Under the King's Command

by Ingrid Weaver

  No. He couldn't be. She'd tried her best this time. Honestly, she had.

  "I'm sorry." The doctor's voice was weary. "We did everything we could."

  No. No! She wanted to scream, but the emptiness she felt in her body left no room for denial.

  The baby was lost.

  He'd never taken a breath. He'd never opened his eyes. He'd never once felt his mother's arms around him or nestled against her breast....

  A telephone shrilled. Kate came awake with a start. Heart pounding, she tried to orient herself. She rubbed her cheeks and found them wet with tears.

  This wasn't a hospital. This was her bed, in her bedroom. She was in Montebello, in the old hotel that had been converted to serve as the unmarried officers' quarters. It was over. Finished. Lost.

  The phone rang again.

  Kate rolled to her side and stumbled across the floor. Sunlight slanted through the window, casting an orange glow over the heavy wood furniture. Her hand shaking, she reached for the phone on her desk. "Mulvaney," she said.

  "Lieutenant Mulvaney, this is Ensign Gordon. I'm Admiral Howe's assistant."

  Kate wiped her arm across her eyes to dry her tears. "What can I do for you, Ensign Gordon?"

  "You've been asked to report to Admiral Howe's office at oh-nine-hundred hours today."

  She acknowledged the order and replaced the receiver mechanically, then dropped her head into her hands. All right. Focus, she told herself. Concentrate on your duty, and this will go away. Just like it always does.

  But the dream still hovered, a gray shadow on the edge of her consciousness.

  The nightmare had been worse this time. She didn't need a psychiatrist to figure out why. The reason was obvious. It was because she had seen Sam again. And because she had held that baby.

  The thought she'd pushed back so desperately for almost twelve hours—that she'd run from for five years— finally broke free.

  Damn it, it should have been their child, not the prince's, that she'd held in her arms. It should have been Sam's face, not Lucas's, that had lit with wonder as he'd gazed at his son.

  But she'd never had the chance to hold their baby. The gentle butterfly motions she'd felt while she'd carried him were all she had to remember of the life she'd been entrusted with.. .and lost.

  She pushed the heels of her hands against her eyes, trying to stop the tears from falling, trying to stem the tide of memories, but it was no use.

  She had conceived that night on the boat. She hadn't planned it. Neither of them had. The responsibility of a family had been the last thing on their minds. They both had been due to ship out the next day and they hadn't wanted to waste one moment of their final night together.

  They'd known from the start their affair would be brief. They'd each had dreams and obligations that would force them apart, so they had agreed to make a clean break. No regrets, no strings, no awkward clinging. The only promise they'd made had been to give each other an easy goodbye.

  For the first few months, Sam hadn't tried to contact her. What was it he had said at the hospital yesterday? She had liked nice, neat endings? Well, that's what they'd promised and that's what they'd had.

  When she'd missed her period, she'd told herself it was the excitement of her first posting. When the nausea had started, she'd thought it might be seasickness. Only when the signs had become too obvious to deny any longer had she finally taken a test.

  Sam's first letter had arrived the day Kate had discovered she was pregnant. He had been about to leave for a training mission somewhere in the South Pacific. His life was taking the direction he had planned. She'd been able to sense his smile in the words he'd written.

  She'd known he would have come back if she had told him about the baby. That's just the kind of man he was. Noble, dependable, determined-to-get-his-way Sam. He would have insisted on doing the honorable thing and getting married.

  But he'd just freed himself from the responsibility of raising his brother and supporting his mother. He'd been so eager to embark on his new life as a SEAL, how could she tie him down?

  And how could she tie herself to a man who didn't love her? Sure, they'd been great together in bed—and anywhere else they could find to be alone—but a physical attraction was no basis for a long-term relationship. Getting married just for the sake of a baby would only lead to resentment and bitterness. That's what her parents had done. Kate had grown up vowing never to follow her mother's example, never to be dependent on any man. Especially one who didn't love her.

