Total pages in book: 158
Estimated words: 149641 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 748(@200wpm)___ 599(@250wpm)___ 499(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 149641 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 748(@200wpm)___ 599(@250wpm)___ 499(@300wpm)
Oh, he was going to play things that way? He would discover her dad dealt with sarcasm and teasing way better than performative respect. “I think it’s his knees.”
Her dad stood up. “It’s my stomach from having to watch all of this. Could you keep this whole thing to the club, please? We don’t need this kind of distraction.”
Ben took a long breath like he was taking in her scent and then kissed the top of her head and took his coffee mug before turning to her dad. “Somehow I think you’ll get used to it. And sit back down, Mr. Lemon, because we have new intel. Manny’s on the move. According to Joseph, he’s in Taiwan. Also, we’ve got some intel that puts another assassin in Dallas.”
Her dad sighed and sat back down. “All right. Let’s hear it. Also, it’s both, okay. You two wait until you’re old and your body starts getting back at you for all those times you tortured it for the job.”
The door swung open and her mom strode in, a tablet in her hand. “Ian…”
He held out a hand. “Ben’s already working on it. Did Drake send us an update?”
Her mom nodded and found herself sitting on her dad’s lap. Kala and Cooper walked in seconds later followed by Lou and TJ and a happily chatting Tim.
Ben took her hand, and when she was going to sit next to him, he pulled her onto his lap.
Her dad groaned but her mom gave her a thumbs-up.
Ben kissed her cheek and started his briefing.
* * * *
Ben frowned as he watched Kenzie in the kitchenette their flat contained. Apparently at some point in time almost all of the flats here at The Garden had been actual residences for the operatives. Robert and Ariel had started their family here. Nick Markovic and his wife Hayley had done the same before they bought their place in Kensington. Damon and Penny had lived here many years before retreating most of the time to their country house.
If this was what it was like back then, he had no idea how they got anything done.
“Bro, you want a beer?” Cooper asked from the living room.
“Are you asking me if I want one of my own beers?” Ben was still feeling out this whole family thing.
“I think he’s asking if he can have one,” TJ corrected. “You know, if you are. Also, Kenz, whatever you’re cooking smells amazing.”
Kenzie looked at her cousin and winked his way. “I’m trying a recipe for cheese puffs. And dinner is pulled pork. Ben’s never had mine before.”
TJ made some satisfied sounds and might have started drooling. “I’ve missed your pulled pork. Kenzie mostly cooks when she’s happy. When she’s sad she bakes. Not that I would want her unhappy, but if you want to have like the tiniest fight with her, I could use some cookies. She makes these apple cider cookies that I dream about at night.”
“Is there a reason they’re not in their own flats?” Ben asked since he hadn’t had a moment alone with her all day. They’d been in conferences with her parents and the Knights. They’d had a virtual meeting with Lucy and Sami. They’d been watching a remote villa Manny owned in France, but the shipment they were concerned with hadn’t shown up yet.
He and Kenzie had already done a day trip to Scotland where Disrupt had a compound. They’d managed to set up surveillance and were monitoring the situation. Next week they were heading to Italy to do the same thing.
He wanted to be in Taiwan, but they’d sent an MI6 team because Manny shouldn’t have ever met them. He wouldn’t know them by sight, and they might be able to keep eyes on him that way. He hadn’t spent much time with the other members of Damon’s team, but he trusted them.
Besides, he was starting to wonder if he wanted to put Kenz in Manny’s way. He would have to figure out a way to gently leave her behind when the time came.
He’d started all of this to see if there was any way it could work. He wasn’t going to lie to himself now and say he was investigating her. The only thing about that woman he was investigating was her gorgeous body and that wickedly absurd brain of hers. She amused him. She confused him. She made him want something he hadn’t in a long time. A normal life. A life where they lived together and had friends over to watch ball games and she cooked and he cleaned up.
Pretty much like now except he was being a dick because they were her family. He didn’t have any family. He had Tim.
He missed Dare.
“I might have a surprise coming,” she said with that mysterious smile she got on her face from time to time. The one that made his heart clench and pray she was exactly who she said she was.