~o~
Tony's ringing cell phone woke him from a deep slumber. He nearly bolted out of bed in his frantic search for his suit coat. Finally finding it, he fished the phone out of the inside breast pocket and looked at the caller ID. He winced. Flipping it open, he pressed it to his ear, preparing for the worst.
"Yeah, Boss."
"DiNozzo," Gibbs barked from the other end of the line. "You two gonna stay in bed all day?"
It took Tony a moment to answer. How did Gibbs know he was in Kate's hotel room? Shaking his head, he refocused on the phone.
"We're on our way," he lied, hoping Gibbs didn't kill him for it later.
"Move faster," Gibbs said. "McGee's got something.
And then the line went dead. Tony pulled the phone away from his ear and glared at it. He could hear Kate stirring behind him, so he dropped the phone on the nightstand and crawled back under the covers. He spooned up behind her, nibbling on her ear as he encircled her in his arms.
"You awake?" he asked quietly.
"Mmmm," she purred. "I could be. What have you got in mind?"
"Not what you've got in mind," he said on a sigh. "Gibbs just called. He wants us in the office ASAP. McGee's got something."
"I'm gonna kill Tim," she said. She rolled over and pulled Tony close. "Good morning."
Tony smiled. "It is a good morning, isn't it?"
He leaned in and kissed her, trying his best to keep the kiss under control. They didn't have a lot of time, and he had no interest in starting something he couldn't finish.
"Wait," Kate said as he pulled back. "Did you say he wants us both to come in? How'd he know you were here?"
He winced. "Yesterday at the warehouses, when I saw you coming out after we'd wrapped up, he must have seen something. I was still…stewing…over everything."
"That's putting it mildly," she snarked.
"Anyway," Tony said dramatically, trying not to dwell too much on his own stupidity. "He whacked me upside the head and told me to get my head out of my ass. So, I did."
Instead of being angry, Kate burst out laughing. "He would, too."
"C'mon," Tony said, smiling with relief that she wasn't upset. He slid out of bed, tugging her behind him. "Let's get moving. We don't want to keep Gibbs waiting."
She grabbed her top and pants from the floor and threw them in the direction of her suitcase as she watched Tony retrieve his suit from the floor. "Think anyone'll notice that your suit's all wrinkled?"
Tony flashed a grin. "I picked up my dry cleaning yesterday morning, so I have a change of clothes in my car."
"Good thinking," she said.
She sidled up to him and wrapped her arms around him, and he leaned down and kissed her, long and slow.
"I meant what I said last night," he told her. "I love you. We'll find a way to make this work, no matter what."
"I believe you," she said, beaming a smile. "And I love you, too."
He kissed her again, before pulling away reluctantly. "Why don't you go grab a shower while I get my clothes out of the car."
"Deal," she agreed. "Room key's on the nightstand."
He watched her walk to the bathroom, then turned and found the key next to his phone. He pulled his pants on, jammed his feet into his dress shoes and grabbed the key. He heard the shower come on as he stepped out of the room, a stupid grin on his face.
If Gibbs didn't kill them for being late, the future was looking promising.
~o~
Tony and Kate charged into NCIS headquarters a scant 35 minutes after Gibbs' phone call. They entered the bullpen and stopped, breathing a sigh of relief when they saw Gibbs' desk was empty. Their relief was short-lived. Gibbs cruised in behind them, whacking both of them upside the head on his way to his desk.
Tony reached up and rubbed at his head. He couldn't remember a worse stretch—it had been three days in a row that Gibbs had whacked him. He was beginning to develop a complex. He turned to Kate, who smiled sympathetically at him.
"What have you got, McGee?" he barked on his way through.
Kate glanced at Ziva as she rose from her desk, hand out for Kate's purse. Kate smiled and handed it over for Ziva to stow under the desk. That done, she came around and joined the rest of the team in front of the screen next to Gibbs' desk.
"Abby and I did some digging into the warehouse," McGee said as he pulled up some information on the screen. "Turns out Keener's parents ran an import/export business. We were able to confirm that the business was shut down six months ago, but they still have a valid export license."
"What kind of goods are we talking about here, McGoogle?" Tony asked.
"They imported artisan goods from Ireland, mostly wool products, sometimes local cheeses," he said.
"Sounds pretty typical," Kate said. "Especially if they were Irish."
"What about what they exported, McGee?" Ziva asked.
