by Lea Hart
“Dating is not torture; in fact, it’s one of the best things ever invented and for your information, I’m kicking dating’s ass.”
“You realize that’s not a thing,” Lucky replied as she sat down.
“It is if you’re me. Stazi and I take turns each week planning something and, just between us, I’m much better at it than she is. I really put effort into coming up with something that’s fun and exciting and all she seems to plan is dinner and maybe a movie.”
“You realize it’s not a competition, it’s just about spending time together,” Lucky said as she swung her foot around. “You’ve made it some weird SEAL thing about winning.”
Maddox snorted and then nodded his head in agreement. “That’s actually accurate since he made me hang lanterns in a tree at a park near their place. He had dinner brought in and had a jazz quartet playing as they danced under the stars.”
“That was a good one,” Hank commented as he took his chair behind his desk. “I haven’t been able to top it yet, but I’m sure I will.”
Lucky looked over at Maddox and rolled her eyes. “Poor Stazi, she has no idea what she’s in for.”
“She broke up with me because I didn’t understand the concept of dating and I’m never going to make that mistake again. It’s important to her, so it’s important to me, and that’s all there is to it.”
Maddox put his hands up and started walking backward out of the office. “I’m out. All this romantic talk is making me itch.”
Lucky watched him escape and then turned back to Hank. “You can run, but you can’t hide.”
“That’s true.” Stacking his folders, he then sat back. “What were we talking about?”
“I forgot.” Looking down at her tablet, she then snapped her fingers. “What did you think of the proposal I sent regarding the changes to my department?”
“I think promoting from within is always a good idea and, while this is ultimately up to Rory and Max, I agree that giving promotions to the people in your department is a great idea. I also like the idea of putting someone with field experience in the Mission Controller position and I’d be happy to have Grif join the team if he's willing. I know that ultimately would require building out more office space, but I think keeping Chicago the hub of the Intelligence Division makes sense.”
“Good, then I’m going to send it on to Ivy and let her handle the rest.”
“What other updates do you have for me?”
“I’ll email them to you, so you can look at them next week, it’s all routine stuff and I don’t want you to be late for your date.”
“Good enough.” He stood and moved the box of scotch over to the bar and then grabbed his phone and keys. “When is Sam returning from Brussels?”
“I don’t know. I haven’t heard from him today, so I’m not sure how close they are to finishing cataloging the evidence from the house.” Standing, she waited for Judit and then headed for the door. “Have fun and tell Staz I’ll call her tomorrow.”
“Roger that.”
Lucky walked toward the other side of the building where her offices were located and hoped Sam would be home soon. Feeling her phone vibrate in her pocket, she pulled it out and saw she had a google alert. Opening the app, she read the Guardian news article and gasped. Apparently, Bes Besiaj was shot in front of his home outside of Brussels and killed. No suspects had been officially named, but lots of Rudaj enemies were suspected.
Walking into her office, she called Sam and then waited until it rang through to voicemail. She left him a quick message and then sat down in front of one of her monitors and read the article through again.
“What a week for organized crime,” she said as she watched her dog lay across her feet. “Who’s next?”
“Who the hell knows,” Sam said as he walked in.
Spinning around, Lucky let out a shriek. “Sammy, you’re home.” Judit got up, walked over, and leaned her head against his leg, giving him a look that Lucky thought was pure love.
“I missed my girls, so I finished up and came home as quickly as possible.”
Standing, she walked into his arms and squeezed him as tightly as she could. “Missed you.”
“Music to my ears,” he said against her head.
Letting him go, she stepped back, studied his face, and noticed how tired he looked. His perfect hair was mussed, his suit was slightly rumpled, and the usual crisp white shirt was limp, which meant he’d worked hard and hustled home. “Let’s go home and I’ll make something to eat and then we can fall into bed.”
“There has never been a better idea in all the history of the world.”
“Oh, Sammy, you must be exhausted to say something like that.”
Taking her hand, he pulled her in. “Nope, I just missed you like hell and found my usual enthusiasm for my job flagging.”
Running her hand along his back, she felt him relax. “The usual tedium of FBI work no longer exciting?”
“No, it’s about as exciting as it usually is—I just discovered that I don’t enjoy my days as much if you’re not around.”
“Oh, Sammy, that’s so…”
“What, Lucky, what is it?”
“Amazing, sweet, and swoony.”
“Swoony?”
“Yes, it makes me feel like I’m in a movie and the hero has just uttered words so perfect that the heroine swoons.”
“I make you feel like you’re in a movie?”
“Uh…yeah.” Stepping away, she waved her hands. “Movie star good looks, check. Heroic job, check. Mind-numbing, body tingling explosive skills in the bedroom, check. Romantic and kind, check. Got me a dog, check.”
“Who the hell is this guy? Because I want to meet him.”
“It’s you, Sammy. You’re the swoony guy that women believe is a myth and yet here you are standing in front of me.”
“I’m just a man who found the right woman. Nothing more.”
“And the final swoony ingredient—humble. Check.”
