Accidental Commando (21 page)

“Thank you.”

“I’m sure you’re going to go far as a journalist, Emily. And if there’s anything I can do for you in the future, please, don’t hesitate to call me.”

“I appreciate that, Helen. Be careful, I likely will.”

“It wasn’t an idle offer. I owe you my life.”

“Really, you don’t—”

“And I’m also feeling guilty,” Helen said, holding up her hand. “You? Why?”

“I heard how you were tricked into joining the mission.”

Emily suspected she’d probably heard the noise of the slamming door this morning, too. “It wasn’t your doing.”

“No, but I suspected something days ago. It seemed odd to me from the beginning that Major Redinger would have allowed a reporter such free access to his team. Delta Force soldiers are normally very secretive.”

“Yes, I’d known they were, too. It’s one of the reasons I was so excited about the opportunity to get their story. I should have realized when something seems too good to be true, it usually is.”

“I can’t begin to tell you the number of times I’ve needed to remind myself of that very point during negotiations. It’s difficult to stay objective when we desire something strongly.”

It was true, Emily thought. She hadn’t looked too closely at her deal with the major because she’d wanted it so badly. She’d done the same thing with Christopher. She’d wanted to be loved and had closed her eyes to anything else. “You’re right. My eagerness made me gullible. It’s why I was so thoroughly scammed.”

“Yet because of the deception, you were in a position to save my life yesterday.” Helen smiled. “Forgive me if I can’t completely disapprove of what you call the scam.”

Emily fidgeted with the hole in her dress hem. It was impossible to disagree with Helen’s logic. Yesterday, Tyler had mentioned being part of the bigger picture. Was this an example of what he’d meant? “It was Eagle Squadron who saved your life, not me.”

“Now who’s being diplomatic?”

“Really, all I did was point El Gato out. The soldiers did the rest.”

“They reacted swiftly.”

“Thank God for that.”

“That’s why military men tend to be more goal-oriented than the rest of us. Soldiers have to put their duty first when they’re on a mission. Lives depend on their decisions. They’re often called upon to make difficult choices.”

Emily was aware of what Helen was doing. As gently as possible, she was lobbying on Eagle Squadron’s behalf. She was doing an effective job, too. “In my head, I do know that. My resentment of them must seem petty to you.”

“No, dear, it’s human. Your pride was hurt. Once you have some time to put this experience into perspective, I’m sure your resentment will fade.”

“Talking with you has helped a lot, Helen.”

“Good. I admire everyone who has the courage to serve in our armed forces, yet believe me, I also know how frustrating it can be at times to deal with the military mind-set.”

“That’s for sure.”

“Especially when one’s emotions become involved. More than your pride was hurt, wasn’t it?” Helen asked. “It’s…complicated.”

“Because of Sergeant Matheson?”

Emily hesitated. “I’m not sure what you mean.”

Helen regarded her over the rims of her glasses. “I wouldn’t be much good at my profession if I wasn’t able to pick up on certain undercurrents. You two seem to have become rather close over the course of the past week.”

Emily’s eyes misted without warning. She folded the sheets of notepaper and leaned down to slip them into her purse. She couldn’t think about Tyler without getting a lump in her throat. She hoped she would be able to put her experience with him into perspective someday, too.

Yes, far more than her pride was hurt when it came to Tyler. She’d warned herself often enough that she should have been more cautious. Luckily, they’d only spent one night together. Once they went their separate ways, there would be no ties left between them. No legal matters to worry about, no small-town gossip to brave, no I-told-you-sos from her family. So, looking at the big picture, it could have been far worse.

“If we seemed close, it was because of the mission,” she said, smoothing a fold in her dress so that the bullet hole didn’t show. “But we always knew it was going to end.”

Chapter 11

I
t was hard to hear the radio over the rain. Tyler covered his ear with his palm to block out the background noise as he left the garage. “Say again, Jack?”

“She left the envoy’s suite five minutes ago. She’s on her way down.”

He lowered his head and increased his pace. “Gonzo, do you see her?”

“She just passed me. Nearly ran me over with her suitcase.”

“Where?”

“Ground floor. She was heading toward the portrait gallery.”

