Alien Diplomacy

the Paraguayan Embassy. They merely handed them the surveillance equipment and slammed the door shut.”
    “Nice.”
    “Yeah.” Chuckie looked at Jeff. “By the way Martini, thanks for saving us. All of us.”
    “I’d say it’s all in a day’s work, but that’s not true anymore.” Jeff shot Chuckie a half-smile. “Thanks for calming my wife down.”
    Chuckie shook his head. “She wasn’t calm and she isn’t calm, and you know it. But controlled, clearheaded panic is one of her specialties.”
    “I’m right here, guys.”
    Jeff hugged me as the other men started discussing potential strategies and how, or if, they should read Ishmael’s team into the highly classified data that was our daily lives. “Yes, you are,” hewhispered in my ear. “Right where you belong. With me, in my arms.”
    He’d just been manly and protective and all around amazing in the extreme, and I’d thought he was hurt or maimed or worse. And somehow, he was here, safe and sound, not only acting like it was no big deal but also managing to be incredibly romantic.
    I didn’t care that we were in a car stuffed with other people and one big dog. I flung my arms around his neck and kissed him. And I kept on kissing him until we parked and everyone else got out of the car.
    After all, what was the point of surviving death if we didn’t at least get to make out heavily?



CHAPTER 73
    W E MIGHT HAVE GONE FOR IT in the back of the limo, tons of people around or no, but someone rapped on the window, then opened the door.
    “Girlfriend, we have a timeline.”
    Jeff ended our kiss slowly. “I demand diplomatic immunity.”
    Reader snorted. “Right. Tear each other’s clothes off later. Like after we’ve saved whoever the hell the assassination target is tonight.”
    “Sometimes I really hate you, James.”
    “Yeah? Well, I could spend the time making out with Paul. Believe me, I’d prefer it. But, somehow, duty calls. As does your dress fitting.”
    Well, that damped the mood. “Fine. Do I have time to check on Jamie first?” I looked down. “And feed her?”
    “Yes,” Reader said with a long-suffering sigh. “Just hurry it up. We’ll be taking everyone to the infirmary to get checked out.” He eyed Jeff. “You should probably go into isolation.”
    Jeff shrugged. “I feel fine. The pain in my ears is gone.”
    “Right.” Reader shook his head. “We need you at your best tonight, Jeff. And, I’m going to pull rank on this, too. You can help Kitty feed the baby, and then you’re in isolation until it’s time to get dressed.”
    Jeff looked like he was going to argue, but as much as I hated to admit it, I knew Reader was right. “He’s the Head of the Field,” I said quietly. “And I really don’t want to harpoon you at the President’s Ball if we can avoid it.” When Jeff overstrained himself, which he’d done regularly when we worked as Commanders, hisempathic blocks would break down. Soon after, if he didn’t get isolation, he’d need adrenaline shot directly into his hearts. Or he’d die. One of the few things I’d enjoyed about our Diplomatic Mission was that I hadn’t had to stab him with the huge needle for the past three months.
    Jeff shot me a betrayed look, but he also nodded. “Fine. As you say. I’m going to use the isolation chamber in our apartment, though.”
    “Fine, just make sure it’s clean,” Reader said, and I noted he had a much more in-charge voice going. “We’ve had strangers in here too often in the past few days.”
    “Yes, sir, Commander,” Jeff said, with only a little resentment and longing in his tone.
    We got out of the car in time to observe the last part of the Man and Dog Reunion Ishmael and Prince were having. Clearly, the K-9 cops loved their dogs, because Ishmael was on his knees, arms around his dog, with tears running down his face, which Prince was licking off.
    He saw Jeff, got up, and came over to us. “Thank you. I can’t believe you did that, that you risked your life to save his. And I can’t tell you what that means to me.”
    “You’re welcome.” Jeff grinned, at Prince if I was any judge. “I’m used to running after certain brave protectors who’ve bitten off a little more than they can chew.”
    “I think I should resent that remark.”
    Jeff put his arm around my shoulders and hugged me to him. “True enough, baby…but you can’t deny it, either.”
    We zipped upstairs to the area on the fourth floor Pierre and Denise had