to him, right down to sharing his favorite gun, and now, his wife. He wasn’t so generous with the antique sports car, though. “You don’t share the ponies.”
“I don’t trust what you’d do to my car. Not after what you did to that rental in Rome.”
“That wasn’t my fault, man, and you know it. I doubt I’m going to be chased by criminals while I take the Shelby out for a joy ride.”
“You set the rental on fire, Jake.” Chase glared. “On. Fire. You’re still doing the paperwork for that.”
“It wasn’t drivable after those assholes shot holes in it, anyway.” It was his ass or the car, and he’d choose paperwork over a coffin anytime. Looking back, it was movie-cool, something his brother, Aaron James, would have done in one of his action films. Only it happened to him and Charlotte, for real, and Charlotte had thought it was the fucking coolest mission ever. Thank God, Kate had stayed home or he would have caught hell from Chase for involving his wife in the mayhem.
Chase wasn’t stopping the glare, so Jake pointed out, “We got the bad guy.”
“Yeah, because Charlotte’s a damned good shot, not because you’re keen with a lighter.”
It had all been fucking magnificent, and now he was going to get a ménage for his birthday. What a way to end a tough month at the office. Jake couldn’t stop the wicked grin that wanted to bust from him. “I’m going to set your wife’s ass on fire on my birthday.”
“Yeah, well, it’s a lot easier to care for her pink ass than to deal if you scratch the paintjob on my car.” Chase couldn’t contain the half-smile. “She deserves spanking from what you’ve said about that surveillance run in L.A.”
Yes, Kate did. “So you’re really game.”
“Yep.”
“You’ll owe me a birthday kiss,” Jake reminded, his grin even wider. He loved ribbing Chase about Paris, even if it was off-limits conversation. Best and worst cover job, ever, being Chase’s pretend gay lover. Chase couldn’t beat the shit out of him for picking on him here at work.
“I’m not kissing you,” Chase muttered, his neck flushing red.
“It’s my birthday, and I’m the hostess,” Jake reminded, just to be a pain in the ass about it, like he was every year. He didn’t like getting older, but he was respectful of the Paris boundaries—meaning, they didn’t talk about it, ever—all year long. If picking on Chase once a year around his birthday made getting older more enjoyable, then so be it. “I get her, I get you.”
Chase arched a dark brow over inquisitive brown eyes. “You sure you’re not bi?”
“Don’t think so, but you are hot.”
Chase snorted and shook his head. “So you want to know where you’re going for a week before you go geriatric?”
And with that, social time was over. Chase usually went into boss mode at this point, putting the mask of doom in place over his emotions, sealing out anything but professionally polite. It was what the man did best besides ruling the office with an iron fist and planning everything down to the minute detail. Only this time, the mask was unsettled, as if whatever this next mission had to deal with was too much for Chase to hide.
Chase slid a file across the desk to Jake. It was marked with top secret coding, one not meant for Jake’s eyes in any way, shape, or form. He knew the coding well and had gotten his hand slapped more than once for delving where it shouldn’t. Chase could be fired at the least, jailed at the most for sharing this file. The idea set Jake a little on edge, yet that manila folder sat in front of him, beckoning to him, begging him to turn the page.
Jake quelled the urge to rip into the file and instead glanced at Chase. “You sure about this?”
Chase nodded. “Yeah.”
Jake cautiously opened it and scanned the information, knowing the secrets inside wouldn’t make sense at first because whatever this was, it was in the beginning phases. He picked through, studying the
“I don’t trust what you’d do to my car. Not after what you did to that rental in Rome.”
“That wasn’t my fault, man, and you know it. I doubt I’m going to be chased by criminals while I take the Shelby out for a joy ride.”
“You set the rental on fire, Jake.” Chase glared. “On. Fire. You’re still doing the paperwork for that.”
“It wasn’t drivable after those assholes shot holes in it, anyway.” It was his ass or the car, and he’d choose paperwork over a coffin anytime. Looking back, it was movie-cool, something his brother, Aaron James, would have done in one of his action films. Only it happened to him and Charlotte, for real, and Charlotte had thought it was the fucking coolest mission ever. Thank God, Kate had stayed home or he would have caught hell from Chase for involving his wife in the mayhem.
Chase wasn’t stopping the glare, so Jake pointed out, “We got the bad guy.”
“Yeah, because Charlotte’s a damned good shot, not because you’re keen with a lighter.”
It had all been fucking magnificent, and now he was going to get a ménage for his birthday. What a way to end a tough month at the office. Jake couldn’t stop the wicked grin that wanted to bust from him. “I’m going to set your wife’s ass on fire on my birthday.”
“Yeah, well, it’s a lot easier to care for her pink ass than to deal if you scratch the paintjob on my car.” Chase couldn’t contain the half-smile. “She deserves spanking from what you’ve said about that surveillance run in L.A.”
Yes, Kate did. “So you’re really game.”
“Yep.”
“You’ll owe me a birthday kiss,” Jake reminded, his grin even wider. He loved ribbing Chase about Paris, even if it was off-limits conversation. Best and worst cover job, ever, being Chase’s pretend gay lover. Chase couldn’t beat the shit out of him for picking on him here at work.
“I’m not kissing you,” Chase muttered, his neck flushing red.
“It’s my birthday, and I’m the hostess,” Jake reminded, just to be a pain in the ass about it, like he was every year. He didn’t like getting older, but he was respectful of the Paris boundaries—meaning, they didn’t talk about it, ever—all year long. If picking on Chase once a year around his birthday made getting older more enjoyable, then so be it. “I get her, I get you.”
Chase arched a dark brow over inquisitive brown eyes. “You sure you’re not bi?”
“Don’t think so, but you are hot.”
Chase snorted and shook his head. “So you want to know where you’re going for a week before you go geriatric?”
And with that, social time was over. Chase usually went into boss mode at this point, putting the mask of doom in place over his emotions, sealing out anything but professionally polite. It was what the man did best besides ruling the office with an iron fist and planning everything down to the minute detail. Only this time, the mask was unsettled, as if whatever this next mission had to deal with was too much for Chase to hide.
Chase slid a file across the desk to Jake. It was marked with top secret coding, one not meant for Jake’s eyes in any way, shape, or form. He knew the coding well and had gotten his hand slapped more than once for delving where it shouldn’t. Chase could be fired at the least, jailed at the most for sharing this file. The idea set Jake a little on edge, yet that manila folder sat in front of him, beckoning to him, begging him to turn the page.
Jake quelled the urge to rip into the file and instead glanced at Chase. “You sure about this?”
Chase nodded. “Yeah.”
Jake cautiously opened it and scanned the information, knowing the secrets inside wouldn’t make sense at first because whatever this was, it was in the beginning phases. He picked through, studying the
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