FOR HIS EYES ONLY

by Candace Irvin

  Jade sunk into her swivel chair and kicked her boots up onto the edge of her desk as she stared at the plastic adjustment band. She slid her index finger beneath the tab, popping the tiny plugs out of their holes.

  Reese was serious.

  She'd suspected as much when he left the bar last night before giving her a chance to explain. Finding him on the ladder leading to the Captain's cabin this morning nudged it closer to fact. But turning in his Flying Squad cover? That pretty much sealed it.

  He probably already had a new running mate. And she had only herself to blame.

  When you blow it, Missy, you blow it good.

  Oh, God, not him, too! "I know, Dad. But I was just trying to do my job."

  She could hear the sharp snort from here. Doing your job, my ass. The man got under your skin and you turned chicken and ran like hell.

  "Well, what was I supposed to do, let him know?"

  No. But I didn't expect you to treat him like dog dung, either. I thought I taught you better than that.

  He had.

  Jade took a deep breath and tipped her head back onto the edge of her chair. Just then, the steel lever screeched up and the door to her office swung open. She yanked her boots off the edge of her desk and speared straight up in her chair.

  "Reese." She bit down on her cheek as the breathy word slipped out.

  He stared back at her, his face a blank mask as he stepped over the lip and pointed to his desk. "Sorry, I'll be out of your hair in a minute. Just need to get something I forgot."

  For a split second, hope flared inside her and she held up his cover.

  It snuffed out as he shook his head. "Nope, that belongs to you." He leaned over and pulled the side drawer open, fishing out a blue ball cap her chief must have given him this morning. "Mine's right here."

  Jade clenched the scarlet cap between her fingers and met his steady gaze. "Are you sure?"

  Something flickered there.

  Pain?

  Regret?

  She should be so lucky. She took a deep breath and plunged in before she lost her nerve. "Look, everything you said last night—well, you were right. I haven't given you a chance. But I want to now. If you're willing to stick it out, I'd like to make it up to you."

  She stared into those crystal blue eyes and waited. The taste of metal slid slowly over her tongue as she bit into her cheek. Still, she waited. Several moments later, he still hadn't answered, so she offered him the one thing she'd selfishly held back.

  "I'm sorry."

  Whatever had flickered in his eyes before was back. Reese shook his head. But from his expression, she wasn't sure if he was clearing it or saying no. Then it was gone and he finally answered. "I'm not sure. I've got some stuff already scheduled with your chief today. How 'bout I let you know Monday morning?"

  Had she missed something? This time she shook her head. "You mean, you haven't already requested another running mate?"

  His gaze was still steady, still boring through her. "Not yet. So, what do you say? Can I give you my answer Monday?"

  She nodded reluctantly. "Sure, I can wait."

  She really didn't have much of a choice.

  * * *

  "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

  Reese froze, his fingers inches from the keypad of the electronic lock as he swallowed a dozen colorful expletives. When he'd managed to digest them all and replace them with a smile, he turned to face Jade.

  She stood halfway down the fifteen-foot passageway with that damn ball cap pulled clear to her eyes, and she did not look pleased. Maybe it was the glacier in them, maybe it was the suspicion. Either way, he knew he'd better come up with something good.

  And fast.

  "Would you believe I'm lost?"

  "No."

  "Didn't think so." He shrugged. "Okay, I was invited."

  Her eyes chilled to sub-zero as she advanced on him. "Do you have any idea what's behind that door?"

  No, but he'd sure as hell love to find out—up close and real personal. "Let me guess. You could tell me, but then you'd have to kill me, right?"

  That one did not go over well. She stalked closer until she was almost on top of him. "Mr. Reese, when you came aboard this ship, you were expressly forbidden to enter two areas—Radio and the Nuclear Support Facility. Now, I asked you a question. What are you doing here?"

  Just then the electronic lock buzzed and the seal to the NSF was severed. Lieutenant Dillon popped through the opening into the passageway, the door snapping shut behind him. "Hey there, Mack. Right on time." His lips twisted into a sneer as he spied Jade. "I see you've brought your baby-sitter along. Forget your broomstick, DCA?"