"Again, mostly local goods. Crafts, woodworking, some textiles," he said. "They were doing alright until the economy started to weaken."
"That's a polite way to put it," Tony said.
"You got anything else?" Gibbs asked.
"I've got something," another voice put in.
The team turned as one to find Abby standing behind them in the bullpen.
"What've you got, Abs?" Gibbs asked.
"I was trying to figure out why the export license was still active," she said without preamble. She walked up to the monitors and typed a few keys on the keyboard. A new screen emerged. "While I was digging around, I found this."
"What is it?" Kate asked.
"It's a bill of lading, dated for today," she explained. "They're shipping something on a container ship leaving tonight. I checked with the dock, and Customs has already inspected the container and it's scheduled to be loaded this afternoon."
"What you wanna bet that container isn't full of kitchy local crafts?" Tony said.
"Tony, Ziva, Kate, mount up," Gibbs said as he moved around his desk to retrieve his gun and badge. "McGee, contact the dock and stop them from loading that container." And with that, he moved back around his desk and started to walk out. He paused in front of Abby. "Good work, Abs," he said. He kissed her on the lips, lingering just a bit longer than was strictly necessary, and strode out of the bullpen.
Tony, Kate, Ziva and McGee looked at each other, then four sets of eyes settled on Abby, who grinned like the proverbial Cheshire Cat.
"Oh, we are so talking later," Kate promised.
Abby's smile only got bigger.
Ziva smiled at Tony and McGee's twin looks of confusion. She and Tony both hoisted their backpacks onto their shoulders, and the three of them followed their boss out of the bullpen.
~o~
Ziva pulled the sedan to a stop just inside the gates to the secure loading area. Every container in the gated section had already gone through a Customs inspection, and were all waiting to be transported dockside to be loaded onto the cargo ships. Gibbs, Tony and Kate piled out and stepped around to the trunk, which Ziva had popped before climbing out of the car herself.
"Next time, I drive," Tony muttered as he lifted the lid on the trunk.
"I do not understand why you complain about my driving, Tony," Ziva said. "You are still alive."
"Ziva," Tony said, "this is not 'The Italian Job'. We aren't being chased. The least you could do is obey the speed limit."
"And where is the fun in that?" she said, glancing over to Kate and winking.
"Knock it off, DiNozzo," Gibbs said.
He reached into the trunk and pulled out a Kevlar vest, pulling it over his head as the rest of the team did the same.
"How do you want to play this, Boss?" Tony asked, returning to business.
Kate pulled a map from the pocket of her jacket, now laying on the fender. Unfolding it, she examined it for a moment. "The Dock Supervisor said that the container is here." She pointed to the map, indicating where the container was stored before being transported to the ship for loading.
Gibbs looked over the map, digesting the logistics. "Tony, you and Ziva approach from this direction," he said, tracing a path with his finger. "Kate, you're with me."
Tony looked at Kate. "Be careful," he said. Catching Gibbs' frown, he amended his statement. "Both of you."
Gibbs smirked, then said to Kate, "Let's go."
Ziva and Tony headed off, intent on swinging around and approaching the container from the other side, just in case Keener was there and decided to run. Kate followed Gibbs straight through the forest of containers, headed straight for the one that they were looking for.
As they drew closer, they could hear angry shouting. They moved as one behind a container just one row over, both drawing their guns. Kate slipped in behind Gibbs, who poked his head around the container, trying to get a look at the situation. It didn't sound good to her. She could make out two voices, though there could be others, and they seemed to be arguing.
Gibbs pulled his head back and turned to Kate, holding up two fingers to indicate how many subjects he'd seen. Kate nodded. It confirmed her suspicions. He indicated to her to swing around him and move up the other side of the aisle. Ducking his head around the container one more time, he spotted Ziva on the other side of the container. He nodded to her, then turned and motioned for Kate to get moving.
She swung out, and Gibbs moved along the container, mirroring her movements. They cleared the container and raised their guns. Both men were standing in front of the container, which had been opened, the Customs lock laying on the ground next to the container. Neither man was aware of the Agents closing in on them.
"Freeze! Federal Agents!" Gibbs called out.
Both men stopped and turned as one. The taller of the two pulled his gun and fired two shots at him, which both went wide. Then, he took off at a dead run, Tony and Ziva following. The other man, Staff Sergeant Keener, stood frozen in place.
