Page 316

“What?” she demanded breathlessly.

Wade smiled at her, a smile that made her go weak in the knees. Just as she started to smile back, he reached out and grabbed her gently around the back of the neck and pulled her to him, depositing a kiss so sweet on her lips that she nearly swooned. It was achingly tender and oddly, faintly, familiar.

“Thank you,” he whispered.

She was forgetting to breathe. The naval personnel were rapidly closing the gap and as much as she wanted to stare into his eyes forever, she forced herself to pull away and slammed the door.

“Go!” she yelled.

Wade waved at her the entire way out of the parking lot and Jeremy stood there a long time after the van had disappeared from view, oblivious to the officers and news people who were shouting and trying to get her attention.

She would see him again tomorrow night. The Wolf himself. Above her head, the sky was a bright summer blue and birds were singing loudly in the palm tree in front of her. She could hardly believe the feelings she was experiencing, a peculiar but wonderful myriad of emotions that filled her so completely.

Why had he affected her so? She shook her head in amazement as Alan put a protective arm around her and pulled her through the swarm of people. She wasn’t even paying attention and suddenly she was back through the ambulance doors and Alan had left her.

She retreated back into the examining room to finish Wade’s chart and collect the other paperwork, stealing one last glance at the gurney with Wade’s blood on it, oblivious to the orderly cleaning the room. Why had she reacted to him so recklessly? She had had other men pursue her, handsome men, rich men, but she hadn’t responded to any of them. Then why the naval commander with the superhero reputation?

The orderly stripped off the sheet and the blood was gone. Yet she continued to stare at the gurney when, suddenly, it hit her.

She had been about twelve or thirteen years old. She’d had a dream one night after watching some sort of medieval romance movie, a film about a knight rescuing a damsel in distress. In her dream, a knight swinging the biggest sword she ever saw filled her mind, tall and handsome and huge. She remembered vividly the look he gave her, a look of such love and tenderness that she had awoken in a cold sweat. Even at her young age, she knew true love when she saw it, and that man had loved her. A dream, of course, but she had remembered it all these years.

And then her knees began to shake… oh, my God…. She sagged against the counter, realizing in the deepest part of her that the knight in her dream had possessed Wade’s face. It had been Wade’s face.

Impossible! Jeremy pushed herself off the counter, her brisk movements masking her quaking nerves. She had never seen him before the very moment she had entered the examination room. How in the hell could she have dreamed about him fourteen years ago? It was stupid. Crazy! A coincidence!

Jeremy was off at nine that night. Once in her car, she found herself driving for Coronado Island. It was as if she was possessed; she had no control over herself as she sped toward the little vacation island off San Diego. Why she had to see Wade was unknown; all she knew was that she had to. Ever since she realized she had dreamt about him, she was seized with the urge to see him again. And it could not wait until tomorrow night. The drive, the sensation, was too overwhelming for words.

Jeremy was speeding and she knew it. Crossing the big green bridge and entering the little city, she made a hard right and went down two streets to Bay Park. As soon as she turned the corner, she spied the ugly government van in the driveway.

She was in such a blind rush that she didn’t even set the parking brake. The night was balmy and dark as she crossed the front yard and took the steps up onto the front porch. She fumbled for her spare key, remembering very well she had told the guys inside she wasn’t coming here tonight. She hoped they didn’t freak out and shoot first, ask questions later.

“You lied,” came a voice out of the darkness.

Jeremy jumped at the sound, her heart pounding in her ears and her keys falling to the wood porch. Wade sat over in one of the plastic patio chairs, half-shrouded in the darkness.

“Jesus Christ!” she gasped, reaching down to pick up her keys. “You scared the crap out of me.”

“You didn’t see me?”

“No!” she exclaimed, catching her breath. “What are you doing out here?”

“I couldn’t sleep,” he said. “What are you doing here? You said you weren’t coming.”

She stood there looking at him for a moment. Now that her eyes had grown accustomed to the darkness, she could see that he had cleaned up and was dressed in nothing but a pair of shorts. The sight of his bare chest was enough to make her hyperventilate.

“I…I wanted to see how you were doing,” she stammered. Hell, why had she come? She didn’t even know. “Your leg was pretty nasty.”

He put his hand on his thigh. “This is nothing. I can hardly feel it.”

She approached him. “You sound better. I take it the Demerol has worn off.”

He nodded. “A little while ago. By the way, this is a really nice place. Are you sure your dad doesn’t mind if we’re here?”

She shook her head. “Of course not,” she said, eyeing him in the darkness just as he was eyeing her. She had stated her reason for coming and now seeing that he was all right, she suddenly felt uncertain and embarrassed. She knew she should go to save her pride.

“Do you always make house calls?” he asked after a moment.

She felt like a fool. “Not usually,” she said. “But I sort of feel responsible for you since you are staying here.” Nice recovery, she thought.