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.This could be turn out to be big." Clydegrinned with genuine enthusiasm.The smile was a new experience for Regan.It definitely made him moreapproachable, she could almost see why Kiki thought he was hot stuff."So there wasn't an inside source after all," Regan murmured.Clyde's gaze slid right past Regan to Ian."Look's like you were wrong about thatone.Sorry, Romeo.But hey, let's not complain.It worked out great.Except because ofthe tie in with the Sons of Allah, a team from National Security is taking custody of thesuspects." Clyde shrugged off any disappointment."The rest of our operation is strictlyroutine--mop up.""Then the switch with the princess tonight is going to be the real deal?" Ian askedwith a frown.Victor joined them."Absolutely.Two new royal guards are coming on boardtonight.They'll accompany you to the exchange point, a private dressing room off themain ballroom.We'll isolate the real princess after the ball in a secure location, strictly asa precaution." He frowned at Regan, presumably to emphasize the seriousness of thesituation."It's vital that every detail of your appearance matches that of Princess Halle."As if, she hadn't spent practically every waking minute perfecting her princess actfor the past couple of weeks.She clamped down on her temper and resisted saying anyof the things she was thinking.Verbal warfare with Victor was a no-win situation for herand it sure wouldn't help Ian's working relationship with the touchy agent.Instead of arguing, she mentioned a relevant problem, "Lundstrom isn't feelingwell.I called the hotel doctor and asked him to check her, but I don't think she's going be DANGEROUS RESCUE Evanne Lorraine 116up to hair styling by tonight.I'll do my best to reproduce the hair style, but--""Call Kiki.She knows about that stuff," Clyde said.Regan was caught off guard by Clyde's casual suggestion."You don't mindinvolving her in the operation?""Nah, Kiki's cool," he said after only the slightest hesitation."Okay then, I'll call her.Thanks." Regan had an odd urge to pat him.She caughthold of herself before she'd acted on it.He didn't look that approachable.After listening to several retellings of every aspect of the operation's conclusion,from the tip-off all the way through to the takedown, Regan and Ian strolled back to hisrig.In the space of an hour, they'd gone from anticipation to done.Suddenly, they hadnowhere to go--nowhere they needed to be--until tonight."It's kind of anti-climatic, I feel almost let down," he voiced exactly what she'dbeen thinking."I know what you mean--all keyed up and no where to go." Regan agreed with aneasy smile."Want to stop for coffee?""Sure, but make mine decaf--I'm still wired." A reckless happiness, simplybecause they were together, bubbled inside her veins, the emotion skating on the razor'sedge of pain because there was so little time left for them."Finding all the terrorists in one fell swoop, it's almost too good to be true." Ianpulled into the Coffee Prophet's drive-through lane."It was a wonderful coup for Clyde and Victor." Regan tried to pump someenthusiasm into her voice, but she sounded flat even to her own ears.Ian placed their order."Looks like the operation is a wrap.""You'll be getting rid of me sooner than you thought." She tried for light andbreezy, but the lump in her throat threatened to ruin the effect.They pulled into an open parking slot, sipping their coffees in silence thatgradually eased into camaraderie as they played remember when and laughed over sharedmemories from their days in patrol.The police scanner provided a familiar backgroundcrackle for their conversation."We're a good team." Ian's voice seemed huskier.Regan turned, meeting his gaze."We always were.""It doesn't have to end.""Oh Ian." Her heart twisted."That doesn't sound like what I want to hear." His jaw hardened.His anger stung.But she had no choice.A few more hours and this assignmentwould be over.Ian would go back to his real life and she's go back to hers.There was nocompromise that would work for them.She wished that she could--but it was better notto even go there."If things were different." Regan left her thought unfinished, turning away fromhim to avoid his gaze.Finally, she dropped her eyes to her lap where she twisted anduntwisted her now frayed napkin, which was all that remained from the coffee stop."What do you want to be different?" he asked, his voice thick.So many things--my past, our families, our backgrounds.but she didn't say any DANGEROUS RESCUE Evanne Lorraine 117of things she was thinking."You can't be sure how you'll feel tomorrow, the next day, or a year from now,"she said reasonably."Yes I can.My heart is not going to change.If you think so then you don't knowme at all.We did it your way for more than a year.How long do you need before you'llbelieve I love you? Five years, ten years? Until there's no possibility if us having afamily? What will make it safe enough for you to love me? If I promise never to getshot? I've got a real safe job.What if I quit all together and stay home with the kids?"Dear God, he knew her too well.Ian was shredding her heart with words.Whydid he have to