A limousine glided in front of Tyler as it circled toward the parking area beside the rear gates. He dodged to the side to let it go by, then broke into a jog. The members of President Gorrell’s cabinet were beginning to arrive. Though some of them had dragged their feet about the base for a week, they were all making sure they showed up on the winning side now.

“The meeting’s scheduled to start in thirty minutes,” Jack said. “We’ll be bringing the envoy down in twenty.”

“Check.”

“The major wants us all there, junior.”

Tyler’s footsteps echoed from the walls as he ran beneath the arched carriageway. He’d need to change into his suit before he could join the team. It would take him several more minutes to get to the conference room where the envoy’s final meeting would be held. But first, he was going to talk to Emily. Once she left the palace, who knew when he would get another chance? “I’ll be off the air for fifteen. Cover for me, Jack.”

“Sounds like you’re planning on having radio trouble.”

“Yeah.”

“I hope you know what you’re doing, kid.”

“So do I,” he muttered. He switched off his radio, tucked his earbud into his pocket and headed across the inner courtyard. He reached the double doors to the portrait gallery just as one was pushed open.

Emily paused on the threshold to unfurl an umbrella. She was concentrating on the locking mechanism and didn’t see him until she looked up. For an instant, a spark of pleasure lit her eyes but it was quickly doused. “Tyler,” she said.

He grasped the shaft of the umbrella handle to keep her from moving outside. “Where are you going?”

She looked pointedly at the suitcase behind her, then tugged at the umbrella. “I’m leaving.”

“Your flight isn’t until tomorrow.”

“I’m leaving the palace. I’m going back to the hotel where I can have a phone and room service. I am free to go now that I’m of no further use, right?”

“I can’t stop you, but I would like to talk to you.”

“There’s nothing more to say, other than goodbye.”

He slid his hand down the handle until he touched her fingers. “Please, Emily. You can spare me a few minutes, can’t you?”

Her cheek flexed, as if she were biting the inside of it. She dropped her hand, then shoved her suitcase backward and stepped aside to make room for him to pass.

Tyler closed the umbrella and propped it against the wall. The door swung shut behind him, cutting off the noise of the rain. Water dripped from his hair and drizzled down his cheeks, and he thought about how twelve hours ago he and Emily had been sharing a bath.

She drew the edges of her cardigan together. “You’re all wet.”

“I was at the garage with Kurt. We’re preparing the cars we’ll use in the convoy.”

“Oh, right. The major mentioned that.”

“How’s your arm?”

“Fine.”

“Did you get your interview with the envoy?”

“Yes. She was very gracious.”

“That’s great.”

“And who knows, I might be able to publish this one.”

“How many times do you want me to apologize, Emily?”

She turned her back to him and moved over to stand in front of the nearest painting. It was a portrait of a swarthy man in what was probably eighteenth-century finery, but she likely hadn’t noticed. She was looking at the floor instead of the canvas. “It’s okay, Tyler. That was my last jab. I’ve pretty well spent my anger. I realize you were only doing what you had to do.”

“I’ll always regret that we had to lie.”

“We saved a life. Our country’s getting a base on Rocama.”

“But we hurt you.”

She lifted one shoulder. “I didn’t get what I thought I would, but I’ve made a good connection with an influential diplomat. The major’s going to compensate me for my time. Overall, I’m better off than I was when I got here.”

She was saying all the right things. He should be happy that she’d calmed down enough to be reasonable. But her shoulders were curled, as if she had drawn in on herself. And her voice was too quiet. He would have preferred her to yell some more. It would have meant there was still some passion left.

He moved behind her. “I’ve been thinking about what you said this morning.”

She laughed. It was hollow and devoid of humor. “I said a lot. I was blowing off steam. I got carried away. I realize you might find it hard to believe, considering how even-tempered and docile I usually am, but I tend to over-dramatize things from time to time.”

“You said our personal relationship was over.”

“It was probably an exaggeration to call it that. How much of a personal relationship could we have? We’ve only known each other a week.”

“Nine days. Emily, please look at me.”

She didn’t move. “We met under exceptional circumstances. Things got intense. There’s really not much more to it.”

“We slept together. I can’t be casual about that.”

