Die Hard (Sue Thomas FBEye)

Intro

Sue watched with amusement as her faithful dog hid under her desk after hearing Jack's proposition.

"I tend to agree with you, Levi," she said playfully. "Jack had better throw in a treat or two to increase his chances."

"Is that so?" He loomed closer to her, her scent teasing him. It was a new fragrance and he liked it a lot.

She held his gaze, oblivious to the glances their colleagues exchanged. "You need to make it worth my while, Jack."

"How about dinner?"

"I..." Mesmerized by the twinkles dancing in his eyes, she licked her lips to restore some moisture. "I'm sorry, but pizza or Chinese won't cut it."

"Real dinner. Tonight," he whispered, his pulse accelerating as his eyes followed the wandering of her tongue. "The restaurant of your choice."

"Maybe?" she replied, smiling coyly at him.

"You're driving a hard bargain, Ms. Thomas." His smile matched hers. "How about... a bone for Levi and a surprise for you after dinner?"

"What kind of surprise?"

Could it be excitement he heard in her voice and not just simple curiosity, he wondered.

"See, Sue, if I were to tell you it wouldn't be a surprise, would it?"

"But..."

He eyed her intently. "Do we have a deal or not?"

"I... yes," she conceded.

"So? Are you coming?"

As he gestured towards the door, his hand made gentle contact with the small of her back. He led her towards the elevator.

"Now if I imagined the sudden rise of temperature, please shoot me... preferably before the heat wave hits me," muttered Myles. And as he looked through the window at the snow lazily falling to the ground, the tall aristocratic agent loosened his tie.