make this even harder?"Don't do this.Please.I can't be what you want." She kept her eyes trained onher napkin."All I ever wanted you to be was mine," he said the bittersweet words withsadness and bleak finality.A darted glance allowed her to follow Ian's hard jaw as he turned away from her.She quickly dropped her gaze back to her hands.She twisted the napkin tightly andunwound it again, focusing on the tortured paper as she fought to keep welling tears fromspilling.Please.Please stop.Please don't do this."You're a coward," he accused."That's not fair," Regan said it softly.She wanted to be alone.She wanted to bewith him.She didn't know what she wanted.Except she was certain she did not want tofight with Ian."I'm done being fair.""I'd never fit into your world," She said it flatly, like the fact it was, refusing tolook at him.She didn't want him to see how much saying no to him cost her.Ian caught her chin, angling her to face him."What the hell are you talking about? My world? We're practically neighbors.""We come from different families--" Regan stole a fast look at him through herlashes, still unwilling to meet his eyes directly.Ian cut her off, talking over her explanation."Yeah, we're different, all right.You had family that loved you."His hand dropped from her face.Regan's chin threatened to quiver.He folded his arms across his chest."I'm not asking you to marry my family, onlyme.""I can't.Please understand I.I have to do what's best for both of us.I have todo the right thing." She couldn't look at him--couldn't bear to see the hurt and anger thatshe heard in his voice reflected in his eyes.Oh Ian, why does it have to be all or nothing? Couldn't you have held me andkissed me just this one last night without conditions and ultimatums? Why couldn't youhave let me love you for just a little while more?She let her eyes drift shut and tried to tune out the words piercing her heart."If you really believe that, then there's nothing more for me to say.You're so DANGEROUS RESCUE Evanne Lorraine 118dead set on ruining your life that you don't care you're ruining mine too.""Ian ""Fuck your rationalizations.I don't want to hear your, I'm-doing-the-right-thingspeech.I thought you had guts.I wasn't looking for perfection.I was looking for a realpartner I could count on, not someone who'd run the first time things got tough.I waslooking for a woman who loved me."His pain was an audible thing beneath the harsh words.I do love you.That's why I'm letting you go.Because family is everything to you,and I can't give you one [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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.This could be turn out to be big." Clydegrinned with genuine enthusiasm.The smile was a new experience for Regan.It definitely made him moreapproachable, she could almost see why Kiki thought he was hot stuff."So there wasn't an inside source after all," Regan murmured.Clyde's gaze slid right past Regan to Ian."Look's like you were wrong about thatone.Sorry, Romeo.But hey, let's not complain.It worked out great.Except because ofthe tie in with the Sons of Allah, a team from National Security is taking custody of thesuspects." Clyde shrugged off any disappointment."The rest of our operation is strictlyroutine--mop up.""Then the switch with the princess tonight is going to be the real deal?" Ian askedwith a frown.Victor joined them."Absolutely.Two new royal guards are coming on boardtonight.They'll accompany you to the exchange point, a private dressing room off themain ballroom.We'll isolate the real princess after the ball in a secure location, strictly asa precaution." He frowned at Regan, presumably to emphasize the seriousness of thesituation."It's vital that every detail of your appearance matches that of Princess Halle."As if, she hadn't spent practically every waking minute perfecting her princess actfor the past couple of weeks.She clamped down on her temper and resisted saying anyof the things she was thinking.Verbal warfare with Victor was a no-win situation for herand it sure wouldn't help Ian's working relationship with the touchy agent.Instead of arguing, she mentioned a relevant problem, "Lundstrom isn't feelingwell.I called the hotel doctor and asked him to check her, but I don't think she's going be DANGEROUS RESCUE Evanne Lorraine 116up to hair styling by tonight.I'll do my best to reproduce the hair style, but--""Call Kiki.She knows about that stuff," Clyde said.Regan was caught off guard by Clyde's casual suggestion."You don't mindinvolving her in the operation?""Nah, Kiki's cool," he said after only the slightest hesitation."Okay then, I'll call her.Thanks." Regan had an odd urge to pat him.She caughthold of herself before she'd acted on it.He didn't look that approachable.After listening to several retellings of every aspect of the operation's conclusion,from the tip-off all the way through to the takedown, Regan and Ian strolled back to hisrig.In the space of an hour, they'd gone from anticipation to done.Suddenly, they hadnowhere to go--nowhere they needed to be--until tonight."It's kind of anti-climatic, I feel almost let down," he voiced exactly what she'dbeen thinking."I know what you