by Romancing the Crown Series (13-in-1 bundle) (v1. 0) (lit)
Chapter 9
One foot in front of the other. Breathe in, breathe out. Simple, basic, mindless motion. Kate listened to the slap of her running shoes on cobblestone and the rhythmic rush of her pulse and waited for the calm that usually came over her by this point in her run.
It didn't happen. Despite working twelve hours straight at the command post today and pushing her body near its limit tonight, she couldn't empty her mind. She couldn't leave this tension behind. All she could think of was the taste of Sam's kiss yesterday, the feel of the deck beneath her back and his weight on top of her.
Once again, the past tangled with the present. She remembered their last night on the sailboat they had rented. They'd used the foredeck then. There had been more room. They'd propped their backs against the cabin house and watched the stars come out. Then Sam had taken her clothes off one item at a time and shown her new stars, whole constellations that weren't in the sky.
That had been magic, too.
She pushed her pace up a notch.
"Hi. Mind if I keep you company?"
She snapped her head toward the voice. A male figure jogged toward her from the darkened alley she had just passed. For a large man he moved silently, his tread as easy as a loping predator's, leashed power in every line of his body.
She would have known who it was even if she hadn't recognized his voice. Only one man she knew had a body that could move like that.
Damn him, damn him. The silent curse matched the beat of her footsteps. This had been her last refuge, her escape, her time to herself. Now he'd intruded on this, as well. "What are you doing here, Sam?" she demanded.
He caught up to her and adjusted his pace to hers. "Enjoying the evening."
"Sam..."
"This breeze is a nice change from the heat we had today. I've heard it's been unseasonably warm for October lately. Have you noticed that?"
"Yes, it's been warmer than usual."
"We're bound to get a weather change soon. Might as well enjoy it while we can."
How could he be making small talk when her painstakingly constructed world was teetering around her? "Sam, did you deliberately follow me?"
"Absolutely. How else would I have found you?"
His ready answer struck her speechless for a moment. She hadn't expected such a blatant admission.
"Why didn't you want to go out with our fleet today?" he asked.
"I had other things to catch up on at the command post."
"You missed the meeting with the police chief."
"I was busy. I thought you could handle that by yourself."
"Uh-huh. I looked for you when I got back to the base, but you'd already left. We're partners, Kate. You can't keep avoiding me."
She hated it when he was right. "Has there been a development?"
"Not with Chambers, no, but I thought you'd like to know I took the coin I found yesterday to the Montebellan Museum."
"Oh. What did they say?"
"It's a Spanish doubloon, just like you thought."
"Is anyone from the museum going to investigate the cave?"
"I gave the location to the antiquities coordinator. He said old coins have been turning up around the coast for years, so finding one wasn't that unusual, but he'll pass the information on to the university anyway. They'll probably send some graduate students out to investigate."
"Sometimes it's better to let the past stay buried," she muttered.
"Ah, but sometimes with a little persistence one finds a lost treasure. You're in great shape, you know. When did you take up jogging?"
When? As soon as her body had recovered sufficiently from her miscarriage, that's when. "A while ago."
"It shows. Your legs are fantastic." He turned and ran backward in front of her as he looked at her appreciatively. "But you already know I'm a leg man."
"Sam, I think we should change the subject."
He fell in by her side as the street curved up a tree-lined hill. "Why? I like the subject of your legs. But if you like, we can talk about those dimples you have right below the small of your back above the place where—"
"Sam, stop it."
"Why?"
"I thought we agreed that we wouldn't..." She paused. "We agreed to leave the past alone."
"That agreement expired the second you kissed me, and you know it."
"Then we'll make a new agreement."
"Okay. We won't kiss while we're on duty."
"Sam—"
"That will be oh-seven-hundred tomorrow. By my reckoning that leaves us almost ten hours to find an opportunity to kiss again."
"This is ridiculous. I'm not going to schedule anything like that."
