To further torture him, there were slits up both legs, coming together just at her hip bone so that every time she moved, the long, smooth expanse of her legs was bared. And the shoes? She was a tall woman but those shoes gave her at least another three inches of height, which put the top of her head right at his nose.

“You’re trying to kill me,” he muttered. “Is this punishment for some infraction I’m unaware of?”

She laughed. “Not at all. I want to look good for you. And even more, I want you to get a good look at what you’ll be taking off later when we get back to the hotel.”

His entire body went rigid, his breath quickening. His pulse was about to leap right out of his chest at the preview she’d just innocently given him. The little vixen may have not been sexually experienced in the physical sense, but he had to remember that this was a woman well versed in seductive looks and words.

And then the other thing she said registered with him and he found himself frowning. She wanted to look good for him? As if she could look anything else. But it stroked his male ego that for whatever reason she’d singled him out in a veritable sea of males who’d be on their knees for a chance to get with her.

“Eden, honey. Unless you want to set a record for the world’s quickest dinner, you need to stop tantalizing me with that kind of talk. If you keep it up, I guarantee we won’t even leave this hotel. Because I’ll make love to you until we’re both exhausted and then I’ll order room service.”

A knock at the door prevented him from carrying out his threat. Eden grinned and collected her handbag. Swanny checked the peephole and saw Edge and Skylar standing outside. Edge was scowling and tugging uncomfortably at the neckline of his shirt, and Skylar was grinning and looking like a million dollars.

“All ready?” Skylar asked brightly as Swanny opened the door.

Edge sighed and muttered something under his breath.

Skylar seemed as eager and as excited as Eden was over the evening. But then how often did a mission afford them the opportunity to play dress-up and actually relax a little? Not that he’d let his guard down even for a moment when it came to Eden.

He cast a glance in Skylar’s direction, knowing that in order not to be a complete dickhead he needed to remark on her appearance. He was far more used to seeing her in fatigues and camo and with blood smears, but she was indeed a very beautiful woman.

“You look gorgeous, Sky,” Swanny said sincerely.

Skylar actually gave him a shy look from underneath her lashes and flashed a smile through perfectly white, straight teeth. It amused him that the all-American cheerleader-looking woman was a kick-ass operative on a highly trained special ops team. Personal remarks had no place on the job, right in the middle of bullets flying and bombs going off, but here, though, it was not only appropriate but the right thing to do.

Skylar had been very nice to Eden. The women had acted as though they were well on their way to a friendship. And Swanny appreciated that because he wanted Eden to be accepted by his team. His family. He didn’t dig too deeply into the reasons why, but they were there, hovering on the fringes, for him to ponder more deeply or perhaps admit to his own self that Eden was coming to mean a hell of a lot more to him than she should, given she was a job. A client.

Not that such a thing had ever ruffled any feathers within KGI, since most of the men had met their wives on missions. It had become a running joke in the ranks of KGI that if any of them had hopes of finding a woman, it would have to be on a mission since they were gone so much and a relationship with a hometown girl in Tennessee seemed impossible.

“You do look beautiful,” Edge said gruffly, almost as if he’d been shamed by Swanny’s compliment because he hadn’t yet offered his own.

Skylar performed a cheerful curtsy and then to Swanny’s shock pulled up one side of her dress. Then he realized why.

Holstered to the inside of her thigh was her smaller Sig P250 sub-compact.

Then she unzipped the small clutch she held to show them an identical pistol there with two extra clips.

“Never let it be said that vanity replaced readiness,” she said with a grin.

Swanny laughed. “I don’t think anyone will ever accuse you of not being prepared, Sky. You’ve earned your position on this team and you’ve certainly earned your team’s respect and confidence. No need to prove anything to us. We’re a unit. Family,” he said once more.

God, he was feeling actually mushy. Maybe it was the effect Eden was having on him. She was definitely bringing him out of his solitary existence, the wall of silence he usually stayed behind. He’d become practically verbose since this mission had started, acting more like the team leader than following the lead of the Kelly brothers.

Thank God they didn’t have egos and act like he was trying to subvert their authority. It had never been that way with their team anyway. Rio and Steele? Absolutely in control of their teams. Their authority unquestioned. Their teams did exactly as they were ordered. Their team leaders commanded—expected—immediate, unquestioning obedience. He admired the two badass team leaders, but Swanny’s team was different.

Their situation was different. They were led by not one authority figure but two. The twins, Nathan and Joe. And the two didn’t handle their team as Steele and Rio did. He wasn’t critical of Rio or Steele in the least. They kicked ass and got the job done no matter what. But Joe and Nathan included their team in all the decision making. They worked as a true unit. From the outside looking in, Swanny wasn’t even sure someone would even recognize who was considered the “leader.” They worked in perfect harmony, each stepping up at different times when the need arose. Just like Swanny was doing when it came to Eden. And well, he’d be lying if he said he didn’t have a very personal stake in this mission.

He was grateful that no one had tried to talk him down. Say shit like he was letting his emotions get involved or warn him that he was losing objectivity. They accepted it calmly just as they did everything else thrown their way. It was another thing he admired about his team. They never got worked up or sweated the small stuff. They were laid back except when it came to a job. Then they were all business and worked seamlessly, feeding off one another. That kind of loyalty and camaraderie was never just there from the start. It was something that had to be worked on. Earned. And for the first while after their team had been formed, they’d spent most of their time together, learning one another and bonding. It had made them stronger both individually and as a team.

They were a small team compared to the others. One fewer member than Steele’s team. Two fewer than Rio’s original team. Rio had lost one man several years earlier when the Kelly matriarch had been abducted from the hospital, and then he’d lost another more recently, though the man wasn’t dead. Lucky, but not dead. Swanny understood now the control it must have taken for Rio not to kill his man after he betrayed Rio’s woman, Grace. Because he’d damn sure lay to waste anyone who fucked with Eden. Especially if it was someone he trusted.

But Sam had made noises about adding another member to Rio’s team, which would put them at six, which would then leave Swanny’s team with five. They could probably use another man—or woman—but Swanny was reluctant to compromise what they already had. A tightly knit, loyal group that worked together like a well-oiled machine.

“Swanny?”

Eden’s soft voice came from behind him, shaking him from his thoughts. Damn, but he was still standing in the open door, Skylar and Edge in the hallway while they talked stupid shit and Swanny was getting in touch with his inner self. He mentally rolled his eyes. Man, he had to pull it together. His mind was turning to mush and he needed to be on alert. Especially given that there would be only three people for Eden’s protection tonight.