she did with that sweet little body of hers anyway? He hadn’t made love to her in years, and he knew she hadn’t been celibate. Neither had he.
But right now, if he could strip her naked and explore every inch of her body with his tongue and fingers and cock, he’d be a happy man.
Which was crazy, because Ivy didn’t make him happy at all. She knotted him up inside, made him feel like his skin was too tight, like if he didn’t do something physical—fuck, punch something, run until he was exhausted—he’d explode.
He thought of the conversation he’d had with Matt earlier when the other man had taken him aside.
“I realize asking you to stay with her isn’t ideal,” Matt said, “but I get the impression pairing her up with another operator would make it worse for you.”
Dane scoffed. “Don’t know why you’d think that. We’re divorced. Ivy can do what she pleases.”
Matt looked at him for a long moment. “My best friend growing up was a girl. We went everywhere together, did everything—and then we hit high school and things got weird. I did shit I shouldn’t have done. She did shit too. It was a bad time in my life. I didn’t want her for my own, but I didn’t want anyone else to have her either. Then I left town. Didn’t see her for ten years.”
“So what happened when you saw her again?”
Matt grinned and put his hand over his heart like a love-struck girl. “I’m marrying her, man. Can’t live without her.”
“Can you do that, Dane?”
Dane gave himself a mental shake. Everyone was looking at him. Everyone except Ivy. She was studying her lap and her tightly clasped hands.
“Can you repeat that?” he asked.
Matt looked amused. “Sure. I need a happy couple to check out our friends with ties to the Freedom Force at the local nightclub. Dinner, dancing, observing who comes and goes. Can you and Ivy do that? Or should I assign someone else in your place?”
“Yeah, I can do it. Ivy?”
She glanced up, seemingly startled that he’d spoken to her. Her dark eyes fixed on his, and then she looked away. “Yes, I can do it with Dane.”
Do it with Dane.
Jesus, the pictures that brought up in his head.
“Good. Y’all can go tonight.” Matt lifted an eyebrow. “I guess I don’t have to explain that we need you to be a happy couple, right? You don’t have to do anything except smile at each other and pretend you’re dating. No need to carry it too far.”
“Got it,” Dane said.
“This is bullshit.” Ace had finally decided to speak. “Ivy’s my partner. I should be the one with her over there.”
Ivy turned to him and put a hand on his arm. “It’s okay. This isn’t our op, and we need to do what we can to support it. Besides, I trust Dane.”
He could hear the hesitation in her tone and his gut clenched. She didn’t fully trust him. She never had. That was part of the problem.
“You trust him? After what he put you through?”
Dane really wanted to knock this guy’s head off. Ivy stiffened, and her mouth set in a straight line.
“Not now, Ace.”
Her partner glared daggers at Dane. “Fine, chica. Your choice. But don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
“Look,” Matt said, “I need a HOT operator out there, not two DEA agents who’ve never done this kind of mission before. It’s Ivy and someone from HOT, though I don’t much care who at this point—unless two of you fuckers want to pretend to be a gay couple. We can do that too.”
Flash yawned. “All right, all right. I’ll let Viking ogle my ass for the cause. But no cuddling, frogman. Not on a first date anyway.”
Nick “Brandy” Brandon snorted. Fiddler rolled his eyes. Sam “Knight Rider” McKnight chuckled. Ace’s head came up, his eyes flashing at the banter, but Dane had no idea what the fuck that was about. And he didn’t care.
“It’s okay. Ivy and I got this,” Dane said. Because first of all he wasn’t playing gay with Flash, and second he
But right now, if he could strip her naked and explore every inch of her body with his tongue and fingers and cock, he’d be a happy man.
Which was crazy, because Ivy didn’t make him happy at all. She knotted him up inside, made him feel like his skin was too tight, like if he didn’t do something physical—fuck, punch something, run until he was exhausted—he’d explode.
He thought of the conversation he’d had with Matt earlier when the other man had taken him aside.
“I realize asking you to stay with her isn’t ideal,” Matt said, “but I get the impression pairing her up with another operator would make it worse for you.”
Dane scoffed. “Don’t know why you’d think that. We’re divorced. Ivy can do what she pleases.”
Matt looked at him for a long moment. “My best friend growing up was a girl. We went everywhere together, did everything—and then we hit high school and things got weird. I did shit I shouldn’t have done. She did shit too. It was a bad time in my life. I didn’t want her for my own, but I didn’t want anyone else to have her either. Then I left town. Didn’t see her for ten years.”
“So what happened when you saw her again?”
Matt grinned and put his hand over his heart like a love-struck girl. “I’m marrying her, man. Can’t live without her.”
“Can you do that, Dane?”
Dane gave himself a mental shake. Everyone was looking at him. Everyone except Ivy. She was studying her lap and her tightly clasped hands.
“Can you repeat that?” he asked.
Matt looked amused. “Sure. I need a happy couple to check out our friends with ties to the Freedom Force at the local nightclub. Dinner, dancing, observing who comes and goes. Can you and Ivy do that? Or should I assign someone else in your place?”
“Yeah, I can do it. Ivy?”
She glanced up, seemingly startled that he’d spoken to her. Her dark eyes fixed on his, and then she looked away. “Yes, I can do it with Dane.”
Do it with Dane.
Jesus, the pictures that brought up in his head.
“Good. Y’all can go tonight.” Matt lifted an eyebrow. “I guess I don’t have to explain that we need you to be a happy couple, right? You don’t have to do anything except smile at each other and pretend you’re dating. No need to carry it too far.”
“Got it,” Dane said.
“This is bullshit.” Ace had finally decided to speak. “Ivy’s my partner. I should be the one with her over there.”
Ivy turned to him and put a hand on his arm. “It’s okay. This isn’t our op, and we need to do what we can to support it. Besides, I trust Dane.”
He could hear the hesitation in her tone and his gut clenched. She didn’t fully trust him. She never had. That was part of the problem.
“You trust him? After what he put you through?”
Dane really wanted to knock this guy’s head off. Ivy stiffened, and her mouth set in a straight line.
“Not now, Ace.”
Her partner glared daggers at Dane. “Fine, chica. Your choice. But don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
“Look,” Matt said, “I need a HOT operator out there, not two DEA agents who’ve never done this kind of mission before. It’s Ivy and someone from HOT, though I don’t much care who at this point—unless two of you fuckers want to pretend to be a gay couple. We can do that too.”
Flash yawned. “All right, all right. I’ll let Viking ogle my ass for the cause. But no cuddling, frogman. Not on a first date anyway.”
Nick “Brandy” Brandon snorted. Fiddler rolled his eyes. Sam “Knight Rider” McKnight chuckled. Ace’s head came up, his eyes flashing at the banter, but Dane had no idea what the fuck that was about. And he didn’t care.
“It’s okay. Ivy and I got this,” Dane said. Because first of all he wasn’t playing gay with Flash, and second he
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