At Your Command. Julie Miller

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СКАЧАТЬ wedding rings, her new name was another topic they’d never had a chance to discuss.

      A cheesy grin split Travis’s face. “What, you forget you were married already?”

      They moved past the awkward moment with more handshakes and an introduction to Travis’s girlfriend, Tess Bartlett, whom Becky learned was a physical therapist.

      “So how do you know Zachariah, Captain McCormick?” Becky asked, curious to meet one of his friends.

      “It’s Travis, and don’t worry about the title.” Despite the woman at his side, Travis seemed to be a bit of a flirt. “Clarksie and I served together on a Special Operations team—until I got wounded.”

      At the mention of the word wounded, the good-natured camaraderie between the two men ebbed as though they were rowdy boys who’d been reprimanded by their parents for too much roughhousing. Becky could sense the stiffness that crept into Zachariah’s posture.

      “I see you’re not in Charlie uniform—your camouflage work gear,” Zachariah pointed out. “Does that mean the top brass denied your request to return to a Special Ops team?”

      Travis waved aside his concern. “I didn’t give them the chance. I asked to be transferred to the training division. General Craddock approved it yesterday. I’m going to be teaching the yahoos who’ll be taking your place one day.”

      “Congratulations, man.” Becky glanced up. Despite a smile, Zachariah’s jaw had tensed. “What changed your mind?”

      “I realized I couldn’t give the hundred-and-ten percent S.O. teams need anymore. But I figure I can eke out about a hundred-and-one percent to whip some of those new boys into shape. I’ve learned I make a pretty good coach.”

      Seeing the blush that dotted Tess’s cheeks when Travis smiled down at her, Becky had to wonder just what kind of “coaching” Zachariah’s pal was talking about.

      “I get to choose my own staff.” Travis jabbed Zachariah on the shoulder and grinned. “I could use a big hard-ass like you on the team.”

      Zachariah’s hand fisted at Becky’s back before he broke contact completely. “I’ll think about it.”

      “Do. I can always use a man with good hands.”

      Afraid she was witnessing another reappearance of the secretive stranger who’d been so intense that he’d frightened two little boys, Becky linked her arm through Zachariah’s. “Can’t we all?”

      Tess and Travis laughed right along with her, the double entendre buying a few seconds, giving Zachariah’s mood a chance to pass. His deep, rumbly laugh finally joined in. He linked his fingers together with Becky’s and lifted her hand to claim it with a kiss.

      Like the laugh, she couldn’t tell if his silent thank you was for real or for show. Still, his words sounded sincere enough. “Duty calls. Thanks for showing up, Trav. It feels good to be on home soil. Good to see you.”

      Travis nodded. “Well, you’ve got a homecoming I’m not going to keep you from any longer. Take care, buddy.”

      “You, too.” The two men shook hands. “I’ll call you soon, I promise.”

      Travis looked at Becky, then up at Zachariah and winked. “I’d give it a good forty-eight hours or so before you make any phone calls. I expect you’re gonna be busy for a while.”

      THE MAN OPENED HIS TOP RIGHT desk drawer and pulled out papers and file folders until he uncovered the photograph at the bottom.

      After a quick glance around his bustling office to verify that he was alone and unwatched, he pulled on a pair of plastic gloves and reached in to touch the picture. Clarified and enlarged on his home computer, the photo provided a remarkable likeness of the woman captured there. He traced his fingertip around the woman’s wide, slightly crooked mouth, lingering on the natural pout that was evident even on this unsmiling government ID.

      He liked that mouth better when it was closed.

      She was pretty enough, in a Rubenesque kind of way. Her hair was so blond, it nearly hurt the eyes to look at it straight on in full sunlight. And the expensive layered cut she wore it in spoke of family money rather than a government salary.

      She was class.

      She was style.

      “You bitch.”

      A familiar rage sparked through his blood.

      “You think you’re going to make the world fall into place the way you want it, don’t you?” He splayed his fingers over her face and squeezed his eyes shut, breathing deeply to control the anger. Breathing deeper to control the animalistic urges that fired through his body. “I gave you every chance to do right by me. To understand the way things should be. But you just like to screw with a man when he’s down, don’t you? Makes you feel like you’re something special, doesn’t it? Like you’re too high and mighty to ever fall off your throne.”

      Still smothering her face with his palm, he opened another drawer and pulled out the envelope he’d brought from home. “I’m going to put you in your place, Princess. If you’re going to deny me what should be mine, then I’m going to destroy you. I’m going to make you suffer. I want to see you weeping. And if you still don’t learn your lesson…

      “I’m going to kill you.”

      3

      ZACHARIAH KNEW HIS MAMA WOULD have had his hide if she’d been there to see him in action that morning.

      As he followed the enticing bounce of Becky’s bottom to her car, he had only one thing on his mind. And it wasn’t the apology he needed to make.

      He’d like to think he had a fever—or blame it on eighteen months of celibacy or on the memorial service he’d attended two days ago at the base. But something wasn’t right in his head. From the moment he’d spotted Becky’s deep blue eyes, he’d been drawn to her like a moth to a back porch light. If he could just get to her, get a hold of her—get inside her—then everything would feel right again.

      The crap that had been plaguing him since that last mission into Al-Bazan would fade away. He could replay the awful way he’d reacted to those two kids—acting like the enemy instead of a colleague to their daddy. Maybe he could get a laugh out of them instead of instilling in them the urge to run away. He’d be able to stand back for a moment and figure out why he’d snapped at Becky for calling him on his behavior, and why he’d held something back from his best friend, Travis McCormick.

      He was happy to be stateside. Happy to see Travis back on the job and looking as fit and fine as ever. Happy to find his woman—his new wife—waiting for him now that he was officially off duty.

      But from the moment Becky had launched herself into his arms and her sweet, full lips had softened beneath his, Zachariah had been waging a war inside himself. Fighting to control a battle between a shameless hard-on and the seething emotions that itched at him like intel of an ambush. He knew all hell was gonna break loose—he just didn’t know when or where it would happen. And he wasn’t sure he could control the situation.

      He hadn’t controlled a damn thing in Al-Bazan.

      Shit. СКАЧАТЬ