"You're right. It's better to be spontaneous." He grabbed her hand, using her momentum to whirl her into his arms. With three strides he left the road and backed them both into the shadow of a tree.
"Sam!"
He smothered her protest with a swift, hard kiss.
She flattened her palms on his chest, intending to push him away. But then his mouth softened, moving with gentle, teasing nips that made her lift her face to follow him.
He smiled against her lips and pressed closer until her back came up against the tree.
Oh, damn him, damn him. This time the curse kept pace with the pulse she felt pounding in her ears. How could he do this so effortlessly? One touch, one kiss, and her resolve simply crumbled. She turned her head and gulped for air, trying to clear her mind.
He ran his thumb along her lower lip. "I said I wanted to kiss you first, remember?"
She also remembered how she'd told herself to stop.. .and she vividly remembered what had happened when they hadn't. She clasped the tree trunk behind her and used it to lever herself out of his embrace. "I have no intention of picking up where we left off yesterday, Sam."
"That's okay. I'll enjoy starting from the beginning."
She shook her head and turned toward the street. She had put half a block between them before she heard the light pad of his footsteps behind her. He moved to her side and matched his stride to hers, seemingly content to continue the run in silence.
But he didn't have to say anything to make her aware of him. She heard his breathing. She inhaled his scent. She could still taste his kiss on her lips. She even imagined she could feel the warmth that was coming off his body.
They left the cobblestone streets behind as they reached the road that led to the naval base. Although traffic was sparse at this hour, they kept to the side of the pavement. They were less than a mile from the base when Sam finally spoke again. "Do you remember that restaurant we used to go to in the Keys?" he asked. "The one with the fishing net that was hung from the ceiling?"
Yes, she remembered. They'd liked to eat at one particular table in the corner because it had been private, but the net had drooped low over that spot. Sam had tangled with it on more than one occasion, usually because he wasn't paying attention to his surroundings—he was too focused on getting them to someplace even more private.
"I kept whacking my head into the edge of the net every time I stood up, remember?"
"Vaguely. What about it?"
"I found a restaurant west of the base that does seafood almost as good."
"The Flying Jib?"
"That's right. Do you know it?"
"I've heard of it. It's very popular."
"But you haven't been there?"
"No, I—" She stopped herself from explaining. As a rule, she kept herself too busy to socialize much. Oh, she had made plenty of friends at the various postings she'd had, but lately most of her off-duty hours seemed to be taken up with solitary runs or studying naval regulations.
Why was that? She used to enjoy going out and having fun whenever she could. It had been another way to escape that soulless house in the suburbs. All that had changed after her miscarriage. At first she'd been too depressed to think about fun. Then she'd turned all her energy toward her career. And there was nothing wrong with that. She'd ach
ieved the independent, successful life she'd wanted.
That is, it was what she'd wanted until last week when she'd held that infant and she'd seen Sam's face again. It was all she'd thought she'd needed until she'd felt herself come alive with Sam's kiss.
Damn him.
"Would you like to have dinner with me there tomorrow?"
"That wouldn't be a good idea, Sam."
"We'll be off-duty. You need to eat sometime."
"Thanks, but I'll pass."
"What are you running from, Kate?"
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"It must be something big to have made you want to bury the woman I remember."
"I'm not running from anything, Sam. I'm jogging. It's a form of exercise. Many people do it."
"Sure, but you run as if you're trying to get away from something," he persisted. "What is it? What happened, Kate?"
He was too perceptive. Yes, she ran to escape. She ran from her past, her memories and her guilt. But Sam kept stirring them up, making her think about them when she'd done just fine for five years by keeping them buried. She quickened her pace, hoping the increased demand for oxygen would make it too difficult for him to talk.
He stayed by her side effortlessly. "See? You're doing it now."
She didn't reply because he was right.
"Was it a man, Kate? Did he hurt you? Is that why you try to bottle up your passion?"