“Well as much as I’d like to argue with your assessment, I won’t because if the woman who I’m going to spend the rest of my life with thinks I’m ‘swoony,’ then who am I to argue?”
“Exactly.” She looked down at Judit and nodded. “That’s how you make a point.” Watching the dog tilt her head let her know the point had been made beautifully. “Let’s go home.”
Sam picked up Judit’s leash and clipped it to her collar. “Better words have never been uttered.”
Lucky collected her things and then followed Sam and Judit. Putting her hand on the pad, she watched the door slide closed and then followed her family toward the staircase. As they walked down, she realized that Sam had finally succeeded and made his way into her life and heart. He barraged her with his attention and affection until there was no other choice but him. Seems even in love he was a Tier One operator who would accept nothing less than complete surrender.
Good thing surrendering to him made her so happy.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Saturday, October 7th
Sam watched Judit bury her nose in the grass that lined the sidewalk and wondered what she was looking for. Deciding it wasn’t a question that was ever going to be answered, he glanced over at Lucky and saw her looking at catalogs as she sat on the steps that led to the front door.
“Which one are you looking at now?”
“LL Bean.”
“Planning an outdoor adventure or are you looking at socks?”
“How honest do I have to be?”
“Very.” He saw her close the catalog and set it in a pile and figured she was adding to her collection.
She had the coldest feet in all the world and he knew there was only one answer. “Heated floors.”
“What?” she called out as she picked up the next catalog.
“When we move to the suburbs, we’re getting heated floors, so I don’t have to feel the shock of your ice cubes tangling with my feet in the middle of winter.”
“Are you complaining about the tangling of our body parts?”
Looking around, he noticed that the people who lived one house down glanced away the moment he caught their eye. “No. All I’m saying is heated floors.”
“I can’t argue with that.”
“Didn’t think you could.” Whatever had been interesting a moment ago no longer was and Judit moved down to the next patch of grass, so he followed. Feeling the sun beat down on his head, he wondered why it was eighty degrees in October. Hopefully, it would be a little cooler tomorrow when he was hosting the Santorini men at the Bears game. It was the first time he’d be seeing them since the family lunch and he had a lot riding on the day going well. After all, they were his future in-laws and he would probably be spending a lot of time with them in the years to come. Tomorrow marked the beginning and he wanted it to be a success.
Feeling a small hand on his arm, he looked down and saw Lucky studying him. “Did you finish with your catalogs?”
“No, I just came over to see what you were thinking about because you seemed worried.”
“I’m not worried; I was just thinking about the game tomorrow.”
“They like you, Sam, and they’re all pretty easygoing.”
“I know, I just want it to go well.”
“You’re spending the day at a football game and, as far as the men in my family are concerned, there is nothing better.”
“Any topics I should avoid?”
“Not that I can think of.”
Nodding, he looked down at Judit and then over at Lucky. “I’m usually not apprehensive, but I have to admit, I’ve got a few nerves.”
“Just makes you more swoony,” she replied with a smile.
“That seemed to work in my favor last night, so I’ll take it.”
“Have you ever done anything like this before?”
“You mean take a girlfriend’s family to a sporting event and hope they approve and welcome me into the family, thus sealing my fate and ensuring my everlasting happiness?”
“Yes.”
“No, I haven’t, and I’d be a lot more comfortable in the mountains of the Hindu Kush looking for rancid Taliban leaders who want nothing more than seeing my head on a stake.”
“As long as you’re keeping this thing in perspective, I guess it’s all that matters.”
“Yeah, I’ve got a ton of it. No problem.” Sam noticed that Judit was done inspecting the neighborhood and was ready to go back inside. “I think she’s ready for her mid-day nap.”
Bending down, Lucky looked deeply into Judit’s eyes. “I hope all these naps only mean you’re only resting your glory and nothing more.”
“What does resting your glory mean?”
“It’s a saying that DJ Khalid always uses and I like it. It means sometimes you need to rest, so you can rise again and bless the world with what you’ve got to offer.”
“I think everything I’ve ever learned in my life is the opposite of that. Playing sports at a collegiate level, embracing CrossFit, joining the army, and then qualifying for the Rangers, Delta, and HRT never offered me the opportunity to rest anything. Seems I might be overdue to rest some of my glory.”
“Well, you can rest it on me because I wouldn’t want you to feel like you were not making the most of it.”
Slinging his arm over her shoulder, he walked back to her house and followed their dog. “I like the sound of that.”
“Thought you might. It marries your love of performing at your highest level and outright naughtiness and debauchery.”
“It only took you a month to figure me out.”
“Barton, it wasn’t that hard.”
Putting his hand on his chest, he looked down and frowned. “You could’ve pretended I was at least a little mysterious.”
“Yeah, I’m not that good of an actress.”
“I’m wounded.” They climbed the stairs, entered the house, and he locked the door behind them. “In fact, I’m going to have to prove how surprising I can be.”
Dropping her stack of catalogs, she then moved toward the stairs. “I can’t wait.”
“I’ll give you a two-minute head start and then all bets are off.”
Watching her run up the stairs and laugh made him want to rest his glory all up inside her. Twice.
