For weeks, Eliza refused to join up with Ares, but he was insistent. He would always wait for her outside the police station and he would walk her to her starship every chance he got. She was just happy he wasn't following her home, or she would have to get Donovan to take care of him.

She had to admit his constant company was refreshing. She was so used to being alone. It was nice to feel wanted, needed. Eliza started to miss him when she went to bed at night. Then she'd backtrack once she saw the cheeky grin on his face the next day.

"What do I have to do to make you agree, Eliza?" Ares asked, following her around her ship as she checked it over for damages.

Her eyes closed and she sighed. "Get on the ground and beg."

There was a scuffle of shoes and a gentle tug of her pant leg. Her eyes wandered down to see Ares doing exactly as she requested. His hands were clasped together as if he was praying. His eyes were bright with hopefulness and his mouth was turned down in a frown.

"I beg you, Eliza. Please join me in bounty hunting. Please. Please. Please. I will do anything."

Eliza turned red. When she started to notice strangers staring as they walked by, she tried her own begging to get Ares back on his feet.

"Stop it. You look like an idiot. Just stand up. I'll work with you if you'll just stand up."

Ares blinked at her in shock, not really expecting her to agree. Her cheeks and nose were a bright red. It was flattering on her tough face. Ares stood up and looked down at his brand-new partner. She was so short compared to him and he adored it. She was like a fairy.

Eliza gazed up at Ares, wondering if she should have refused him again. He looked too pleased with her response. It was unnerving.

Ares placed his hand on top of Eliza's head, "Thanks, partner."

"That sounded stupid. Never, ever, say that again to me. Or to anyone."

"Maybe you're right. I promise I won't say that ever again, partner."

"Shut up, you ass." Eliza went back to checking over her ship and Ares stayed right there with her. "Don't you have your own ship?"

"Of course! But if we're going to be hunting together, I figured that I would ride along with you."

Eliza took a step and bumped into Ares. She apologized, refusing to meet his stare. He was very solid, and she was not used to being close to anyone except Donovan. Her whole body felt warm and strange.

After she bumped into him, Ares immediately grinned. He watched her face change colors again. For someone with so much spunk, she sure was shy. Hunting was going to be a lot more exciting with her.

"You know this is only a one-seater starship, right?" she said.

"So? I can hold on tight."

Eliza got a wicked idea at that moment. She was well-trained when it came to flying and she could give him a very stressful flying experience. She kept her sly smile buried, "Okay. Fine. We leave in 5."

And they left in a flurry of red dust. Eliza's grin was insane as she felt Ares clutch onto the back of her seat. It didn't do much good when she did a few barrel rolls in between a few skyscrapers. It was so satisfying to hear Ares fumble around the cab and fall with a satisfying thud when she straightened out.

"You all right back there?"

Ares knew what she was doing, and he wasn't too pleased with it. He laid on the floor of her ship, already concocting a plan to get her back. He groaned and sat up. "Yeah. I'm good. I'm just enjoying your experienced flying."

Eliza smirked. To spare him, she flew properly to her – they're bounty head. She landed expertly into a community hangar and hopped out quickly. Ares stumbled out after her. Eliza snickered and handed Ares her tablet with a photo of the man they were hunting on the screen.

"The guy we're going for is Jim Taylor," she told him. "He's been fined for a few minor things like stealing from a few gas stations, but he's recently been found in the black-market world."

"The 'organ donor' that's been giving out animal organs to people who need transplants?"

Eliza was impressed. Ares paid attention to the news. She often came across fellow hunters than knew just enough to get their bounties.

"Exactly. A guy like that will most likely be armed and will have a few people working for him, but he's a small fry compared to some of the other ones I've caught."

"What's the plan then?"

She looked at her watch. Just after 6 p.m. "He’s at the bar down the street, so I'm going to go in and hook him. You'll come in a few minutes after I do and sit in a booth. I'll give you a signal when I convince this guy to go outside and you'll follow us out. That's where we'll get him."

"What will be the signal?"

"I'll put my hair behind my ear and meet your gaze shortly. Hopefully, it'll look normal as flirting."

"Are you flirting with him or me?" Ares grinned, leaning against her ship.

The bridge of her nose reddened. "Not you. I'm supposed to be flirting with him."

"Why would you do that?"

"We don't have time for this. We need to change into nicer clothes."

"As you wish, Miss Eliza."

Ares stared after the small woman. He was excited to work with her. This one time, he would gladly let her lead the hunt. He wanted to see how she worked. Smiling to himself, he casually followed behind her into a nearby clothing store.

Within 15 minutes, Eliza came strolling out of the store in an uncharacteristically sexy black dress. It came down to the middle of her thighs and the top had straps crisscrossing over her back, shoulders, and chest. Her cleavage was easily on display for the casual viewer. Eliza felt she was falling out every which way, but she had to catch the sleaze ball’s attention. Unfortunately, she also caught Ares' attention.

He was standing outside in black jeans and a light grey button up. He had a black hooded jacket over that, and his hair wasn't as unruly. It actually looked like Ares brought a comb through his hair. Eliza appreciated that he could pull off such a casual look and look like he was going to a real fancy place. It would be useful for their hunts.

Ares' eyes grew twice their size when Eliza strolled out of the shop. Every time he saw her, she wore modest clothing. The dress she wore showed off everything and she looked hot. She wasn't too curvy, but her waist was very evident, and she had a slightly rounded butt. Of course, the most eye-catching part of her newly revealed body was her upper assets. He had no clue if she wore some kind of bra that gave her lift, or if they were all natural, but they looked amazing in that dress. He would have to get his act together if they were going to be partners.

"Ready?" she asked, knowing full well that his eyes were scanning her up and down. Of course, it was embarrassing to be stared at, but she had a job to do now and blushing was the last thing she cared about.

He swallowed and smiled as if he wasn't bothered by her dress, "Let's do this."

"Remember, you come in a few minutes after I do to not look suspicious. I'll see you there."

As if Eliza was another person, her high heels clicked along the sidewalk as she left the male behind. Her walk was incredibly feminine compared to the walk she normally had. Ares couldn't keep his eyes off her. He didn’t know her well, but he was ready to beat off any creep that hit on her. He started to feel a bit protective of her virtue, not that he had any right to. Maybe partnering up with such a feisty hunter wasn't his best idea. Then again, it could be.

He had planned to wait five minutes before following her, but the idea of any man eyeing her like their next meal had him marching to the bar within three minutes. He was so relieved to find her untouched at the bar when he walked in. Ares slid into a booth in the line of her sight. When her eyes found him, her jaw tensed.

He pissed her off by coming too early, but as long as it didn't look like they were together, what could be the harm? In response, he hailed a waiter and ordered a beer. He did his best to look interested in the live music going on in the corner of the bar, but he couldn't help glancing at Eliza. As long as she was safe, he wouldn't have to do anything that would give them away. God, her posture looked even more perfect in that dress.

The bar door opened and in walked Jim Taylor. Eliza and Ares met eyes for a second. The hunt was on.