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“That’s so heart-breaking,” she whispered, rubbing her brow. “I-I don’t know how you got through it, Nik.”
He gave her a gentle look. “And I sat here wondering how you survived that broken op.” He brought her hand to his lips, kissing the back of it, and then watching pleasure come to her gold eyes once more. Knowing that she’d liked it, Nik was content in that moment to take things no further. Time wasn’t necessarily on their side. He had only a few more days here in Aguas Calientes before he returned to the green hell. Nik silently promised Daria that he was going to make sure they spent as much time together as possible.
He was content to let Daria decide what was appropriate between them. But, if he were any judge of her and their growing closeness, the closeness between them that was molten, burning and hungry, he was certain that, in the future, they would become more intimate. Giving her a serious look, he said, “I feel like I’ve waited my entire life for this moment to occur, Daria. You’re easy to talk to.” He held her hand a little more firmly, looking deep into her eyes. “I’ve only got a few more days here. I know we have our parts to play. But, in truth? I want to spend every minute I can with you, starting tomorrow morning. It will be time for Korsak and his men to think I’m staying overnight to bed you.”
“I want the same thing, Nik,” Daria admitted quietly, holding his somber look. “I feel as if I’ve been waiting for you all my life. I can’t explain it. It just feels so good to be around you, to be with you. You make me feel a happiness I’ve never felt before and I’m so afraid of losing it… losing you…”
“Let’s take this one step at a time? Let’s play our parts for Korsak. It’s true that it will be another four weeks before we can see one another again, but you have much to fill your time with between now and then.”
Daria nodded. As soon as Korsak’s team left for the jungle again, she already had a time and place set up to meet Sergeant Mace Kilmer and his three-man army Special Forces team. Nik had already given her drawings and info to pass on to Kilmer that he couldn’t otherwise get to the team. She was an important go-between on this mission to capture Korsak.
“You’re right, I do.” she replied.
He eased his hand from hers and looked at his watch. “It’s nearly 2200. I need to go to keep my cover in place. I have to get back to the hotel whether I want to or not.”
Daria nodded and slowly edged off the bed and stood. She pushed the hem of her shorts down into place over her scars once more, threading her fingers through her mussed hair, taming it. She watched as Nik stood, unwinding with that male grace of his. His shoulders were broad and strong, unlike hers. “Do you have any plans for us tomorrow?”
“Yes. Tomorrow morning, I’m taking you up to the orphanage with me. When I come into town, I always spend a day up there as a medic. Korsak would expect that of me and I don’t want to break my normal patterns and rouse his suspicion. Would you like to go with me?”
“Sure, I’d love too,” she said, coming around the bed. Daria slipped into his arms, resting her head against his chest for a moment, feeling his arms come around her. “I’m going to miss you tonight…”
He snorted. “I’ll miss you more, Kitten.” He kissed her hair and leaned back enough to catch her flawless golden eyes that held so much more in them. There was need in them. For him. It made him feel incredibly powerful and heady. His heart was wide open to Daria. He would do anything to make her smile and help her release her painful past. “To go back to that seedy hotel, to thin walls, to noises going on all night long, is not conducive to sleep, believe me.”
She gave him a stricken look. “It’s that bad?”
It was worse, but Nik didn’t want to stress or burden Daria with anything more tonight. “I’ve been putting up with it for five years, and it hasn’t killed me yet,” he teased her lightly, placing a kiss on her nose. There was such openness between them that Nik found it tough not to dream of a future with Daria. He squeezed her. “I have to go…”
“Do you want me to follow you out? Kiss you on the porch for them?”
He shook his head. “No, not tonight.” He gestured to her shorts. “Don’t wear those outside. If any of the team sees your wounded leg, they’ll immediately know you were knifed and then they’ll start asking a lot of questions about you.”
Glumly, Daria said, “I hadn’t even thought of that. I’m a lousy undercover agent, Nik.”
He smiled and kissed her cheek, inhaling her special, spicy scent. “I will be your big, bad guard dog,” he promised. Easing away, he wanted to kiss her, but knew he’d be lost if he did so. Nik was so close to lifting Daria into his arms and carrying her to the bed. And he knew, if he didn’t leave right now, he’d end up doing just that. His lower body was on fire. Burning with hunger for her. Yet, he saw no arousal in Daria’s eyes and knew she was content with where they stood with one another right now. They had touched, they had shared a few chaste kisses. It was enough. He could hope for more later, but didn’t expect it. Daria had to set the pace.
“Guard dog,” she teased, easing away from him.
“Every woman needs a man in her life who will protect her from time to time,” he told her, walking down the hall with her. “It doesn’t mean you aren’t capable of defending yourself at all. It’s a human thing to want to protect those you care about.”
“Then,” Daria said, touching his lower arm as he walked over to pick up his ruck, “let me be your guard dog, too. It works both ways, Nik.”
He smiled fully, brushed her hair away over her ear and kissed her cheek. “I will come by for you at 0800. I’ll take you to our restaurant down on the plaza to havedesayunoearly and then we’ll walk up to the orphanage. Does that sound like a good day for you?”
Daria lost her smile, sliding her fingers along the line of his jaw.
With suddenly sad and serious eyes she said, “I can hardly wait, Nik…”
CHAPTER 10
“Iwas surprisedyou left that woman’s apartment last night,” Brudin sneered as Nik made his way down the stairs to the lobby of their hotel the next morning. The idiot was standing there in a dark green t-shirt and cammos, unshaven, his eyes red-rimmed, reeking of cigarettes and alcohol.
Nik ignored him. He owed this bastard nothing, and walked on by him, hefting his medical pack over his shoulder.
“Where are you going?”
“Why don’t you follow me and find out?”
Brudin glared at him.
