Page 114 of Unexpected Redemption

“Great interrogation technique. I’m going to steal that.”

Another big guffaw shakes my shoulders.

When my cackles finally ebb, I redirect him to the conversation with Yuri. “What were the answers to the other questions?”

His chest expands with an inhale. “As to why he won’t help us directly, he said the architect needs more time. Something about avoiding collateral damage. A good build can’t be rushed.”

“That isn’t a straight answer, so I’m still onteam honey head in the ant hill.”

“For Yuri, it’s barely a curve. The theatrical prick rarely gets more direct than that.” Tomer dabs his tongue at his lip, making the soft flesh glisten. “In a way, he confirmed we’re on the right track. His family—whoever all the players are—wants to take Lenkov down and has a master plan. Unfortunately, he didn’t want to answer the fatherhood question, although I’m unsure why.”

With nothing to add, I silently trail my greedy fingertips over his arm to stay connected to him.

After a beat, he continues. “Yuri denied sending the email, and Shep believed him. However, he knew what email we were talking about, which is curious as fuck since we thought Yev was his only link to the inside.”

“Perfect. More questions.” Shaking my head, I click my tongue. “Anything else?”

Amusement plays across his features, brightening the mood in an instant. “He smiled and scratched his beard when Shep asked if he knew Alexei Bugrov. That’s his tell.”

“His tell for yes or no?”

“It’s hisaffirmativenonverbal response.”

A chill dances through me, making my skin pebble. “Affirmativeis sexy military talk, babe. That’s starting to affect me the way my manners do you.” I shimmy my shoulders, pulsing my fingers around his bicep.

Before lust takes over, I quickly attempt to refocus my thoughts. If I don’t stop, I’ll ask him to find a shady parking lot where I can jump on his dick. Not sure Sawyer would want to be the lookout for that.

We won’t know unless we ask him, my inner nasty girl thinks.

A two-note laugh of disbelief rumbles from deep in his chest.

Oblivious to how I want to ride his cock the rest of the way to HQ, Tomer keeps prattling about the case. You gotta admire his focus, even if it’s foreign to me.

“Unfortunately, it wasn’t much of a surprise that Yuri knows Alexei, considering Yev hid at this guy’s place. And Yuri is part of thefamilyunit Yev kept referring to. Sounds like Alexei is too. It’s all related somehow. I only wish I knew who the fucker was.”

“Maybe this mysterious Alexei sent the email from Viktor,” I offer with a flippant quality to my voice, complete with a snicker and heavy sigh.

Tomer slaps his palm on the steering wheel, making me flinch. “Shit, baby. You’re a fucking genius. You deserve an extra orgasm. As soon as we get to HQ, I’ll deliver. Then I’m running up to the lair to work for a bit. I’m skipping lunch.”

My cheeks warm, a flush spreading over my throat and upper chest. “I was kidding, but I’d be a new level of dumb to pass up an orgasm.”

His indulgent smile detonates, sending lust shrapnel in all directions, most of it landing between my thighs. “Give me aLettieismfor how dumb you’d have to be to say no to me making you come.”

“Oh, you’re putting me on the spot.” I nibble my lip. “I suppose I’d be so dumb my brain would rattle around like a BB in a barrel.”

He grimaces. “You can do better.”

Crossing my arms at my chest, I jut my chin in a challenge. “Let’s see what you come up with on the spot, mister.”

Without missing a beat, he rattles off, “You’d have to be so dumb your family tree was nothing but bamboo. Your IQ would be room temperature. You’d have two brain cells, both fighting for third place.”

“Buckets of bananas, babe. How did you come up with all that?”

His diabolical grin sends me into hysterics. “Channeled my drill sergeant. One time, he told me I was, without a doubt, a product of anal sex.”

By the time he’s done, we’re both cracking up worse than my cellphone screen from all the times I dropped it.

The next song on the radio irritates me, so I flip over to a country station. Almost instantly, I launch into the verse before I even register the name of it. It’s “Heartfirst” by Kelsea Ballerini.

---