Read Operation: Endeavor (When The Mission Ends) for Free Online Page A

but you don’t –”
    “Nope, no arguments. I’m going. I’m a fabulous shopper with incredible taste. You won’t regret it. Besides I have the Bus. This way you won’t have to borrow Chris’s truck again.”
    Colton hesitated as he glanced around the apartment. “Thanks, I hate shopping, so I’d appreciate the help.”
    “No problem. We just have to be back here by 5:00 so I have time to get ready for my date.” She looked at the clock on the microwave. “We’d better hurry. We have a lot of ground to cover and not very much time to do it in. I hope you have high limits on your credit cards.”
    Colton shut his eyes and groaned. “It’s going to be a long afternoon.”
     
    * * *
     
    As Penelope flung her body onto the huge bed, she looked over at him entreatingly. “Come on. You need to lay on the bed to get a feel if it’s the one for you.”
    The cascade of her honey-colored hair flung across the pillow sent his pulse pounding and his fingers itched to run through the soft locks. Honestly, if she’d lie in his bed all the time, it wouldn’t matter what it felt like. Regardless, he wasn’t sure that he could trust himself enough to join her on a bed in a public place without developing an embarrassing erection.
    He scowled down at her. She had a date tonight. Maybe he should go out and find himself a distraction. Obviously his lack of a sex life was starting to affect him.
    She rolled over and sat up on her hands and knees. Obviously, she had no issues making herself right at home on the furniture displays. “Look, Colt,” she grabbed hold of the slats of the headboard and the thick bedpost beside it, “this would work really well for those Dom/sub games you’re into. Just imagine tying someone up to the corners of this baby.” She smirked up at him and he decided a good spanking might do her some good.
    A wave of lust flowed through his entire body at the idea of her tied to those four bedposts, but was distracted by the sound the salesman made, which sounded way too much like a groan. From the look on his face, he was thinking the same licentious thoughts about Penelope that Colton was having. Colton reached over and plucked her off the bed as he turned to the salesman and scowled. “I’ll take it and will pay whatever you need so that it’s delivered today.”
    “No problem, sir. Let me get the paperwork started.”
     
    * * *
     
    Three hours later, they were back at the loft. Colton was kicked-back in the living room sucking down a well-earned beer while Penelope got ready for her date. Thanks to her, they’d actually gotten a lot bought and he was well on his way to having a furnished room again.
    “Hey, Colton, can you come help me?” Penelope was leaning out the door of her bedroom.
    “Sure.” He walked into her room and was greeted with the glorious expanse of her back. He sucked in a breath at the view. God, she was beautiful.
    She looked at him over her shoulder. “Can you zip me up? I can’t reach it to do it myself. This is a new dress and I never realized how hard it was to get into.”
    “No problem,” he said. Even to him, his voice sounded several octaves deeper than normal. He reached to grab the zipper tab and as he started to pull it up, he caught the glimpse of something which surprised him on her right side. She had birds tattooed up her back. He could just see the full body of one and the wings of two others. He gently rubbed his fingertips over them, feeling the silky warmth of her skin. Penelope shivered at his touch.
    “These are amazing.”
    “Thanks.”
    He continued to pull the zipper up her back, but was now intrigued about exactly how far those birds traversed the side of her body. As the zipper closed at the top, he could see the edge of another bird up high on her right shoulder and the word ‘free’ tattooed into its trail.
    He traced that final bird as he said, “I have a feeling there’s a story here.”
    She turned to him and his breath