  So Kate had never answered Sam's letter. She had returned unopened the ones that had followed. And after a while, the letters had stopped coming. He didn't try to contact her again.

  He had kept his promise.

  And so had Kate. She was still convinced she had made the right choice. She had fully intended to raise her child alone, even if it meant giving up her dream of advancing in her career.

  But then fate had stepped in. She had lost the baby.

  She sniffed hard and wiped her arm across her eyes, then dropped her hand to the chain around her neck. Her fingers rubbed the delicate charm that lay against her breastbone. She had made the motion so often the gold was becoming worn, yet the butterfly's wings still arched as if caught in mid-flutter.

  She had bought the charm when she'd left the hospital after the miscarriage. It was her way of honoring the fragile life of the baby she had carried. She had worn it under her uniform, keeping the token as private as she had kept her grief.

  Then she had chopped off her hair, sucked up the pain and focused on the career she'd always dreamed of.

  Kate pushed herself to her feet. Focus. That's what she needed to do. Her duty had gotten her through the most painful episode of her life. It would do the same now.

  The next time she went running, she would take a different route.

  And considering the way she had rebuffed Sam's tentative overtures when he'd stopped at the coast the night before, chances were she wouldn't see Sam Coburn for another five years.

  * * *

  "The Montebellan police have the public airport locked down. Every passenger is going through a rigorous security check." Sam walked to the high-scale map of Montebello that hung from one wall of the base commander's office. He tapped his index finger against the location of the airport, then moved his hand toward the southeast shore of the island. "The private strip at the oil field is heavily guarded, as well."

  Admiral Howe steepled his fingers and leaned back behind his desk. His bulldog features appeared to be set in a perpetual frown, even though he nodded in approval. "Good. Have you gathered any more information on the suspect?"

  "Yes, sir. The FBI obtained Ursula Chambers's driver's license photograph from the Colorado DMV and faxed it to me thirty minutes ago."

  "Got someone out of bed there, did you?"

  Sam grimaced as he opened the file folder he had brought with him. There was a seven-hour time difference between Montebello and Virginia. The clerk he had reached at Quantico hadn't been eager to chase down the Colorado people in what had been the middle of the night there.

  That's when Sam had discovered one of the advantages of working for royalty. When the clerk had learned that Sam had the full weight of the king of Montebello behind him, the request had been filled within the hour.

  "No problem, sir," Sam said, handing the admiral two items from the folder. "As you can see, the photograph closely matches the artist's sketch of the suspect."

  Howe took the photo and the sketch from Sam and studied them briefly. "Yes, the features are very distinctive."

  "The police are in the process of distributing copies of the photograph as well as the suspect's vital statistics to the security forces stationed at the airports."

  Howe laid the papers on his desk. "Chambers is a striking woman. She should be easy to spot."

  "Apparently she has had acting experience, so it's possible that she has disguised herself. But since she killed Caruso, who according t
o Gretchen Hanson was their main contact in Montebello, she probably doesn't have the resources or the connections here to obtain a false passport or other identification. Therefore it's highly unlikely that Chambers will be able to slip past the security that's in place at the airport in order to escape Montebello by air."

  "Excellent."

  "That leaves the water." Sam turned to the map. "We've alerted the cruise lines and other passenger ships. Police will be stationed at the ports, but we need to intensify the patrol of the coastline."

  "King Marcus phoned me this morning to express his concern about that. Which is the main reason I've asked you here, Lieutenant Coburn. The king decided this mission requires a Navy officer who is more familiar with Montebello."

  Sam moved in front of Howe's desk and clasped his hands behind his back. As much as he would have liked to continue the leave that had been interrupted by the king's request for his assistance, he didn't want to be relieved of his duty before he'd accomplished what he'd set out to do. He didn't like leaving things unfinished. "This mission is still in the early stages, sir. Given the geography of Montebello, it was my understanding that the king was aware of the difficulties—"

  "Relax, Lieutenant. King Marcus is pleased with your conduct so far. He still feels your training is a valuable asset in the search for the fugitive. In fact, he wants to give you some help."

