Mission: Marriage. Karen Whiddon

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      “Two years, Sean. It’s been two years. You pretended to be dead, for heaven’s sake! Don’t you dare try to seduce me now.”

      “Natalie, I—”

      “No.” She shifted uncomfortably. “And you shouldn’t even be thinking that way. You’re wounded.”

      “Only my leg and foot. The rest of me is fine.”

      His quip elicited no smile from her. “Stop.”

      “Please,” he said. That one word nearly undid her, because the Sean McGregor she’d known had never had to ask her for anything. She’d given of herself freely and with pleasure, always happy to put her love for him in physical terms.

      “You’re killing me,” she managed, clearing her throat to try to force out coherent words. “Quit. Just quit.”

      Another man might have laughed or attempted to defend himself by pointing out that he’d done nothing, made no move.

      Not Sean. He understood, as she’d known he would. Their relationship had always been both cerebral and physical.

      Her sigh was full of regret. “Working with you is more difficult than I thought it would be.”

      “You’re telling me.” He gave her a rueful smile, finally letting her see the pain in his eyes. “I’d leave, but moving would be rather painful right now, in more ways than one.”

      Closing her eyes, she inhaled sharply, unable to prevent herself from remembering what he’d been like when fully aroused.

      “I’ll go.” She pushed herself to her feet, moving unsteadily toward the bathroom.

      Closing the door, she turned on the tap and splashed water on her face. Cold water. Eyeing her dripping face in the mirror, she hated the lingering desire she saw there. She’d had two years to lose every hint of weakness inside her. Evidently she hadn’t been successful. One look from Sean had her wanting to melt.

      Taking a deep breath, she emerged from the lavatory.

      Sean had fallen asleep. Good.

      Without changing her clothes, she climbed into the bed next to him, sliding under the covers. They both needed their rest. Tomorrow promised to be a long day.

      Tonight promised to be an even longer night.

      The chime of her cell phone woke her. Groggy, she flipped open the casing and muttered a hello.

      “Natalie?” Not only did her father sound wide awake, but unnaturally cheery. “Are you all right?”

      “Yes.” She shot Sean a quick glance. The phone and her voice had awakened him, too. He lay on his side and watched her, eyes gleaming in the dim light. “We were still asleep. Late night.”

      “Did you learn anything relevant?”

      “Only that someone really wants me dead. Some shooter with an AK-47 came after me. Sean was hit.”

      The sharp sound of her father inhaling told her he was stunned. He’d always liked Sean. “How badly is he hurt?”

      “Not life-threatening. I got the bullet out, but combined with his broken foot, he’s in no shape for a manhunt.”

      “I see. I don’t suppose there’s a chance you could talk him into going back to the Highlands to heal?”

      The Highlands. She felt a sharp stab of pain. “Is that where he’s been all this time?”

      “Hasn’t he told you anything?”

      “No.” Unable to keep the bitterness from her voice, Natalie sighed, aware of Sean listening. “Sean has said precious little about what he’s been doing since he ‘died.’”

      Silence fell while her father digested this. “I’m sorry,” he finally said. “I promise you, if I’d known, I would have moved heaven and hell to get you to him.”

      “I know.” Tiredly, Natalie bit back a sharp retort, concentrating on sounding calm, cool and collected, as an expert field operative should. “I’m surprised Corbett didn’t tell you.”

      Her father’s deep chuckle reassured her. “You know how he is. He only reveals what he wants, when he wants. I’m sure he believed this was in your best interest.”

      “Maybe. But I would have liked a say in deciding that.”

      “I know. But you’ve got to move forward, Natalie. Whatever you decide about Sean, you’ve got to go on with your life.”

      Easy for him to say. But he was right, as usual.

      Blinking back tears and swallowing against the hot ache in her throat, Natalie realized her hand was beginning to go numb from her white-knuckled grip on the phone. She relaxed her fingers and straightened her shoulders.

      “I’m trying, Papa,” she whispered.

      “Good.” After exchanging a few more pleasantries, her father rang off. Natalie closed the phone and looked up to find Sean watching her.

      “Papa said you’ve been living in the Highlands.”

      Expression shuttered, he nodded. “Yes.”

      She’d only been there once, and he’d taken her. Her first impression had been of chilly damp mystery—the land shrouded itself in mist, hiding its secrets.

      “If I remember correctly, you didn’t see much of the scenery when we were there,” he drawled.

      Her cheeks warmed. “True.” They’d been newly married and had spent the entire time in bed. From the way Sean’s eyes darkened, she knew he remembered, too.

      “I never forgot,” he said. “As I matter of fact, I bought a cottage in a glen near where we stayed.”

      Helpless to move, she could only stare. “Why, Sean? Why?”

      “It’s beautiful there. Peaceful. No bloodshed or gunshots or murder. Just sheep and goats and the occasional bark of a collie.”

      “You sound as though you made a home there.”

      “In a way. But my cottage always missed something.”

      She didn’t want to ask—but she had to. “What? What were you missing there?”

      “You.”

      For the space of several heartbeats they stared at each other, his gaze full of longing, making her wonder if the same need showed in her eyes.

      Once, they wouldn’t have hesitated. Sex had been a balm on anything, a mind-blotting sort of plaster they’d used to fill the cracks in their relationship. And there had been fractures, she realized now. She’d been too blind to see them or, if she’d noticed at all, she’d believed herself too happy to care.

      But what about Sean? СКАЧАТЬ