Tangled Pursuit (17 page)

“Chatter from the spooks confirms Sidiq is coming across in a week, Wyatt. I’m going to be there waiting for the bastard. And I don’t care what kind of intel we do or don’t have. CIA chatter is good enough for me. It’s what Matt and his team nailed Raastagar on. They had chatter intel on him, and they got him.”

“Well, can you at least tell me when you’re going out on the op and your return schedule?”

“Sure,” she said. “But why?”

“Because I want to monitor the situation, is all.”

She stared at him. “That’s not usual protocol, and you know it.”

“This is different, Tal.” Wyatt calmly held her belligerent stare.

Resistance warred with her longing for him. Tal was seeing another side to him. “I was wondering how soon your basic Neanderthal male nature would show up.”

She saw him grin, take a deep breath, and then relax, all the tension shed from his shoulders as he sat back in the chair. “Darlin’, every man has that side to him with the people he’s close to. And it’s not necessarily a bad thing, so don’t sit there glaring at me like I’m on your turf and taking it away from you. It’s the last thing I want to do.” His voice grew teasing. “What? Did you think I was going to grab you by the hair and drag you off to my cave to prevent you from going? My definition of territoriality doesn’t go that direction. It’s more about care and protection of people I care about.”

She sat back, considering him. “I think you’re reacting this way because you’re worried.”

He lost his smile. “I am, Tal. Damn worried. We know this piece of shit who hands us perishable intel. The SEALs refused to use him again as a source. Or his intel.”

Her smile faded and she nodded. “But it’s the seasonal spring buildup, Wyatt. This is when all the most important HVTs come across the border. Sidiq is the biggest opium warlord in the world, and if I can take him out of the picture, then all of his opium connections are going to dry up, along with the money trail. Those farmers grow opium because it brings them more money than a crop of corn, fruit, or wheat.” Her lips thinned. “I’m taking him out. I promise that I’ll contact our spooks in the area and see if I can pick up any other intel. Does that make you feel less Neanderthal?”

“A little,” he muttered. “He’s coming across with a cadre of the best al-Qaeda soldiers that money can buy, Tal. It’s not going to be an easy shot.”

“Raastagar wasn’t easy either. But Matt and his team got him.”

Nodding, he released a ragged sigh, studying her in the silence. Here, in this room, all the sounds of war were blotted out. It was truly quiet, and he needed that. “Okay, but can you regularly update me on your mission? Keep me in the loop?”

“Because you care?”

“Yes, because I care.”

She shook her head, giving him a frustrated look. “Wyatt, this isn’t going to work.”

“What? Us? Why not?”

“You know my past now,” she began softly, emotion thickening her voice. “Half of me lives in fear, and the other half dreams of exploring what we have.”

“Fear is something we always have to live with, Tal. But it should never stop us from living. At least, that’s the way I look at it.”

“What is the next week looking like for you, Wyatt?”

“Why?” he asked, teasing her. “You want to set an official date for us?”

He saw amusement come to her eyes, but she shook her head. “Care goes both ways,” she admitted hesitantly. “I do care about you. You’re a good person.”

“That’s nice to hear, darlin’. Next week is mission week. I’ll be up to my ass in planning. I have the LPO creating some of the missions, but the buck stops at my door because I’m the chief. I have to evaluate all of them, give feedback, and send it back down the line until I feel the mission is solid. Then I kick everything upstairs to my three officers. Lieutenant Franklin, the OIC, officer in charge, will give the final approval.”

“And because you’re the chief, you’re the hub of that platoon wheel. Yes, you’ll be busy.”

“Yes, but not
that
busy, darlin’. If you’d like to slip out some evening for beer and pizza, and you’re pining for some male company, you’d best call me first.”

Her lips twitched. “Is there a banana split for dessert somewhere in that invite? If so, I’d say your chances are pretty good.”

Wyatt chuckled; he liked her sense of humor. “Count on it, sugar.” He saw her eyes suddenly go soft from his huskily spoken endearment. Hell, yes, he could influence her even at a distance. Wyatt wanted to end this night on a positive note, with her relaxed and not worried that he was going to jump her bones.

“Come on,” he urged, slowly unwinding to his full height. “Let me walk you back to your B-hut. You’re tired and we’ve both got a ball-busting busy week in front of us.”

