out the sunlight he’d kept closely guarded within himself.
Abby frowned. “That’s the second time you’ve called me that in Russian. What does it mean?”
“Do you think it’s a cuss?”
Today, Alec found out a great deal more about American lingo, including the timber, fishing and mining men of Alaska he encountered as they walked around Anchorage. At a small bar, a couple of bearded fishermen were tossing vile language at one another just as Alec, Tim and Abby walked by. Tim had to delicately explain what all the words meant.
Abby laughed. “Listen, under no circumstances would I believe an officer in the Soviet navy would ever curse a blue streak like those two guys did in front of that bar.”
“Don’t be so sure. When we’re on military exercises, believe me, cursing becomes a regular part of our language at times.” He saw surprise in Abby’s dancing blue eyes. Unconsciously, he reached for her hand and cradled it momentarily. “But what I called you isn’t a curse word. It is an affectionate term, one used for someone special.”
Shaken by Alec’s unexpected touch, Abby stood very still. She stared down at the long, spare fingers that had captured her hand. A part of her wondered what it would be like to kiss Alec, to taste and experience his strength and intensity. Abruptly, Abby tried to stop the feeling, but couldn’t. She melted beneath his warm sable gaze as he gently held her hand.
“What does it mean, then?” she asked, her voice suddenly husky with emotion.
“My only one.” He turned her hand over and studied it intently. “You’re so delicate, Abby. You have the hand of an artist, someone of great sensitivity, and yet, you have the courage of the bear to stand up to a Japanese whaler in a trawler that’s twenty times smaller.” Not wanting to release her, yet knowing he must, Alec did so. Her cheeks were flaming red, her lips were parted, and surprise was etched in her eyes. Yet, Alec also saw something else in them, a luster that told him she liked his touch.
Abby suddenly felt bereft as Alec reluctantly released her hand. Her flesh tingled where his fingers had rested. She licked her lower lip and tried to recover from his unexpected intimacy. “I—uh, that’s a lovely name.” The words he’d spoken so softly had touched her heart, her soul. There was no way she could mistake the meaning of those words because the look in his eyes was one of heat and longing.
The tension in his body made Alec very aware of how Abby affected him physically. More than once he’d wondered what it would be like to have her in his arms. Would she be as passionate a lover as her red hair proclaimed? Would she be as sensitive as her eyes promised?
Yes, to both questions,
his heart answered. Her response to his holding her hand had been telling. For all her courage and bravado, she was hauntingly vulnerable in the world of human relationships, and that made him want her with a fierceness that consumed him like a storm at sea.
Shaken himself, Alec whispered, “I think it’s time I got ready for bed.”
“Yes…”
Abby pretended to busy herself in the kitchen. She heard Alec get up from the stool and leave. Turning, she stood leaning against the kitchen counter, her heart hammering. His touch had made her pulse skyrocket. His action had been unexpected. Molten. As she put the wine bottle away, Abby tried to make logical sense of what had occurred. She couldn’t.
My only one.
Did Russians use certain terms like Americans used certain buzz words that really didn’t mean much at all? Was it a shallow term? Not according to the look in Alec’s eyes and the low timbre of his voice when he’d whispered it to her. Abby wished she knew for sure, one way or another.
* * *
“A LEC , YOUR REQUEST TO act as an observer aboard the
Argonaut
for a week following its repairs has been approved.” Tim handed Alec a set of orders. “We just received this dispatch from Captain Denisov aboard
Abby frowned. “That’s the second time you’ve called me that in Russian. What does it mean?”
“Do you think it’s a cuss?”
Today, Alec found out a great deal more about American lingo, including the timber, fishing and mining men of Alaska he encountered as they walked around Anchorage. At a small bar, a couple of bearded fishermen were tossing vile language at one another just as Alec, Tim and Abby walked by. Tim had to delicately explain what all the words meant.
Abby laughed. “Listen, under no circumstances would I believe an officer in the Soviet navy would ever curse a blue streak like those two guys did in front of that bar.”
“Don’t be so sure. When we’re on military exercises, believe me, cursing becomes a regular part of our language at times.” He saw surprise in Abby’s dancing blue eyes. Unconsciously, he reached for her hand and cradled it momentarily. “But what I called you isn’t a curse word. It is an affectionate term, one used for someone special.”
Shaken by Alec’s unexpected touch, Abby stood very still. She stared down at the long, spare fingers that had captured her hand. A part of her wondered what it would be like to kiss Alec, to taste and experience his strength and intensity. Abruptly, Abby tried to stop the feeling, but couldn’t. She melted beneath his warm sable gaze as he gently held her hand.
“What does it mean, then?” she asked, her voice suddenly husky with emotion.
“My only one.” He turned her hand over and studied it intently. “You’re so delicate, Abby. You have the hand of an artist, someone of great sensitivity, and yet, you have the courage of the bear to stand up to a Japanese whaler in a trawler that’s twenty times smaller.” Not wanting to release her, yet knowing he must, Alec did so. Her cheeks were flaming red, her lips were parted, and surprise was etched in her eyes. Yet, Alec also saw something else in them, a luster that told him she liked his touch.
Abby suddenly felt bereft as Alec reluctantly released her hand. Her flesh tingled where his fingers had rested. She licked her lower lip and tried to recover from his unexpected intimacy. “I—uh, that’s a lovely name.” The words he’d spoken so softly had touched her heart, her soul. There was no way she could mistake the meaning of those words because the look in his eyes was one of heat and longing.
The tension in his body made Alec very aware of how Abby affected him physically. More than once he’d wondered what it would be like to have her in his arms. Would she be as passionate a lover as her red hair proclaimed? Would she be as sensitive as her eyes promised?
Yes, to both questions,
his heart answered. Her response to his holding her hand had been telling. For all her courage and bravado, she was hauntingly vulnerable in the world of human relationships, and that made him want her with a fierceness that consumed him like a storm at sea.
Shaken himself, Alec whispered, “I think it’s time I got ready for bed.”
“Yes…”
Abby pretended to busy herself in the kitchen. She heard Alec get up from the stool and leave. Turning, she stood leaning against the kitchen counter, her heart hammering. His touch had made her pulse skyrocket. His action had been unexpected. Molten. As she put the wine bottle away, Abby tried to make logical sense of what had occurred. She couldn’t.
My only one.
Did Russians use certain terms like Americans used certain buzz words that really didn’t mean much at all? Was it a shallow term? Not according to the look in Alec’s eyes and the low timbre of his voice when he’d whispered it to her. Abby wished she knew for sure, one way or another.
* * *
“A LEC , YOUR REQUEST TO act as an observer aboard the
Argonaut
for a week following its repairs has been approved.” Tim handed Alec a set of orders. “We just received this dispatch from Captain Denisov aboard
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