“The CIA won’t get ticked off about all of this?” Not that Cara cared about that either, but she did wonder. After all, she’d been sent here to do a job. She did a version of it, but the CIA might not see it that way.
Reid nodded. “Oh, definitely. There will be all kinds of pissing and moaning. But sometimes things get destroyed in the middle of a firefight.”
He sounded a bit too amused by the explanation. His assurance touched off hers. “And you guys can sell that?”
Parker pointed at Tasha. “She will and no one wants to tick her off.”
“Damn straight,” Tasha said. “But the bottom line is some other members of the Alliance who have been sitting the action out in Germany and are itching to get in here will make all remaining signs of this disappear. The compound, the expedition, the mine. All of it.”
“In a really big bonfire.”
Cara knew Parker was kidding, but still . . . “Please don’t burn the cobalt.”
“There are vaults for this sort of thing.” Reid’s fingers slipped into her hair.
She loved his touch. Actually craved it. “That’s probably more than I need to know.”
This time he kissed her cheek. “You’re part of the team now.”
“Wait a second.” Parker laughed as he stood up. “Isn’t one Layne sibling around here enough? We’re already stuck with Caleb and his part-time computer hacking.”
“I hate that term,” Caleb mumbled under his breath.
Cara decided not to take the bait. Her brother had been working for the Alliance on and off and not telling her. Had been in contact with Reid while she sat at home brooding. Of all the things she needed to let go, that was at the top of the list.
Reid smiled down at her. “It’s enough for me.”
Throughout the last twenty-four hours he’d told her how much he loved her. How much he missed her and hated the months they’d spent apart. Every promise was right there in his eyes. Gone was the frustration and she welcomed the change.
She went into his arms then. Laid her head on his shoulder and soaked in his warmth.
Caleb put down the laptop he’d been holding. “No kissing in the bomb lab.”
“Then you might want to close your eyes.” Reid turned her around until they faced each other. He spoke to the people standing around him but he looked only at her. “Because I plan on kissing her a lot.”
“On the job?” Parker asked.
“Wherever she’ll let me.”
“Come on.” Caleb groaned. “I’m standing right here.”
“And I’m not going anywhere.” Reid said it like a vow. Delivered it right to her while his arms rested at the small of her back.
Cara only had one clarification to that promise. “Except to our house. I’m thinking we try your place.”
“I like the sound of that.” Reid started to lower his head.
Parker’s face popped up between Cara and Reid. “Did he mention I live next door?”
For some reason she loved that idea. “I find that strangely comforting.”
Reid frowned at her. “You shouldn’t.”
They could argue about that another time. The way she saw it she inherited the whole team when she got Reid. This time she’d propose to him. Make sure he was happy and ready and then ask. Because she knew this was right. He was her forever.
And she was ready to start her future right now. “It’s time to go.”
Parker hadn’t moved. “And on the way I can explain to you why it’s clear Yetis are real.”
“Is he kidding?” she asked Reid. Because there was only so much nonsense she could take and she feared she’d reached her limit.
He shrugged. “Pretend to be asleep.”
Curled up next to him. Maybe on his lap. She liked the sound of all of that. “I’d be willing to do almost anything for you.”
Reid shoved Parker out of the way and kissed her. Really kissed her. Deep and full of hope. By the time she lifted her head she wanted to be on that plane.
She smiled up at him. “Take me home.”
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
BOOK IDEAS come from strange places. This one came from reading about a decades-old incident in the Ural Mountains of Russia and the death of a group of hikers. A special thank you to the book Dead Mountain: The Untold True Story of the Dyatlov Pass Incident by Donnie Eichar for planting the seed that led to this work of pure fiction.
A heartfelt thank you to Walt Stone for answering all of my geology questions, even the really basic ones like, “talk to me about limestone . . .” Your help was invaluable. All of the mistakes about geology are mine because you really tried to educate me.
My deepest gratitude goes to May Chen for being the amazing, enthusiastic, and thoughtful editor she is. And to everyone at Team Avon who work so hard on all of my books—thank you!
A final thank you to my agent, Laura Bradford, and my husband, James. You are the two people who make my writing life easier.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
HELENKAY DIMON spent the years before becoming a romance author as a . . . divorce attorney. Not the usual transition, she knows. Good news is she now writes full time and is much happier. She has sold over thirty novels, novellas, and shorts to numerous publishers. Her nationally bestselling and award-winning books have been showcased in many venues, and her books have twice been named “Red-Hot Reads” and excerpted in Cosmopolitan magazine. But if you ask her, she’ll tell you the best part of the job is never having to wear pantyhose again. You can learn more at her website: www.helenkaydimon.com.
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BY HELENKAY DIMON
Bad Boys Undercover
UNDER THE WIRE
FACING FIRE
FALLING HARD
PLAYING DIRTY
RUNNING HOT (novella)
COPYRIGHT
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
UNDER THE WIRE. Copyright © 2016 by HelenKay Dimon. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books. For more information, address HarperCollins Publishers, 195 Broadway, New York, NY 10007.
EPub Edition JULY 2016 ISBN: 9780062441294
Print Edition ISBN: 9780062441287
FIRST EDITION
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Under the Wire: Bad Boys Undercover Page 27