Tal wasn’t sure whether she wanted to stay or go. Wyatt, to his credit, had said this place was often used for people to relax, sit, and talk. Which is exactly what they’d done. He’d never made a move or suggested they head for the bed at the other end of the long room. Disappointment warred with relief. She hated that she was being so damned indecisive when, as a Marine Corps officer, she had no problem making a decision. Ever. She slowly rose. “Sounds good,” she whispered, feeling regret.

“
F
INALLY, WE’RE ON
our first official date,” Wyatt said, passing Tal a wedge of hot, steaming pizza at their favorite outdoor table. “Each night, I hoped we could do this, but I got slammed with DAs, direct action missions, out of the blue.”

Tal took the proffered pizza, thanking him. “I’m glad you called up earlier to my office and found out I was working late. I was trying to put the finishing touches on my mission.” She absorbed Wyatt’s nearness. Although he was true to his word about not compromising her image, she noted that just the fact that he was sitting across the table from her elicited a response from some enlisted males who were watching them intently. She was in her camouflage outfit, her officer status hidden. And so was Wyatt’s status. As black ops, SEALs never had ranks or ratings showing on their uniforms. Taliban snipers delighted in killing the officers first and the chiefs or sergeants second.

“Has your mission changed at all?” Wyatt asked, savoring the pizza.

She wiped her mouth with a paper napkin. “No. I tried all week to gather some new intel from the spooks, but they said the cell phone chatter has died in the last three or four days.”

Grimacing, Wyatt said, “That means they’re about ready to initiate a big push across the border.”

“That’s what I told the major, and he agreed with me.”

“And the major approved your mission?”

Again, she heard the concern in Wyatt’s voice and saw it in his expression. “Yes. I leave tomorrow night with Jay. The Night Stalkers will drop us below a ridge, and we’ll pack it into our hide.”

“I see. Any chance you’ll give me a copy of your mission?” He held up his hand and added, “Because I care, okay? I’m not going to Monday-morning-quarterback you.”

“Sure,” she said, reaching for a second slice of pizza. “No problem.”

“Will it have your radio frequencies? Daily change of call sign and passwords?”

“Everything,” she promised, seeing some relief enter his eyes as he ate hungrily.

“Good.”

She wished she could make him know it was going to be all right. She and Jay had sat out on so many ridges for weeks at a time, waiting for an HVT, that it was routine. But Wyatt wasn’t taking it as routine at all. She supposed she should have felt annoyed by his request, but oddly, she felt okay with it. His guard-dog energy was embracing her once more, and she willingly absorbed it. Wyatt made her feel safe in their world of combat, where there was never a safe place to be.

“Have you heard from your dad or uncle about the new security building?” he asked, changing the subject. Wyatt had urged her to talk to her dad about the mission planning software and hoped she had broached it with him.

Glad to do so, she nodded. “Yes. Dad can hardly wait until I give up my commission and arrive home to help.”

“How soon will that be?”

“I don’t know,” Tal hedged. “I want to get my HVT first, then I’ll look at everything else.”

“Are you getting close to starting hiring?”

“Yes. And thanks for giving me permission to speak to my dad about your mission planning software. We have a satellite phone for Artemis and I use it when we need to talk about company business. I told him about your software program, Wyatt, and he wants to know a lot more about it.”

“I figured as interested as you were in it, you’d probably broach the topic with him sooner or later.”

“Good, because I didn’t want you to think I might be operating behind your back.”

“You aren’t that kind of person, Tal.”

Wyatt gave her a heated look reserved only for her.

“No, I would never do an end run on anyone,” Tal told him.

“You have strong morals and values,” Wyatt told her in a low, gritty voice. “I appreciate that.”

She felt heat in her cheeks as he gave her the lazy smile that made her heart bloom. “So do you.”

“We deserve one another. You do know that, don’t you?” He shot a serious look at her to underscore his words.

Tal said cautiously, “I think there’s some hope for us . . . ,” and saw his gray eyes grow stormy. She knew that look.

“I wonder,” Wyatt drawled silkily, leaning forward a bit so their conversation couldn’t be heard by others, “if you ever replay that kiss we shared.” He leaned back, grinning broadly, his eyes dancing with mirth.

“Damn you, Lockwood . . .”

“Hey, I replay it all the time. Doesn’t matter where I am. I remember it.” His voice grew guttural as he leaned closer. “I remember
you
,” he said under his breath. “Hey, can I help it if your kiss was world-class?”

