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"Are you ready?"
In more ways than one. "Yes."
Taz took his hand away from her eyes. She dropped her own and then she lost her ability to be a smartass. The formerly empty entire second floor of the Devil's Dip Gym had been transformed. The vast open space filled with cobwebs, random boxes, and dust was gone, replaced with five large glass-walled offices and a central lobby area. A large window behind a receptionist's desk looked out onto the gym below. A single framed piece of paper was on the wall to her right—her brand-spanking new State of Texas private investigation and security contractor license that she'd gotten the same day she'd gotten her business phone number and set up the company website.
"All of this is mine?" She couldn't keep the excited
catch out of her voice.
"Yep." Taz wrapped his arms around her waist from behind and kissed the top of her head. "The entire second floor is yours. The only thing above you is our place."
"Our place?" Sure, she spent six nights out of seven there and had her own key, but it wasn't like she had officially moved in.
His laugh rumbled in his chest. "You did take over three-fourths of the closet."
"It's a small closet." Walking out of his hold, she did a quick spin to take in her new space.
"It's a walk-in the size of Rhode Island," he teased.
Sending him a flirty look, she sat down on the edge of the receptionist's desk, making sure that when she crossed her legs her skirt hem crept dangerously high on her upper thigh. "Isn't that just like a man to exaggerate the size of something?"
Something dark and possessive glimmered in his eyes as he stalked over to her, every inch of him predatory, hot and too wild to ever be tamed—which was good because she had no intention of trying. He was a fighter, her fighter, and together they'd always fight for each other. By the time he'd stopped in front of her, the rest of the world had ceased spinning because the only thing that mattered was the man in front of her. The one she loved and who loved her back.
"Kitten..." His gaze fell to her parted lips as he uncrossed her legs, stepped between them and dipped his head so his lips practically touched hers. "You know I don't exaggerate when it comes to size."
Then his mouth was on hers and his hands were on her hips, pulling her to him so she could feel for herself just how he didn't embellish the size of some things—not even a single solitary inch in length or diameter. More than ready to christen the office of her yet-unnamed company, she squeezed her hands between their bodies and went straight for his zipper. She had it halfway down before he broke the kiss and stepped back, leaving her gasping for breath and hungry for more of him.
No doubt knowing exactly what kind of damage he'd just done to her panties, Taz grinned and pulled a small stack of small, rectangular cards from his pocket. "Now are you ready for the surprise?"
"This isn't it?" she asked, trying to process the jarring change from hot, take-me-on-the-desk-now making out to what sure looked like business cards in his hand.
"Nope." He handed her the cards. "This is."
BIANCA SUTHERLAND, FOUNDER AND CEO, B-SQUAD SECURITY AND INVESTIGATIONS.
Underneath were business cards for Vivi, Lexie, and Elisa—a former DEA agent, a computer expert, and a thief. She'd gotten the band from St. B's back together—except for Gidget, whose disappearance haunted Bianca. They'd find her. They'd spent the last three months looking and she wasn't about to give up on Gidget or figuring out who was behind Genie's Wish and why they were focused on the girls from St. B's.
She clamped her jaw tight to try to stop the tremble of her chin that always preceded tears. But, unlike when she'd been eleven years old and on that flight to St. Bernadette's, these weren't tears because she was scared about what was coming next. It was because she couldn't wait for what was next—with the business, with her friends, and with Taz. The Sutherland family she'd been born into wouldn't understand, but the one she'd created always would.
Sucking in a deep, calming breath, she read the card again. "The B-Squad?"
Taz brushed a thumb across her check, wiping away the tear she hadn't been able to stop. "You all survived St. B's and you were in the B squad dorms together. I figured it fit."
"Everyone will think it's for the Bitch Squad, which still totally works." Laughter bubbled up inside her, spilling out. It was a little sad, a little happy, and a lot oh-my-God-this-is-awesomely-nuts excited. "We're really going to do this."
"What do you mean going to? You're already working your first case. You'll find her. I know you will." He leaned down and brushed his lips across hers.
No doubt, he'd meant to be reassuring, but it still left her half-stupid with lust. "Damn, I love the way you kiss."
Another soft, too-brief kiss. "And I love you, Kitten."
Her heart hiccuped. "Love you too."
The phone on the receptionist's desk rang, the foreign sound echoing in the carnivorous space.
"You gonna answer it?" Taz asked. "There are underdogs out there who need you."
Her hand hovered over the phone and she hesitated, nerves keeping a solid two inches between her palm and the receiver. This was it. She'd walked into the Devil's Dip Gym almost a year ago determined to change her life and make a difference in the world. Now she really was, and best of all, she was doing it with Taz and her created family by her side. It didn't get any better than this.
