Mystery Man (Dream Man #1)(48)

He asked about Cam, Leo and Tracy but it was me, me on my fourth Tamayopolitan, who shared about Troy and how I was worried now that his crush was outed he’d disappear from my life and I’d miss him if he went away.

Hawk also laughed with me when I told a joke or a funny story and I laughed with him when he made some comment that was amusing.

And lastly, he was into everything I said. He was concentrating only on me. It was like every word that poured forth out of my mouth was a piece to the puzzle that was the meaning of life and he had some of the pieces but he wanted to make sure he got them all. His relaxed and comfortable yet intent concentration, the fact that not one woman who walked by caught his attention, in fact, nothing but me caught his attention – there was something about it that felt good, as in really good.

It was easy, it was fun, the food great, the drinks plentiful, my company amusing and hot as all get out and I had fabulous shoes.

It was the best date I’d ever had.

It was after Tamayopolitan number six that we left and the second part of the night started.

We were in the Camaro and purring through the streets of Denver, me wondering where the night would take us next and getting a quiver in a private place at where my wonderings were taking me when Hawk’s phone rang. He took the call, said a few words, flipped his phone shut and swung a uey.

“Gotta go to base, babe, there’s a situation I need a brief on. Urgent. Can you hang in my office?”

At his question, I thought, Oh my God! I get to see his base!

And since I was slightly inebriated, I was pretty certain I didn’t hide my excitement even though the word I chose to use was, “Sure,” it came out peppy and eager. I knew this because when I chanced a glance at him he was grinning.

He drove into the basement garage of a high rise office building in upper downtown, guided me to the elevator, taking me up to the fourteenth floor. The elevator opened and there was a vestibule at either side of which there were two hallways. Hawk went right then right again and down the hall where he chose door number two and used a keycard to access it.

I walked in with him and stopped dead.

Instant cool.

Commando Central!

The windows to the view at the back were darkened even against the evening skyline. In front of me in theater style with elevated platforms were three levels, four workstations at each level, all sorts of knobs and buttons and telephones on the consoles of the workstations. Behind me, rows of screens set into the wall, machinery under them with numerical displays, every one of them filled with some action, people, places and things. There were three offices off the theater area to the left, all but the last one on the top level had floor to ceiling windows that clearly showed what the occupant was doing at all times. To the right, more doors, only two, one was a big conference room with more floor to ceiling windows, one a door but no windows.

The room was filled with commandos, some I’d seen, some I hadn’t, some sitting at workstations, some obviously waiting for Hawk to arrive.

One was “Smoke”.

“Hey Smoke,” I called, waving at him.

Commandos looked to their boots and shuffled their feet.

“Hey Gwen,” Smoke replied.

I tipped my head to the side and asked loudly, “Next time you need to make up a nickname to fake someone out, can I pick it?”

There was more shuffling of feet, Smoke grinned at me and I heard Hawk chuckle then he handed me a keycard and put his hand in the small of my back.

“Babe, top office, hang there. I’ll come get you as soon as I’m done,” he ordered and I looked up at him to see him jerk his head to the dark office at the top.

I nodded and, not thinking, my body and brain having absorbed six Tamayopolitans, my feet encased in Jimmy Choos he’d given me, my belly filled with yummy food he’d bought for me, my night having been spent sitting across the table from him, I put a hand lightly on his abs, lifted up on my toes and touched my mouth to his.

Then I clipped across the shiny black floors, up the side aisle steps and used the keycard to get into his office not realizing I had a bunch of commando eyes following me, some admiring, all curious.

Upon entering and turning on the light I found Hawk’s office was uber-modern and totally clinical. No photos on the desk or credenza. No medals on the walls. No trophies on shelves or plaques displayed. No personal paraphernalia. There weren’t any files on the desk, pencil holders, notepads, not even a computer, just a phone. The whole thing was decorated in black, light gray, black leather and chrome and so clean a doctor could perform surgery there. There were four television monitors on the wall, blank screens. There was a long, black couch. There were two black chairs in front of his desk and a big, high backed swivel one behind it. That was it.

I considered my options for time spent in Hawk’s office and I decided to text Cam and Tracy about the date instead of trying to rifle through drawers. Firstly, if I rifled through drawers that would be intrusive and very wrong – he might have intruded in my life but that didn’t mean I needed to return the favor. Secondly, and more importantly, I figured he maybe had cameras in there and would find out I did it which he probably would frown on and Hawk pissed was a scary thing.

So I sat on the couch and texted Cam and Tracy about the date and received ecstatic texts back from Trace and cautionary texts back from Cam which mostly consisted of her begging me not to imbibe even a drop more alcohol.