by Rachel Lee
Reluctantly Maggie let Ricci slip out of her arms. He waddled across the room, stopped to show Adam his shirt, then reached up to be lifted into Eleanora’s arms.
“Here, let me, señora.” Creighton stepped forward and lifted the child into his arms. To Maggie’s surprise, the chief of staff didn’t even blink when Ricci tugged his paisley handkerchief out of his pocket and flapped it experimentally.
“It is not señora.”
Everyone in the room turned to stare at Eleanora.
Her dark eyes held a shy smile as they met Creighton’s. “I am not married.”
“Really?” He smoothed his free hand over his shiny forehead. “Well, you must let me show you some of Washington’s sights. There’s an exhibit of pre-Columbian art at the Smithsonian you may be interested in.”
He hefted Ricci higher on his hip, took Eleanora’s arm and escorted her out of the office.
Sarah wasn’t the only one whose mouth dropped in astonishment.
Senator Chandler gaped.
“I’ll be damned,” Jake murmured.
Even Adam snorted.
Maggie laughed outright. She just might have to recalculate the final success ratio on this operation. It appeared there might have been more takes than she’d originally thought.
She bid repeated affectionate goodbyes to the children, then sighed as the door closed behind the lively group. Sudden, undisturbed silence descended, wrapping her and Adam in a quiet cocoon.
“Listen to this,” she said, indicating the quiet room with a wave of one hand. “I don’t think Jake’s going to hear anything like this ever again. Think he’ll be able to handle it?”
“He’ll manage.”
Maggie turned at the sound of Adam’s cool voice. “Still torqued about my little adventures in Cartoza? That’s ‘upset’ in oil-field lingo,” she added helpfully.
His blue eyes rested on her face. “I rarely get upset, and have yet to get torqued.”
Someday, Maggie thought. Someday.
“You pulled this one off, Maggie, but I don’t want any more tripleheaders. I can’t afford to lose any of my agents. Particularly a stubborn, independent one with a built-in sixth sense as accurate as radar—who always manages to get the job done in her own inimitable style.”
Maggie offered her version of a salute. It brought a pained expression to Adam’s face. “Aye, aye, Chief. I promise, I’ll be the perfect model of a docile, well-behaved secret agent.”
She strolled to the door, tossing him a cheeky grin over one shoulder. “Until the next time I go in the field.”
ISBN: 978-1-4268-6425-4
AN OFFICER AND A GENTLEMAN
Copyright © 2010 by Harlequin Books S.A.
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AN OFFICER AND A GENTLEMAN
Copyright © 1991 by Susan Civil
NIGHT OF THE JAGUAR
Copyright © 1995 by Merline Lovelace
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