Page 26

“That’s not applying.”

He sets the can down. “I’ll consider applying.”

“Kain.”

“Reef.” The way he says my name sends a jolt through my stomach. “Let me handle this my way.”

That’s not good enough. Why doesn’t he understand the urgency?

I step closer, my chest brushing Kain’s, one hand gripping his sleeve, the other still clutching Julian’s business card.

My chin tips up, and I rise onto my toes, fitting my body to his. “Please?”

Kain’s hands land on my waist, his thumbs settling into the soft space above my hipbones. “You really want me to do this?”

“Yes.” No hesitation.

Kain goes still for a long moment, his thumbs warm above my hipbones. “Okay. I’ll apply.”

Excitement sizzles through me, and I bounce in place.

His face is still close to mine, close enough that the grape-lime scent of ZeroSignal lingers on his breath. My attention catches on his mouth.

I bet he tastes like it.

For one stupid second, I want to find out.

But kissing is for lovers.

Kain and I don’t kiss. Not outside my Heats, when biology screws with the rules and things happen that don’t count once my hormones settle down again. The rest of the time, the lines are clear.

Sex is sex.

Kissing means something else.

But I do wonder sometimes what kissing Kain outside of my Heat would be like… My fingers flex with the need to touch, and the edge of Julian’s business card digs into my palm.

Oh, right. The job.

“You’ll be inside the code.” I give a little wiggle in his hold. “You’ll see how he built the declaration scene. The bartender’s conditional checks. The⁠—”

I can’t get it out fast enough. “The continuity flags for the meal debrief. Kain, you’ll be in the game.”

Kain smirks as his hands shift, moving backward and down. “I haven’t even applied yet.”

“He’ll hire you.” I squirm against his hands. “You have to tell me everything about the DLC. I want⁠—”

“Everything?” Kain asks.

“Yes. Obviously.”

His touch slides lower to grip my ass, and I stop wiggling.

Kain’s head dips closer, his voice turning all growly. “You want me to describe what it’s like, sliding inside Dusk Protocol?”

“Yes.” I blink up at him. “That’s what I said.”

“To get past all those pretty interfaces and slide into the code underneath?”