Aim for the Heart
Page 21
"I'm not going today. We decided to cut back the sessions to once a week."
"Hawk, that's wonderful."
"I believe the word he used was 'regrettable.'" Hawk scooped a handful of bubbles over her shoulder. "He says my progress is throwing off the data for his research project. I don't fit his projections. He still hasn't figured out that you're the real reason for my recovery."
"Mmm. Therapeutic sex," she murmured. "It might catch on."
"It's love, Sarah. It always was."
"You're right about that." She twisted her head to give him a kiss. "Do you know when I probably started falling in love with you?"
"No, when?"
"When you drew me that bath the night before Weltzer's attack."
"Don't remind me. I thought I'd go insane listening to you naked."
"How can you listen to someone naked?"
He dipped his hand into the water and slowly stroked her arm. The sound of his wet palm sliding over her skin was as sensuous as wet silk.
"I see your point."
"Sarah, do you want to call it a draw?"
"What?"
"In about five seconds, I'm not only going to move, I'm going to send the rest of this bath water pouring through the landlady's ceiling."
They managed to leave most of the water behind as they got out of the tub. Sarah had just reached for a towel when a sharp knocking sounded on the apartment door.
Hawk took the towel from her hands and started drying her off. "Expecting someone?"
She lifted her arms to make it easier for him. "No, I…" She muttered a curse. "I completely forgot. Glenna and Abbie wanted to go over the wedding plans before I head to the base today. They're early."
Hawk groaned. "Why can't we elope?"
"We already agreed to make it a group ceremony. The whole team is looking forward to it."
He leaned down to lick a drop of water from the small of her back. "I can see why they'd like it. It's starting to resemble a military campaign."
"Well, Glenna is a professional event planner. She tends to think big."
"Rafe and Flynn agree with me. They're not that happy about waiting."
"Mmm. That changes things. If those two decide on eloping, they'll probably hijack the wedding."
Hawk turned her around, brushing his lips across her hip to her stomach. He kissed away the water that lingered in her navel. "Personally, I'd prefer a short ceremony and a long honeymoon."
"Mmm. Hold that thought. I have to answer the door."
There was another round of knocking, followed by a sharp meow and a string of sour notes. Sarah snatched the towel back from Hawk and wrapped it around herself as she padded through the living room. The white kitten she had adopted was bounding across the keyboard of the piano Hawk had surprised her with the week before. "Keep up the practice, Rosie," Sarah said to the kitten. "At least you sound better than I do." She unlocked the door and swung it wide. "Sorry to keep you waiting, Glenna…"
It wasn't Rafe's bride-to-be who stood on the threshold, it was Major Redinger.
"Excuse me, Captain," he said. "I don't mean to intrude."
Sarah wasn't embarrassed by her lack of clothing—this was her home, after all. But she was puzzled to see the Major here. "Sir?"
"I learned at the hospital that Dr. Lemay no longer needs regular therapy."
"Yes, that's true."
"In that case, there's something I need to discuss with him. I assume he's here?"
She showed the Major to the living room sofa and went to get dressed. By the time she had fixed her hair and put on her uniform, Hawk and Redinger were already deep in discussion.
"Were you bluffing when you told Prince Jibril that you had found the key to fusion power?" the Major asked.
"No, it wasn't a bluff. I had recognized an error in my research that afternoon, which led me to the discovery of how to correct it."
"Dr. Owens says your recovery has progressed to the point where you could soon resume your work."
Hawk paused. "The work was destroyed before we left the Faith."
"That was my idea, sir," Sarah said, walking forward. "It was the only way we could guarantee it wouldn't fall into the wrong hands."
"Yes, that was unfortunate."
"It was the only choice," Hawk said. He looked at Sarah. "I would do it all again if I had to."
Sarah moved beside the arm of Hawk's chair and rested her hand on his shoulder. She could feel the tension in his muscles through his shirt. She squeezed gently. "What's this about, Major?"
"I've been asked to approach Dr. Lemay with another offer."
Hawk remained silent.
