then.
He’d made his choice. Whether or not it was the correct one, it was the right one for him. He said a silent prayer for Ethan, wherever he was, and squeezed Abigail a little tighter.
“When it gets light I’ll find us a phone. My guys can get us out of here.” He rested his cheek against the top of her head.
“You should go without me. They won’t stop searching.”
“Is that what you want?”
“No. But it means you’d get out of here.”
“Don’t worry about me. I can take care of myself.” Plus, he had a team of guys who were without a doubt already looking for him. Hell, all he needed to do was make contact and get extraction orders. Zain and the Admiral would have the rest tied up in a neat little bow.
“You can’t always be the hero, Luke.”
He stared at the shadows. She hit the nail on the head there.
Did he want to rescue her? Was he looking to be her hero? Or was this about doing the right thing?
When he’d met her, he’d seen someone capable. Confident. Skilled. She was all of that, but she was also in a pinch at the moment. He still believed helping her was the right thing to do. If she was who—and what—she said she was, then she’d never get a fair trial here if she was charged with the bombing.
“I can’t save you from what you’ve done, but I can at least make sure you don’t go down for something you didn’t do. Besides,” he drew in a deep breath, bracing himself for the next thought, “you’re my best chance at finding out who did this. Who killed Ethan.”
“He could still be alive.”
“Maybe.”
Her hands slipped around his waist and she finally hugged him back, her body relaxing against his.
She was a remarkable woman.
“What should I call you?” he asked.
“Abigail. It’s better to perpetuate the idea of the alias.”
“You have me all curious about where you’ve been. What you’ve done.” He peered down at her. Who she’d killed…
“I can’t tell you that.”
“I know, but it still makes me wonder. Like—did you ever have to be a stripper to get access to some high rolling guy?”
She stared at him, her expression flat.
He grinned and kissed the tip of her nose.
So she was Mossad. A very dangerous Israeli spy. No, “clandestine combatant” was their preferred term. He was a veteran SEAL who’d done his share of black ops and now kicked ass for a living these days.
They weren’t all that different.
“Do you know what time it is? I’d check, but I can’t take my eyes off you.”
“You’re terrible.” Her voice was so deadpan it was funny.
She shook her head and leaned her head on his shoulder.
“You like me this way.” He stroked her arm. The desert chill was seeping in, finally.
She didn’t deny his statement.
“We’re going to get out of this,” he said again. “You’re going to see your mom.”
Again, she didn’t speak, but he felt her doubt. He’d been in a lot of ugly situations, with seemingly no way out—and he’d always survived. If she didn’t believe him, he’d just have to prove it to her. She could trust him. Have faith in him.
“Luke?”
“Hm?”
“Can I ask you for something?” Her voice was so small, so breakable.
“I don’t know, can you?” He squeezed her. “What?”
“Make love to me?” The way she said it, it might as well be her last request.
His mouth dried up. She was so certain this was the end. That tomorrow, maybe the day after, it would be over for her.
He wasn’t going to let that happen.
But he also wasn’t the kind of man to deny this woman anything.
Except…
“I only had the one condom.” He squeezed his eyes shut. Teach him to not be prepared.
“I can’t get pregnant.” She lifted her head from his shoulder, her sad, brown eyes on him. “Please?”
“Sugar, you never have to ask twice.” He stroked her face. “I don’t want you to…”
“To what? Have regrets? Luke, I’m not going to live that long.”
“Yes, you are.”
“Keep
He’d made his choice. Whether or not it was the correct one, it was the right one for him. He said a silent prayer for Ethan, wherever he was, and squeezed Abigail a little tighter.
“When it gets light I’ll find us a phone. My guys can get us out of here.” He rested his cheek against the top of her head.
“You should go without me. They won’t stop searching.”
“Is that what you want?”
“No. But it means you’d get out of here.”
“Don’t worry about me. I can take care of myself.” Plus, he had a team of guys who were without a doubt already looking for him. Hell, all he needed to do was make contact and get extraction orders. Zain and the Admiral would have the rest tied up in a neat little bow.
“You can’t always be the hero, Luke.”
He stared at the shadows. She hit the nail on the head there.
Did he want to rescue her? Was he looking to be her hero? Or was this about doing the right thing?
When he’d met her, he’d seen someone capable. Confident. Skilled. She was all of that, but she was also in a pinch at the moment. He still believed helping her was the right thing to do. If she was who—and what—she said she was, then she’d never get a fair trial here if she was charged with the bombing.
“I can’t save you from what you’ve done, but I can at least make sure you don’t go down for something you didn’t do. Besides,” he drew in a deep breath, bracing himself for the next thought, “you’re my best chance at finding out who did this. Who killed Ethan.”
“He could still be alive.”
“Maybe.”
Her hands slipped around his waist and she finally hugged him back, her body relaxing against his.
She was a remarkable woman.
“What should I call you?” he asked.
“Abigail. It’s better to perpetuate the idea of the alias.”
“You have me all curious about where you’ve been. What you’ve done.” He peered down at her. Who she’d killed…
“I can’t tell you that.”
“I know, but it still makes me wonder. Like—did you ever have to be a stripper to get access to some high rolling guy?”
She stared at him, her expression flat.
He grinned and kissed the tip of her nose.
So she was Mossad. A very dangerous Israeli spy. No, “clandestine combatant” was their preferred term. He was a veteran SEAL who’d done his share of black ops and now kicked ass for a living these days.
They weren’t all that different.
“Do you know what time it is? I’d check, but I can’t take my eyes off you.”
“You’re terrible.” Her voice was so deadpan it was funny.
She shook her head and leaned her head on his shoulder.
“You like me this way.” He stroked her arm. The desert chill was seeping in, finally.
She didn’t deny his statement.
“We’re going to get out of this,” he said again. “You’re going to see your mom.”
Again, she didn’t speak, but he felt her doubt. He’d been in a lot of ugly situations, with seemingly no way out—and he’d always survived. If she didn’t believe him, he’d just have to prove it to her. She could trust him. Have faith in him.
“Luke?”
“Hm?”
“Can I ask you for something?” Her voice was so small, so breakable.
“I don’t know, can you?” He squeezed her. “What?”
“Make love to me?” The way she said it, it might as well be her last request.
His mouth dried up. She was so certain this was the end. That tomorrow, maybe the day after, it would be over for her.
He wasn’t going to let that happen.
But he also wasn’t the kind of man to deny this woman anything.
Except…
“I only had the one condom.” He squeezed his eyes shut. Teach him to not be prepared.
“I can’t get pregnant.” She lifted her head from his shoulder, her sad, brown eyes on him. “Please?”
“Sugar, you never have to ask twice.” He stroked her face. “I don’t want you to…”
“To what? Have regrets? Luke, I’m not going to live that long.”
“Yes, you are.”
“Keep
Similar Books
