Enticing Their Mate(74)

Jay knew something. “Tell me.”

“I put a bug in the General’s ear about hiring her.”

All of a sudden, the sky looked brighter. “What did he say?”

“He said he’d think about it.”

“That’s all we can ask. At least it gives us options,” Riley said, more upbeat than he had been in hours. Jay pulled into the motel parking lot, but Sarah’s car wasn’t where he’d parked it. The anxiety he’d just pushed aside surfaced. “Where do you think Sarah went?”

Jay’s hand clutched the wheel tight as he pulled to a stop in front of the room. “Let’s check.”

They rushed into the room where her scent was so strong, it was as if she’d only left recently, and the animal in him wanted to claw at something.

Jay strode over to the table. “It’s a note from Sarah.” His voice trailed off.

Riley stepped up next to him and read it. “She left? Just like that? Maybe we should try to catch up with her. If she’s heading for Toronto, how far could she have gotten?”

Jay faced him. “We have to let her go.”

“I’m not sure I can.”





Chapter Twenty-Six





By the time Sarah actually made it to the Toronto airport, her gut had been tied in knots even a Boy Scout couldn’t undo. She hadn’t been in a hurry to rush back to Washington, so she’d taken two days to drive across Ontario. Already a mess when she climbed on the plane, by the time she landed at National Airport, claustrophobia and melancholy had settled in.

I’m a professional. Suck it up.

After that quick pep talk, she caught a cab to her apartment, expecting some relief and joy to wash over her when she stepped into her familiar surroundings, but it didn’t. She couldn’t push aside that sinking feeling that she’d messed things up by not saying goodbye properly to the men. The problem was that if she’d made love with them one more time, she might never have left, or leaving would have been exponentially more painful.

Right now, Sarah was so confused she didn’t know what to do. Her logical side convinced her the short time the three of them had been together, coupled with the adrenaline rush and hot sex, was playing a mind game on her. She couldn’t possibly love these men. Hell, she barely knew them. It had to have been all their talk of her being their mate—that they’d do everything in their power to protect her—that had her believing she wanted a forever after with them.

When they’d saved her not only from a burning building but also from Statler, she believed she might have misconstrued her appreciation for love. She pressed her palms against her temples to stop the pain, but her head throbbed too much to think clearly about whether they rescued her out of duty or because she was the most important person in the world to them.

Regardless of her future plans, she needed to shower and head into work. The next few days would be hell, but perhaps it would give her time to figure things out.

* * *

Jay had worked hard these last few days to calm Riley down. His roommate had wanted to fly up to Washington and kidnap Sarah, but Jay convinced him she needed her space.

He and Riley were back in Gulfside when the General called them into his office. Jay sat across from Armand’s desk while Riley paced in front of the window.

“After some consideration, I’ve decided Sarah would make a great addition to the team,” General Armand announced. He glanced over at Riley. “When Jay mentioned I hire her, I started to think of all the things she could accomplish that none of my men could.”

Riley spun around, tension consuming his features. “That’s great. Have you called and offered her the job?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

Jay groaned. Riley should know better than to question his new boss. “Because,” Jay interrupted, “I asked him not to.”

Riley growled and looked as if he might attack. “Why the fuck not?”

“If Sarah moved down here, we’d never know if it was because of the job or because she wanted to be with us.” Of late, Riley hadn’t been open to this type of logic.

He narrowed his eyes. “How do we convince her she wants to be with us, oh wise one?”

Jay didn’t miss the sarcasm. “We’ve given her five days to come to her senses. She hasn’t called, which either means she doesn’t think we really want her, or she can’t afford to quit her job.” It might not be prudent to air their issues in front of the General, but given what they’d all been through, having him there as a sounding board might help.

Riley scrubbed a hand down his chin. “We can’t wait too long or she might be sent out on another assignment.”