mean--all keyed up and no where to go." Regan agreed with aneasy smile."Want to stop for coffee?""Sure, but make mine decaf--I'm still wired." A reckless happiness, simplybecause they were together, bubbled inside her veins, the emotion skating on the razor'sedge of pain because there was so little time left for them."Finding all the terrorists in one fell swoop, it's almost too good to be true." Ianpulled into the Coffee Prophet's drive-through lane."It was a wonderful coup for Clyde and Victor." Regan tried to pump someenthusiasm into her voice, but she sounded flat even to her own ears.Ian placed their order."Looks like the operation is a wrap.""You'll be getting rid of me sooner than you thought." She tried for light andbreezy, but the lump in her throat threatened to ruin the effect.They pulled into an open parking slot, sipping their coffees in silence thatgradually eased into camaraderie as they played remember when and laughed over sharedmemories from their days in patrol.The police scanner provided a familiar backgroundcrackle for their conversation."We're a good team." Ian's voice seemed huskier.Regan turned, meeting his gaze."We always were.""It doesn't have to end.""Oh Ian." Her heart twisted."That doesn't sound like what I want to hear." His jaw hardened.His anger stung.But she had no choice.A few more hours and this assignmentwould be over.Ian would go back to his real life and she's go back to hers.There was nocompromise that would work for them.She wished that she could--but it was better notto even go there."If things were different." Regan left her thought unfinished, turning away fromhim to avoid his gaze.Finally, she dropped her eyes to her lap where she twisted anduntwisted her now frayed napkin, which was all that remained from the coffee stop."What do you want to be different?" he asked, his voice thick.So many things--my past, our families, our backgrounds.but she didn't say any DANGEROUS RESCUE Evanne Lorraine 117of things she was thinking."You can't be sure how you'll feel tomorrow, the next day, or a year from now,"she said reasonably."Yes I can.My heart is not going to change.If you think so then you don't knowme at all.We did it your way for more than a year.How long do you need before you'llbelieve I love you? Five years, ten years? Until there's no possibility if us having afamily? What will make it safe enough for you to love me? If I promise never to getshot? I've got a real safe job.What if I quit all together and stay home with the kids?"Dear God, he knew her too well.Ian was shredding her heart with words.Whydid he have to make this even harder?"Don't do this.Please.I can't be what you want." She kept her eyes trained onher napkin."All I ever wanted you to be was mine," he said the bittersweet words withsadness and bleak finality.A darted glance allowed her to follow Ian's hard jaw as he turned away from her.She quickly dropped her gaze back to her hands.She twisted the napkin tightly andunwound it again, focusing on the tortured paper as she fought to keep welling tears fromspilling.Please.Please stop.Please don't do this."You're a coward," he accused."That's not fair," Regan said it softly.She wanted to be alone.She wanted to bewith him.She didn't know what she wanted.Except she was certain she did not want tofight with Ian."I'm done being fair.""I'd never fit into your world," She said it flatly, like the fact it was, refusing tolook at him.She didn't want him to see how much saying no to him cost her.Ian caught her chin, angling her to face him."What the hell are you talking about? My world? We're practically neighbors.""We come from different families--" Regan stole a fast look at him through herlashes, still unwilling to meet his eyes directly.Ian cut her off, talking over her explanation."Yeah, we're different, all right.You had family that loved you."His hand dropped from her face.Regan's chin threatened to quiver.He folded his arms across his chest."I'm not asking you to marry my family, onlyme.""I can't.Please understand I.I have to do what's best for both of us.I have todo the right thing." She couldn't look at him--couldn't bear to see the hurt and anger thatshe heard in his voice reflected in his eyes.Oh Ian, why does it have to be all or nothing? Couldn't you have held me andkissed me just this one last night without conditions and ultimatums? Why couldn't youhave let me love you for just a little while more?She let her eyes drift shut and tried to tune out the words piercing her heart."If you really believe that, then there's nothing more for me to say.You're so DANGEROUS RESCUE Evanne Lorraine 118dead set on ruining your life that you don't care you're ruining mine too.""Ian ""Fuck your rationalizations.I don't want to hear your, I'm-doing-the-right-thingspeech.I thought you had guts.I wasn't looking for perfection.I was looking for a realpartner I could count on, not someone who'd run the first time things got tough.I waslooking for a woman who loved me."His pain was an audible thing beneath the harsh words.I do love you.That's why I'm letting you go.Because family is everything to you,and I can't give you one [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]