Chapter 3 #2
Natalia and Megan both turned to see Aurora King strolling their way. Almost instantly, Natalia’s mind began running through the bare bones details she knew about the woman who’d joined them.
Aurora “Ro” King. Thirty-three-year-old digital marketing entrepreneur. Brody’s wife. Megan’s sister-in-law and closest friend since childhood.
With the dark hair, pale skin, and striking blue eyes, she reminded Natalia of a modern-day Snow White. Ruby lips, and all.
“Hey, Ro.” Megan shot the other woman a smile. “Have you had a chance to meet Agent Foster?”
Ro swung her wide grin Natalia’s way. “Not officially, but I’ve heard a lot about you.”
“Please, call me Natalia. Or Talia.” A small shrug. “I answer to either one.”
“Ooh, Talia.” Ro gave her head a small tilt. “I love that. It’s fun. Exotic.” She offered an outstretched hand. “It’s nice to finally meet you, Talia.”
“Likewise.”
The two women shared a quick handshake before Natalia brought her hand back down to her side.
“I’d ask what kind of trouble you’re getting the guys into tomorrow, but I know better.”
“Yeah…sorry about that.” She knew it had to be hard having a spouse who couldn’t talk about their work. “I’d share the details if I could, but—”
“No worries.” Ro waved Natalia’s concern away. “We’re used to being kept in the dark. Isn’t that right, Meg?”
“Yep. I learned a long time ago that worrying doesn’t do anyone any good. That being said…” Christian’s wife brought her pretty round gaze to Natalia’s. “I trust you’ll do everything in your power to bring our boys back to us in one piece?”
Her chest tightened. “Their safety and well-being are my top priority.”
Always.
“Good.” Ro’s ruby lips curved. “Now that we have that out of the way, I was just about to open a bottle of wine. Would you like some?”
“Thanks, but I should probably be getting back to the hotel.”
Megan glanced at her watch with a frown. “Already? But it’s barely seven-thirty.”
“I know, but it’s been a long couple of days, and I have an important phone call to make. Plus, there are still a few things I need to iron out on my end before tomorrow morning.”
And sleep. She definitely needed sleep.
“A Homeland agent’s work is never done, huh?”
Natalia sent a sideways grin Ro’s way. “Something like that.”
The truth was that her entire adult life had revolved around work. Meetings. Mission briefs. Field work. Mission debriefs. Intelligence assessments for the next op that was always waiting in the wings.
You know what they say. All work and no play makes Talia a sad and lonely woman.
It was the running joke among her co-workers anytime they invited her to join them for some off-the-clock fun. Dinner out. Drinks. A trip to the nightclub.
No matter where the group went or how they wanted to blow off steam, Natalia was always “regretfully” unable to attend. There was always a reason. Some sort of excuse. Anything to keep her from letting them get too close.
You let them in, you start caring. The more you care, the worse it hurts when they’re gone.
Natalia would have bagged out on this evening’s little get-to-know-you-better barbeque, too, if Megan hadn’t all but demanded she stay. But it was getting later by the minute, and she really did have an important phone call to make.
She also did want to go back over the plan a few more times from the top. Not with the team—they were professionals at their core and were already mission-ready. No, the in-depth review she’d conduct from the privacy of her hotel room was solely for Natalia’s peace of mind.
She needed to be alone for that part. Sitting in a quiet room with the intel laid out before her and zero distractions.
Plus being here, surrounded by the members of Delta Team and their wives and seeing the way the happy couples were together just served as a reminder of all the things missing in her own life.
Always looking in.
“Here.” Megan held out her hands. “Let me take that so you can go say goodbye to the guys and be on your way.”
Natalia flashed an appreciative grin as the kind hostess took possession of the near-empty plate.
“Thank you. And thanks so much for the food and allowing us to invade your home.”
“Are you kidding? We love days like this.”
“She’s right.” Ro nodded. “It gives us an excuse to hang out, gossip…eat yummy food. And of course, there’s always the wine.”
The three women laughed softly together as Natalia shot a quick glance in the teams’ direction.
“They look pretty involved in whatever it is they’re talking about.” She turned back to Megan. “Will you do me a favor, and tell Christian I’ll text him later with the time for tomorrow’s meet-up?”
“Absolutely.” Megan nodded.
“It was great meeting you, Talia.” Ro shoved her hands into the front pockets of her jeans. “Hopefully we can hang out again soon. You know, after you and the boys do…whatever it is you’re planning to do tomorrow night.”
