“I hope so.” I slowly lean in, fully intending to kiss her in the middle of the assisted living center lobby. But just as our mouths meet, her voice vibrates against the kiss.
“Park?”
“What?” I graze my lips over hers.
“There’s something else I have to come clean about.”
“What’s that?”
“I’ve been lying about one other thing this entire time.”
I pull back to look at her.
Lacee smirks. “The first kiss we shared was a level ten kiss, and every single one after just got better and better.”
“I know.” The corner of my mouth lifts, and I press her body against mine once again.
“How did you know?” Her expression turns pouty.
I flash her my most charming smile. “You’re not the only one who knows a thing or two about chemistry.”
Then I give her my own kind of chemistry lesson.
EPILOGUE
PARK
One Year Later
I steadymy hand as I work. This kind of mission demands precision—like cutting-wires-on-a-bomb precision.
“How are things going over there?” Lacee asks through my earpiece. I don’t immediately answer because I’m so focused on keeping my movements short and deliberate. “Park, do you copy?”
“Copy?” I chuckle. “That’s the exact reason why we’re separated today. I don’t want you copying me on this assignment.”
“Copying you would mean me doing mediocre work, and I’m better than that.”
“We’ll see.” I lean back, surveying what I’ve done.
“That’s right. We’ll see.” There’s an arrogance to Lacee’s voice that I find wildly attractive.
“Park, I have those measurements you asked for,” Derek says, patching into the conversation.
“Send them over, and I’ll take a look.”
“You have Derek helping you?” Lacee scoffs.
“What? You don’t?” I smirk.
“I’m fully capable of completing this mission on my own.”
“You know the importance of field support.” I pick up my phone, scrolling through the documents and pictures Derek sent.
“Well, there’s only three minutes left until the mission has to be completed, so I’m not sure how helpful Derek’smeasurementswill be.”
I glance at the timer on my watch. “Don’t you worry. I’ve been closely monitoring the clock, and I’ll be done in time.”
We both fall silent as I focus on the finishing touches, making sure everything about my work is complete.
