S.O.S. Perk (S.O.S. #6)

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Sloane let out a breath when she finally heard that Perk was headed back to the FBI offices. She’d known he could take care of himself, but it hadn’t stopped her from worrying. She’d seen too many simple ops go sideways. And also, if she were honest, some very convoluted feelings were tangled up in her head where Perk was concerned, and she needed him to be okay so that with his help, she could work them out.

Anxiously she watched the door for his arrival while Agent Tertia gave her smug looks every few minutes. Luckily, the rest of the team were focused on Kaelyn’s parents and their dog Blitzy—not that Sloane hadn’t taken time to tickle the mutt under her chin—to take too much note of Sloane’s preoccupation.

When Perk finally walked in flanked by Kaelyn, Sloane wanted nothing more than to throw herself into his arms. But…

WTF?

“What happened to your face?” she growled.

Kaelyn, looking sheepish, ducked quickly away to be embraced by her parents.

Perk simply gave Sloane a shit-eating grin.

“Girls these days pack a wallop,” he allowed cheekily while running a hand over the shine of a bruise that was forming.

Sloane scoffed. “That’s your excuse?” She wasn’t having any of it. “I’ll have you know that girls have always known how to take care of themselves. I just didn’t have you pegged as someone who’d be blindsided.”

“What can I say?” Perk shrugged. “I was trying to be a gentleman, not using any undo force when she nailed me.”

“I’m sorry Mr. Perkins,” Kaelyn called from across the room.

Sloane hadn’t missed the parents’ subtle nudges, clearly urging their daughter to apologize.

“I didn’t know you were a good guy,” she grimaced.

“Not gonna lie,” Perk told Kealyn with a smile. “I’m actually proud of you. It was a solid hit. But one thing you should know. After you punched me,” he schooled, “you should have followed up with a kick to the groin, then a quick open-palm to my nose while I was grabbing my…uh, parts. Then you could have gotten away while I nursed my broken nose and wondered if I’d ever sire children.”

Everyone in the room laughed, which was exactly the tension breaker they all needed.

It had been a long night, and for a few of them, at least, it was over.

Part of the team, however, still had work to do. The pair of agents Sloane had worked with on mapping friend-networks, had handed over the task of vetting all Nelsin’s relatives and acquaintances to Del and Prez, while they, as the FBI approved escort, brought the Jeffersons to their safe house. They’d then be off the clock, and a rotating protection detail would oversee the family for the duration of the investigation.

As for Sloane… She let out a huge yawn. Bed had never sounded so good.

“Is that it for us, boss?” she asked Baskins, surreptitiously pinching herself to wake the hell up.

“For now,” he answered, also clearly fighting fatigue. “I’m headed home to the wife, and unless the world ends, nobody better bother me because I’m sleeping until noon.”

Considering it was past three in the morning, Sloane felt like that was a solid plan, but…

“Me, too?” she asked, taking nothing for granted.

“Yes. All of you take the morning off. We’ll reconvene here at one-thirty tomorrow. Except you, Perkins,” he said with a smirk and not a modicum of regret. “You have school in the morning.”

Perk groaned. “I never thought I’d have to hear those words again in my life. But…” He gave a mock pout. “…can my ‘parents’ at least sign a slip explaining why I didn’t get my homework done?” He sent puppy-dog eyes toward Tertia, but it was Smalley who answered.

“Hell, no.” he grunted. “If we don’t, you might get more detention. Which is the best place to—”

“—pick up intelligence,” both Perk and Sloane answered at the same time, having had the identical discussion before.

The word “jinx” being implied, Sloane and Perk exchanged amused glances.

But now it was time to go.

She hitched her purse over her shoulder.

“Uh, Sloane? Before we leave, could I see you for a minute? Privately?” Perk dared.

Sloane looked at her boss who rolled his eyes and clicked his tongue. “As long as the two of you promise not to compromise the investigation, I’ll ignore any shenanigans.”

Sloane flashed her boss a grin, but took no chances that he’d change his mind. She immediately headed for the door, snagging Perk’s arm on the way by.

