His hands unclench, and he acts as if he’s going to reach for me, but then lets them drop. The air is charged between us, and anything could set us off. It’s like a gas leak waiting on a match to strike before the whole thing explodes.

So instead of giving in to the flame, I take a step back and then another, until my ass hits the large door behind me. I turn to pull it open forgetting about it being locked and feel Oz’s body press against mine, his smell filling my lungs, wrapping around me like I’ve been thinking about for days. I didn’t even know you could miss a smell.

He places a kiss on my neck softly and I tilt my head, giving in to what we both want. Before I can even take another breath he’s turning me, my back hitting the door once again.

“I’ll give you until Saturday but you’ll give me something to hold me over.” His mouth takes mine before I can even ask what he wants. Taking what he wants. Demanding my lips to open to his and they do. I’m starting to think he owns my body more than I actually do.

I moan into his mouth and he eats my passion like he can’t get enough of it. Before finally pulling away, leaving us both breathless. I’m almost in a daze from everything I felt from one kiss.

“Go now, or I’ll never let you leave this room.”

Oz reaches into his pocket, and I hear the clicks of the locks disengaging. He’s letting me leave, and for some reason, it makes my heart ache.

“Tomorrow,” he says, and for a second it sounds like a threat. But even as I think it, my excitement grows.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Mallory

When I get back to my desk, I see a medium-sized plain white envelope sitting on it, and I immediately think it’s from Oz.

“Paige gave that to me to give to you,” Skyler says, looking down at the package with clear interest. “Okay, so maybe she jumped me in the bathroom and forced it on me.”

I laugh, picturing Paige waiting in the bathroom for the perfect moment. I pick up the package and rip it open. A cheap-looking phone slides out. One text message is visible on the screen.

Red Bull Whore: Operation Ruby Slippers is a go, Dorothy.

I can’t help but laugh.

“She got you a phone?” Skyler eyes me because it’s clear it’s one of those cheap phones you get inside a gas station or something.

Leaning forward, I whisper, “We’re going out tonight.”

She probably thinks I’m being crazy. “Simon’s Wine Bar. Up East Street, four blocks.” I nod, probably in the wrong direction. I still get a little turned around being so new to New York.

“Everyone else is going to Marie’s Yacht Club like always,” she says.

I shake my head.

“I don’t want to go where everyone is going,” I admit, knowing Oz would find us in point two seconds. We’ll at least give him a good chase by not following the crowd.

“Ah. Dodging the boss, I see.” She leans in a little farther and whispers, “I’m in.”

I smile back at her. I don’t know why this is so fun. Maybe because I feel like I’m sneaking out, which I never did because I never had anyone who would have cared if I did. The thought that I do now makes my stomach flutter, but I ignore it.

I text Paige back.

Dorothy: I really think your name should be Peggy Carter. Just sayin’.

I laugh when I see she actually programmed my name as Dorothy and I even have a little picture. If I’m going to be Dorothy, she should have to be Peggy. This math adds up to me. After all, we are trying to skip out on Captain.

Red Bull Whore: Not happening.

Dorothy: Too late. I already changed your name in the phone.

I send a pic I find on Google real quick of Captain America kissing Peggy Carter.

Peggy Carter: Grrr... Whatever. Peggy doesn’t even end up with Captain America! She, like, all dies and shit. Don’t put that dead voodoo on me!

Dorothy: Well, there is a chance we’ll die and shit if we get caught tonight.

Peggy Carter: I think you mean WHEN. They might not find us until we come back home, but they will know we went MIA for a while.

Dorothy: Does it make me terrible that I kind of can’t wait for Oz to flip his shit?

Part of me is doing this because I want to show him I can do whatever I want, whether he likes it or not. He can’t always have eyes on me. Call it an act of rebellion, but I want to assert myself.

Peggy Carter: No. Leave your normal cell in your desk.

I pull my cell phone out and put it in my desk before taking my seat.

“I’ll meet you there if my girl feels up to going out,” Skyler says before going back to her chair. I lose myself in work for a few hours until my secret phone dings again.

I pick it up and see a pic of Captain, studying a computer screen. He doesn’t look like he normally does in a suit. This time it looks like he just got done working out. Jesus, no wonder Paige has a crush on him. He has this whole I’ll-snap-a-man-in-half look mixed with I-always-call-women-ma’am-and-open-doors-for-them. It’s oddly appealing.

Peggy Carter: Look at him. He doesn’t even know in a few short hours he’s going to want to murder me. *evil laughs*

I giggle, and then the laughter takes over.

Dorothy: WHY IS THIS SO FUNNY?!

I can’t stop laughing. I have no idea why this secret operation thing keeps making me laugh. We’ve been planning on doing something Friday night for the past few days and it’s slowly morphed into this whole big thing.

Peggy Carter: Because they’re always two steps ahead of us and it makes me want to throat punch them.