Free The Zero Dog War by Keith Melton

to Tiffany, put a hand on her hip and tried to urge her out onto the floor. That time I lit another batch of short and curlies on fire. Mr. Comb-over had squealed like a raccoon getting a rectal exam and dumped his White Russian on his crotch. And so ended our first ladies’ night out.
    Like I said, good times.
    Tiffany met my eyes and just as quickly glanced away. “I did like the music. And the dancing… We should go out again…sometime.”
    “Count on it. We’ll find some smoking-hot guys…” I paused, thinking, “maybe a couple of firefighters, and we’ll drink too much, party too late, and wake up hung over.”
    “Just so the firefighter doesn’t have a comb-over. And I don’t know about getting drunk—”
    “Trust me, it makes dancing easier.” I cleared my throat. “Don’t be late for the briefing. Oh, and before I forget, you did good work last time out. I’m glad you’re on the team.”
    “Thanks, Captain.” Real pleasure shone in her eyes. It made her look so damn innocent I wanted to find the nearest cherub and kick it in the balls, just because.
    “All right then.” I pushed myself out of the chair and made my way over to the door, my mood gray-scaling down toward black. Wishing I could make her that happy more often. Wondering why I didn’t.
    “Captain?” Her voice was hesitant, little more than a curious whisper. I glanced back with eyebrows raised in silent question.
    “Your scent…” She lifted her nose, delicately sniffing the air. “There’s a man…a mage. You’re attracted to him. Really attracted. I can smell your—”
    “Thank you, that’s enough, carry on, see you at eight thirty, or 2030 hours as we say in the business. Ha-ha.” I retreated out the door and pulled it closed before I could learn anything else I didn’t want to know. So much for tactful discretion. Thank God Rafe the werewolf had been too busy scarfing down a garlic-heavy chicken dish to scent anything off me when I’d told him about the meeting.
    Still, if Tiffany didn’t keep that little secret quiet, I’d drag my prudish succubus kicking and screaming into a Victoria’s Secret buying binge as revenge. Or take her to the Thunder from Down Under male review. The image put a grin on my face, and I walked off down the hall with a new bounce in my step, decidedly not thinking of Special Forces Captain Sanders dancing on stage like an over-muscled idiot.
    All right. Another lie. But the image amused the hell out of me and right about then I could use the yuks.
    I double-timed it up the stairs off the foyer, thumping my way toward Gavin’s rooms. I wanted nothing more than to get this over with ASAP, and I’d just raced up to the second-floor landing when I rounded the banister and crashed right into Captain Sanders. For one moment all I could think about was muscles and the smell of gun oil…until I realized he held me steady, his large hands on my upper arms. I shoved back from him, and he let me go. I could feel my skin grow blazing hot.
    “Excuse me.” I stepped farther away. He’d come early. I hadn’t expected him until tonight. Something else to deal with, and my list already floweth over.
    He smiled, but he had a way of looking at me that made me feel as if I were the focal point of the universe, as if he waited for every word I might chose to speak. I didn’t like it. The word disconcerting sprang to mind.
    “I’m sorry,” he said. “I should’ve been more careful. I was looking for you.”
    “I’ll let you know when I find me.”
    He cocked an eyebrow, but his smile didn’t falter. I took a deep breath and willed my heart to airbrake back to a normal speed. A muscle in my cheek might’ve twitched with my effort to suppress my stupid schoolgirl-crush reactions. I clamped down even tighter. I had a job to do and a team to run. I sure as hell wouldn’t allow this distraction to endanger either.
    “I wondered if we could sit down together and go over a few tactical scenarios