Rushing toward her, the blonde’s face lit up with eager anticipation. She gleefully took the cup that was offered, closing her eyes and savoring her first sip.
“Anything for the woman who saved my brother’s life,” Emma quipped.
The former Ranger’s expression softened. “More like we saved each other’s.”
“Semantics.” Emma shrugged.
But the truth was, Sean and Machadsaved each other.
A few months back, Mac’s dark past had reared its ugly head, resulting in her being shot, and she and Sean both nearly dying.
Thankfully, Sean, along with Alpha Team, took care of the person responsible. They were able to get Mac to the hospital just in time, and instead of a funeral, Sean had spent the last few months planning to wed the woman of his dreams.
A tiny twinge of jealousy began to rear its ugly head. But like every other time Emma started to feel that way, she ignored it. She was happy for her brother. Deliriously so.
She just couldn’t help but wonder when...orif...she would find ‘the one’.
“Did Jake start the meeting yet?” Emma asked, putting all thoughts of sexy men and true love out of her mind.
Mac swallowed another sip and shook her head. “He’s in his office finishing up a phone call. Hey, speaking of Jake...he didn’t happen to mention to you what this meeting’s about, did he?”
“I’m just a temp, remember? I answer phones, make copies, greet potential clients and make their appointments. I’m not exactly privy to super-secret closed-door stuff.”
“My ass.” The other woman snorted. “You had to get a pretty high security clearance to get this gig.”
“Okay, fine,” Emma relented. “I’m allowed to know afewthings about what you guys do. The clients names and situations, information about certain ops. But I swear, Jake hasn’t told me anything about what this morning’s meeting will entail.”
Disappointment had Mac’s shoulders falling. “Yeah, I didn’t think so. It’s just that, usually when he calls a meeting with the whole team like this, he gives us a hint about what we’re coming in for. He’ll say if it’s to meet with a client, or if it’s to give him a case update...something. But the only thing he said this time was that he wanted us all here first thing this morning. That was it.”
“Hmm...sounds very mysterious.”
Just like the guy from the coffee shop.
“Right?” Mac sighed. “Well, I’d better get back there so I don’t miss...whatever Jake has up his sleeve.” Lifting her cup, the other woman smiled. “Thanks again for the coffee.”
“No problem,” Emma responded remotely, her mind suddenly filled with flashes of salt-and-pepper hair and a set of lips that had her licking her own.
Blinking, she pushed the ridiculous images away—again—and walked over to the large reception desk. Setting her drink down onto the stone coaster, already there when she first started the job, Emma’s mind worked overtime to figure out why the man from earlier had affected her so much.
If she wasthispreoccupied thinking about someone she didn’t know and had seen for all of two minutes, that could only mean one thing...
I need to get out more.
Up until a few months back, Emma used to go on all kinds of dates. Sometimes, she’d spend a nice evening with a guy and move on. With other men, it sometimes took three or four dates before she realized it wouldn’t lead to anything more than some fun times and good sex.
Not that she was opposed to either, but Emma was picky about who she dated, and even more particular about who she shared a bed with. She could count on one hand the number of men she’d been with...and still have a few fingers left.
Maybethatwas her problem. Maybe she simply had an overload of pent-up sexual frustration that needed to be set free. The pondering thought reminded her, she needed to stop on the way home and get a package of new batteries.
Emma was smirking at herself when the door to the office opened and the oxygen in the room vanished.
A man had just walked in. But not justanyman. It was the ruggedly handsome, make-your-insides-melt guy from the coffee shop.
Act normal, Em. Just. Act. Normal.
With his coffee in one hand, the attractive stranger walked straight toward her.
As she tried to figure out a plausible reason for his presence, Emma couldn’t help but notice how his thick thighs stretched the denim covering the tops of his long legs. Nor did she miss the steely confidence with which he moved.