Embracing Midnight by Devyn Quinn Read Free Book Online Page B

not played the game correctly, she might’ve been number three. Keeping cover and staying alive was worth forking over a little pussy.
    Not that she regretted her decision. She didn’t. She was a grown woman and hardly a virgin. Aware of her sexuality at a very early age, she’d come to terms with the fact that men wanted to fuck her. Sometimes she enjoyed it. Sometimes she didn’t. Iollan Drake, she’d enjoyed.
    But she’d never admit it aloud. In fact, she’d rather not admit that at all.
    Sleeping with Iollan had put her in bed with the enemy. Roger would have to be informed. The thought made her cringe. As special agent in charge, Roger Reinke not only directed the investigation against Drake, he had an almost fanatical desire to bring his quarry down.
    She knew without question Roger would push her to take Drake to the edge. Winning the criminal’s trust was exactly the move he’d consider a master stroke. Truth be told, being the agent responsible for getting the cuffs on Drake’s wrists would go a long way toward erasing the unflattering marks in her employee file. She needed the coup.
    Her debriefing was going to be uncomfortable but unavoidable. Roger was frustrated by their recent lack of progress. Slippery as eels, Drake and his associates seemed to know they were being watched. Being led around by the nose like amateurs wasn’t pleasant.
    Brooding about it would accomplish nothing.
    Callie finished toweling off and dropped her gaze toward the clothing she’d grabbed in haste. Dressing in a bustier and miniskirt this time of day was out of the question.
    She glanced toward the closed door. Norton? Surely he wasn’t waiting for her to come out. He wasn’t that dumb. He’d probably taken the hint to scram.
    She peeked out the door. The clink of utensils in motion sounded. She smiled. Good old Paulie. He knew she’d be jonesing for her coffee. Caffeine and sugar first thing in the morning were needed to jump-start her system. Without it, she’d wilt like a daisy. Food was a negotiable thing; coffee, never!
    Ten minutes later, she emerged from the bedroom. She walked into the living room. In the harsh morning light filtering through the open windows, there was no evidence she’d ever had company. She pressed her lips together, unsure if she was disappointed or relieved. Maybe even a little of both. Everything was where it was supposed to be. Almost. She cringed as her eyes reluctantly settled on the roses Roger had sent, still in their place.
    She frowned. The crumpled card still lay beside them. Only it was no longer crumpled. It had been smoothed and laid out neatly. Bitter bile rose in the back of her throat. Her tongue suddenly felt like a piece of grit under her teeth.
    She glanced at Paul Norton. He, in turn, was studying her intently with cat-green eyes. “Did Roger have you deliver these?” Her tone was cool, emotionless, detached. She wanted information, nothing more.
    “Of course,” Norton said. “Last night when no one was around.”
    Her throat tightened. “Did he say anything?”
    Norton shrugged. “Happy birthday.”
    She gave him a dry look. “I guess it’s good someone remembered.”
    “He’s still a bastard, Callie,” he said softly.
    Pain speared her heart, starting in her chest and working its way outward. Tears misted her eyes. She quickly blinked them away. Paul had helped her through the breakup, keeping the flak from Roger at a minimum while she struggled to make the adjustment from lover back into employee.
    “A fucking jerk,” she agreed. Her affair with Roger was the kind that left a woman breathless and quivering. An inventive and demanding lover, he’d found ways to use her body that left them both panting with exhaustion. For three years, everything had been perfect. Too perfect.
    Working under the man she’d spent so many nights with was tough, but not impossible. Callie was used to things in her life ending without warning. Until she’d graduated high