you feel safe letting go with because he’s not someone you imagine will be in your life for long.”
Anna wrapped an arm around her waist. Was that true? Maybe that explained the way she felt this morning because she did feel a certain sense of panic that he wasn’t the man she’d thought he’d be.
He’d made love to her tenderly, held her all night, and she’d slept. She rarely slept at home in her posh DC condo, with its high-tech security features. So she had no idea why she was able to sleep solidly in Jack’s arms.
“Maybe you’re right.”
“Maybe? Of course I’m right.”
Anna laughed, but inside she was thrown. She knew her life was managed by staying safely behind her computer or weapon—keeping a distance between herself and the world.
Last night had changed all that for her and Jack. He wasn’t going to allow her to keep him at arm’s length. Or was he?
What if, to him, their night together had been just about shagging? She didn’t like to think she’d traded herself so cheaply, but at the end of the day, she’d made the decision to sleep with him.
Did she regret it?
“You okay?” Justine asked.
“Yes, I am. I need a shower. And then I want to check some tracking systems I’m using to see if Andreev is setting up any buys.”
“Focusing on the mission isn’t always the answer.”
“Why not? That’s what you do.”
“Hey, don’t be snippy. I’m just saying that when I was trying to manage Nigel…The mission wasn’t enough of a distraction. I’m going to see if I can find Charity.”
Justine walked toward the door, and Anna felt a moment’s thanks that she had a friend like Justine. “Thank you.”
Justine turned back to her. “For?”
“Caring.”
She shrugged. “Don’t let the word out. I have a heartless reputation to protect.”
“Your secret’s safe with me.”
“Good,” Justine said. “Did you get a chance to ask Jack where Kirk disappeared to?”
“No. I will as soon as I shower. Is anyone else missing?”
“No. Bay was quiet, and I thought I’d be uncomfortable with him, but he’s not like other men.”
“In what way?” Anna asked. She’d always had respect for the Tuareg. But, then, when she was kidnapped, the first man she’d seen—besides her captors—had been a Blue Man, and he’d given her a measure of calm before her father had come to claim her.
“I don’t know if I can explain it the right way. There’s something about the silence in him,” Justine said.
Anna smiled. Justine wasn’t really an in touch with her feelings kind of girl, and a man like Bay—who had the wisdom of the ages and a people not tied to physical things—would be hard for her to reconcile.
“You know I was kidnapped when I was younger?”
“Yes. Why?”
“The Tuareg were the ones to rescue me. They came before the SAS. They came into the cave where I was held. And I was very frightened at first. They were big and dark, veiled from head to toe. But then one of the men knelt beside me and said, ‘Be calm, little one.’ And you know what?”
“What?”
“It did calm me down. There was that silence in his eyes you mentioned. And I knew no harm would come to me while he was alive.”
Justine smiled at her. “Yeah, that’s it. I don’t like being someplace so far from home and Nigel and Piper. But last night while I was talking with Bay, I felt a sense of ease to that worry.”
Anna smiled at her friend. “I’m glad he’s working with us.”
“Me, too. Though it is odd to have so many men with us.”
“I agree. Too many men.”
“Or maybe you just don’t want Jack with us because he makes you question what you really want.”
“As if,” Anna said, going into the bathroom. She was very aware that running away wasn’t the answer and that her thoughts still dwelt on Jack Savage.
Jack wasn’t surprised when he came out from the bathroom into his empty bedroom. He had been surprised that Anna had slept in his arms and that
Anna wrapped an arm around her waist. Was that true? Maybe that explained the way she felt this morning because she did feel a certain sense of panic that he wasn’t the man she’d thought he’d be.
He’d made love to her tenderly, held her all night, and she’d slept. She rarely slept at home in her posh DC condo, with its high-tech security features. So she had no idea why she was able to sleep solidly in Jack’s arms.
“Maybe you’re right.”
“Maybe? Of course I’m right.”
Anna laughed, but inside she was thrown. She knew her life was managed by staying safely behind her computer or weapon—keeping a distance between herself and the world.
Last night had changed all that for her and Jack. He wasn’t going to allow her to keep him at arm’s length. Or was he?
What if, to him, their night together had been just about shagging? She didn’t like to think she’d traded herself so cheaply, but at the end of the day, she’d made the decision to sleep with him.
Did she regret it?
“You okay?” Justine asked.
“Yes, I am. I need a shower. And then I want to check some tracking systems I’m using to see if Andreev is setting up any buys.”
“Focusing on the mission isn’t always the answer.”
“Why not? That’s what you do.”
“Hey, don’t be snippy. I’m just saying that when I was trying to manage Nigel…The mission wasn’t enough of a distraction. I’m going to see if I can find Charity.”
Justine walked toward the door, and Anna felt a moment’s thanks that she had a friend like Justine. “Thank you.”
Justine turned back to her. “For?”
“Caring.”
She shrugged. “Don’t let the word out. I have a heartless reputation to protect.”
“Your secret’s safe with me.”
“Good,” Justine said. “Did you get a chance to ask Jack where Kirk disappeared to?”
“No. I will as soon as I shower. Is anyone else missing?”
“No. Bay was quiet, and I thought I’d be uncomfortable with him, but he’s not like other men.”
“In what way?” Anna asked. She’d always had respect for the Tuareg. But, then, when she was kidnapped, the first man she’d seen—besides her captors—had been a Blue Man, and he’d given her a measure of calm before her father had come to claim her.
“I don’t know if I can explain it the right way. There’s something about the silence in him,” Justine said.
Anna smiled. Justine wasn’t really an in touch with her feelings kind of girl, and a man like Bay—who had the wisdom of the ages and a people not tied to physical things—would be hard for her to reconcile.
“You know I was kidnapped when I was younger?”
“Yes. Why?”
“The Tuareg were the ones to rescue me. They came before the SAS. They came into the cave where I was held. And I was very frightened at first. They were big and dark, veiled from head to toe. But then one of the men knelt beside me and said, ‘Be calm, little one.’ And you know what?”
“What?”
“It did calm me down. There was that silence in his eyes you mentioned. And I knew no harm would come to me while he was alive.”
Justine smiled at her. “Yeah, that’s it. I don’t like being someplace so far from home and Nigel and Piper. But last night while I was talking with Bay, I felt a sense of ease to that worry.”
Anna smiled at her friend. “I’m glad he’s working with us.”
“Me, too. Though it is odd to have so many men with us.”
“I agree. Too many men.”
“Or maybe you just don’t want Jack with us because he makes you question what you really want.”
“As if,” Anna said, going into the bathroom. She was very aware that running away wasn’t the answer and that her thoughts still dwelt on Jack Savage.
Jack wasn’t surprised when he came out from the bathroom into his empty bedroom. He had been surprised that Anna had slept in his arms and that
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