"Nice keeps us out of federal prison, Marcus," she snapped, though she kept her voice low. She traced the rim of her paper cup. "Chapter One was a fluke. Chapter Two was a necessity. But we’re at Chapter Three now, and this? This is a choice."
Elena sat in the corner booth of 'The Daily Grind,' watching the snow turn to gray slush against the windowpane. Opposite her, Marcus was doing that thing with his pen—clicking it in a rhythmic, agonizing pulse that matched the ticking of the wall clock. To anyone else, they looked like two coworkers finishing a late-shift project. To Elena, they looked like a crime scene waiting to happen. Naughty Nice [Chapter 3]
"Maybe not," he conceded with a faint, dangerous smirk. "But the villains always have more fun at the after-party." "Nice keeps us out of federal prison, Marcus,"
Marcus reached out, his hand covering hers. His grip was firm, grounding, and entirely too comfortable. Chapter Two was a necessity
Elena felt the last of her hesitation dissolve, replaced by a cold, sharp adrenaline. She pulled the folder toward her and clicked her own pen.
The "Nice" Elena would have walked away. But Chapter 3 belonged to someone else entirely.