Page 27 of Edge of Danger

Memory of last night slammed into her like a tidal wave.

Intense desire to do all of it again hit her in the next wave. And then, a distant third, came the undertow of shame. She was supposed to be a professional. Supposed to be proving to herself and her superiors that she could play in the big leagues. That she was just as good as one of the boys. Instead, she’d gotten drunk and fallen in the sack with the first commando she crossed paths with.

But what a hot commando. In her own defense, Ian McCloud was not an average, one-each commando. Plus, the two of them had narrowly avoided dying and been riding an adrenaline high. Allowances could be made in such circumstances, right?

Cut the bull, Piper. You screwed up and you know it.

The other side of her brain, the side with the red suit, horns, and a tail sighed happily. Screw, she had. And it had been fantastic.

“’Morning, Piper,” a deep voice rumbled under her ear. “How’re you feeling? Headache? Hangover?”

She propped herself up on an elbow on top of his chest and grinned at Ian, who lounged back against the pillows. “Youweretrying get me drunk, you bastard.”

He shrugged. “Do I look stupid? The hottest female in all of North Africa comes to my place for the night? Of course I ply her with liquid panty remover.”

She ought to be appalled, but he was so sexy flashing those dimples of his at her that she couldn’t possibly stay outraged for long. “You are so damned good looking,” she groused, “how am I supposed to stay mad at you?”

He ran his fingertips lazily down her spine until her breath caught and her body went limpid against his. He cajoled, “Don’t be mad, honey pie. It’s a big compliment. I don’t normally seduce women.”

“What? You seduce goats?” she quipped.

His palm smacked her rear end lightly. She stuck her tongue out at him and he smirked back at her.

“But you seduced me,” she commented. “Why? And don’t tell me I look like a goat.”

“Wait. I thought you seduced me.”

“Hah! You definitely did the plying of liquor, tempting with a warm bath, and seducing of the naked female in your tub.”

“I guess that makes it your turn to seduce me.”

She had to give the guy credit. He was an equal opportunity hooker-upper. The word hooker-upper made her smile, and she rubbed against him catlike. “Where’s that vodka bottle?” she demanded.

“We’ve both got places to go and things to do today, sweetheart. Or aren’t you up to the challenge of seducing me sober?”

“You did not just say that.”

His eyes glinted in amusement and challenge. “What are you going to do about it, hotshot?”

“Impatient. Men are all so bloody impatient.”

“When it comes to sex, hell yeah,” he declared.

Laughing, she rose up over him and flung her leg across his hips. Her vision was okay, but her head still spun a little after the potent vodka last night. She wouldn’t want to try a long distance, high accuracy shot with her sniper rig right about now.

Dammit. She hated not being in complete control of herself. She fought to clear her head, searching for clarity of thought. Logic. Focus.

Crap. The only thing she could focus on right now was Ian’s eyes, clear and green in the filtered morning light. She sank into them unwillingly, but inevitably.

To hell with fighting. Later would be soon enough to pick up the burden of her control issues. She tore her gaze away from his mesmerizing eyes and stared down at his washboard abs.

“Nice scar,” she commented, tracing a recently healed knife scar on his stomach.

“Thanks. My future brother-in-law gave that to me.”

“Sounds like a good story.”

One corner of his mouth turned up sardonically. “If my baby sister didn’t love the guy so much, I’d gut him. But he makes her happy.”

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