"Don't move!" Kate yelled, though it seemed unnecessary.
She covered him while Gibbs moved in and spun him around. "Hands on the container," he said. He searched the man, finding no gun. He pulled his handcuffs out of the holster at the small of his back and slapped it over one wrist, pulling that arm down behind the suspect.
"Staff Sergeant Brian Keener, you are under arrest," Kate said as she watched Gibbs work.
With the suspect pinned to the wall, he pulled his other arm down and locked the cuffs around that wrist.
"You got this?" Kate asked.
Gibbs nodded. "Go."
He pulled the man away from the container as Kate took off at a run, following Tony and Ziva into the maze of containers. Spinning the young man around, he tugged him around the door to the container, peering inside to get a look at the contents.
The lids on several of the shipping crates had been popped off, and the contents were in slight disarray. But there was no mistaking what had been put inside: the missing mortars.
Gibbs turned to the man in question. Staff Sergeant Keener looked like a man defeated. He stood with his head down and shoulders slumped. Gibbs tugged his cell phone from his belt and called headquarters. Then he pulled the doors to the container closed and secured them as best he could. They'd need to get someone to guard the container until the Marines could come collect the weapons.
"Let's go," he finally said to Keener.
~o~
Tony and Ziva wove between the containers, catching glimpses of their prey as he whipped around corners ahead of them. Suddenly, the man stopped and took two shots at them. Both Tony and Ziva ducked back behind a container to avoid the bullets. When they moved back out into the aisle, they caught sight of the man just as he disappeared around another corner.
Tony looked up. "I'm goin' up top," he told Ziva as he holstered his gun and started to climb the nearest container. "I'll see if I can get ahead of him while you come in from behind."
He made it to the top of the container, rolling from his stomach onto his back at the same time he pulled his gun. He scrambled up and moved in the direction he'd last seen their suspect, just as Kate came around the corner.
"Where'd Tony go?" she asked Ziva.
Ziva pointed up. Kate followed her hand upwards and saw Tony running along the top of the container, then leaping from one to the next.
"Right," Kate said, looking back down at Ziva. "Let's go."
She and Ziva ran down the aisle, intent on catching up to the suspect before he found a way out of the Customs yard. They moved quickly in the same direction Tony had gone, trying to keep him in sight. Finally, they caught sight of the perp going around a corner near the edge of the yard.
Ziva called to Kate. "I will try to cut him off."
Kate nodded and raced ahead. She turned one more corner, and hit a dead end. She backtracked, catching sight of Tony above her. She followed him along the container, then moved ahead and turned a corner. She could hear footsteps, but couldn't tell where exactly they were coming from. She slowed, peering carefully around the corner of the container she was leaning against. She saw movement, and ducked back quickly.
Then, several things happened at the same time. Kate heard a sound behind her, and swung around, gun raised, to find their suspect taking aim at her. Before she could squeeze the trigger, a shot rang out at the same moment that Tony dropped down next to him.
Kate saw the suspect drop to the ground, writhing in pain. She glanced down at her own vest, but she hadn't been shot. It was then that Ziva came out from behind the next container over, her gun still raised.
Tony kicked the suspect's gun away, and Ziva picked it up before moving closer. She lowered her gun and pulled her handcuffs.
"Would you like to, or shall I?" she asked.
"By all means, Ziva," Tony said, waving a hand at their suspect.
Kate jogged up while Ziva cuffed him, despite his rather loud protests. She dragged him to his feet, and Kate could see clearly that Ziva's shot merely grazed his arm.
"Oh, shut up," Ziva said, exasperated. "It is only a flesh wound."
"You shot me, you bitch," he continued to protest. His voice carried an obvious Irish accent, confirming their suspicions.
"I think you'll live," Tony said.
He grabbed the man's uninjured arm and began dragging him back towards the front of the yard, Kate and Ziva following.
"Nice shot," Kate said.
Ziva smiled, hearing the gratitude behind the words. "Thank you."
They marched their suspect back towards the car, enduring his loud protests the whole way.
"If you do not shut up, I will shoot you again," Ziva finally said. "And this time, it will be someplace far more important."
"And if she doesn't, I will," Kate added.
That shut him up. Tony cast a smirk back towards the two women, who simply smiled unrepentantly.
