Despite myself, a smile tugged at my mouth.
“Also,younever let us do this. I swear when we first met you, I thought your hair was permanently in a braid.”
“It’s practical,” I argued.
“It’s boring,” Evie countered easily. “You deserve to feel… I don’t know. Done up and fancy. Powerful in a way that isn’t just physical. The braid works for the pitch, but don’t forget about this side of things too. You’re more than who you are out there.”
The words sank into the quiet hum inside me. I liked feeling powerful and beautiful. Sometimes, I guess I had a hard time remembering that the two could coexist. I didn’t have to sacrifice one for the other. Especially tonight with the help of these three.
I opened my eyes just long enough to catch their reflections in the mirror: Evie with a strand of my hair curled around her finger; Lola leaning close, focus unwavering; Micah leaning her hip against the dresser, watching me with that quiet, steady knowing she always had.
A different kind of team. A different kind of safety.
I closed my eyes again before emotion could make a scene of itself.
“Well, I’m grateful for you all. Even if this is all done against my will.”
Lola snorted, and Evie cackled. “We love you too, Cap.”
Micah smiled just as the other two stood back assessing. “It’s time to get dressed. I can’t wait to see how hot you’ll look in that jumpsuit.”
“You’re going to walk into that restaurant tonight and make every single investor wonder why they haven’t been giving the Valkyries all of their money already,” Lola said with a smirk.
“Connor will lose his mind,” Evie squeaked.
Was I ready? Technically, yes. But the hoard of butterflies currently occupying my stomach told me otherwise.
I didn’t think I’d ever be ready for Connor O’Riley.
16
Connor
The thing about Solterra traffic was that it felt relentless some days. Especially when the weekend arrived. I sat at a red light two blocks from Teddy’s place, fingers drumming an uneven rhythm on the steering wheel. The light turned green, and I eased my foot down.
What I hadn’t factored in tonight was the way my body buzzed the entire drive here. Nerves, maybe. Excitement, definitely. All of it lit up because of her.
Turning the last block, her building came into view. I’d been here before because Micah and Bobby lived in the same place, but never into her apartment.
I climbed out of the car, the ocean air swirling around me as I breathed in deeply and smoothed a hand down the front of my shirt. I’d gone with dark trousers and a crisp white button-down with a dark green tie. I honestly had no idea if Teddy would try to match me at all, or if she’d pick something that clashed, just to prove a point.
I found her buzzer, pressed it, and waited, palms dampening.
“Hello?” Her voice crackled through the speaker, and my heart rate immediately changed.
“It’s me,” I said, then winced. “Connor. I’m outside.”
There was a tiny pause. “I’ll be down in a second.”
I shoved my hands into my pockets and stepped back, giving myself something else to focus on besides the thundering in my ears. This was fine. It was dinner, we were colleagues, and there would be a decent amount of people to occupy both of our time. I paced four steps, my focus locked on the rhythm of my feet hitting the floor before I spun back.
A shift of hinges had my head snapping up to find the door opening, and every thought evaporated when I caught sight of Teddy.
She stepped out into the evening light and glowed.
The dark green jumpsuit hugged her shoulders and waist, the clean lines making her look tall and strong and very much like the captain she was. Her hair fell around her face in waves instead of the usual braids, and her makeup was subtle and minimal, defining the dark lashes against her turquoise eyes. Whatever she did to her lips drew my attention almost instantly. The shine seemed to reflect the streetlamps around us, and I didn’t want to pull my gaze away. I wanted to carefully trace every curve, every piece of this goddess in front of me, but it had been a few seconds, and I hadn’t said a thing.
“Hi.” I cleared my throat, stepping closer. “You look… beautiful.”