“See ya,” Perk gave a cheeky wave to everyone watching with various levels of interest, and allowed himself be towed away.

Sloane headed for her office.

She opened the door to let them in, then closed it behind her without bothering to turn on the overheads. There was enough ambient light coming through the windows that they could see each other.

“What is it you wanted?” she asked curiously, turning to face him.

If she wasn’t mistaken, his eyes held something she hadn’t seen before.

“This,” he said, taking a step closer and putting his hands on her shoulders. He lowered his head until his mouth was a hair’s breadth from hers. “Unless you want me to stop,” he whispered.

“Hell, no,” she responded breathlessly, then without waiting for him, she slammed her lips to his, her entire body lighting up instantly on contact.

Perk, however, clearly wasn’t about to stand by and let her take control. Within seconds, he had her bent backward over his arm, ravaging her mouth like she was his last supper. His strong body vibrated against hers with a need that was unmistakable, and he groaned his pleasure when their tongues engaged in a battle that would have both of them victorious.

The kiss seemed to go on and on, devastatingly hot, and exactly what Sloane needed to finish off a fraught day. Just when she contemplated clearing off her desk with one sweep of her arm to give them a platform where they could take things further, Perk backed off.

“Wow,” he said, easing her from his embrace to run a hand agitatedly back through his shaggy hair. “I wasn’t expecting that.”

“I was,” Sloane wasn’t afraid to admit. “It’s been building.”

“It has,” Perk agreed. “But still… Listen. I refuse to dance around things, here. That was epic, Sloane. By far, the best kiss I’ve ever had.”

She could see in his face that he was telling the truth, but he was still so young. How many women exactly had he been with?

She probably shouldn’t voice that opinion, but…

“You may not have kissed enough women to make a comparison,” she dared send back gruffly.

Perk sighed. “I told you before,” he stated a bit reluctantly. “I never lacked for hookups in the past.”

“But you also said you’ve been, uh, out of the dating scene for a couple years.”

Perk managed a chuckle.

“Just because I haven’t been on that particular bike for a while, doesn’t mean I’ve forgotten how to ride, Sloane.” He was eying her lips again, and a thrill chased up her spine. “You, however, make me feel things I’ve never experienced before. It’s like I’ve been using training wheels all this time, and now they’ve suddenly been removed.” He reached for her again, urging her to come to him.

It hit Sloane that Perk wanted to continue, and that she’d been more than ready to strip them both naked prior to their little talking interlude. But her fellow agents were right the hell down the hall.

That was messed up. She backed away a step, and toned things down a notch.

“I’m, uh, not sure how flattered I should feel being compared to a bike, but if that’s what you’re going with, I’ll keep to the metaphor,” Sloane told him. “It’s past time I pedaled my ass home, before I find myself Evel Knievel-ing things up here.”

Perk got an amused look on his face, not at all put off. “Knievel’s thing was motorcycles, Sloane.”

“Pah. They still have two wheels, don’t they? And they’re dangerous as hell, so…” Sloane reluctantly went up on tiptoes and brushed a light kiss across Perk’s lips before easing around him toward the door. “I’ll see you on Saturday?”

Oh, yes. She wasn’t going to give up their planned tryst.

“Hell, yes,” Perk answered with enthusiasm.

Thankfully, he also took her “reinstating-distance” cue to heart; allowing her to circumnavigate his body without reaching to halt her progress.

To be honest, if he’d stopped her, she might have thrown caution to the wind and done what her quivering nether-regions were demanding. Which was to jump his bones, nearby audience be damned. But thankfully he hadn’t. And she needed space from Perk right now to assess exactly what she did want from him.

Now that she knew how mind-blowing and life-altering his kisses could be, could she really get horizontal with him without involving anything but her libido? Was she in this for quick sex, like she’d earlier contemplated, or was Perk worth…more?

With him standing so close, smelling so good, and being so overwhelmingly hot, it was impossible to think straight.

“Are you okay, Sloane?” Perk asked, finally reaching out a hand, clearly concerned that she’d been staring off into space.

She dodged his touch. “Yeah. Fine. I’m just…conflicted.”

