Page 98 of Playing With Love

“No thank you,” Allyson chirped.

My eyes skidded to Liza in the hopes she’d explain Allyson’s good mood.

She didn’t.

“No, honey, but thanks.”

I wasn’t big on women calling me pet names. Normally, I shut that shit down quick. It might’ve made me a dick but there had been a long stretch of time after I’d met Liza when I stopped giving women I spent the night with my real name. I’d gone by my initials for so many years while undercover, I became Tim. Besides my mother, Liza, and my colleagues no one called me Tucker. Since leaving the DEA, that had changed. I scraped off Tim and one-night stands. The only person who still called me Tim was Chelsea and I tolerated it only because I knew for her, that was who I was. Tim was the man who’d kept her safe while she waited for her man.

But no one but Liza had ever called me ‘honey’.

I liked how it sounded coming from her. And I liked that I’d not allowed anyone else to have it, making it all hers.

“Walk me out, Lizzy?”

She nodded, pushed out of her chair, and met me at the door.

“Later, Ally.”

“Bye, Tucker.”

I waited until we were by the CR-V to pull her in close and land a hot, wet, probably too indecent kiss on her. I let this go on for longer than I should, but fuck if I cared the neighbors might see and that I had a fifteen-minute trek to town to get my second hard-on of the morning to go down.

Liza’s eyes slowly opened as she mumbled, “What was that?”

“Payback.”

There was that sexy-as-all-get-out smirk again.

“Keep it up, baby. I’m keeping a running tab.”

“Is that so?” she cooed.

“As soon as we get this done,” I confirmed.

“Mm-hmm,” she hummed.

“Keep your phone on you.” I picked up her left hand and kissed her palm. “And don’t forget to put your watch on.”

Dylan was tracking our locations through our phones and our watches. It was unlikely she’d be separated from her phone but it made me feel better to have the added protection.

“And my button. I won’t forget.”

Yes, her button camera. The car, too, had been outfitted with a tracking device as well as cameras—front and back and side mirrors. Dylan and the ATF had the option to livestream using the car’s wi-fi.

I went in for another kiss, caught something out of the corner of my eye, and diverted my mouth to Liza’s ear to whisper, “We’re being watched,” while keeping my attention on the house two down from Allyson’s, where a dark-haired man had disappeared around the side.

Liza nuzzled in closer and wrapped her arms around me, providing me cover. To a passerby, we’d look like we were doing nothing more than standing in the driveway hugging. I gave it a minute then gave her a squeeze.

“He’s gone.”

“He?”

“Didn’t get a good look but I’d bet it was Tate.”

She nodded against my chest then pulled back but didn’t go far, just enough to tip her head back and give me her eyes.

No fear.