more spontaneous. How abouttwohoney sticks? And make sure to treat yourself.”
“Such a daredevil,” she teased, turning on her heel, doing her best to ignore the way his low chuckle sent a tingle through her body.Stop drooling over your boss,she reprimanded herself, pausing at her desk to swipe up her purse.
It could only lead to nothing. She wasn’t there to find a boyfriend. The one and only thing on her agenda was to infiltrate Chadwick Carlisle’s life and find out whether or not he was a part of The Agency, and exactly how deep his influence and control went. Then she would disappear from here and Lucas Sheridan’s life forever.
???
“So did you get to see his forearms again today?” Harper asked, reaching into the big bowl of popcorn and grabbing a handful. Ryland “Rip” Mills’ gorgeous blonde wife innocently blinked her big baby blues at Inda, trying not to laugh.
“Or did he keep his suit on and all buttoned up?” Aubrey hummed. Grayson “Demon” Ellis’ fiancée smirked. “Because sometimes that’s just as good.”
Inda rolled her eyes and took a sip of her wine.Civilians.They didn’t understand that she had a job to do, first and foremost. Staying focused was key. She had to ignore the chemistry making her hormones go wild. “Lucas Sheridan might be eye candy, but I’m way too busy trying to track down leads to The Agency to pay him any attention.”
“Oh really?” River’s voice held a sing-song tone that made Inda dread whatever was coming next. The woman was far too perceptive. “Because the last thing I remember was you mentioning something about being able to bounce a quarter off his, and I quote, ‘very biteable ass.’ Or, did I get that wrong?”
Kill me now.Luckily, the men on her team weren’t paying attention to their female chatter. While the guys were on the other side of the room, drinking beer and yelling at some football game on a different TV, Inda and the women were sitting on the large, curved sofa, watchingThe Bachelorin the corner of the common room.
“I don’t remember,” Inda lied, batting her lashes and draining the rest of her wine.
“I don’t know, ladies,” Harper said, “but I think Inda is full of it.”
River smirked. “She’d like to be full of it. Full of Sheridan’s big, long, hot—”
“Oh, my God. Stop!” Inda’s jaw dropped.
The women burst into giggles, attracting the men’s attention. Ryland, Gray and Zane always kept a close watch on their significant others. Aubrey blew Gray a kiss and the big, gruff man pretended to catch it. He was nothing like the gloomy, depressed, guilt-ridden man Inda had first met. Aubrey’s love had brought him into the light.
“Don’t feel guilty,” Harper added. “He probably pictures you naked all the time.”
“Wonderful.” Inda shook her head. “You guys are relentless, you know that?”
“Just because you’re part of Ex Nihilo and working hard to rid the world of evil doesn’t make you any less of a woman,” Aubrey stated.
“And like men, women have needs.” River tossed a piece of popcorn into the air and caught it in her mouth. “Sexualneeds that shouldn’t be ignored.”
Inda’s cheeks warmed. “Maybe it’s been a while, but I can handle myneedsjust fine, thank you very much. And I certainly don’t require a man to do it.”
“True,” River agreed, “but snuggling up against a big, warm, male body is pretty fantastic.”
Inda couldn’t disagree but, at the same time, she didn’t have the luxury to go out and start dating. She had a job to do—and that didn’t involve going googly-eyed every time her boss appeared. Besides, she didn’t care for the dating scene. It wasnothing but a bunch of mixed messages between people trying to get laid or on the rebound. There was also the very real possibility she’d run into the same kind of men her mom used to date. Controlling, mean, abusive men. And that wasn’t a chance she was willing to take. She’d barely escaped from that dark place once.
By eleven o’clock, the game was over, the wine drunk and Inda watched as her friends wandered off to their private quarters with their men. Nik “Saint” Valentine and Braxton “Pharaoh” Graves were still single, so at least she wasn’t the only one.
Saint, a former Russian spy with connections to the Bratva, went out onto the balcony and lit a cigarette. The dangerous man was covered in black ink and smoked like a chimney. A habit he’d once told her he’d picked up while locked up in a Russian prison. He was a broody, moody, sarcastic SOB and Inda loved him like a brother.
Braxton, completely opposite in looks to Saint, had a head full of light brown curls which he kept tamed down, and a more serious nature. But that didn’t make him any less dangerous. Brax was a former Delta Force commander, and their fearless leader was stubborn as hell once he set his mind on something. Calling Pharaoh focused was an understatement. The man was more tenacious than a pitbull.
“Hey, Bruja,” Brax murmured, pausing next to the sofa.