His entire countenance dropped. “I get it. You didn’t expect anything more from me than a little bit of fun, did you?” he asked flatly. “And you didn’t like that our kiss redefined things in your head.”

“Yes. No. I don’t know,” Sloane whined, which was totally unlike her. “You confuse the hell out of me, Perk. And I’m trying to protect both of us here. The last thing I want to do is add myself to the list of bitchy women who’ve used you for your body. That’s not me. Which means I have to think about this because if things proceed, like I told you before, I’m not exactly…relationship material.”

“Because of the husband who was a prick to you,” he finished astutely, remembering their previous conversation. “But Sloane. I assure you, I’m not him.”

“I know you’re not. But still,” she pleaded her case, “he destroyed my trust.” Sloane shook her head. “Having lived with that, and having witnessed how my own parents screwed each other over, then how my sisters had their marriages end so badly, I’m not sure if I can do anything with you other than sex.”

Instead of storming out, as she almost expected him to at her declaration, he took a long, cleansing breath instead.

“How about we don’t make predictions,” he offered. “We just move forward as our feelings dictate, and see where things go.”

This time when he reached for her, she let him draw her into his strong embrace before he continued.

“Nobody knows where a relationship is going when it starts out, Sloane. But people take a stab at it all the time.” He held her close. “I think that’s what we should do, too.”

Sloane laid her cheek on his chest. She didn’t want to move. Perk felt so good.

She huffed. “Why do you get to be the voice of reason?” she snorted against his comforting chest. “I have six years on you. I should know this shit.”

“Uh, because six years doesn’t necessarily make you more grown-up?” he quipped, but she knew it cost him. Wasn’t appearing perpetually youthful the demon he’d been battling all his adult life? His version of Dorian Gray, almost?

Sloane didn’t want that to be part of their equation. “No, but six years gives me a little more to go on for experience,” she finally allowed. “You’re right on one count, though. That amount of time doesn’t make me smarter. So, in that regard…” She bit her lip and scrunched up her face. This was so hard to say, but she needed to get it out. “…I’m going to go along with what you suggest. We let things between us play out organically, and if stuff works, great. If it doesn’t…” Here was a fear she’d been harboring. “…can we still remain friends?”

“That’s up to you,” he answered reasonably. “But here’s my promise. If you’re on board to try, no matter which way things go, I’ll never shut you out of my life, Sloane.”

That sounded like a whole lot more than she’d asked for.

Damn , Perk was a good guy. But she’d already known that. It was why she’d been so attracted to him in the first place. Maybe she should let him know that.

“It’s not just your face, Perk,” Sloane told him.

“What’s not just my face?” he asked, an amused note in his voice as he continued to hold her like she was the most precious thing in the world.

“Why I like you,” she told him. “You’re adorable, sure. But you’re also nice. And smart. And dedicated. And everything I want in a…friend.”

He pulled back and put a finger to the lower lip she was still gnawing.

“ Maybe a friend. Maybe a lover. But we’ve agreed we’re letting this unfold to see which one works for us, remember?”

“Okay,” she sighed, kissing his digit. “I’ll try to stop labeling, although I’m warning you, it’s part of my personality to sort and pigeonhole things, so I’m going to be a bit difficult.”

Perk merely laughed. “And that’s one of the things I like so much about you,” he said.

“What? That I’m difficult?” she countered, trying to match his humor.

“It does make you a challenge,” he agreed, “but no. That’s not what I meant. I meant that no matter how conflicted your feelings, even under physical duress,” he hugged her harder, “you’re ultimately honest about everything.”

Sloane scoffed. “A negative with my ex-husband and my family.”

“But a positive with me,” he assured her. “Now, I need to go home and get some shut-eye so I don’t fall asleep in Algebra tomorrow.”

“Something I never thought I’d hear a man I’m dating say,” Sloane snickered.

The air in the room became so still, it was almost as if Perk’s heart paused.

“What?” she asked, pulling back to gaze into his face.

His eyes filled with tenderness.

“You said we’re dating.”

Ah, fuck it.

She smiled up at him, giving over to the moment.

“Yeah. You’re right. I guess I did.”