now."
"Quit pouting," she ordered him lightly. "You're much better looking when you smile."
He sat back, looked at her. The lines on his handsome brow increased as he frowned at her in concentration. His eyes never left hers, though she felt the heat from his gaze cover every inch of her. The throb she knew would eventually consume her amplified to a roar. She felt the wetness spreading, soaking her panties.
After several long seconds, he pulled his gaze from her neck and rested it on her face. "And if you succeed?"
"It opens the door for ICE agents to transfer in to NASSD."
"NASSD has its own intel. We don't need ICE pushing their way in."
"We?" Charis pointed out, ticked he was being such an ass. If he wanted to give her attitude, she'd return it just as well, if not better. After all, she was the oldest of seven kids. She knew how to hold her own. "You left, remember? After you walked out, you lost all rights to speak to the needs of NASSD."
"Now you listen to me-"
"No, you listen," she countered, her frustration taking over. "I came all the way from the mainland to bring you back to the states. I won't let you shut me out without so much as the courtesy of listening to what I have to say."
She snapped her mouth shut. She'd never, ever spoken out during a negotiation. What had gotten in to her?
Her answer sat across the table. His attitude. His unbelievable arrogance. His hard, handsome face. All rational thought escaped her when he looked at her like that. No wonder it brought out the worst in her.
He narrowed his eyes. "What do you want, Angel?"
Why did he keep calling her by her codename? He practically shouted it every chance he got. She leaned toward him, lowering her voice. "How did you find me?"
Raising his brow, he eyed her. "Come again?"
"You heard me." She looked around to make sure no other ears tuned into their conversation.
" You came after me , remember?"
"That isn't what I mean and you know it."
"Actually," he cracked with a grin and eased back in the chair, folding his fingers on his chest as he studied her. "I have no idea what in the hell you are talking about. But you've got me curious. What are you hiding?"
She shook her head. Maybe his pet name for her was nothing more than that. Could the fact he'd called her by her codename only be a coincidence?
She didn't believe in coincidences. Things always happened for a reason. They may not be apparent when they happen, but it didn't take long to put two and two together. She did it on a daily basis as one of the top intel retrievers at ICE.
He studied her, apparently looking for a reason to find her unworthy of succeeding on this assignment. God how she hated NASSD agents. They were arrogant. Conceited. Had egos the size of the western hemisphere. And, damn it, most were damn good looking and knew it, played it to their advantage. All of them had hard-bodies and killer instincts. Literally. "Okay, I'll bite. Why is NASSD trying so hard to get me back?"
"I don't know. Like I told you, SD Weber won't talk to anyone about it."
"I don't buy it. I know Weber. He may be a tight-lipped son-of-a-bitch, but this isn't his style. He wouldn't withhold information, not when it had anything to do with the op. And he sure as hell would not call in ICE to retrieve a NASSD agent."
"Maybe I'm different."
"What do you have to offer they can't get from one of their own?"
She looked him square in the eye. "You."
He laughed at that. "Have a nice flight back to Seattle. Give my regards to the Webers." He started to push himself up from the table.
"David!" she pleaded. He paused, listening. "Please give me a chance."
"And why should I do that?"
"Because," she almost whimpered. "If I fail, I'm done. I'll be demoted. It's a
"Quit pouting," she ordered him lightly. "You're much better looking when you smile."
He sat back, looked at her. The lines on his handsome brow increased as he frowned at her in concentration. His eyes never left hers, though she felt the heat from his gaze cover every inch of her. The throb she knew would eventually consume her amplified to a roar. She felt the wetness spreading, soaking her panties.
After several long seconds, he pulled his gaze from her neck and rested it on her face. "And if you succeed?"
"It opens the door for ICE agents to transfer in to NASSD."
"NASSD has its own intel. We don't need ICE pushing their way in."
"We?" Charis pointed out, ticked he was being such an ass. If he wanted to give her attitude, she'd return it just as well, if not better. After all, she was the oldest of seven kids. She knew how to hold her own. "You left, remember? After you walked out, you lost all rights to speak to the needs of NASSD."
"Now you listen to me-"
"No, you listen," she countered, her frustration taking over. "I came all the way from the mainland to bring you back to the states. I won't let you shut me out without so much as the courtesy of listening to what I have to say."
She snapped her mouth shut. She'd never, ever spoken out during a negotiation. What had gotten in to her?
Her answer sat across the table. His attitude. His unbelievable arrogance. His hard, handsome face. All rational thought escaped her when he looked at her like that. No wonder it brought out the worst in her.
He narrowed his eyes. "What do you want, Angel?"
Why did he keep calling her by her codename? He practically shouted it every chance he got. She leaned toward him, lowering her voice. "How did you find me?"
Raising his brow, he eyed her. "Come again?"
"You heard me." She looked around to make sure no other ears tuned into their conversation.
" You came after me , remember?"
"That isn't what I mean and you know it."
"Actually," he cracked with a grin and eased back in the chair, folding his fingers on his chest as he studied her. "I have no idea what in the hell you are talking about. But you've got me curious. What are you hiding?"
She shook her head. Maybe his pet name for her was nothing more than that. Could the fact he'd called her by her codename only be a coincidence?
She didn't believe in coincidences. Things always happened for a reason. They may not be apparent when they happen, but it didn't take long to put two and two together. She did it on a daily basis as one of the top intel retrievers at ICE.
He studied her, apparently looking for a reason to find her unworthy of succeeding on this assignment. God how she hated NASSD agents. They were arrogant. Conceited. Had egos the size of the western hemisphere. And, damn it, most were damn good looking and knew it, played it to their advantage. All of them had hard-bodies and killer instincts. Literally. "Okay, I'll bite. Why is NASSD trying so hard to get me back?"
"I don't know. Like I told you, SD Weber won't talk to anyone about it."
"I don't buy it. I know Weber. He may be a tight-lipped son-of-a-bitch, but this isn't his style. He wouldn't withhold information, not when it had anything to do with the op. And he sure as hell would not call in ICE to retrieve a NASSD agent."
"Maybe I'm different."
"What do you have to offer they can't get from one of their own?"
She looked him square in the eye. "You."
He laughed at that. "Have a nice flight back to Seattle. Give my regards to the Webers." He started to push himself up from the table.
"David!" she pleaded. He paused, listening. "Please give me a chance."
"And why should I do that?"
"Because," she almost whimpered. "If I fail, I'm done. I'll be demoted. It's a
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