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Gray brewed a pot of coffee, poured a mugful and leaned his hip against the counter, looking out the window. It was still dark, but the first signs of light were on the horizon, and he pushed the window open and breathed the salty air in deeply. For a long moment, he stared at the dark ocean waves and listened to them crash onto the shore.
“Do I smell black, caffeinated magic?”
Turning around, Gray watched Zane reach for a mug. “Sure do.”
Zane had a laptop tucked under his arm and he set it on the granite-topped island. “Did you get any sleep?”
“Nah.” Gray moved over to the island and sat down on a stool, facing his friend. Getting very little sleep was nothing new, though. He preferred it, actually. Because the moment he closed his eyes and began to drift off…
That’s when the demons came and clawed at his soul.
“Me, neither. Figured I may as well run some more searches and see what else I can dig up on The Agency.” Zane took a drink of his steaming coffee and eyed Gray over the rim. “Want me to get your girl a plane ticket back to—where is she from?”
Gray gritted his jaw and a muscle flexed in his cheek. No, he didn’t want Zane to get Aubrey a ticket anywhere, but what choice did he have?Wait a second.What had he said?His girl?“She’s not my girl.”
Zane’s mouth edged up. “You seem to like her.”
“Why wouldn’t I like her? She’s sweet and beautiful and smart and—” Gray stopped talking as Zane stifled a laugh.Dammit.He heard the floor creak a second too late and knew Aubrey was behind him. Slowly spinning around on the stool, he swallowed hard as a flush crept up his neck and he rubbed a hand over his bare chest.
She stood there, still looking a little sleep-rumpled, openly staring at his naked chest. “I, uh, smelled coffee.”
Gray immediately popped up. “I’ll get you some. How do you like it?”
“Just black, please.”
My kind of girl.No, wait. She wasn’t his girl. Suppressing a sigh, he filled a mug then turned and handed it to her.
“Thank you.” She focused on the mug in her hands and seemed a little flustered.
“Welcome,” he murmured, watching as she lightly blew on the steaming caffeine. Truth be told, he couldn’t look away. Her full lips formed a little “O” and he caught a glimpse of her straight, white teeth. Was there anything not perfect about the woman?
She dared a sip then released a little satisfied moan. And that tempting sound went straight to his dick.Fuck.All kinds of dirty thoughts filled his head, and he reached out and gripped the counter with a hand. Squeezing the edge until it bit into his palm.
Behind them, Gray could see the sun coming up through the sliding glass door and Aubrey motioned that way.
“I’m going to take a walk along the beach, if that’s okay?”
Gray managed a garbled grunt, not trusting his voice.
“Not every day you wake up and can step right onto the sand,” she said with a little smile.
Then she turned and headed over to the rear door, sliding it open, and Gray admired the sway of her hips and plump curve of her ass. Juicier than a peach. One he’d like to take a big bite of.
The moment Aubrey stepped out and re-closed the sliding door, Zane turned on him. “What the hell are you waiting for?”
“What?” He frowned.
“You’ve got the ocean, a gorgeous sunrise and a beautiful girl walking along the beach. Go!”
Gray hesitated.
“Or, I will,” Zane threatened and took a step toward the door.
Gray growled and sent his friend a warning look. Then he stalked across the room and threw the sliding door open, ignoring Zane’s laughter behind him.Bastard.
Stepping onto the sand in his bare feet, he saw Aubrey had reached the shoreline and was gazing out over the waves. He followed her, hoping he didn’t look as foolish as he felt.
As he moved up beside her, she turned and her gaze dropped, sliding over his naked chest like warm honey. But her eyes widened and she quickly returned her attention to the water, a slight blush tinting her cheeks.
