The Girl Next Door (Shadow Agents 6)

“What will I owe you?”

His back teeth clenched. “My standard rate is five hundred a day.” He totally pulled that number right out of the air.

Her eyes widened.

Too high.

“But I’ll work out a deal with you,” he rushed to say, because maybe this could work. If he stayed close to her—and he was planning to stay as close as he could possibly get—then he wouldn’t have to worry about sneaking into her place again and destroying any more files. He’d be able to retrieve every bit of intel at the same time she did.

Even better, he’d be able to control the intel that she received.

“Deal?” Gabrielle whispered and she licked her lips.

His whole body stiffened. “Yeah, maybe I’ll get my name mentioned in the byline of your story.” Right. That would be the last thing he wanted.

He put his hands on either side of her head, flattening his palms against the door. He wanted her mouth beneath his. That one kiss hadn’t been nearly enough to satisfy him.

It had just made him hungry for more.

“Of course, there is one other thing you can give me,” Cooper said, aware that his voice had roughened even more than normal.

Her breath rushed out. Her hands rose to his chest even as bright flags of color stained her cheeks. “I am not—” she began angrily.

“Pie,” he cut in. “I do believe there was a promise of cherry pie on the table.” And if her cherry pie was half as good as her chocolate chip cookies had been, then he’d sure be one very lucky man.

She stopped pushing him. Her hands rested over his chest and seemed to burn right through the fabric of his T-shirt. “Oh. Right. Of course.”

He smiled at her. She was so cute.

But dangerous.

Kiss her.

Instead, he dropped his hands and stepped away from her. “When does this partnership start?”

She glanced over his shoulder at the clock on the wall. “I’m really glad you agreed to my deal.” Her head tilted. “Just how good are you at blending into the shadows?”

His lips twitched. “I get by.” If she only knew.

“Good,” Gabrielle said decisively, “because I’ve got a lead for us to follow and our partnership starts right now.”

* * *

HIS OLD FRIEND let him right inside the apartment. But then, he’d expected an easy entrance.

He’d also expected to see the haggard lines of grief on Van McAdams’s face.

“Did you hear?” Van asked as he turned away. The guy left the door wide-open.

Van had better training than that. Much, much better.

“I saw the story on the news.” His gloved fingers closed over the doorknob, and he pulled the door shut. He turned the lock quickly. There could be no time for any disturbances.

Van’s shoulders were slumped as he headed toward the den. “What am I supposed to do now? Without Melanie, I don’t have anything.”

He pulled out his weapon. Slipped silently right up behind the man who mistakenly thought they were friends. “I guess you can join her. You can die.”

Before Van could even turn to face him, it was too late. He’d attacked.