  Jade ignored him.

  Reese unclenched his hands as he turned back to her and forced a grin. "See? Invited."

  Her eyes did a volcanic one-eighty, churning up molten lava so quickly, he was tempted to unhook the nozzle from the fire station across the passageway out of self-defense.

  "Well, Macbeth, now I know why you needed time to consider my offer. If you'll excuse me, I have rounds to make."

  Reese could have sworn her boots left sparks on the deck as she spun about and marched down the corridor to the metal ladder. He sighed as she climbed up, cursing his luck with every step until she was out of sight.

  Why did Jade of all people have to catch him casing the lock? He ignored the fact that she was the Command Duty Officer today and that it was her job to make routine rounds of the ship.

  Wait a minute. If Jade was the duty officer, she was sleeping onboard tonight. That meant he could link up with her later and try and implement a little damage control of his own. He grinned, his spirits lifting as he turned back to Dillon.

  "Whoa, Mack. What's up with you two? The Witch snarls and you smile? You're an even bigger masochist than I thought."

  Reese ordered that same smile to hold its place as he clapped Dillon on the shoulder. "You know how it is, Mike. Some like it hot."

  Dillon grinned back. "Buddy, you must like it smoking."

  Reese laughed. As a matter of fact, he did. But that was none of Mike's business. He pointed to the door. "So how 'bout it? It's after knock-off and the ship's deserted. Do I get my tour?"

  Dillon nodded and turned, blocking Reese's view as he punched a set of numbers into the keypad.

  Reese cursed silently. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get a clear look at the pad until Dillon finished. He grudgingly nudged the guy up a notch in his estimation at the obvious precaution.

  Then again, his actions could have been for show. Dillon did seem to thrive on it.

  The door buzzed again as the seal broke. "Come on in."

  Reese could feel his heart thundering in anticipation as he stepped over the lip of the doorway. Though he seriously doubted he'd locate the heroin today, there was always the chance he'd discover something he could use to come back later.

  He entered the space eagerly, only to frown when he was fully inside. He turned around slowly, scanning the interior, stopping when he came back to Dillon's smug face.

  Nothing.

  Not a damn thing. The room was a stinking office. An ugly one at that. Two green desks dominated one side of the space, and the other side was occupied by nothing more than row after row of perfectly boring, perfectly ordinary gray cabinets. The only thing of interest in the entire room was the second door located on the far side—with yet another electronic lock wired to it.

  Yup, that door definitely had his interest. The heroin was in there. He could feel it in his gut. Of course the frantic statement from his informant hadn't hurt, either.

  He slapped a smile on his face. "So, where do you keep the nukes?"

  Dillon laughed. "I had a feeling that's what you expected. This is a repair ship, Mack. While we never confirm nor deny the presence of the truly heavy-duty stuff, we're usually stuck with more routine, run-of-the-mill repairs."

  Reese leaned back against the edge of the closest desk. "Such as?"
/>   Dillon shrugged. "Mostly testing or repairs of valves, pipes and other equipment used in the propulsion plants of nuclear-powered ships."

  Reese tweaked his expression into surprise and mild shock. "That's all? Sounds pretty boring."

  Dillon laughed. "It is. But it's a living."

  He shifted his face into hopeful and glanced at the second door. "I don't suppose you'd care to show me where you work on those valves and that other equipment?"

  "No-o-o can do, Mack. Not even for you. That's strictly classified."

  This was it? All that sucking up, and this was as far as the guy was going to let him get? Jeez! Reese shoved his palms down onto the desk and dug his fingers beneath the edge.

  It was a damn good thing he'd left Jade dangling on his hook this morning. At the time, he'd felt pretty rotten about it. But now he was blessing his caution from here to Mars. He could only hope he'd still be able to reel her in after that little scene in the corridor.

  "I understand, Mike. No hard feelings." He pushed off the desk. "Well, if that's it, I'd better head out so you can get home. Thanks for the tour."

  Dillon nodded. "No problem. You want to hit the club again and toss back a few?"

