head over heels in love with him much too quickly. Then she’d flown out as a defense attorney for trials aboard the Nimitz and returned several weeks later to learn Aaron hadn’t exactly been holding his breath waiting for her.
The first minute she was back, Catherine had rushed to her fiancé’s apartment to find him lying on the sofa with the young blond divorcée who lived next door. Aaron had scrambled off the davenport in a rush to explain while the red-faced divorcée hastily rebuttoned her blouse. It had all been innocent fun, Aaron claimed. Hell, how was he supposed to amuse himself while she was away for weeks on end? He advised Catherine to be a sport since he and the blonde had only indulged in a little entertainment.
In thinking back over the episode, Catherine was surprised by how completely emotionless she’d remained. The solitary diamond on her finger suddenly weighted down her hand. That much she remembered with ease. She’d stared down on it and then wordlessly slipped it from her finger and returned it to Aaron. For several moments he was paralyzed with shock. Then he’d followed her to the parking lot and pleaded with her to be more understanding. If it offended her so much, he’d make sure it didn’t happen again. There was no need to overreact this way. None whatsoever.
In retrospect Catherine had come to realize that her pride had taken far more of a beating than her heart. She was almost relieved to have Aaron out of her life, only she hadn’t realized that until much later.
“Catherine?”
Royce’s deep, masculine voice pulled her back into the present. To the best of her knowledge it was the first time he’d ever used her name. Until then it had been Lieutenant Commander or Fredrickson, but never Catherine. This, too, had a curious effect upon her heart.
“There was a man involved,” she announced stiffly, “but that was several years ago now. You needn’t worry my former engagement will affect my work for you. Now or in the future.”
“I’m pleased to hear it.”
“Good night, Commander.” They crested the hill where Catherine’s bright red GEO Storm was waiting for her.
“Good night.”
Trotting, Catherine was halfway down the hill when Royce stopped her.
“Catherine.”
“Yes?” She turned around to face him, brushing the wet curls from her cheeks.
“Are you living with someone?”
The question took her by complete surprise. “That’s none of your business.”
Royce said nothing. He stood several feet away from her, his harsh features illuminated by the streetlight. His face was tight, as if he were holding himself in check. “Trust me, I have no interest in your love life. You can live with whomever you please or be engaged to five men at once for all I care. What does concern me is the legal department. The work is demanding and the schedule grueling. I like to know where I stand with my staff and try to avoid causing unnecessary complications in their lives.”
Catherine didn’t respond right away. “Since you find it so important, then I might as well confess I am shacked up with someone.” From the distance Catherine couldn’t tell if she got a reaction or not. Most likely he was telling the truth and he didn’t care one way or the other. “Sambo.”
“Sambo?” he repeated frowning.
“You heard me correctly, Commander. I live with a cat named Sambo.” With that, she gave a cheerful laugh and was gone.
Royce found himself smiling in the dark, the rain pelting down around him in a great torrent. His amusement, however, vanished quickly. He didn’t like Catherine Fredrickson.
“No,” he muttered aloud, retracting the thought. That wasn’t true. He did like her. There were any number of admirable traits about the Lieutenant Commander he couldn’t help but respect.
She was dedicated and hardworking, and she’d fit in easily with the rest of his staff. She wasn’t a complainer, either. Before he’d left the office that evening, he’d checked over the duty roster and was surprised to note that he’d assigned Catherine duty every Friday for four weeks running. He hadn’t realized his mistake. Anyone else would have pointed it out to him, and rightly so. Her name had drifted easily into his mind when he learned Lieutenant Osborne was going on sea trials and a substitute coordinator was needed to take over the physical fitness program.
He knew Catherine wasn’t overly pleased by the assignment. Her eyes had flashed briefly with rebellion, but that was the only outward sign she’d given that she wasn’t thrilled with the added responsibility.
That woman had eyes that would mark a man’s soul. Normally Royce didn’t pay much attention to that sort of thing, but her eyes had garnered his attention from the first moment they’d met. They shimmered, and seemed to trap pieces of light. But more than that, they seemed warm and caring.
He liked her voice, too. It was rich and sweetly feminine. Female. Hell, Royce mused, he was beginning to sound like a romantic poet.
Now that thought was enough to produce a hearty laugh. There wasn’t a romantic bone left in his body. His wife had squeezed every ounce of love and joy out of him long before she went to the grave.
Royce didn’t want to think about Sandy. Abruptly he turned and walked toward his car, his strides hurried, as if he could outdistance the memory of his dead wife.
He climbed inside his Porsche and started the engine. His house was on the base, and he’d be home within five minutes.
Before long, however, it was Catherine who dominated his thoughts again. He wasn’t overly thrilled with the subject matter, but he was too damn tired to fight himself over it. When he arrived home, his ten-year-old daughter, Kelly, would keep him occupied. For once he was going to indulge himself and let his thoughts wander where they would. Besides, he was curious to analyze his complex reaction to Catherine Fredrickson.
Not that it was important. Not that he needed to know anything more about her than he already did. He was simply inquisitive. He supposed when it came right down to it, he didn’t feel one way or the other about her.
No, that wasn’t true, either. She intrigued him. He didn’t like it. He didn’t understand it. He wished he could put his finger on exactly what it was about her that fascinated him so much. Until that afternoon, he hadn’t even been aware of it.
She wasn’t that much different than the other Navy women he’d worked with over the years. Not true, he contradicted himself. She had a scrubbed-clean look about her, a gentleness, a gracefulness of heart and manner that piqued him.
Another thing he’d learned about her this evening. By heaven that woman was bullheaded. He’d never seen anyone run with cursed stubbornness the way she had. It wasn’t until it had started to rain that Royce recognized the unspoken challenge she’d issued. Absorbed in his thoughts, he hadn’t noticed she was on the track until she’d zoomed past him and then smugly tossed a look over her shoulder as if to announce she’d won. Hell, he hadn’t even realized they were in a race.
As if that wasn’t enough, she wouldn’t stop. They both had reached their physical limits, and still that little spitfire continued and would have, Royce was convinced, until she dropped.
He pulled into the driveway and cut the engine. His hands remained