***
“Go downstairs,” Lucky instructed Sam.
“Why?”
“Because it’s date night and I want to impress you, so go down, have a beer and watch ESPN, and act annoyed by how long it takes me to get ready.”
“Are we going to do this every Saturday night?”
“Only if you’re very fortunate.”
He pulled his sweater over his head and slipped his feet into his loafers. “I’ll be waiting.”
She patted his chest and smiled. “Be down in a bit.”
Watching him back out of the room slowly made her want to laugh, but deciding that wouldn’t speed up his departure, she kept a straight face. The moment he cleared the door, she closed it and turned around, ready to transform herself from a regular woman to one that was irresistible. Not confident that she had what she needed to make it possible, she forged ahead nonetheless.
Pulling out a sheer pink thong, she slipped it on and then dropped her fuzzy robe. Next came a matching bra that lovingly cupped her breasts to heights they’d never achieved. Finally, a filmy lavender dress that Stazi had insisted she buy a couple of years ago. It was as simple as it was elegant and featured the all-important empire waist. Slipping it over her head, she twirled and decided it was going to have to do. Putting on a pair of silver sandals that she hardly ever wore, she decided the outfit was complete. One last tweak of hair, a final slide of lip gloss, and she was ready.
Looking at herself in the mirror, she tilted her head and hoped it would do. She’d never been one to dress up much and she hoped it was going to be enough to impress the very handsome man sitting in the living room. She grabbed her purse and then slowly walked down the stairs; when she hit the landing, she looked over the railing and saw Sam petting Judit as he watched Sports Center and knew this was a view she would see for a long time to come. She’d thought it a couple of weeks ago, and it was even more true today.
Sam Barton was the puzzle piece that completed her picture.
Walking down the last few steps, she stood quietly as he turned. “Ready.”
He stood and then walked around her in a circle. “Damn, woman, you are showing no mercy tonight.”
“You’re a big boy, I’m sure you can handle it.”
“I’ll die trying, that’s for damn sure.” He lifted her hand, twirled her around, and grinned. “Let’s go, so I can show the city of Chicago that I’m the luckiest man alive.”
Blowing a kiss to Judit, she grabbed her sweater and headed for the door. “We’ll be back late, so don’t wait up.”
“She’ll be snoring before we get our seat belts buckled,” Sam replied as he followed her out.
They walked down the stairs and Lucky noticed the cool crisp air that signified that fall had arrived. “I haven’t been on a real date in a long time and I’m excited to try Bavette’s because I’ve heard a lot of good things about it.”
“We’ve been on dates, Lucky.”
Once they were settled in the car and driving down the street, she replied, “I know, this just feels like a first date.”
“Despite the fact we’ve had a lot of meals together, traveled to Europe, taken down a couple of mobsters, and slept together, I’ll let you have it and won’t argue.”
“I didn’t say it made sense; it just feels special.”
Lifting her hand, he pressed a kiss to her skin and nodded. “That’s how I want it to feel.”
They walked into the restaurant and Lucky decided that it was perfect as Nina Simone played on the speakers and the low-lit leather-booth interior oozed old-school style. They were quickly escorted to a table and, as she slid into the booth, she saw Sam follow. The hostess gave them e
ach a smile and then departed.
“What do you think?”
“I love it.”
“Simon recommended it and I have to say he did a good job.”
“Your boss, Simon, thought we should come here?”
“Yes, and don’t look so shocked. You made quite an impression on him and he told me in no uncertain terms that if I didn’t marry you at the first opportunity, then I was the biggest idiot to ever have lived.”
“In those exact words?”
“Yes and, as far as I know, I’m the only agent he’s ever dispensed dating advice to.”
“I’m not sure what that says about you or us, so I’m going to leave it alone and just enjoy the atmosphere.”
“Good idea.” The waitress approached, and Sam ordered their drinks along with a shrimp cocktail as an appetizer. Picking up the menus, he handed her one and then glanced quickly at his.
Waving it back and forth, Lucky asked, “Should I bother or are you going to order for me?”
“Very funny.”
Giving him a smile, she lifted it in front of her face and studied it carefully. There were a lot of good options and she decided to go with the classic. “What are you going to have?”
“I’m going to have the lamb chops with a side of mashed potatoes and then I thought we could share the creamed spinach.”
“Oh, good because I’m going to have the ribeye and frites.”
“Wonder if they’ll be as good as what we had in Brussels.”
“Doubt it. I think those were the gold standard.”
“Probably right.” Their drinks were delivered Lucky took a sip of her old-fashioned. “Delicious.”
Sam raised his glass of scotch and said, “Here’s to Russian mobsters and their demise.”
Tipping her glass against his, she closed her eyes said a silent prayer of thanks. “I hope that’s the end of it for me.”
“Me too,” Sam replied as he took her hand under the table, and linked their fingers. “I don’t need to see you anywhere near the group anytime soon.”
“Any news on Vazov and his indictment?”
“Nothing since I left. I know he was denied bail and is being kept in a secure facility as his case makes its way through the courts.”