Accidental Commando (24 page)

He turned his face against her hand and inhaled deeply. When he looked at her again, his eyes were moist. “I love you, Emily.”

She could feel the truth of what he said in his voice, in his touch, and in the cascade of memories that blurred across her mind. She’d spent her life yearning to be loved. This time, she knew it was real.

He clasped her hips and pulled her to the edge of the table.

Emily lifted her arms and opened her heart, welcoming Tyler into both.

Pink-tinged sunlight crept across the market plaza. The cobblestones still glistened, washed clean by yesterday’s storm. The sounds of dogs and seagulls drifted across the hotel balcony where Emily was standing, along with snatches of conversations in half a dozen languages. News of the attempted coup had spread quickly, and the world’s press had begun arriving the night before. Emily counted no less than four television news crews and at least a dozen reporters with notepads or recorders, roaming among the knots of excited citizens.

In spite of the loss of life suffered during the defense of the government, there was an air of celebration to the gathering in the plaza. Norberto Gorrell was loved by his people, and his courage in facing down the coup would only add to his legend. The victory over the last remnants of the Juarez cartel meant the cloud of the past had been lifted. The future was as full of possibilities as the cloudless sky.

Or was she thinking about her own future? In a way, it was still a blank page, but it was no longer daunting. She wouldn’t be alone while she rebuilt her life.

Tyler belted one of the pair of terry-cloth robes that had come with the room and stepped onto the balcony. Eagle Squadron hadn’t gone home as scheduled the night before. President Gorrell had personally invited them to enjoy the hospitality of the palace for an additional few days while he discussed the reclamation of the Juarez property with the major. Though the rest of the team had accepted, Tyler had preferred the privacy of the Royal Rocaman. Emily was pleased that he had. It seemed fitting to complete their time together in Rocama at the same place it had begun.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

She smiled. “What an odd question. I’d think I’d made that pretty obvious. I’m surprised the hotel management didn’t send someone to investigate the noise, but if it would make you feel better, I’ll scream a little louder the next time you do that particular thing with your fingers.”

He chuckled, gave her a smacking kiss on her cheek and moved behind her to slip his arms around her waist. “You liked that, huh?”

“Gee, what was your first clue?”

“Maybe the scratches on my back?”

She turned her head. “Oh, no. I hadn’t realized—”

“Relax. They were worth it.” He kissed her nose, then leaned his cheek against her hair. “I was asking if you’re okay about all the reporters down there.”

She returned her gaze to the plaza while she considered her reply. The whole truth about the standoff with Kenyon had been withheld from the press. As before, Eagle Squadron’s contribution to the resolution would never be known. And because of that, neither would the part Emily had played. On one level, it still bothered her. As a reporter, she disliked the idea of a cover-up, for any reason.

Yet most issues weren’t black-and-white. There could also be value in words that were left unspoken.

“It’s okay, Tyler,” she said. “I might not be in on this story, but there will be other ones.”

“I talked to the major. He has a few connections at the
Washington Post.
”

“What? You’re kidding.”

“He doesn’t kid. He’ll put you in contact with them when we get back, if you want.”

She hesitated. “As long as it doesn’t mean I need to live in Washington.”

“I thought as long as you had a computer and a phone, you could work pretty well anywhere.”

“I suppose I could even work from Packenham Junction.”

He tightened his grasp around her waist. “If you did, I’d have a hell of a commute. Seeing as how my job isn’t portable, it would make more sense if you moved in with me.”

“We never really discussed that, did we?”

“What?”

“Moving in together is a big step. I told you I wasn’t expecting a commitment or anything, so if you want to wait for a while—”

“Wait for what?” He turned her in his arms to face him. “I love you, Emily. My feelings aren’t going to change, except to get stronger. I don’t only want a girlfriend or a lover, I want a partner who’ll be with me through the good times and the bad. Someone who’s always on my side. Someone I trust with my heart.”

“I want that, too.”

“That’s good, because I knew you were the woman for me from the moment we met.”

“I was naked when we met.”

He grinned. “Believe me, I noticed. So you can forget what you said about no commitments.”

She laughed. “Are you giving me orders again, Sergeant?”

“No, only promises.” He lifted her from her feet and backed through the balcony doors into their room. He released her when they got to the bed. His face sobered. “Emily, I’m not going to count our future in seconds or in minutes ever again.” He stroked her hair from her cheeks and caught the back of her head. “Or in days or in weeks. I want a lifetime, because that’s what I’m promising you.”

Emily didn’t want to move, or breathe. She wanted to cherish this moment when every dream she hadn’t wanted to admit that she had was finally coming true.

She knew of no words that would do justice to the declaration Tyler had just made.

But given sixty or seventy years, she was bound to think of a few.

ISBN: 978-1-4268-5671-6

ACCIDENTAL COMMANDO

Copyright © 2010 by Ingrid Caris

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