“Who the hell is Kick?”
“Someone Rile has been trying to recruit.”
“From where?”
“My guess is the agency.”
I got a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach. I didn’t like the fact that Rile had made a change without consulting me first. It was something I intended to address when we met later. “Have you ever run an op with him?”
“Negative.”
“Where’s Ink anyway?” I asked.
“Somewhere in South America. By the way, doesn’t that house have any draperies?”
“Where are you?”
“Next door.”
“Why do I need window coverings?”
“Because I don’t want to look out my window and see you starkers. Wouldn’t mind seeing Rebel, though.”
“Sod off,” I said before ending the call. I didn’t give a shit who saw me naked, but I drew the line at who saw her. As far as I was concerned, no one would but me.
“Edge?” I heard her sweet voice say.
“I’m here,” I answered, walking back to the bedroom.
“I must have fallen asleep. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. You’re exhausted.”
“But you were filling the bathtub.”
I put my arm around her neck, drew her close to me, and kissed the side of her face. “It’s likely cold by now.”
“I’m sorry,” she repeated.
I lifted her into my arms and carried her back to the bed I wished I could share with her. Soon I would, but not tonight. I set her on her feet and pulled back the bedclothes. “In, you go.”
“I should change.”
“Right.” How had it slipped my mind she was still wearing the clothes she’d been in all day? Probably because I didn’t dare imagine her without them. “I’ll step out.”
I was almost to the bedroom door when I felt her hand on my shoulder. “Edge, did I do something wrong?”
I turned around and scrubbed my face with my hand. “Of course you didn’t. I’m trying to be a…God, it sounds so bloody ridiculous, but I’m trying to be a gentleman.”
“Why?”
The earnestness of her question made me smile. “Because I thought that’s what I should do. You had a long day, sweetness, and an early morning tomorrow.”
“Even if you don’t want to, you know, do anything, would you mind lying next to me?”
“I would like nothing more.” Should I tell her that I’d already done so?
“It felt so good to have you next to me earlier.”