Page 51 of Skin In the Game (The BlackWater)

She sat outside the coffee shop, waiting, irritated that as always Grant was late. She never understood it, how someone in the military could be late because it was drilled into you from day one, but then she realised that that could have been a lie, that his whole background could have been a lie, something dreamed up so they had things in common when he supposedly crashed into her all those months ago.

The wire was taped close to her skin, just in from her waist and snaking up her cleavage, she glanced down checking it couldn’t be seen but she knew it was hidden. They were BlackWater after all. They were the best. She just needed to learn that and start trusting them, really trusting them.

Becky was across the way, sitting with another Field Ops Agent, chatting and looking like two mates out for a gossip. There were other agents across the street, some in a car just down the road. All around her. Her nerves felt all over the place because they were all watching her, focused on her and usually that feeling would make her run for the hills not just be sitting there taking it like it was perfectly normal.

She saw him coming, and she took a sip of her coffee, partly to look relaxed and partly to relax her. She felt on edge, unsure how to be because this man, this person she’d let into her life, let fuck her, who had done so much more than that. He’d set her up and the one thing she hated more than loss of control was betrayal.

“Hey Mads, look at you.” He said sitting down and she smiled.

“Hey.”

“So you changed your mind huh?” He asked.

“Maybe.” She shrugged with a smile. Keep it cool, Maddie she thought, don’t make him suspect anything just yet.

“You look tired.”

“There’s a compliment. You’re always such a charmer Grant.” She teased and he laughed before looking down at her tits in a really non-subtle way.

“Wanna go for a walk?” She asked. That was the plan, go for a walk, wander off the main street to a side one just round the corner where they were all waiting. The field crew.

“The view’s good from here. Why not just stay?” He said and then he looked around in a way that made her feel like he knew something was up.

“Sure, let’s grab a coffee then, maybe talk a bit.” She said trying to act like she was into him though just his face was repulsing her. She needed to take her time she realised, tease him out, lull him into a false sense of security.

“You want another?” He asked and she nodded.

“Yeah, that’d be great.” She said.

He got up and walked in, ordered, and sat down. They both looked in waiting for the waitress to bring the drinks out. God this awkward, Maddie thought, knowing she needed to be making it not awkward.

“So…” He said taking her hand and intertwining his fingers with hers.

“So?” She said smiling in what she hoped was an encouraging way. A flirty way.

“You missed me huh?” He asked his fingers caressing hers in what she was sure he thought was sexy.

“Kind of. I just thought it’d be good to take some time out, focus on my wants for a change.” She stated.

“Yeah and what do you want Mads?” He replied, staring at her tits again and she forced herself to look like she was enjoying it. It felt fucking cringeworthy knowing the entire team were listening in, were hearing every word and especially that Cole was hearing it because for some reason that stuck in her head more.

She shrugged. “What do you think Grant?” She said back at him, giving her best come fuck me eyes. He licked his lips before leaning forward towards her.

“How’s the new ops you’re on?” He asked looking back at her face. She frowned confused.

“What ops?”

“You know Project Omega…” He said with a smirk and her jaw dropped. Fuck, she thought.

She went to speak but the sound of tyres squealing made her turn her head. The van pulled up fast and hard beside them. She looked at Grant and he yanked her arms to him making her body collide with his chest. He grabbed her in an bear hug, and half threw her in the back of the van.

She shouted out, kicked out, and he landed on top of her as someone shut the back doors and they drove off.

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