~o~
McGee and Ziva stood in the observation room, looking through the glass as Tony, with his back to them, questioned Staff Sergeant Keener. The Staff Sergeant sat quietly, cuffed hands in front of him on the table, not looking up at all. He gave every appearance of a man who knew his life was over.
"Want to tell me what happened?" Tony asked quietly. He'd realized fairly quickly that Keener wouldn't give him much trouble, so there was little point playing bad cop with him.
Keener sighed and looked up, finally meeting Tony's eyes. "Craig asked me to do it," he said, and Ziva and McGee could both see the tears gathering in his eyes. "I think he's always been a little in love with Ciara. We met up with her and her boyfriend last year in Ireland, and when she called him after we'd gotten home, he was eager to do anything she wanted."
"Did you know he was dying?" Tony asked.
"Yeah," Keener said. "That's part of the reason I did it. I knew I wasn't going to have him around much longer. I wanted to make him happy."
"So you commit treason?" Tony asked. "That doesn't sound very smart."
"Do you have a brother, Special Agent DiNozzo?" he asked.
"No, I don't," Tony said.
"Well, I'd have done anything for my brother," he said.
Ziva cringed as she watched through the glass. Devotion to his brother had cost him a lot. She wasn't as unfamiliar with that feeling as she'd like to be, and she knew it.
Tony sighed. "What happened to your team?"
Keener cringed. "We'd always talked about doing this, like it was some big adventure. But after we'd actually done it, Romero and Heffner got cold feet. We argued, and then Heffner said he was going to turn himself in. Said he didn't sign up for this."
"So you shot him?" Tony asked.
"Yeah," Keener said.
"And Romero?" Tony asked. "Did you shoot him, too?"
"Yeah," Keener said, more quietly this time.
"What about Private Roland?" Tony asked after a bit.
Keener's head popped up. "I didn't shoot him. That's not on me."
"You saying it was your partner?"
"Yeah," Keener said. "Paddy shot him. Roland was pissed because he thought Paddy was gonna shaft him on the money."
"Were you getting paid, too?" Tony asked.
"It wasn't about the money," Keener said, "but, yeah, we were all supposed to get paid."
"And your brother?" Tony asked quietly.
"Paddy killed him, too," Keener said, his voice breaking slightly. "He said Brendan told him to tie up any loose ends."
"And your brother was a loose end." It was a statement, not a question. "How'd you get the ordinance from California to Baltimore?"
"Paddy had a contact," Keener said, looking down. "A guy with a plane who wouldn't ask questions. He flew us out here three days ago. I don't know what happened to him after that."
Tony looked at Keener for a long moment. "Okay. Sit tight. We're gonna need to talk to you again later."
"I'll tell you everything you want to know," Keener said, looking up at Tony.
Tony got up and moved to the door, quietly shutting it behind him. McGee and Ziva joined him in the hall.
"After you left, I checked Craig's phone records. I found calls from his home and cell phone to and from Ireland over the last eight months," McGee told them, holding up a folder with the phone records in it.
"Then he is telling the truth," Ziva said. "At least about his brother."
"Small consolation," Tony said.
"Abby finished the ballistics on the gun his partner was using," McGee said as they moved down the hallway towards the other interrogation room. "It's a .45, and it matches the gun used to kill Roland and Craig Keener."
"So it was the partner who killed his brother," Ziva said as they entered the observation room. Seated at the table facing them, his shackled hands resting on the table and a smug look on his face, sat their other suspect.
"Keener seemed adamant that he hadn't killed Roland," Tony said. "I believe him."
The door opened behind them, and Kate slipped through. She joined the rest of the team at the window.
"His name is Palladin St John," she said, without prompting. "But he goes by Paddy. He's Brendan O'Day's top lieutenant."
"Well, there's your connection," Tony said. "Smug Irish bastard."
"He's not Irish," Kate said. "His mother was French, but his father was a British soldier stationed in Northern Ireland during 'The Troubles'. He was killed in the sectarian violence."
"Okay," McGee said, sounding confused. "Then why did he join the provos?"
Kate shrugged. "He grew up bouncing back and forth between France and England, but no one seems to know why he took up with the provos. His family was Protestant, with no ties we could ever find to Ireland."
Just then, Gibbs entered the interrogation room. He sat down with his back to the window and set a file down on the table, lacing his fingers together in front of him, silently taking the measure of the man he was facing.
"This ought to be fun," Tony snarked.