“People have sex all the time. That’s why there are so many people. It wasn’t that big a deal. It’s just that I’ve never done a one-night stand before so I didn’t handle it as well as I might have.”

“It doesn’t have to be only one night. I’d like to see you again once we get home.”

She shook her head.

He’d realized this wouldn’t be easy, not with a woman as stubborn as Emily. He should be patient, but the fifteen-minute window he’d asked the guys to give him was evaporating fast. He took her by the shoulders and turned her to face him…and felt his heart turn over.

She’d kept her shoulders curled so that he wouldn’t notice her trembling. She’d spoken softly so that he wouldn’t hear the catch in her voice. She hadn’t wanted him to see her tears.

Tyler passed his thumb over her cheeks. “You don’t want to end this any more than I do, Emily. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be crying.”

“No, Tyler. I’m sad because I realized from the start there could be nothing between us.”

“Why not?”

“I have a life to put back together. I have a career to build. There’s also a certain scuzzball’s trial I’m going to testify at. Have you forgotten that this trip was supposed to be my honeymoon?” She lifted her left arm to wipe her eyes on her sleeve. “I knew all along this wasn’t the right time for me to think about getting involved with another man.”

“Then when?”

“When what?”

“When will you think about it? In a month? Three months? Three years?”

“I can’t put a timetable on how I feel. That’s not something anyone can schedule.”

“I agree. Feelings don’t have a timetable. Mine didn’t. After only nine days, I feel closer to you than I’ve felt to anyone in my life.”

She drew in a ragged breath, then walked past him to where she’d left her suitcase. “It was the circumstances, Tyler. Don’t make this goodbye harder than it has to be. You’re a nice man, and I won’t pretend that I didn’t enjoy most of the time we spent together, but if you’re looking for more, I’m the wrong woman.”

He fisted his hands in frustration. If he went over there and pulled her into his arms, he was sure he could make her respond, but that wouldn’t solve anything. It hadn’t before. “I’m not Christopher.”

“We had this conversation already.”

“We started it, but we didn’t finish it. You’re pushing me away because of what he did to you, not what I did.”

She curled her fingers around the handle of her suitcase. She didn’t reply.

“You’re fixing all your armor back into place because you’re worried about making another mistake.”

“Yes, I am. Only a fool doesn’t learn from them.”

“Giving up isn’t the solution.”

“Who’s giving up? Didn’t you hear me? I’m going to build my career and put my life back together.”

“I meant giving up on us.”

“There is no ‘us.’ You really haven’t been listening.”

“I’ve been listening to what you haven’t said, Emily. We both know you’ve got a problem with trust. You claim it’s because you can’t trust men, but the truth is, you don’t want to trust yourself.”

She faced him. “Bingo.”

“But you can, Emily. Your instincts are good.”

“What happened this week proves they’re not. I was angry that I was duped, and yes, I took it out on you and the guys, but I know damn well that I was the one really at fault. That’s why I was so furious. I can’t trust my judgment when it comes to my feelings, which is why there’s no future for us.”

“I won’t believe that. We have a bond. You must have felt it.”

Her eyes gleamed with a fresh spurt of tears. “Maybe you were only seeing what you wanted to see, too, Tyler. Did you ever think of that?”

Her words hung in the air between them. And for a crucial instant, he hesitated.

The doors to the courtyard swung open, sending rain gusting across the threshold. A pair of palace guards strode inside. They were followed by a short man in a long black raincoat. Three more guards brought up the rear.

Emily wiped her face quickly and rolled her suitcase back to let the men pass, but the short man halted abruptly when he saw her and Tyler. He stepped closer to Emily, switched the briefcase he carried to his left hand and sketched an affected bow with his right. “Hello, beautiful
señorita,
” he said. “What an unexpected surprise.”

It was Santiago Kenyon, Tyler realized, the oily minister of culture they’d met the night before. He was probably on his way to the envoy’s meeting, along with the rest of Gorrell’s cabinet. It was odd that he would try to get to the conference room through the portrait gallery. Taking five guards along with him was overkill, too. Maybe it suited his ego. He had to have a giant-size one not to realize he was interrupting a private conversation.