Caroline waited for Grey to show any interest in seeing her beyond tonight, but in true form, he stayed silent.
Bummer.
“See ya, boys.” Sydney looped her arm through Caroline’s and ushered her outside into the chilly April night. But Caroline welcomed the cold. Being around Grey turned up the heat, and she was eager to push on with her birthday celebration… and try not to obsess over him.
Forgetting about him would be impossible, but maybe—just maybe—she could cut herself a birthday break and not spend the rest of her night wishing Grey Stone saw her as something beyond a work associate.
“Tank’s gorgeous,” Sydney said. “And those guns. My god, his arms are bigger than my legs, which I’d like to wrap around him for days.”
Caroline laughed. “I’ve never seen you this gaga over a guy.”
“Not a guy, aman,” Sydney corrected. “I’ve never met anyone whose name fit. Heisa tank.”
“Yeah, so that’s probably where he got the nickname.”
“Right.”
“Are you drunk?” Caroline questioned.
“Hell, no. I’m feeling loopy, but not from the champagne. From theman.”
Caroline could relate.
They climbed into Sydney’s Jeep, and the two took off for the Alexandria nightclub. Caroline couldn’t stop thinking about Grey, so she pulled up a playlist on her phone and turned up the tunes. To her surprise, Sydney turned them down.
“So I did a thang… and we need to talk.”
In the dark vehicle, Caroline eyed her sister. “Okay.”
“I want it to be a surprise, but there’s no way you’d go along with this. I reserved a suite at the club so you can celebrate your birthday?—”
“With a stranger?”
“No.” At the red light, Sydney regarded her. “With Grey Stone.”
Caroline let the words sink in. Then, she laughed. “Good one!”
“Not joking. I asked him, and he’s all-in.”
“Are youinsane? I’m not having sex with him! We work together!”
“Not anymore. You’re not his handler and you haven’t seen him in months.”
Caroline thought about it. “He said he was on a mission, but he wouldn’t tell me where, and I have no idea why he’s back.”
“Maybe he got out and he’s managing the restaurant.”
“That’s gotta be his cover,” Caroline protested.
“Look, you’re sick attracted to him and have been for years. He’s willing to do this?—”
“Ohgod, it’s a pity fuck.”
The light changed and Sydney drove through the intersection. “Why would he pity you? Maybe he’s horny, but so what? If the man delivers, you’re way ahead of the last one, right?”
Her sister had a point.
“I told him to buy condoms and that you’d be blindfolded,” Sydney continued. “I said you like kissing and that the two of you would have to work the rest out, but that he can’t say much or he’ll blow his cover.”
