Page 21 of Iron Willed Warrior

She’ll make a good operative after all, I thought. That woman was more devious than I’d given her credit for.

“She did. But I already planned to apologize. I shouldn’t have called you ‘honey.’ That was unnecessary.”

“Getting straight to it, aren’t we?”

“I’m a candid guy.”

“Then I’ll be blunt as well. You wouldn’t have called a manhoney, I assume. You have a problem with me being a woman.”

He grumbled, tapping his fingers on the table. “I have valid concerns about you being an FBI agent.Formeragent,” he corrected, before I could do it. “That’s nothing to do with you being a woman.”

“What a concession.”

“But you can’t deny that Stillwater enjoys victimizing women in particular,” Cole said. “So can I look at you and not be aware of that fact? No. I can’t.”

My hand tightened on the glass as my spine stiffened. “Are you saying I have no place going undercover? That I’m not strong enough for this?”

“Hell, no. I’m not saying that. I’ve seen you in action, andso has River. Plus, your experience speaks for itself. I’m not questioning your abilities. Okay? Let’s just get that out there.”

I exhaled, the tight knot of muscle between my shoulders easing a bit. “Then whatareyou saying?”

“That you cannot go undercover alone. And yes, that is partly because you’re a woman. Because I cannot stand the thought of the sick leader of Stillwater, whoever he is, ordering his thugs to hurt you.” He’d said all this in a rough whisper, just barely audible over the background music. His blue eyes were intense on mine.

“Didn’t think you cared,” I said.

“The things Stillwater does? I don’t want that to happen to anyone.”

“But you’re not talking aboutanyone. You’re talking about me.”

“True. I am.” Cole was on the other side of the table, but he leaned over well into my space, close enough I got a whiff of spicy cologne with a hint of tobacco beneath. The combination went into my lungs and lower, hitting below my stomach with a swirl of flutters and spreading heat.

This time, it was me who blinked first. Averted my gaze.

“I accept your apology. I’d rather not do this alone.” For one, because SAC Stanford would probably try to jump in as my partner himself before he let me go unassisted. His wife Marie would kill me. “But you don’t trust me. I don’t trust you. We’re at an impasse.”

“We can start over.”

“For the second time in one day? Don’t you think that’s excessive?”

The muscle in his jaw pulsed. Another stare-off ensued.

Gah, why did his eyes have to be so blue?

Dean, the bartender, appeared beside the table. He had a couple of shot glasses in one hand, a bottle of top-shelfwhiskey in the other. “On the house,” he said. “How about a toast?”

“To what?” I asked.

“Making new allies.”

Cole lifted an eyebrow at me in a silent question.There’s more at stake, I reminded myself. And maybe, just maybe, I’d been all wrong about him. Iwantedto be wrong about him. So we could get back to the mission and fighting Stillwater instead of each other.

I nodded.

Dean splashed amber liquid into each glass. Cole lifted his up. I did the same, then tossed it back. The smooth burn trailed down into my stomach, leaving warmth behind.

Cole moved more slowly, bringing the glass to his lips while his eyes didn’t leave mine.

We both set our glasses down.

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