All her anger evaporated under that mischievous look he gave her. A grudging smile pulled at one corner of her mouth as she studied him. “You’re hopeless.”

“Yeah, I’m hopeless over you,” Wyatt replied. “And you’re leaving tomorrow night. That means I’ll be lonely as hell here without you around. Who am I going to have pizza and beer with? Or share a banana split with?” He saw their waitress approaching. “And speaking of dessert . . .”

Tal tried to hide her laughter, but it didn’t quite work. The waitress came and placed the split right in front of her with two spoons. Wyatt thanked her.

“You’re incorrigible, Lockwood. You really are.”

“Nah, just enamored with the most exotic, hottest woman here at Bagram, is all.” He gleefully spooned into the vanilla topped with thick hot fudge from across the table. “C’mon, pardner, eat up.”

She chose the strawberry ice cream, including some whipped cream and sliced fruit. Keeping her voice low, she asked, “Do you always do this to the woman in your life?”

His brows raised. “What? Buy her a banana split?”

She growled a warning, and she watched his eyes crinkle with delight. “You are so elusive. You missed your calling, Wyatt. You should have been a damned undercover agent.”

“Nooooo, not going there, sugar. I like being a geek in disguise,” he said, and popped a quarter of a banana into his mouth.

She ate in silence, enjoying Wyatt’s nearness. Tal wanted to pretend that they were the only two people out on this back patio, but the truth was, there were thirty other tables—all filled with military personnel.

“You think I’m like this with every woman I meet?” he asked her innocently, finishing off the vanilla ice cream and hot fudge.

“Yes, absolutely. You know you do have a helluva reputation here on base.”

“I thought we blew through that one already,” he said dismissively. “I think you’re learning that the gossipers don’t really know me.” He hesitated, then said, “You do know that by now, don’t you, darlin’?”

Feeling on the spot, Tal muttered, “Maybe.”

“Ouch.” Wyatt pretended to be hurt. “Here I’ve wined and dined you with the best pizza and beer on the base.” He gestured to the half-eaten banana split. “And I’ve bought you the finest five-star dessert to be found at Bagram.”

Her mouth got ahead of her mind. “Yes, and I can hardly wait to see what you do for an encore, Lockwood.” The moment she said it, Tal slapped her hand over her mouth. She saw a predatory look enter his eyes and no one could mistake the meaning of his smoldering gaze.

“Oh,” he crooned in that Texas drawl of his, “I’ve got a five-star hotel room just waiting for us after we finish here. I think you’re going to like it, sugar.”

Tal sat there staring at Wyatt as he flashed his beatific little-boy look at her. She forgot for a moment he was a SEAL, until their saying “Winners win and losers lose” came sharply to mind.

She’d lost this round, letting her mouth get ahead of her mind. Wyatt’s sensuality, his maleness, had shorted out her thinking processes. “My bad,” she admitted. “I really stepped into it this time.”

“I wish you could see how beautiful you look when you drop that game face of yours,” he confided, becoming more serious now. Wyatt pushed the split toward her. “Come on, finish the dessert. I’m stuffed.”

His cajoling made her reach with her spoon, and she gave him an exasperated look. “You need to stop this, Wyatt. Right now,” she gritted out between bites.

“What? Complimenting you? I think you’ve been too long without compliments, to tell you the truth. I’m just remedying that situation.”

The man was insufferable, although she had to admit that Wyatt was very useful as a source of the best banana splits she’d ever eaten.

“Besides,” he said, shrugging easily, a gleam coming to his eyes, “who’s going to tell you what a hot babe you are out there in your hide? I figure I should give you all the compliments you’ll need before you leave. You can stock up on them until you return. Then you’ll get more as a reward for coming back safe.”

“You’re certifiable,” she muttered, scowling. She pushed the split his way. “Take half, okay?”

Wyatt shook his head. “Eat the rest of it, sugar. Where you’re going, there’s nothing but ass-freezing cold days, sand in the air, and cardboard-tasting MREs. And no banana splits . . .”

She grinned and had to agree. “Got that right.” Maybe she should have felt embarrassed as he sat there, arms crossed over his chest, his gaze never leaving her as she ate. But she didn’t. There was that warm, comforting sensation wrapping itself around her again, making her feel loved and protected. Tal no longer tried to fool herself. The look she saw in Wyatt’s eyes went beyond simple affection. It was about not just wanting sex but a deeper, more serious feeling. “Love” was the only word that described it.