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“No, the lake cottage is fine. In the meantime, take care of yourself. Iwon’tlose you, Caleb.”
“Lose me? No, you won’t. Not ever. I’ll touch base with you whenever I have news.” He cut the connection.
Chapter
3
Jane sat there for a moment, staring down at her phone.
Lose me? No, you won’t. Not ever.
A few words that meant so much.
Caleb was so confident, so certain that no one could touch him…She should be confident, too. She’d been with him long enough to see how competent he could be. But she’d never be that confident until she was allowed into that dark world in which he moved, and that rarely happened these days. He was being as overprotective as MacDuff where she was concerned. Being with him was always exciting, the discussions fascinating and amusing, the sex fantastic, but lately she’d been aware that it was like being taken to the circus and never allowed near the lion cages.
She was being ridiculous. Lion cages? It’s not as if she wanted to trail after Caleb on one of those damn missions. She just wanted to make certain that she was a part of his life no matter where he was. Just as Eve was a part of Joe’s. It was no coincidence that she’d compared Joe’s career and Caleb’s missions. Eve had her own career but if there was danger she and Joe would always be together, because they were family.
And perhaps that was what Jane was missing most, that sense of ultimate togetherness that could never be replaced by anything less powerful. She had never really had that with Caleb.
Though sex came pretty damn close, she thought wryly. It was what had held them together before she realized that what she felt for Caleb was far beyond anything she’d felt for anyone else. And that realization was still there and so strong that all this fretting and worrying made no sense unless she was going to do something about it. She turned on the bedside light, got to her feet, and moved over to her sketchbook on the desk across the room. She flipped open the book to the last sketch she’d made of Caleb at the fountain in the courtyard before she’d walked him back to the helicopter.
Bold dark eyes, the faint indention in his chin, the way his lips curved with just a suggestion of mockery and sexuality…Totally fascinating and yet with perhaps a hint of stormy vulnerability that he would never admit even to her.
She walked over to the window and stood there with the moonlight playing over the sketch. Her index finger gently traced that faint indentation in his chin. Then she looked out at the sea crashing against the shore beyond the castle towers.
He’d brought her here to this beautiful place to be safe and then gone off to save another wild part of the planet.
But who was going to save him if something went wrong? Her hand clenched on the sketch. Then she moved away and put the sketch back into her case. There was nothing to do tonight, but she had to consider what was in the future.
She turned out the light and got into bed. Go to sleep.
Think about that imaginary littleMist Childshe’d sketched, not about Caleb who had never really been a child at all. It hurt too much to remember the pain he’d never talk about. Nor the cynicism that he used as a guardrail. But this couldn’t go on. Except for sex they’d been growing further and further apart during the last six months. Even Caleb had been aware that she’d been on edge before he’d left her here at MacDuff’s Run.
Caleb was right, they were going to have to have that in-depth discussion he’d spoken about…
Or she might lose him.
***
The Gallery
MacDuff’s Run
Next Day
“What are you doing in here?” MacDuff asked curiously. “Fergus told me that you’ve been in here with Fiona for most of the morning. I must be more persuasive than I thought.”
Jane turned away from the portrait of Fiona to see him leaning against the doorjamb of the gallery. “You’re always persuasive, MacDuff. Between diplomacy and your economic ventures, we’re all lost in admiration of the great Lord MacDuff.” She made a face. “Not that you’ve managed to talk me into anything. It just occurred to me that I might have some time to spare while I’m here and I could spend it amusing myself by trying to solve your Fiona mystery. It was an intriguing story, and I can’t believe that no one has ever discovered what happened to Fiona. There’s no way that I’m any relation to her, but maybe you’ll stop nagging me if I can find out something that will satisfy your curiosity.”
“It might be a possibility.” He crossed his arms across his chest. “But since you came here, you’ve spent all your time outside on the grounds sketching. Why did you decide to change your routine?”
She shrugged and then said bluntly, “Circumstances, MacDuff. And why did you decide to bring in extra guards to watch over the gallery? I’m tired of this bullshit. It seemed the time to make the move.”
MacDuff tensed and then relaxed. “I gather Caleb called you last night? He said he would and tell you everything.”
“And he did. I wouldn’t have accepted anything else. I was particularly impressed by the tales of the beheadings.” She shivered. “Caleb seems to think my presence here won’t be a threat to your people, but I want you to know that if you have any doubts, I’ll leave at once.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” he said roughly. “You’re my good friend. I’ve arranged for enough extra guards to make this an armed camp.” He smiled crookedly. “And I’ll enjoy holding it over Caleb’s head that I was the one who could keep you safe. That will be particularly satisfying.”
