“Good enough. Can—” She stopped herself from shooting right to the point. How-are-yous required a how-are-you-doing back. She kept forgetting those sort of details. “How’re you doing?”
“Just fine. I want to thank you for the use of your house in Mexico. Reva and I had a lovely mother and daughter weekend there. It’s just beautiful, and the weather couldn’t have been better. It was a perfect break from the winter for both of us.”
“Ah.” She didn’t know Roarke had given Caro and her daughter a couple of days in Mexico. “That’s good.” Now she had to ask about Reva, didn’t she? “So, how’s Reva doing?”
“Really well, thank you. She’s dating again—casually. It’s nice to see her enjoying herself again. I’m sure you’d like to speak to Roarke.”
Whew, she thought, navigated the chatty session of the program with no casualties. “If he’s tied up, you could just pass him a message whenever.”
“I’ll check.”
Just a little worn out by the ’link socializing, Eve got into her vehicle as Caro switched her to blue screen hold. Moments later, it was Roarke’s blue eyes that blazed on screen.
“Lieutenant.”
God, he was pretty. “Sorry to interrupt any world domination meeting.”
“That was this morning. We’re finishing up satellite and planetoid dominations just now.”
“Okay, then. I’m just heading out, going to swing by the school.”
“For?”
“Not sure. I just want another run-through on scene.”
His smile was easy and still made her insides curl. “Would you like some company?”
“What about satellite and planetoid domination?”
“I believe we have that under control. I’ll meet you there.”
“Good. Great.” In fact, it was perfect. “See you.”
“Lieutenant?”
“Damn stupid traffic,” she muttered as she fought her way into it. “What?”
“I love you.”
Okay, that was perfect. “I heard that somewhere. There’s a rumor going around I love you, too. God damn maxibus. Gotta go.”
She stuffed her ’link back in her pocket and enjoyed the armed combat of driving uptown. Once there, she scouted out then fought for a parking spot, another type of warfare, then walked the block and a half to the school.
He was getting out of a car when she was half a block away. Tall and rangy, long black coat billowing in the wind. As the car cruised off—he’d have arranged that so they could drive home together—he turned. Just as he’d done the very first time. Turned as if he sensed her, knew she was there, and latched those wild blue eyes on her face.
Just like the first time, the very first time, something inside her leaped.
It wasn’t her style, it wasn’t her way, but there were times, she thought, you just went with the moment. She strode right up to him, gripped the front of his coat in her fists and took his mouth with hers. Strong and hot and real.
He drew her in. He always drew her in. So they stood, drenched in the heat of the kiss while the cold blew around them, and New York’s irritable traffic bitched and complained.
“There she is,” he murmured.
“Yeah, here I am.” She drew back. “You’ve got a great mouth, ace. I happen to know your hands are pretty damn good, too. Get us in.”
He lifted his brow. “Are you suggesting I break into the school, Lieutenant?”
“I’m ordering it, if you’re standing as expert consultant, civilian.”