The irony of Sam asking her questions like these might have made her laugh if she'd had the breath left for it.
"Because I know you're still the same inside," he continued. "I felt it when we kissed on the boat."
"That was a mistake."
"No, it wasn't, although I admit the timing could have been better. That's why we need to talk."
"You pick the worst times to have these conversations, Sam."
"Then have dinner with me tomorrow. Talk to me then."
"No, thanks."
"Lunch?"
"No."
"Breakfast?"
"Sam..."
A horn blared behind them. Kate automatically moved closer to the side of the road. A military jeep drove past, but instead of continuing toward the base, it screeched to a stop a dozen yards ahead of them. A large man jumped out and began to approach.
Kate had already slowed her pace when Sam extended his arm in front of her, blocking her path. He spoke low and fast, all traces of warmth gone from his voice. "Stay behind me until we see what's going on."
She leaned over and braced her hands on her knees, breathing deeply a few times to catch her breath. "Sam, I can take care of myself."
"Humor me, okay?"
The man was larger than Sam, possessing the solid build of a linebacker, yet despite his size he moved with the cat-footed grace of a martial arts expert. Kate straightened and watched him warily, but the closer he came, the more Sam relaxed.
The stranger passed beneath the pool of light from a streetlight, revealing a thick thatch of red hair. "Hey, there," he called. "Maybe you could help me out. I'm looking for a buddy of mine. Heard I could find him around here."
Sam crossed his arms and waited, an odd expression on his face.
"You'll recognize him if you see him," the man continued. He didn't stop until he was standing toe to toe with Sam. "Real ugly character. Puny, too. Owes me money."
"I take offense at that, Reilly," Sam said.
"Oh, yeah? Which part?"
"I paid you back that fifty I borrowed a month ago."
The tall man laughed and gave Sam a slap on the back that would have knocked a smaller man down. "How's it going, Coburn? Still breathing through that bullet hole in your side?"
Sam broke into a smile and clasped the man's shoulder while he shook his hand. "Nope. Using my gills instead." Sam stepped aside and turned to Kate. "Kate, meet Joe Reilly."
Reilly swept into a graceful bow, then took Kate's hand and carried it to his lips. "Pleased to meet you, Kate. Leave it to Coburn to find the prettiest girl on the island to chase. If it was me, I wouldn't be chasing you down a road, though. I'd be chasing you around a—"
"Shut up, Reilly," Sam said.
He grinned and gave Kate a wink. "Come with me, darlin', and I'll guarantee you won't be wanting to use those running shoes."
"Chief Petty Officer Reilly, this is Lieutenant Kate Mulvaney," Sam said.
"Whoops." Reilly dropped Kate's hand and straightened immediately. Although his demeanor was instantly respectful, his eyes still twinkled with mischief. "Sorry, ma'am."
Kate shook her head. "Don't worry about it, Reilly."
"It's just that when I saw you with Cass I never—"
"Cass?" Kate asked.
"Sure. Casanova Coburn." He cocked his head toward Sam. "That's what we call him."
"We've got to keep moving before we cool down," Sam said, taking Kate's elbow. "We don't want to be stiff in the morning."
She shook off his grip. "Casanova? Why do you call him that, Reilly?"
"Well, it wasn't me who gave him the nickname, it was the other guys on the team."
"He's talking about my SEAL team," Sam said. "Who are all supposed to be on leave, the last I heard. Weren't you in Greece, Reilly?"
"Everyone's leaves got canceled, Coburn. We're assembling here. I thought you knew."
Sam frowned. "This is the first I heard. What's going on?"
"We're using Montebello as ajumping-off point for the operation. The rest of the team should be here within four hours. I'll be briefing them then."
" You 11 be briefing them?"
He lifted his hands, palms up. "Sorry, Coburn. While you're on this special assignment for King Marcus, looks like I'm in charge."
