Free Alien in the House by Gini Koch Page B

facilities. I call that squatting.”
    â€œThey’re performing useful services.”
    â€œYou mean they’re playing around. Because that’s all the useful I see out of their services.”
    â€œLet’s not do this, especially because I know we’re doing it because we’re both nervous. Like you said, we need to avoid fighting before this event. Let’s get dressed for the party neither one of us wants to be hosting and hope that nothing explodes.”
    Jeff stroked my face. “True enough. But I have a better idea.”
    â€œYeah?”
    He got the expression on his face where he looked like a big jungle cat about to eat me. I loved that look.
    â€œYeah,” Jeff purred. “Let’s get undressed first.”

CHAPTER 11
    W E WERE MOSTLY NAKED, I was in Jeff’s arms with my legs wrapped around his waist, and he was doing wonderful things to my breasts, when the com activated.
    â€œChiefs, you’re needed downstairs.”
    I stopped yowling like a cat in heat. “Why? No one’s supposed to be here for another couple of hours.”
    â€œActually, the first guests are set to arrive in forty-five minutes or less, and Pierre wants everyone prepped on what’s going on where. Commander Reader also wants to ensure that we have the right teams assigned to the right politicians.”
    Jeff sighed. “We’ll be down shortly, Walter. Just have to change into our formalwear.”
    â€œYes, sir, Chief, I’ll advise.”
    The com shut off. “You know, I can remember Gladys interrupting us like that, all the time. Is it just some Head of Security thing, or are they watching us on a spy cam so they can interrupt at rotten times?”
    â€œI don’t think so,” Jeff said with a chuckle. “Though I admit, I’d rather be making love to you than going downstairs.” He pulled my head to his and kissed me deeply while he let me slide slowly to the floor. By the time our kiss was done, I was ready to go for it and tell the rest of the gang to handle things in our absence.
    But, such was not to be. Jeff patted my bottom and then we got down to the business of getting dressed.
    Since I’d done some running around earlier, I took a fast shower. Proving his dedication to the Diplomatic Corps, Jeff refused to shower with me. Decided to make him pay for this after the party was over, hopefully for hours.
    Shocking no one, Jeff put on what he always put on—a black Armani suit, white shirt, and black tie. Despite being promised that diplomats had to wear casual clothing, somehow Jeff had avoided such and I was still impatiently waiting to see his butt in jeans again. A handful of times in three years wasn’t enough, really.
    I had put my foot down and demanded a dress that wasn’t black, white, or black and white. Thanks to Pierre, our Embassy had its own designer on retainer, and Akiko had listened to my pleas. She’d created a lovely green cocktail dress that was slinky without being overtly sexy, and festive without making me look like a badly wrapped present under a Christmas tree.
    Akiko also handled all our accessories, so I had lovely shoes that matched without being matchy-matchy, and a larger-sized handbag. Yes, we were in our own home, so I didn’t need to carry a purse. But my experience told me I always needed to have my purse on me, if only to grab my Glock, or the adrenaline harpoon Jeff far-too-often needed slammed into his hearts.
    I transferred my necessities from my standby big, black, cheap leather purse—aforementioned Glock and harpoon, iPod, earbuds, external speakers, cell phone, special assassin-issued burner phone, hairspray, brush, cash, and I.D. Hey, just because we were supposed to stay in the Embassy complex didn’t mean we
would
. I was savvy to the ways of my life now, and it was always better to be prepared.
    The handbag had a long strap, allowing me to put it over my head. The