My hair was buzzed along the sides but left just a little too long on the top. A small silver hoop winked from my right ear lobe, and scruff covered the bottom half of my face, like always. It didn’t matter if I shaved in the morning. She couldn’t see most of it under my dress shirt and suit coat, but my arms, hands, chest, and back were covered in ink and with my height and muscular build, it was pretty common for people to fear me. I looked like one badass motherfucker.
I was also one hell of a shot, a decent boxer, and could out drink most men. Most people would never guess that I was born into a wealthy family, had a degree from Harvard, and was worth millions.
The Company took full advantage of my look and skills, sending me on the most dangerous missions in the seedy underbellies of the world. It wasn’t until this last mission that I began to question how long my life expectancy really was if I kept up with these jobs.
“Hey, Kat. I’m about to head to my meeting, just grabbing my reports.” I shook my head as I shuffled through them again. “A year undercover on one fucking assignment, you’d think The Company could streamline it down to one.”
She snickered and stepped back when I stood, grabbing my bag and coat. I was beat, I hadn’t even been home yet, instead coming straight to the office for my assignment debrief.
I stuck my hands in the pockets of my slacks as we walked, a question rolling around in my head. It was ridiculous to ask. It had been a year of silence, but somehow, I still couldn’t help holding out a spark of hope. “Have there been any messages to that dummy email I set up?”
Kat threw me a look of sympathy and shook her head. “I’m sorry, Wes. Nothing.”
A flash annoyance streaked through me at her use of the nickname. I fucking hated being called Wes, but it wasn’t worth correcting her, she’d just keep using it. I pushed the irritation aside and got back to my original question.
“You checked to make sure it was working?” I drilled her with a no-nonsense stare. Her lips turned down into a pout, and I checked the urge to roll my eyes.
“Of course I did. I sent several test emails. It’s hard enough being undercover, I wanted to make sure you weren’t completely cut off from everyone but me.” We reached the conference room door and she smiled before stepping inside. I waited for a moment, trying to get a grip on my disappointment. In lieu of putting my fist through the wall in front of me, I mentally pounded on my head, trying to dislodge any remaining emotions toward Aspen Kennedy. It didn’t work. She’d turned me into a fucking pussy.
I sighed and went in, taking a seat across the table from my superior. I spent the next three hours going over every detail of every report I’d written about my assignment. By the time we were done, I was dead on my feet. I grabbed a cab to my Georgetown apartment, barely noticing all of the stately scenery that made up Washington D.C. Instead, thoughts of Aspen filled my head, no matter how hard I tried to avoid them. When I finally fell into bed, I didn’t have the energy to fight them any longer and I was swamped in her memory.
Before this last mission, I’d stopped in Atlanta to see my baby sister, Jenna. We’d grown up there and while I’d gone to Georgetown University in D.C., she’d stayed close to home, even though our parents had retired to Florida. I had intended to spend the whole week with her, but Friday night, I’d gone to a bar with my best friend, Xander, and everything changed.
That was where I met her. She was sitting at the bar, her back facing me so that my first glimpse of her was long, wavy blonde hair, curvy hips, and a round, luscious ass. Then she turned slightly to her left, leaning in to hear the woman sitting next to her. I was struck speechless by a classically beautiful profile, spectacular tits, and a pair of endless legs. Legs that were practically naked due to the fucking scrap of fabric that could only generously be referred to as a skirt. I’d felt a possessive growl rumbling in my throat and immediately headed her way.
My attention was stolen from her stems when she threw her head back and laughed. Speechless didn’t cover what I felt at that moment. I didn’t realize it at the time, but by the end of the weekend, I knew, that was the moment I fell in love.
When I reached her side, the little redhead she was obviously with smiled brightly, winked at me, and swiveled her stool to strike up conversation with the person on her other side. I immediately liked her.
My beautiful blonde turned around and her rich, brown eyes locked onto mine. I started to extend my hand for a shake but before I knew it, I’d cupped her face and was laying a firm kiss on her plump, rosy lips. To my surprise, she immediately melted into me.