Page 88 of Tactically Acquired

“We…were just out for a stroll,” I said, clearing my throat.

Thumper nodded. “That’s why you crept out the front and hid along the side of the house?”

“Or ran toward the barn?” Baldy asked.

“You saw that?” I asked, glaring at him.

He grinned at me. “You’re not exactly quiet.”

“And there are sensors all over the place,” Thumper added. “As soon as you opened the door, we knew what you were doing.”

“Wait, so, we didn’t sneak out?” I asked.

“Nope,” Rae grinned.

“And you watched us the whole time? Just waiting for us to…what?”

They all looked at each other and shrugged. “Just to see what you would do,” IRIS answered. “It was quite entertaining.”

“I personally liked the first time you went down in the mud,” Thumper chuckled.

“Not as much as the last time,” Baldy said, his eyes narrowing on me.

I swiped mud from my body and threw it at him. Of course, it landed at his feet instead of on him, which totally ruined the statement I was trying to make.

Spencer sighed. “So, all of this was for nothing?”

“Not nothing,” Rae said. “At least we know all the sensors work.”

23

SLIDER

“So…how long are you going to avoid her?” Rae asked, typing away on her computer.

I snapped my gaze from the hallway and brought my attention back to where it was supposed to be. “What?”

Her lips twitched in amusement. God, I was fucking pathetic. They knew it. I knew it. It was only a matter of time before I gave in. I scrubbed a hand down my face and prayed for mercy. That woman was going to kill me. Hell, I didn’t even know her. It was all physical attraction, and that was not worth throwing everything away for.

“Staying out here is not going to help the situation.”

“It most definitely is,” I grumbled. “If I go in there, we both know what will happen.”

“Yeah, we do.”

“Then why would you even ask?”

She finally stopped working and looked over at me. “Because we all know eventually it will happen. It’s just a question of when.”

“Not really. This thing between us is nothing more than sexual attraction. I can fight that. It’s not like I’m in love with her or anything. Hell, I don’t even know her.”

“And you really shouldn’t. That’s where it all goes downhill.”

“Believe me. I know it,” I muttered. It was time for a change of subject. I wasn’t about to continue talking about this with anyone. There was no need when there were more important things to think about. “Any updates?”

“You mean since the last time you asked me a half hour ago?”

Right. I was being a pain in the ass. Fuck, I just wanted this to be over. I could go back to my life and forget this woman ever existed. The last thing my cock needed was to be tormented by a woman I knew I couldn’t have.

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