around that her father pretty much used his position to control her destinations and would do anything within his power to keep her out of harm’s way. That meant she would never be able to go anyplace where there was some real action.
She’d been trying to get to Afghanistan for two years and her request was always denied, saying she was needed elsewhere. Although her father swore up and down he had nothing to do with it, she knew better. Losing her mother had been hard on him, and he was determined not to lose his only child, as well. Hadn’t he proven just how far he would go when he’d gotten Micah to have that affair with her just to keep her out of Beijing during the bird-flu epidemic?
“I haven’t been given an assignment yet. In fact, I’ve decided to take some time off, an entire month, starting tomorrow.”
The man’s smile widened. “Really, now, isn’t that a coincidence. I’ve decided to take some time off, too, but I have only fourteen days. Anywhere in particular that you’re going? Maybe we can go there together.”
The man definitely didn’t believe in wasting time, Kalina thought. She was just about to tell the major, in no uncertain terms, that they wouldn’t be spending any time together, not even if her life depended on it, when Brian glanced beyond her shoulder and frowned. Suddenly, her heart kicked up several beats. She didn’t have to imagine why. Other men saw Micah as a threat to their playerhood since women usually drooled when he was around. She had drooled the first time she’d seen him.
Kalina refused to turn around, but couldn’t stop her body’s response when Micah stepped into her line of vision, all but capsizing it like a turbulent wave on a blast of sensual air.
“Good evening, Major Rose,” he said with a hard edge to his voice, one that Kalina immediately picked up on. The two men exchanged strained greetings, and she watched how Micah eyed Major Rose with cool appraisal before turning his full attention to her. The hard lines on his face softened when he asked, “And how have you been, Kalina?”
She doubted that he really cared. She wasn’t surprised he was at this function, but she was surprised he had deliberately sought her out, and there was no doubt in her mind he’d done so. Any other man who’d done what he had done would be avoiding her like the plague. But not Dr. Micah Westmoreland. The man had courage of steel, but in this case he had just used it foolishly. He was depending on her cultured upbringing to stop her from making a scene, and he was right about her. She had too much pride and dignity to cause a commotion tonight, although she’d gone off on him the last time they had seen each other. She still intended to let him know exactly how she felt by cutting him to the core, letting it be obvious that he was the last person she wanted to be around.
“I’m fine, and now if you gentlemen will excuse me, I’ll continue to make my rounds. I just arrived, and there are a number of others I want to say hello to.”
She needed to get away from Micah, and quick. He looked stunning in his tux, which was probably why so many women in the room were straining their necks to get a glimpse of him. Even her legs were shaky from being this close to him. She suddenly felt hot, and the cold champagne she’d taken a sip of wasn’t relieving the slow burn gathering in her throat.
“I plan to mingle, myself,” Micah said, reaching out and taking her arm. “I might as well join you since there’s a matter we need to discuss.”
She fought the urge to glare up at him and tell him they had nothing to discuss. She didn’t want to snatch her arm away from him because they were already getting attention, probably from those who’d heard what happened between them two years ago. Unfortunately, the gossip mill was alive and well, especially when it came to Micah Westmoreland. She had heard about him long before she’d met him. It wasn’t that he’d been the type of man who’d gone around hitting on women. The problem was that women just tended to place him on their wish list.
“Fine, let’s talk,” she said, deciding that if Micah thought he was up to such a thing with her, then she was ready.
Fighting her intense desire to smack that grin right off his face, she glanced over at Major Rose and smiled apologetically. “If you will excuse me, it seems Dr. Westmoreland and I have a few things to discuss. And I haven’t decided just where I’ll be going on vacation, but I’ll let you know. I think it would be fun if you were to join me.” She ignored the feel of Micah’s hand tightening on her arm.
Major Rose nodded and gave her a rakish look. “Wonderful. I will await word on your plans, Kalina.”
Before she could respond, Micah’s hand tightened on her arm even more as he led her away.
“Don’t count on Major Rose joining you anywhere,” Micah all but growled, leaning close to Kalina’s ear while leading her across the ballroom floor toward an exit. He had checked earlier and the French doors opened onto the outside garden. It was massive and far away from the ball, so no one could hear the dressing-down he was certain Kalina was about to give him.
She glared at him. “And don’t count on him doing otherwise. You don’t own me, Micah. Last I looked, there’s nothing of yours on my body.”
“Then look again, sweetheart. Everything of mine is written all over that body of yours. I branded you. Nothing has changed.”
They came to a stop in front of what was the hotel’s replica of the White House’s prized rose garden. He was glad no one was around. No prying eyes or overeager ears. The last time she’d had her say he hadn’t managed to get in a single word for dodging all the insults and accusations she’d been throwing at him. That wouldn’t be the case this time. He had a lot to say and he intended for her to hear all of it.
“Nothing’s changed? How dare you impose your presence on me after what you did,” she snarled, transforming from a sophisticated lady to a roaring lioness. He liked seeing her shed all that formality and cultural adeptness and get downright nasty. He especially liked that alteration in the bedroom.
He crossed his arms over his chest. “And what exactly did I do, other than to spend two months of what I consider the best time of my life with you, Kalina?”
He watched her stiffen her spine when she said, “And I’m supposed to believe that? Are you going to stand here and lie to my face, Micah? Deny that you weren’t in cahoots with my father to keep me away from Beijing, using any means necessary? I wasn’t needed in Sydney.”
“I don’t deny that I fully agreed with your father that Beijing was the last place you needed to be, but I never agreed to keep you out of China.”
He could tell she didn’t want to hear the truth. She’d heard it all before but still refused to listen. Or to believe it. “And it wasn’t that you weren’t needed in Sydney,” he added, remembering how they’d been sent there to combat the possible outbreak of a deadly virus. “You and I worked hard to keep the bird-flu epidemic from spreading to Australia, so it wasn’t just sex, sex and more sex for us, Kalina. We worked our asses off, or have you forgotten?”
He knew his statement threw her for a second, made her remember. Yes, they might have shared a bed every night for those two months, but their daytime hours weren’t all fun and games. No one except certain members of the Australian government had been aware that their presence in the country had been for anything other than pleasure.
And regardless of what she’d thought, she had been needed there. He had needed her. They had worked well together and had combated a contagious disease. He had already spent a year in Beijing and had needed to leave when his time was up. Depression had started to set in with the sight