  Not in this lifetime. "Not tonight. Got something else on the ol' agenda."

  "Yeah, I can just guess who's on that agenda."

  Man, what he wouldn't give to wipe that oily grin off Dillon's face. Reese hooked his thumbs into the pockets of his jeans and concentrated on keeping them there. "You got it, buddy."

  The lout opened his mouth, but his retort was mercifully severed by a loud buzz. This one from across the space.

  The second door.

  Reese forced himself to turn slowly, casually, toward the magnetic sound.

  "Dillon, Mack, what's up?"

  Lieutenant Coffey.

  But what the hell was that?

  Reese tensed as the strawberry blonde who'd cleared his bags the day he'd come aboard—and then laughed and smiled at the Captain's table with Jade—strolled into view with a corpse tossed over his shoulder. He flopped it down across the desk, its head landing with a solid thud.

  Yuck. It wasn't real, but it was gross.

  Dillon laughed at his expression, nodding his head toward the full-size replica of a person with a chest wound, third-degree facial and neck burns, and one eye dangling nonchalantly from its socket. "Mack, meet Lieutenant Greg Coffey and the DCA's boyfriend. Greg, Mack Reese."

  Boyfriend? Reese held in his breath as he tried to contain the visible effects of the sucker punch. Jade wasn't supposed to have time for men.

  He was dimly aware of Coffey glaring at Dillon. "Very funny, Mike. Knock it off." He turned to Reese and grinned as he extended his hand. "We've met. I was the Officer of the Deck when you arrived. We also had lunch at the Captain's table."

  He remembered. Reese shook the freckled hand, wanting to crush it.

  "Great to see you again, Mack." Coffey jerked his head toward Dillon. "And don't worry about him, he's had it in for Jade since the night she shot him down." He laughed. "You should have seen him crash and burn."

  "Shut up, Greg." Dillon glanced down at the dummy. "What's up with the Witch's boyfriend?"

  Relief and fury flooded Reese at exactly the same moment he realized Dillon was referring to the fake corpse and not Lieutenant Coffey. He folded his arms, tucking his fists out of sight as Coffey glared back at Dillon.

  "Just planning a little birthday surprise for Jade." Coffey turned back to Reese. "Hey, didn't she give you the stateroom next to hers?"

  She'd put him next to her? He swallowed the burst of pleasure and nodded cautiously. "On the right—uh, to starboard."

  "Perfect!" A wide grin split the guy's face, causing a nasty premonition to seep into Reese. "Mind if I use your room to prestage a little birthday present for her?" Coffey chuckled. "Relax, Mack. It's a joke. I thought since Jade hasn't had a date in a while, I'd slip a little something into her rack for her to snuggle up to at night."

  Reese stared down at the mutilated corpse, then back up at Coffey's freckled grin, every instinct in his gut tightening to full alert—and it had nothing to do with his mission. He repeated his mantra again as he nodded reluctantly.

  A means to an end, buddy. She's just a means to an end.

  So why the hell did it feel like more?

  * * *

  Jade tucked the last strand of hair into her shower cap and slapped her towel over the top rail of the shower before stepping inside. She jerked the curtain closed and flipped on the lever, welcoming the blast of frigid water. She could use all the help she could get to control her temper.

  Mack Reese.

  If she so much as saw his arrogant mug again tonight, she was going to rip that sanctimonious smirk right off it. And she didn't care if she took a few pounds of flesh along with it. She squirted a dime of soap into her palm and lathered up her neck.

  Invited into the NSF.

  What the hell was Dillon thinking? She didn't care if Reese was some harmless two-bit actor. That was no excuse for granting him access to the Baddager's nuclear spaces. Okay, she didn't think Dillon was stupid enough to let him past the first door. But what if he wasn't? What if his colossal ego kicked in? Would he be able to resist the temptation to initiate a bragfest?

  Aren't you going a bit overboard here, Missy?

  The gentle jibe pricked her anger, swiftly deflating it. "Yeah, Dad, you're right." Mike might be a sleaze, but he wasn't a security risk.