None of the others could disagree.
~o~
"So, what can I do for you, boyo?" St. John asked, smug expression and Irish accent still firmly in place.
"You can cut the act, for one," Gibbs said. He flipped his file open, perusing the ballistics information Abby had supplied.
St. John chuckled. "You Yanks and your Hollywood. You think everything's a film."
"You're not Irish, Mr. St. John," Gibbs said, looking up to meet his eyes. "Your mother was French and your father was a British paratrooper. I know the accent's phony, so cut the crap."
St. John's expression soured. "Fine," he said in more clipped British tones. "What would you like me to tell you?"
Gibbs smirked. "For starters, what you were doing in the secured Customs area of the port? No one's allowed in there except authorized personnel."
"You Yanks don't secure things very well," he said. The smug look returned full force.
"Did you know that there were surveillance cameras on the front gate?" Gibbs asked. "They've got a really good picture of you popping the lock on the front gate."
St. John shrugged. "I suppose this is where you tell me that I'm in real trouble?"
"Yep," Gibbs said. He closed the file and folded his hands on top of it, leveling the other man with a hard gaze. "We have your gun. The one you used to kill Private Roland and Craig Keener. And we have the testimony of your accomplice."
"Keener's a git," St. John sneered. "He'd give up his own mother if he thought it'd keep him out of trouble. Besides, if that's all you've got, I'll walk easy."
"How do you figure?" Gibbs asked, genuinely curious.
St. John leaned forward. "Eye witnesses are tricky, you know? They forget, get details wrong. Hard to make a case when you only have one witness. And how do you know I was the one to pull the trigger? I could have just been holding the gun for your Staff Sergeant."
Gibbs leaned back. "If that's all you've got, you're going to have to work a little harder."
"How do you figure?" St. John asked, leaning back, mirroring Gibbs' position and words.
Gibbs pointed at the other man. "You know those clothes you so happily gave up when you arrived?"
St. John looked down at the sweats he was currently wearing, then back up at Gibbs. "I'd like them back when you're done. These aren't really my style."
"Well, you're gonna have to get used to ugly clothes from now on," Gibbs said, chuckling. "Those clothes you're so fond of had gun powder residue and blood from Private Roland. Those two things only get there if you pulled the trigger."
"Still doesn't mean I did it," St. John said, though his tone held less conviction than before.
"You're going down for this, Paddy," Gibbs said, leaning forward again. "The only question is, how hard. It doesn't have to be tough. Tell us what happened. I can see to it that the US Attorney cuts you a deal."
"You Yanks and your funny ideas of justice," he said dismissively. "I'm not helping you do your job. Either you've got evidence or you don't. Either way, I suspect I'll be on my way home in no time."
"I've already spoken to the British Ambassador," Gibbs revealed, surprising St. John. "He's inclined to let you rot. Seems you've been a thorn in the British government's side for longer than they'd have liked. It's not looking good for you."
St. John shrugged, but it held little of the bravado from just a few moments ago. "Do your worst, Special Agent Gibbs. I've got nothing to fear."
"Suit yourself," Gibbs said, shrugging as he rose. He leaned in close, almost whispering to the other man. "But if you think your provo pals are gonna be able to bail you out, think again. They have no reach here. And even if they did, why would they want to bail out a spoiled English brat who's playing at cops and robbers?"
With that, Gibbs strode out of the room, leaving their suspect utterly speechless and wondering what had just happened.
~o~
Tony chuckled as he watched Gibbs leave the room. "Bet he doesn't know what just hit him."
"The Ambassador was so grateful we'd arrested him that he promised the Director and Gibbs a bottle of single malt scotch," McGee said. "Each."
Tony whistled. "Nice."
"It will not bring Staff Sergeant Keener's brother back, but at least we know he will be held accountable for his crimes," Ziva said.
"And some dangerous munitions have been kept out of the hands of terrorists," Kate said. "That's the way it's supposed to turn out. Whatever happens to St. John from now on is just icing on the cake."
"Well, I'm gonna go get a head start on my report," McGee said. "This one's gonna take forever."
McGee walked across the observation room and opened the door. Kate followed, pulling her cell phone out of her jacket pocket as she slipped out the door. When Ziva turned to follow, she was stopped by Tony's voice.
"Thanks, Ziva," he said.
She cocked her head. "For what?"