Kate watched the emotions flicker across Sam's face. She saw a flash of anger in his gaze, followed by regret. A moment later, his expression had smoothed into the businesslike competence he had displayed every day during their mission.
She was sure he would rather be leaving with his team. Wherever they were heading, whatever they had been ordered to do, it would probably be more exciting than this waiting and watching he was doing in Montebello.
Well, as soon as this mission was over, he'd be joining his team on the next one. He'd leave her behind and he'd resume whatever lifestyle had earned him the nickname Casanova.
Fine. Another easy, no-strings goodbye. And all this... disturbance he was bringing into her life would be gone. That's what she wanted, wasn't it?
Well, wasn't it?
* * *
Sam stared at his untouched beer and rolled the base of the glass along the bar, making a ring on the varnished wood. Most of the customers in the Flying Jib were Navy personnel. He'd recognized many faces on his way in and had given everyone a friendly greeting, but he wasn't feeling particularly friendly right now.
"You could always request to be reassigned." Reilly slurped at his cola, the strongest drink he ever allowed himself so close to a mission. "Unless that bullet wound is giving you trouble."
"It's pretty well healed."
"Good. Admiral Howe's going to be at the briefing. If we said you were vital to the mission's success, he could make the red tape disappear."
Sam made another ring with his glass and turned his head toward Reilly. "My mission here isn't over."
"Sure, but we could use your input on this operation. From what you've told me, you've got everything set up here. It'll run without you, won't it?"
Would it? Perhaps. The surveillance grid was firmly established, and it had proven to work well on several occasions. The cooperation between the Montebellan police and the U.S. Navy was going better than anyone could have hoped. Sam's leadership wasn't absolutely necessary to the success of the mission. Kate was fully qualified to handle it on her own from here.
Kate. He'd wanted to bring her, not Reilly, to this restaurant. He had been certain she was softening toward him. With a little more time, he'd have her back in his arms for sure. The longer the hunt for Chambe
rs dragged on, the better his chances....
No, that was wrong. He wanted Chambers apprehended as soon as possible.
"We're doing an extraction," Reilly said, lowering his voice. "One of our reconnaissance aircraft went down in the Gulf. We've picked up the pilot's signal. He's in unfriendly territory."
"How long has he been down?"
Reilly checked his watch. "Six hours, forty-five minutes."
"What kind of shape is he in?"
"No way of knowing. But his signal has been stationary for the past three hours."
"Stationary?"
"He's not on the bottom, he's inland. Two klicks from the shore."
Sam listened as Reilly shared the sparse information he had. He discussed some options, made a few suggestions and nodded agreement as his friend told him his plans. The operation was going to be risky. It would require every man giving his all. It was exactly the kind of challenge Sam thrived on.
He felt a familiar prick of adrenaline. What he wouldn't give to be going on this mission with his men...
But there would be other missions. It wouldn't kill him to miss one. What he was doing here was important, too. It wasn't as urgent as rescuing a downed pilot, but there were people who were depending on him to see that justice was done.
And he couldn't leave Kate yet. Yes, he would leave eventually, but they had unfinished business between them.
No, not business. What they had was pure pleasure.
"We'll be leaving right after the briefing," Reilly said. "Are you with us?"
Sam deliberately drained half his beer. "Not this time, Joe. I'm going to see what I've started here through to the end."
"Right. No problem." He stood and gestured toward Sam's glass. "Can I buy you another before I go?"
"Not a chance. You'll lie and say I owe you money."
Reilly laughed. "That's true. How about sitting in on the briefing with me anyway? Let the rest of the team see that you're still alive."
Sam put his glass on the bar and stood up. "Sure, why not?"
"Lieutenant Coburn?"
He turned toward the voice. A young blond woman was standing near his shoulder, a half-empty wineglass in her hand and a wide smile on her face. She looked different without her uniform, so it took him a moment to connect the face with a name. "Hello, Sergeant Winters."