* * *
Mac had no idea target shooting could be so much fun, but she was hooked. She was already thinking about what kind of handgun she wanted to buy for herself. She adored the .22 she fired first, but the 9mm had been so fun. And Gage had told her that most of the well-known manufacturers even had model lines specifically for women, with accessories like pink handgrips. She was definitely getting one of those.
She wanted to tell Zak about her shooting lessons, but everyone around the handful of tables the restaurant staff had pushed together for the SWAT team in the large back room of the steak house had a story to tell. And Zak was talking louder than any of them. It turned out that in order to escape the horrible villains holding him hostage, Zak had to take a more active role than expected of an average hostage.
Mac couldn’t stop laughing as Zak described how he’d been cut loose by some of the guys on Mike’s squad, then crawled out of the dark building on his hands and knees, only to find himself on the roof. Then he’d been taught enough about rappelling to lower himself down to the ground.
Unfortunately, just when it seemed that he’d get away safely, Xander’s squad had reappeared and started shooting at him with paintball guns. Zak—who was covered from head to toe in orange paint—had picked up a weapon when one of Mike’s team had gone down and helped the team fight their way to freedom.
“I have to admit I didn’t think you had it in you,” Mike said to Zak. “But you did good.”
Everyone around the table applauded, including Mac. She wasn’t sure how much training the guys had accomplished that morning considering that paintball was involved, but it sounded like they had fun.
“Did you know they were going to do that to Zak?” she whispered to Gage.
“I figured they’d do something to have a little fun with him, but I didn’t think they’d break out the paintball guns,” he said. “They only do that when they think a person can handle it. Your photographer must have a little action hero in him.”
She laughed. “I wouldn’t have figured that in a hundred years, but I guess so.”
Two waitresses came to take their orders, which reduced the noise around the table to a mild roar. When Gage leaned in to tell her about something on the menu, he still had to put his mouth close to her ear. The feel of his warm breath on her skin made her shiver, and she closed her eyes until it passed. When she opened them, Mac saw that Zak was smiling at her from the other side of the table. She stuck out her tongue at him.
“What was that about?” Gage asked.
She turned and leaned in close again, enjoying the feeling of heat coming off his skin. If it were anyone else, she’d think he had a fever, but instinct told her Gage ran hot. “Nothing. You know, I was just thinking that I really owe you one for that shooting lesson.”
“You don’t owe me anything.” He grinned. “I’m glad you enjoyed yourself.”
Oh, she had enjoyed herself. If she thought he’d gotten her hot and bothered last night, that was nothing in comparison to what it was like to have Gage’s big arms around her and his hard-on pressing into her ass as she practiced shooting targets. Thank God she had to keep both hands wrapped around the pistol or she might have been tempted to touch herself. Or him.
It was official, Gage Dixon could arouse her just by being near her.
Something else was official, too. She was seriously close to tanking this story idea. She was so crazy about Gage that she was ready to ignore anything he’d ever done wrong short of a felony. And from the way Zak was laughing and joking with the SWAT officers at the table, he’d agree with her. Maybe she’d do a story on the day-in-the-life of the men who made up the SWAT unit and leave it at that.
The men tore into their meals with the same gusto they’d attacked the donuts that morning. Mac didn’t know whether to laugh or shake her head. They ate like a pack of wild animals.
She was still cutting her baked chicken and steamed vegetables when the whole table suddenly fell silent. She looked up, watching as each of the men set their forks and knives down, as if they were done eating. Which didn’t make sense, not with that much food left on their plates. What was going on?
She gave Zak a questioning look, but he seemed as confused as she did.
Mac turned to ask Gage, but the words died on her lips as eight men strode into the room. She wasn’t sure how it was possible, but something told her they were the reason the SWAT guys suddenly went on high alert. Despite their expensive suits and clean-cut looks, the men were trouble. She’d seen enough men like them in her line of work to be sure of that.
They spread out along the wall behind her, surrounding the table while at the same time blocking the doorway. Mac’s heart kicked into high gear as she caught a glimpse of the pistol underneath the coat of the man closest to her.
“I’m looking for Gage Dixon,” the man with the gun said.
Gage was on his feet before Mac even saw him move. A single step put him inches away from the man, making their difference in height immediately apparent. The guy in the suit backed up almost involuntarily.
“It’s your lucky day then,” Gage said in a much calmer voice than she could have managed. “You’ve found him.”
“I need you to come with me,” the man said.
“I’m in the middle of lunch.”
The man’s lip curled. “That’s too damn bad. The man I work for wants to talk to you.” When