  "Admiral?"

  Before Howe could explain, there was a sharp rap on the door. Ensign Gordon, the apple-cheeked young man who was Howe's aide, took a step into the room. "Lieutenant Mulvaney is here, sir."

  Howe glanced at his watch. "Good. Right on time. Show her in."

  Sam turned to face the door. Kate was here? Why now? That was the second time in less than a day he'd asked himself that question.

  And for the second time in less than twenty-four hours, she took his breath away.

  He had never seen her in her uniform. They had been on leave when they'd met, and they'd spent most of their time wearing as little as possible. It was difficult to reconcile the image in his memory to the tall, slim woman with lieutenant's bars on her sleeves. The dress blues complemented her coloring, making her eyes look greener and her hair appear a fiery shade of auburn. Her chin was up, her shoulders back, and she appeared to be the epitome of a confident, successful naval officer.

  Yet when Sam looked at her, he saw the woman who had once writhed in his arms. He felt Florida breezes and smelled gardenias.

  She saluted Admiral Howe, giving him a crisp yet cordial greeting. She nodded politely to Sam, then gave the admiral her complete attention.

  Once again, Sam felt a twinge of irritation. She was behaving appropriately for the circumstances, so he couldn't fault her for that. They were on duty. It wasn't the place for familiarity.

  Yet they hadn't been on duty the night before when he'd driven her to the hotel where they had their quarters, and she'd treated him the same way. The memory of their affair might have haunted him for five years, but it didn't seem to have had any impact on Kate. She'd told him flat out last night that she wanted to leave the past in the past. And she'd returned the letters he'd sent years ago. When she'd said goodbye, she'd meant it.

  Why couldn't he get that through his head? If her composure this morning was anything to go by, she had probably slept like a baby last night instead of being driven half nuts by dreams of hot sex.

  To his disbelief, Sam felt his body stir. She'd always been able to do that to him. The mere thought of what it was like to hold her body against his could make him break into a sweat.

  Deliberately, he moved his gaze away from Kate and concentrated on what the admiral was saying.

  "Lieutenant Mulvaney, I'd like to compliment you personally on your handling of the situation at the King Augustus Hospital yesterday," Admiral Howe said. "King Marcus was very impressed with your conduct, both in apprehending Gretchen Hanson and in taking the initiative to ensure the welfare of the royal heir."

  "Thank you, sir."

  "I understand you assisted in the interrogation of Hanson afterward?"

  "Yes, sir. That is correct."

  "Excellent. Then we can get down to business. Lieutenant Mulvaney, you are hereby removed from your current duties."

  Kate blinked. "Sir?"

  "At King Marcus's command, you are to assist in the coordination of the Montebellan security forces and the United States Navy in the search for Ursula Chambers." The admiral leaned back in his chair, steepled his fingers and turned his gaze to Sam. "Lieutenant Coburn, meet your new partner."

  Chapter 4

  Wasn't there a saying about no good deed going unpunished? The king had probably thought he was doing Kate a favor. In return for the way she had rescued his grandchild from the hospital flower bed, he evidently had decided to put in a good word for her with the admiral and recommend her for a plum assignment. Right. Some favor.

  Kate lengthened her stride as she crossed the base's central square in an effort to work off her frustration. Seagulls cried overhead, riding the wind that swept in from the pier. She firmed her jaw at the noise. It was as if the fates were conspiring against her, refusing to let her forget and get on with her life.

  Seeing Sam and the baby, stirring up all those painful memories was bad enough, but she'd handled it, hadn't she? How was she going to cope with seeing him every day? Working with him? Breathing his scent, hearing his voice, seeing his smile?

