in her grief as she described him. She had loved him for all that he really was.
And then she had lost him.
Ray Teile had been shot dead by a sniper while on a goodwill tour, surrounded by highly trained secret service agents helplessly unable to do a thing when the first surprise bullet found its mark straight into the senator’s heart.
And Blair stood by, watching as his life blood flowed surely from his body to the pavement.
Craig suddenly realized that she had stopped speaking. Her eyes were still closed and he kissed them lovingly.
“Blair,” he said softly, and her eyes opened to him. “Teile was a very fine person, and it’s very natural that you still grieve for him. But don’t be afraid of loving again. You are alive, and you have so much to give.”
Blair shuddered slightly. She had brought it all back, but it didn’t seem to hurt so bad, and it didn’t seem at all wrong that she was lying in this man’s arms after talking about Ray.
She turned to him, smiling slightly as she traced a finger along the angle of his cheek. “Thank you for listening,” she murmured. “I don’t think I live in the past, it’s just …”
“Hush.” He pressed a finger to her lips. “Don’t apologize to me, I wanted to listen.” He held her close, his breath gentle on her forehead. “I wanted all of you, Blair.”
Time passed as they held together, locked in a contented wonderment. Blair thought how strange it was the two men she had loved in her life could be so very different, so very special, so unique.
And then she realized that she was admitting to herself that she loved Craig.
Shifting against him, she brushed his chest with a kiss, then pressed her lips tightly to his shoulder. He moved to hold her again, but she shook her head and pulled back, rising from the ridiculously tiny cot that had become a bed of clouds for them both.
“Where are you going?” he demanded huskily.
“To my tent,” she returned softly, watching his gaze narrow upon her. A mischievous grin curled her lips. “I’m not worried about my reputation, Mr. Taylor, or what anyone might think. I just don’t think I could possibly share something as special as this night has been.”
He wanted to stop her—more than anything in the world he wanted to stop her. He wanted her with him through the night; he wanted to awake with her face beside his.
His muscles constricted, his jaw hardened. Reason held him back. In less than an hour he had to send a communication.
But reason didn’t help him any as he watched her silently dress with her effortless, unconscious grace. And suddenly he was up beside her. “Tonight,” he whispered, fingers tensing into her shoulders, “tonight I’ll let you leave. But there will come a time …”
What was he saying? he groaned inwardly. Their time would be so limited—time when she would want to be his at any rate.
He released her abruptly. “I’m sorry, Blair.” He turned his back on her.
Blair was silent for several seconds, watching the powerful breadth of his back.
“There will come a time,” she whispered. Then with a rustle of air, she was gone.
She wasn’t sleeping when he moved in the night, the wraith cat again, slipping through the jungle.
But she might not have heard a cannon. Her mind was full, her body sated. Distrust was not among her emotions.
She was savoring the feeling of fulfillment, of at long last knowing a complete peace of mind and body.
When she slept she missed his form beside her, but she slept a complete, total, and exhausted rest, a smile curving her lips.
They had both been right. A time was coming when she would stay, stay until he no longer wanted her with him.
Whatever the future brought with her wandering man, she would take whatever he gave and gladly bear the consequences.
CHAPTER FIVE
B Y MORNING’S LIGHT BLAIR had forgotten that she had ever mistrusted Craig. The night had worked sheer magic upon her, and she was sure she could face
And then she had lost him.
Ray Teile had been shot dead by a sniper while on a goodwill tour, surrounded by highly trained secret service agents helplessly unable to do a thing when the first surprise bullet found its mark straight into the senator’s heart.
And Blair stood by, watching as his life blood flowed surely from his body to the pavement.
Craig suddenly realized that she had stopped speaking. Her eyes were still closed and he kissed them lovingly.
“Blair,” he said softly, and her eyes opened to him. “Teile was a very fine person, and it’s very natural that you still grieve for him. But don’t be afraid of loving again. You are alive, and you have so much to give.”
Blair shuddered slightly. She had brought it all back, but it didn’t seem to hurt so bad, and it didn’t seem at all wrong that she was lying in this man’s arms after talking about Ray.
She turned to him, smiling slightly as she traced a finger along the angle of his cheek. “Thank you for listening,” she murmured. “I don’t think I live in the past, it’s just …”
“Hush.” He pressed a finger to her lips. “Don’t apologize to me, I wanted to listen.” He held her close, his breath gentle on her forehead. “I wanted all of you, Blair.”
Time passed as they held together, locked in a contented wonderment. Blair thought how strange it was the two men she had loved in her life could be so very different, so very special, so unique.
And then she realized that she was admitting to herself that she loved Craig.
Shifting against him, she brushed his chest with a kiss, then pressed her lips tightly to his shoulder. He moved to hold her again, but she shook her head and pulled back, rising from the ridiculously tiny cot that had become a bed of clouds for them both.
“Where are you going?” he demanded huskily.
“To my tent,” she returned softly, watching his gaze narrow upon her. A mischievous grin curled her lips. “I’m not worried about my reputation, Mr. Taylor, or what anyone might think. I just don’t think I could possibly share something as special as this night has been.”
He wanted to stop her—more than anything in the world he wanted to stop her. He wanted her with him through the night; he wanted to awake with her face beside his.
His muscles constricted, his jaw hardened. Reason held him back. In less than an hour he had to send a communication.
But reason didn’t help him any as he watched her silently dress with her effortless, unconscious grace. And suddenly he was up beside her. “Tonight,” he whispered, fingers tensing into her shoulders, “tonight I’ll let you leave. But there will come a time …”
What was he saying? he groaned inwardly. Their time would be so limited—time when she would want to be his at any rate.
He released her abruptly. “I’m sorry, Blair.” He turned his back on her.
Blair was silent for several seconds, watching the powerful breadth of his back.
“There will come a time,” she whispered. Then with a rustle of air, she was gone.
She wasn’t sleeping when he moved in the night, the wraith cat again, slipping through the jungle.
But she might not have heard a cannon. Her mind was full, her body sated. Distrust was not among her emotions.
She was savoring the feeling of fulfillment, of at long last knowing a complete peace of mind and body.
When she slept she missed his form beside her, but she slept a complete, total, and exhausted rest, a smile curving her lips.
They had both been right. A time was coming when she would stay, stay until he no longer wanted her with him.
Whatever the future brought with her wandering man, she would take whatever he gave and gladly bear the consequences.
CHAPTER FIVE
B Y MORNING’S LIGHT BLAIR had forgotten that she had ever mistrusted Craig. The night had worked sheer magic upon her, and she was sure she could face
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