  She shoved her face into the shower spray and rinsed the suds from her face, wishing she could wash Macbeth down the drain right along with them. Maybe it was for the best that Dillon was going to take him on as a running mate. At least the two guys got along. They sure didn't.

  So you've taken up lying now, too, eh?

  She ordered her father out of her head and lathered up her body sponge. Too late. She'd already remembered Reese's offer to wash her himself. She scrubbed the sponge down her stomach, trying to scour the sight of his wide hands smoothing a slick, soapy path down her body.

  It didn't work.

  Argh! She had to find a way to get that man out of her head!

  Jade torqued the water down to subfreezing and finished her shower in record time. She flipped the faucet off and pulled the cap from her hair before wrapping it with her towel and donning her green kimono.

  The entire way back to her stateroom, her thongs snapped out a list of why she could never allow herself to even fantasize about Reese. He wasn't her type. He wasn't interested in her. He wasn't sticking around.

  And even if he was, he did not fit into her plans. No man did. Jeff had driven that stake into her hard enough to last a lifetime.

  * * *

  Reese heard the door to Jade's stateroom as it closed. She was back. Great. He shoved his notebook back on top of the other items in the safe and snapped it shut, spinning the dial for good measure before settling it on his home number. Then he took a deep breath.

  His entire plan now hinged on whether he'd gotten to Jade as much as he thought he had. The odds had been in his favor this morning, but after their run-in outside the NSF, he wasn't so sure. When he'd first lit on the idea of demanding a new running mate, there were two probable outcomes.

  One, she'd own up to her actions and he'd use her subsequent guilt to forge a bridge between them. Or two, she'd deny everything and tell him to shove his ball cap where the sun didn't shine. Though not his first choice, the scenario still would have worked. He'd simply have wondered aloud how her Captain was going to take the news that she'd been ignoring his direct orders for the entire week.

  Reese flipped up the lip to the temporary desk, concealing the safe and then rubbed his hands over the back of his neck. Now he wasn't sure of anything. But he couldn't let that stop him. Nope. He was going to head next door and start laying the ground work for plan B.

  Sex.

  He knew Jade felt it, too. He could see it in her eyes—especially when she was
trying not to look at him. Hell, he could smell the attraction on her. And he oughta know, he'd been wearing the same deodorant since the minute he'd stepped aboard. Yup, sex. That was the plan. He'd just find an opening and push it one step further. A kiss should do it. One simple kiss.

  He locked his stateroom and headed for hers.

  Knock, knock, knock.

  "Enter!"

  He took one last deep breath, turned the knob and pushed the door in—and promptly came as close to fainting as he ever would in his life.

  Good God almighty.

  "I left the folder right there on the desk, Chief." Jade was standing with her back to him, next to her modular wall unit, in front of the closed porthole. She didn't even turn around. And he couldn't move.

  Her hair.

  Every glorious, achingly long strand. Every last one of them was down—way down. All the way down her back. In one thick, glistening line. If she wasn't wearing that robe, he swore the edge would be brushing the upper curve of her rear. His groin hardened with lightning speed at the image.

  God, what an image.

  She must have realized he wasn't the chief she'd expected because she turned around then, shock widening her eyes. Dismay quickly followed as a white T-shirt slipped from her fingers and fluttered to her feet. "Reese."

  The husky whisper ripped through him, laying waste to all his carefully constructed arguments, his meticulously outlined plan. He fumbled around his brain, frantically pulling the frayed threads of his thoughts back to some semblance of order.

  The plan, buddy, remember the plan!

  Screw the plan. Where the hell was his mantra when he needed it?

  Improvise!

  He glanced around the room—as smoothly as he could manage, as quickly as he dared—looking for something, anything, to fuse his gaze to long enough to right his spinning brain.

  That was it! Her keys. Right there in the center of the brown comforter on her bed. Those keys were exactly what he needed. Somewhere on that fat cluster was the one he needed to access the NSF. Okay, so he also needed the electronic codes. But those keys were a start.

  His gaze slipped past the keys to the white satin bra and panties spread out next to them. He yanked it back to the keys, burning their image into his brain.