  Well, she wouldn't have to worry about his smile. So far, he looked to be as pleased about their partnership as she was.

  "I've been given a place to set up a command center in the north building. I'm meeting the superintendent of the Montebellan police there in twenty minutes." Sam touched her elbow as he changed direction. "Naturally I'll include you in the meeting now."

  She couldn't help it, she flinched at his touch. "All right."

  "Before he gets here, I need to ask you something."

  "What?"

  They had reached the building on the north side of the square. When the Montebellans had deeded this enclave to the U.S. Navy, they had stipulated that any structures had to reflect the character of the local architecture. Although this building housed an efficient complex of modern offices, the long windows, slate roof and iron-trimmed wooden entrance doors gave it the flavor of a Mediterranean villa.

  Instead of going through those doors, Sam detoured to a corner that was shielded from sight by a large cedar tree. He stopped and turned to face her. "Are you going to have a problem working with me, Kate?"

  Leave it to Sam to tackle the issue head-on. She kept her gaze on the top button of his khaki shirt. "No," she lied. "I'm grateful for the king's notice. This assignment is bound to look good on my record, so of course I don't object to it."

  "That's not what I meant. Will it bother you to be my partner?"

  "I wouldn't expect to be in charge, since you were the one who was called in for this project first." She paused. "Do you have a problem working with a partner?"

  "No, I can use all the help I can get."

  "Fine." She started to move past him, but he didn't budge.

  "Kate, I'm not talking about our work, I'm talking about us."

  "There's nothing to talk about."

  "Given our past association, I thought you might feel awkward about taking this assignment."

  Her gaze went from his shirt to his throat. And she thought about how that hollow at the base had tasted. She fought the urge to lick her lips. "Thank you for your concern, Sam, but as you said, our association was in the past. And I want to leave it there."

  "Right. That's what you told me yesterday."

  "I wouldn't let my personal business interfere with my duty."

  "You never did."

  "What does that mean?"

  "Your career always came first."

  That's because when she'd lost the baby, she had nothing else left. She frowned. No, that wasn't right. She had chosen this career. She loved it. She had put it first before
she was pregnant, too. "I think we've covered this topic, Sam."

  "Have we? As I recall, we didn't do all that much talking when we were together."

  That was true. They'd had far more urgent things on their minds than conversation. She moved her gaze to his mouth, remembering how he'd used it on her neck...and her breasts...and her thighs....

  Kate quickly looked away, focusing on the flag at the center of the square. "Maybe I should be asking you if you have a problem working with me, given our past association. You're the one who can't seem to let it go."

  Can't let it go? She's right, Sam thought. He did have a problem. A major problem. It was distracting enough just thinking about her. How was he supposed to work with her? How could he keep himself from touching her, especially here in the sunshine with her hair gleaming like autumn and her pulse throbbing in the delicate vein at the side of her neck?

  He'd been wrong before when he'd thought she looked composed. Now that they were in full daylight he could see she hadn't slept any better than he had last night. There were shadows under her eyes and signs of strain around her lips.

  What was bothering her? It couldn't be the same thing that was bothering him, that was for sure. If she'd been dreaming of hot sex all night she wouldn't have brushed him off yesterday or continued to treat him like a casual acquaintance today. She had never been shy about her physical needs—their relationship had been as simple and basic as things could get between a man and a woman. He'd thought the memories they shared were good ones. And they had parted on friendly terms—he'd let her go as neatly as she'd wanted—so what was going on?

  If this were five years ago, he would have cupped her cheek and drawn her head to rest against his shoulder. He would have stroked her back and pressed soft kisses to her hair and urged her to confide in him.

  But he wasn't part of her life any longer. She didn't welcome either his touch or him. "Don't worry, Kate. You made yourself clear twice already, and the Navy has a strict policy regarding sexual harassment."

  "Good." She moved toward the door.

  "But if you ever change your mind," he added softly, "be sure to let me know."