reading her sudden silence as having been reminded of something terrible that must have happened to her on the job and remembered that when SPEAR operatives were ever sent here, it was usually for mental healing.
“Sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean to bring up bad memories.”
“No, it wasn’t that,” she began, but the car had stopped and the doors were opening and Easton Kirby was already on the move. She followed, kicking herself for not knowing how to draw men into casual conversation.
They exited into what appeared to be a large foyer. East punched in a series of numbers on the security panel beside the door and then turned the knob.
“Your home away from home,” he said, leading the way inside. “I hope your stay will be comfortable.” He set her suitcase down in the bedroom, then handed her the key and a card. “The security code is written on the back. My number is on the front. If you need anything at any time of the night or day, all you have to do is call me.”
She took the key and the card and slipped them into her pocket. “Thank you, Mr. Kirby.”
“You’re welcome, Ms. Corbin, and please…call me East.”
“If you’ll call me Ally, it’s a deal,” she said, offering her hand.
When he took it, she felt as if she’d been treading water all of her life and someone had just offered her a line to safety. This womanly, helpless feeling was so foreign to Ally that she didn’t know how to react.
“Well then,” she said, quickly releasing his hold. “Now that we’re supposed to be friends, does this mean I don’t have to tip you?”
East threw back his head and laughed. A deep-from-the-belly kind of laugh that sent shivers up Ally’s spine. She grinned, pleased that she’d gotten some sort of positive response from him.
Still chuckling, East shook his head. “No, you don’t have to tip me and we start serving dinner around seven. The restaurant stays open until midnight so remember, if you need anything…”
“Yes, I know,” she said, patting her pocket where she’d put his card. “I’ll use Ma Bell to reach out and touch.”
His smile stilled as he gave her a dark, unreadable look.
“Touching is good,” he said quietly, and headed for the door, leaving Ally to put her own interpretation on what he’d just said.
A shudder racked her as she watched him leave. What on earth had she gotten herself into? Then she gritted her teeth and headed for her suitcase. The least she could do was unpack. There were a good four hours of daylight left and a beach to explore.
Something told her that this operation was going to take time. Easton Kirby didn’t strike her as malleable. As she went to the closet with an armful of clothes, she couldn’t help wondering why Jonah hadn’t just ordered this man back to active service. What sort of scenario could possibly have occurred that Jonah would allow a man’s personal life to interfere with his duty?
As East was dressing for dinner, he caught himself thinking of Ally Corbin again. It wasn’t the first time it had happened since her arrival, and something told him it wouldn’t be the last. There was something about her that intrigued him. She was such a mixture of contradictions. Naive, yet tough. He knew what it took to become an agent for SPEAR, so he respected that her skills equaled his own. Yet there was an innocence about her that surprised him. He had no way of knowing that naivete came in not knowing herself. She was beyond book smart, but she didn’t have the vaguest idea of how to live a normal life. She’d never been in love, she’d never even made love. Had he known, it might have changed his attitude completely. But all he saw was a beautiful and intriguing young woman who had endured and survived, and was here to heal.
He debated with himself about wearing a tie, then decided against it, opting for the casual look. For some reason, his mind slipped to Jonah, wondering if he’d found someone else to help him out. It had been a week since he’d gotten the call, and he hadn’t slept well one night since. Then he reminded himself that was part of his past and he couldn’t let it matter.
With a last glance in the mirror, he grabbed his sport coat and exited his apartment. It was time to make an appearance in the dining room.
The Condor Resort ran on schedules, not unlike those of a cruise ship, and sitting at the captain’s table, or in this case the manager’s, was considered an honor. It was something the previous manager had instigated and East had simply followed suit. Tonight he was actually looking forward to the event because he’d sent a note to Ally’s room earlier with an invitation for her to join him. There was nothing personal about it. It wasn’t as if she’d be the only one there. There would be six others, not counting himself, and a good reason for her not to eat alone. If she was as troubled as he’d been when he came, he knew she would need to focus on something besides herself. And there was no better way to achieve that than to sit at a dinner table with six perfect strangers—seven counting him—and remember that there was a world outside the realm of SPEAR.
He told himself he was just doing his job. And he believed it, all the way to the dining room and right up to the point when Ally entered the room.
It was the traditional, little black dress—simple in style, skimpy in fabric—and on Ally Corbin, pure dynamite. East knew he was staring, but he couldn’t seem to stop. It wasn’t as if he never saw beautiful women, because he did—daily. And it wasn’t as if he didn’t have opportunities to enjoy their company. It was that he usually chose not to. But this time it was different. There was an urgency within him to connect with her on something other than this ephemeral, holiday basis. He kept thinking that if he let her leave without pursuing this desire, he would regret it for the rest of his life.
Then he shoved back the thought and stood, smiling cordially as he pulled out a chair and seated her. He needed his head examined. She was here to recuperate. Period.
He touched her shoulder briefly. “I’m so glad you felt like joining us. The food is particularly exceptional tonight.” Then he added with a wink. “I know because I stole a couple of bites when the chef wasn’t looking.”
Everyone at the table laughed along with Ally as East took his seat at the head of the table.
“Thank you for inviting me,” she said, and pretended that her heart was not in her mouth as she gave him a surreptitious glance.
Mercy, but that man certainly knew how to fill out a dinner jacket and slacks. She’d heard of clothes making the man, but in this case, it was just the opposite. There was barely time for her to be introduced to the others before a waiter appeared to take their orders.
And so the evening began.
Ally sat through one course after another, smiling and nodding and offering small bits of herself into the conversation. But her heart wasn’t in it. Every time she looked at East, she fought rising panic. How could she possibly broach the subject of her mission without angering him? What could she say to convince him to go back on active duty that Jonah hadn’t already said? She watched the way his mouth tilted and curved as a smile tugged at his lips and the way his eyes glittered when something moved him to a passionate response. Every time he reached for his wineglass, she caught herself staring at the way his massive hand would curl so delicately around the fragile stem.
She glanced down at the napkin she’d wadded in her lap and sighed. Never in her life had she felt so inadequate. She sighed
