Free Secret Maneuvers by Jessie Lane Page B

me on edge, then I could take care of it. Something told me that there was someone watching—someone waiting—which went against the all clear we had initially given the room. I looked back to see Riley putting the finishing touches on the crate, it looked exactly as we had found it. No one should ever be able to tell that the contents had been opened and viewed.
    As Riley gave the hand signal for the group to leave, I couldn’t help silently giving thanks that we were getting the hell out of there. I didn’t know if we’d overlooked something—or if my instincts were all off—but the hairs standing up on the back of my neck told me we were standing in a trap and Belle was in danger. Either way, I heaved a tremendous sigh of relief when we finally cleared the building.
     
    ***
    Thirty minutes later, weary EX Ops members filed through the door of Jaxon’s hotel room. Belle was the last one through and I took a second to admire how hot she looked in her ATF gear. Wearing black jeans, a long-sleeve, black t-shirt with a bullet proof vest on top, and her badge and gun holstered to her waist. The whole kick-ass outfit she had going on right now was enough to make me sport an erection that felt seriously uncomfortable since I was in a room filled with other men. Including a couple of guys that were like brothers to me, but that hadn’t stopped the boot stomping I’d promised Declan and Riley if they’d been trying to get an eyeful of Belle while she’d been getting dressed into her work clothes earlier. Frankly, I’d never known that it was possible for a woman to change in less than three minutes in a vehicle without showing a peep of skin through the windows the whole time, but Declan had discreetly promised me that neither he, nor Riley, had seen so much as a toe while she was getting ready. Not that my good ol’ buddy Declan had been trying to take advantage of my sweet, vulnerable woman while she was changing clothes. He’d never do anything that despicable. Riiiiight.
    She’d managed to pull her hair back into a loose bun at the nape of her neck, showcasing the almost angelic features of her face. High cheekbones. Her slender neck that I once licked down to her collarbone. Damn, I’d give anything to strip her down right here and now, pull her hair loose, and bend her over the back of a chair while I spread those luscious globes of her ass wide and— “Deputy Miles might have been on to something after all, Agent Roberts.” Jaxon crossed his arms over his chest while considering the young Deputy in question.
    Belle nodded her head in agreement. “Looks like tonight wasn’t a complete bust. A couple of crates of M4’s and AK-47’s aren’t quite the load we were told to look for, but it’s a start. My recommendation is to set up shift surveillance on the bar with small teams. That way we can rotate out. Those who aren’t on surveillance duty can help follow any leads we come across. How does that sound to you, Commander Wall?”
    Jaxon’s gruff voice answered, “It’s a place to start. We’ll split up into teams tomorrow morning. Everyone should rest up tonight while we can and I’ll expect that call in the morning from you so we can get specifics started.”
    Belle shook his hand before sending a general wave to the rest of the occupants in the room. “Everyone sleep tight now. Goodnight.” She left the room with Boyd, Sheriff Jenkins and Deputy Miles right on her heels.
    After I finally got back to my own room, I peeled off my black BDUs, weapons and boots, leaving them in a pile on the floor. Wearing nothing but my boxer briefs, I lay in the bed, thinking of Belle. She’d been hard to pin down when we were teenagers, but I’d won her over back then. It had taken a lot of time, a lot of talking in places like our high school cafeteria or in the hallways after class whenever I could track her down. Small moments that had added up, proving to her that she wasn’t some prank I was trying to