Stealing Justice (The Justice Team) by Misty Evans, Adrienne Giordano

“Evenings and weekends, huh?”
    Yes, clever boy, keep thinking .
    Syd sat a little straighter, stuck out her boobs and hoped he noticed the extra button she’d left undone.
    Prop number two: boobs.
    His gaze moved to her cleavage—that prop worked—but immediately came back to her face. The folder sat in front of him and he flipped it open.
    Fed Boy’s rule number three: prove loyalty to suspect. “Speaking of the budget. You’ll notice I updated the expenses. I moved some things around so it looks like we have less money than we do. Like you did last year around Christmas. We had an influx of donations last month after the interview you did with Channel 4. I don’t want the inflated numbers to call attention to our accounting.”
    Ian perused the document. “That’s fine. It’s a temporary thing anyway. It doesn’t hurt to be careful though.”
    “Well, of course. With all the good work we do here, I wouldn’t want that washed away over an accounting issue.”
    He closed the folder and set it down again. “Back to this second job issue. How about I ask around? See if I can come up with something?”
    She rolled her eyes. “I’ve got it under control. Don’t worry about it.”
    Another of Fed Boy’s instructions was not to push. To be patient and let the situation unfold. Short of undoing another button, she wasn’t quite sure where to go next, so she waited.
    And waited.
    Ian leaned forward. “You know I have political connections. Maybe someone can help.”
    And here came rule number four: illicit illegal action that can be documented. She nodded. “That would be great, Ian. What are you thinking?”
    Maybe she was pushing it and her partner would have a fit, but she had Ian right where she needed him. And, really, her boobs were working it here.
    He eyeballed her, seemed to hesitate. No, no, no. “Ian? Something wrong?”
    Abruptly, he stood. “No. Not at all.” He checked his watch. “I have a meeting. Let me ask around about the job and I’ll get back to you. Don’t do anything until you hear from me. Okay?”
    Dammit. She thought she’d had him. “Of course. Thank you. I’d appreciate anything you could do.”
    You slimy son of a bitch.
     
    What had Grey done? The voice in his head—the one that constantly reminded him he was a screw-up—laughed.He’d manipulated Sydney into this op and now she was committed. No going back.
    Grey paced the floor, hands on hips, jaw set. She’d done it again. Only this time, Ian Goldberg had been the recipient of Sydney’s sexual tactics. She’d fluffed her hair, exposed her cleavage and condensed his rules of engagement, meant to be carefully set in place over several meetings, into a ten minute flirting session with that dickweed attorney.
    But she’d gotten the sting underway. All they needed now was for Ian to take the Sydney bait. For some reason Grey was pissed. He wasn’t sure if he was more pissed because she’d played her part to perfection or that she’d done so by flashing skin.
    He put down the Burris scope to keep from throwing it against the wall.
    Ten minutes later, he was still pacing when she flew in the door of his hideout and clapped her hands. “Did you see that? Or hear that? Or whatever? I did it! I got it rolling.”
    In two strides, he could pick her up and hug her. In two strides, he could grab her arms and shake some sense into her. But that damn smile on her face kept him rooted to the spot. Hell if he’d wipe that smile off her face with the stream of curse words running through his head.
    On the other hand, hell if he wouldn’t. “You could have blown the whole op, Sydney.”
    She stepped back. “What?”
    He ticked off the potential issues on his fingers. “You were too aggressive. You rushed the whole setup. You put your body on display to distract him. Should I go on?”
    She held up her fisted hand, raised one finger. “I was not too aggressive.” Another finger. “I did not rush it. I let the