GRANT KNEW HE WAS deviating from their routine. Until this op, they'd been strict about keeping a distinct line between professional and personal time. But even that personal time had set expectations. They did specific activities, almost always followed by sex.The long flight had given him plenty of time to think about that fact.The bedrock of their relationship was built on a couple hate fucks. They hadn't particularity liked each other in the beginning, but after they'd been together it changed.He liked sex with Melody, but he also liked her as a person.It was time they did something else. Started a new routine. And for that, he had a plan."Mind if I sit?" he asked.Melody gave her head a little shake then glanced around the room. There was a desk chair or the bed."Sure." She gestured at the mattress."Want a drink first?"Melody perched on the edge of the bed, staring at him with a kind of shocked expression. He'd surprised her. Good."I'd like that, yes," sh

Melody loved this man. Under all the gruffness, he had a heart of gold.His fingers hooked in the waistband of her pants, tugging them down a bit. He pressed a kiss to the newly exposed skin and then another. He pealed her panties and pants off her, his lips worshiping her skin as it was revealed, as if he'd never seen her naked before.The way Grant looked at her, how he kissed and touched her, always made her feel beautiful.He sat back on his heels at the foot of the bed looking up her body.Her heart strained against her ribs, swelling too big for her body. Because of him.Grant leaned forward, sliding a knee between her calves. The other forced her legs apart."Missed a spot," he said.Heat swept through her a moment before he ducked his head and planted a kiss against her folds. Her body was already pulsing with need. That touch, it was just too much.She lifted her hips, shifting away from him, but he braced his forearm across her abdomen while his tongue delved

Sunday. Aegis Group Headquarters, Chicago, Illinois.MELODY FELT BETTER FOR having clothes that actually fit her. Merida had totally looked out for her and sent a delivery with the works including everything from jeans to a bra. There hadn't been any face wash or her favorite pajamas. Those were things Merida didn't know about her. But that's what Melody had Grant for.The grass swished around her feet as she strolled across the lawn behind the main buildings. Trainees and teams used the area to work out first thing in the morning and in the afternoons it was blocked off to use for training purposes. But for this window, it was just her, her thoughts, the crisp air and a couple birds overhead.Well, almost."I always think it's strange how we call this the Chicago office, but the Chicago suburbs are half an hour away."Melody turned her head and watched Grant walk toward her. She'd been wondering when he'd find her again. It hadn't taken that long."It is a bit misleadin

Sunday. Private Medical Research Facility, Chicago, Illinois.GRANT DRUMMED HIS FINGERS on his thigh.The late afternoon traffic was heavy, keeping their pace painfully slow, but they eventually made it to the back roads they'd opted to take instead of the highway. While the highways would be ten minutes faster it was also impossible to gauge whether they were being followed or not. Out here with nothing but a few houses and trees, cars stood out.Kage turned the SUV onto the long, country road they'd take for the next ten miles. Grant heaved a breath and finally allowed himself to relax a tiny bit. They were almost at the halfway point to their destination and Ethan's new home. With each mile it was increasingly less likely that they would be attacked out here. Besides, no one outside their core group knew the route or what they were doing. The other vehicle and the drone hadn't tagged any suspicious vehicles. It appeared that for once things were finally going their way.T

Sunday. Unknown, Chicago, Illinois.MELODY PULLED HER KNEES up to her chest and stared back at the man across the room from her. At first his unwavering gaze had made her uneasy. That was until she realized how.She wasn't sure how long she'd been here, but in that short time she'd committed the room to memory. It was roughly sixteen feet long and ten or so across. The floor was exposed, unpolished concrete. She had to wonder what a room like this was intended for when it was built. She highly doubted it was supposed to be a cell. The popcorn ceiling was dated, older, as was the wooden door.The drywall had been covered in the two corners with sheets of metal. She was secured to the wall with a four foot length of chain that fastened to rings set into the metal siding. Unlike Ethan, she had about four feet of chain that allowed her freer movement. Understandably, their captors hadn't given Ethan quite so much freedom.She'd never seen Ethan coherent, except when he'd been tr