“I’d like that.” Natalia was surprised by how truthful that statement turned out to be.
In another life, perhaps, she could almost see herself and the other women as honest to goodness friends.
With a small wave goodbye—and a silent prayer that she could escape without anyone else being the wiser—Natalia bid Megan and Ro a final farewell. She waited until she was closing the front door behind her to shove her hand into her pocket and dig out the fob to her rental car.
A short moment later, she was reaching for the driver’s door of her car when she heard a deep, familiar voice rumble low from somewhere close behind.
“Leavin’ without tellin’ your partner goodbye?”
Jagger. Of course.
Her lids fell shut. She dropped her outstretched hand back down to her side. She was close. So freaking close to making a clean getaway.
But now…
Natalia pulled in a long, cleansing breath. Blowing it out slowly, she turned to face him, doing her best to hide the rising annoyance this man always seemed to cause.
Not his fault you find him sexy as sin.
“You and the others seemed pretty involved in whatever it was you were discussing,” she blurted a little too roughly.
“And since we just spent the last two days together…and we’ll be seeing each other again during the final procedural review before tomorrow’s op…
I didn’t feel as though an interruption was warranted simply so I could tell you goodbye. ”
“You ‘didn’t feel as though an interruption was warranted’?
” Jagger’s handsome face twisted. “Is that actually how you talk? Like…normally?” A shimmer of moonlight glinted in his eyes.
“Wait, I know. You were saving all that fancy speak especially for me, weren’t you?
You know. ’Cause I’m your partner and all. ”
How was it possible for a man to be so irritating and so damn handsome all at the same time?
“Was there actually something you needed, or did you just come out here to bust my balls?”
The man’s eyebrows rose even higher. His focus shifted lower. Straight to her zipper.
“Balls, huh?” That heated gaze of his found its way back to hers. “Damn. Never would’ve guessed that. Of course, these days, it’s sometimes impossible to—”
“Jagger!”
Hard. Sharp. A crystal-clear warning.
“I’m kidding, I’m kidding.” The smartass lifted his hands as a show of peace. “I actually just came out to say good job today. You’re a natural leader. I can see why Ryker chose you as his successor.”
The unexpected compliment left her blinking.
When Jason Ryker stepped down from playing such an active role in the specialized Homeland unit he’d created, no one had been more surprised than Natalia when he’d named her as his replacement.
“Thanks.” She rewarded him with a small smile. “You looked pretty sharp out there, yourself.”
Sharp. Hot. Sarcastic and cocky as hell. And though Natalia would never, ever admit it to him or anyone else…
I want him.
“Well, I don’t like to brag”—Jagger rested his strong hands low on his hips—“but rumor has it, the agent in charge of this mission personally chose me to be her partner because…how did she put it?” He pretended to be deep in thought.
“Oh, yeah!” A quick snap of his fingers. “She said she wanted the best.”
The man had an ego that lasted for days, but she found herself laughing with a shake of her head.
“I knew telling you that would come back to bite me in the ass.”
“Then why did you?” He took a slow step toward her. “Tell me, I mean?”
“You made it seem like I was only worried about protecting myself when we hit the port tomorrow.” She held his stare. “Just so we’re clear, nothing could be further from the truth.”
“I know.” A sideways smirk that drove her mad with need lifted one corner of his kissable mouth. “I just like givin’ you shit.”
“Why?”
“Why not?”
She kept her focus locked on him a moment longer before opening her car door and sliding herself behind the wheel. “See you tomorrow, Brooks.”
“’Night, Agent Foster.” A slow dip of his head.
He turned as if to walk back to the house.
“Hey, Jagger!”
The mouthwatering operative stopped mid-stride, bringing his inquisitive stare back around her way. “Yeah?”
Ignoring the deep-seated urge to keep herself closed off from the world, Natalia said, “Call me Talia.”
A slow, sideways grin that made her want to climb out of the car and jump his bones formed on his ruggedly handsome face.
“All right, then.” Jagger lifted a hand in a lazy salute. “See you bright and early…Talia.”
Something fluttered inside her chest as the shortened version of her name slipped smoothly from his sensual lips. Her body’s reaction made zero sense, given that the guys on her Homeland team often called her Talia.
Yeah, but you don’t want to get naked with any of them.
No. No, she didn’t.
Moments later, as Natalia followed the long, private drive leading away from Christian and Megan’s house, it was all she could do not to check the rearview mirror. Because secretly, there in the privacy of her car, she herself believed that Jagger was still there.
Watching her drive away.