"The Defense Department is still very interested in working with you on an exclusive basis," Redinger said. "Particularly since the information you gave to the public was flawed."
Hawk leaned forward suddenly, his gaze hard. "What I told you just now can go no farther. I don't want another Weltzer."
"I understand."
"I don't think you do," Hawk said. "Otherwise, you wouldn't have come to me with this offer. Jibril is dead, but there are still many others who would want to stop me from succeeding. If it became known that the work I published was flawed and I agreed to work exclusively for our government, I would be back where I started. I would be making myself the target of another assassin."
"We would provide security—"
"I might have been willing to gamble my life for an idea, but I will not gamble with my fiancée's." Hawk had spoken quietly, but the calm resolve in his tone echoed through the room. He got to his feet, signaling an end to the discussion. "If and when I decide to resume my research, it won't be done in secrecy, Major."
Redinger stood. He straightened his uniform. "Does this mean you do plan to continue?"
Hawk moved to Sarah and put his arm around her waist. He drew her firmly to his side. "Someday, when I've regained my full mental capabilities, yes, I do plan to continue. But right now, I'm focusing on getting well and getting married."
"Congratulations, by the way."
"Thank you."
Redinger turned his gaze to Sarah. He looked at her for a long moment, as if debating what he was going to say. Finally his mouth moved into one of his rare smiles. "It looks as if I made the right decision after all."
"I'm not sure I understand you, sir."
"Last month, when I sent you to Stockholm, I never did tell you the full extent of your mission objectives."
"My mission…" She frowned. "I was to protect Hawk."
"If the mission had been simply to protect him, I wouldn't have been asked to send a woman who was still recovering from an injury. You were chosen because of your gender and your intelligence-gathering skills."
The arm Hawk held around her waist tightened. Sarah stared at the Major. She remembered the distance she'd sensed in Redinger during their telephone conversations and the discomfort she'd noticed when they'd met at the hotel. With everything else that had happened, she had pushed her earlier suspicions to the back of her mind.
Tell me the truth, Captain Fox. What's the real reason you're here?
"Oh, my God. Are you saying…" She took a deep breath. "You really did want me to spy on Hawk?"
"Those were my orders. We had to keep track of who might approach Dr. Lemay at the conference and any other offers he might receive."
Sarah's head reeled. This was precisely what Hawk had said. "Why didn't you tell me?"
Redinger looked at Hawk. "Ask him. I believe he knows."
Hawk nodded. "Yes, I know. It's just as you said. Sarah could never be forced into doing anything she didn't want to do."
"Exactly. I did what I was asked by sending her, but I thought it best not to put Captain Fox in a position where she had to choose between her honor and her orders." He picked up his coat and walked to the door. "It's…interesting how it all worked out, isn't it?"
The instant the Major was gone, Hawk started to chuckle. Sarah pulled away from him and paced a
cross the room. "I can't believe this. It isn't fair."
Hawk's chuckle turned to a laugh. "What isn't fair?"
She came back and caught the front of his shirt. "You were right after all! My God. I hadn't seen it, but you had it figured out from the start."
He had a hard time catching his breath, he was laughing so hard. "Well, I am a genius."
"Okay, genius." She stepped closer, pressed her hips to his and gave his shirt a sharp tug. Three buttons flew off and bounced on the floor. She undid two more and splayed her hands over his chest. "See if you can figure this out."
Still laughing, he scooped her off her feet and carried her to their bedroom.
Sarah smiled. His brain certainly worked fine.
And so did everything else.
ISBN: 978-1-4268-8100-8
AIM FOR THE HEART
Copyright © 2003 by Ingrid Caris
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the editorial office, Silhouette Books, 233 Broadway, New York, NY 10279 U.S.A.
All characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention.
This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
® and TM are trademarks of Harlequin Books S.A., used under license. Trademarks indicated with ® are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the Canadian Trade Marks Office and in other countries.
Visit Silhouette at www.eHarlequin.com
*Eagle Squadron
return
*Eagle Squadron
return
*Eagle Squadron
return
Table of Contents
INGRID WEAVER
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Epilogue