Tony's eyes flicked to the door, then back to her. He stuffed his hands into his pockets. "Just thanks."
Ziva frowned, then her face cleared and she smiled knowingly. "You are welcome."
Then she moved through the door, leaving Tony alone in the room. He turned and looked back at their suspect, who was still sitting in the interrogation room. He hated what the man stood for, and what he'd done and been about to do. But because of him—because of this case—Tony had reconnected with Kate. St. John may not have known it, but at least some good had come out of the whole situation.
Tony took a deep breath and turned from the window, heading for his desk and his own reports.
~o~
The mood at Sartucci's was especially good that night. They'd stopped a shipment of arms to a known terrorist organization, and even though it had been one of their own who'd been responsible, in the end he would face justice. That was all any of them could ask for.
The whole team had joined the celebration, including Gibbs, much to Tim and Tony's surprise. Kate and Ziva, however, were not surprised at all. Considering that Abby had joined them, neither of the women were at all surprised to find the boss at their table, seated right next to Abby with his arm over the back of her chair. He was even smiling.
The sight of a smiling Gibbs still unnerved Tony, but he supposed he could get used to it. Especially since he had Kate seated right next to him, leaning into him as she sipped her wine.
It had been a rough week, but the team was enjoying the celebration. Even Ducky and Jimmy Palmer had come out to join the group. They'd laughed and told stories until their sides hurt. It had been wonderful, but eventually the evening had to end.
Kate had scheduled herself on the red-eye back to California, so she excused herself early. Tony followed Kate out of the restaurant, catching up to her just a few feet out of the door.
"Wait," he said, hooking her elbow with his hand.
She stopped and turned around. She knew it would only get harder if she faced him, but ignoring him wasn't an option.
"What is it, Tony?" she asked.
"Stay," he said, pleading with his eyes.
"Tony, we've talked about this," she said.
It pained her, but she'd already given him every argument she could think of for why she wasn't staying in DC. It seemed he wasn't getting the message.
"I don't mean 'stay'," he said. "Well, yes, technically, I do. But right now, I mean stay the weekend. You don't have to fly back tonight. Stay with me. You can come in on Monday to file your report and then fly out."
"Tony," she said exasperated. She was on the edge of giving in, and she knew he knew it.
"Please," he said, stepping closer. "I can't let you go yet. Don't ask me to."
That put her over the edge. "Okay. I'll change my flight."
"Yes!" Tony exclaimed quietly, pumping a fist as he turned her around and guided her to his car.
"You don't have to gloat," she said.
"Not gloating," he said, schooling his face into a more serious mask.
They arrived at his car, and he helped her inside before jogging around to the driver's side. He slipped behind the wheel while Kate pulled out her phone and tapped a few keys.
"Changing your flight?" he asked hopefully.
Kate smiled. "Texting Theresa to have her take care of it. I'm afraid she'll reach through the phone and strangle me if I call her one more time."
"You really like it out there, don't you?" he asked, subdued.
Kate looked at him, and saw the wistfulness on his face. "Yeah, I do. They're a great team, and the weather in San Diego is nice. But this'll always be home."
Tony smiled, another of his high-wattage smiles that always took her breath away. "C'mon. I'll take you by the hotel so you can grab your stuff and check out."
"I'm not gonna regret this, am I?" she asked. He frowned, so she elaborated. "I mean, you live alone. There aren't dirty socks and used condoms laying around?"
"Kate, you wound me," he said, winking. "I'm not that bad. I have a cleaning lady that comes once a week."
"You do?" she asked, surprised.
"Yeah, I do," he confirmed. "What, you think I like living in a pigsty?"
"No, but you're a bachelor," she said. "Before they got married, my brothers had to be threatened with a visit from the health department before they'd clean their apartments."
"Well, I'm not your brothers," he said.
The look in his eyes nearly stole her breath. There was such love and acceptance that she could hardly believe it. It made her wonder, really wonder, what she was doing going back to California. How could she leave this?
"No, you're not," she whispered. She cupped his cheek with her hand and leaned over to kiss him. She leaned back and smiled at him. "Let's go. I'm more than a little curious to see what your place looks like."
Tony smiled. "You're gonna love it."
He guided his car out into traffic as he began to talk about some of the things they could do with their time over the next couple of days. He still held out hope that he could convince her to stay longer than just the weekend. But right now, he'd take what he could get.
...continued...