Model Marine

by Candace Havens

  Hannah gave an unladylike grunt. “If my father would let her, I would so be disinherited. I envy you your mom. I think mine sees me as competition in some way. The only way she can be happy is by making me miserable. Of course, I don’t help by pushing her buttons. But we all have our different ways of dealing with the parental units.”

  When he neared her building she pushed the button to open the small garage to the left.

  “It’s been a while since I’ve seen a blizzard like this. Sandstorms, yes. Snow, no.”

  “Yeah. The last few years it seems like the snows are getting worse. Do you have time for a drink? And how exactly were you going to get back?”

  “Subway. I have a couple of hours. The team for the reception meets at nine. But I know you have a ton of work to do and helping out the ambassador’s wife and daughter took a lot of your time.”

  “I still have to eat and I’d rather not do it alone.”

  Saying no wasn’t an option. Every moment he could spend with her was one he would cherish. Part of him hated how much he needed her. Her life was a chaotic mess but it was never boring. And though she claimed to be a selfish rich girl, she had more kindness in her than anyone he’d ever met. Her smile was enough to make him believe there was goodness in the world, an idea he’d given up long ago.

  “Will?”

  He lifted his head and discovered he stood just outside the elevator door that opened directly into her apartment. “I’m preoccupied with work. Sorry.”

  She gave him a sweet smile of understanding. “I get that way. You worried earlier about pulling me away from work, but I needed the break. When I get too consumed I tend to lose focus. When I worked on Regan’s dress today I remembered that I—” She stopped and rolled her eyes. “Doesn’t matter. They have pizza downstairs. I’ve asked Anne Marie to bring some up. I hope that’s okay.”

  “I like hearing about your work. I would tell you about mine if I could.” He followed her to the kitchen.

  “I understand. I didn’t at first but I do now. I wish you could share the pain I sometimes see in your eyes. Laura told me probably more than she should have about the people who are after them. She and Regan are so lonely, but they both understand what is going on.

  “You’re doing an important job, Will, and so is the ambassador. They’ve made such strides in that country and the actions of a few could cause an international incident that would make it difficult for everyone there.” She poured the beans into the coffee grinder and pushed the button.

  In a way he was glad the ambassador’s wife had shared part of the story with her. But he could never tell her about the pain she mentioned. That would torture them both.

  “I can’t imagine anything happening to Laura or Regan. You are going to keep them safe, aren’t you?”

  Will’s fingers caressed her cheek. “They are my team’s priority.”

  He wanted to tell her the ambassador had assembled a great security team of his own, but after the breech at the embassy a few months ago they knew someone was compromising them from the inside. Part of Will’s assignment, one Rafe didn’t even have a clue about, was to find out who that was.

  “You’re doing it again.” Her fingers clasped around his. “You don’t have to stay. I’m the first one to understand about duty. Though, I have to admit I haven’t done such a great job of it lately.”

  She moved so that she was next to him and she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling his head down to hers. When her lips captured his, he felt as if he was home again. A dangerous thought crossed his mind about making this permanent but he forced himself to concentrate on the kiss.

  “Hey,” she said against his lips. “You’re thinking too much. I don’t have any expectations. I’m good with the moments we share and grateful for each one.”

  He tucked his knuckle under her chin. “I was thinking the same exact thing a few minutes ago. I want to make promises to you, but I don’t know if I can keep them.”

  She backed out of his arms and ran a hand through her hair. “I’m not going to lie and say those things don’t cross my mind, too, but neither of us can make promises. You have your life and I have mine and they—” She took a deep breath.

  “Pizza is— Oh. Am I interrupting? You said you were hungry.” Anne Marie held up two boxes.

  “Starving,” Will said, giving Hannah an extra few seconds to compose herself. He took the pizzas from her friend. “I would have come down.”

  “No prob.” Anne Marie looked at him and then Hannah and then back to him. “Is… Uh…”

  Will shook his head in a warning.

  “So, Will, any news on the investigation?” Anne Marie changed the subject.

  “Not yet. Tag and his team have some leads they are following up on. Rafe tells me these guys are the best at what they do. Hopefully, we’ll hear something soon.”

  “Great. We appreciate you guys getting involved.” Anne Marie pursed her lips. “So…I’ll be downstairs if you need anything else.”

  Hannah kept her back to him.

  “I didn’t want to upset you. I should go.”

  Her shoulders lifted as if she were breathing deep again. “No. I want you to stay as long as you can. But I meant what I said before. We keep this easy. We enjoy each other’s company. I leave in a week for London and you’ll be gone, too.”

  He put a hand on her shoulder. “That doesn’t keep either of us from wanting more. But you’re right. We can’t count on the future. So I say we eat pizza and get fat.”

  She turned into his arms then. And gently poked a fist into his belly. “I think you’d have to eat a whole lot of pizza to get fat. Me, on the other hand, more than two pieces and I’ll have to work out two hours every day for two weeks. It isn’t fair.”

  “You’ll always be perfect to me.” Will meant the words. She was gorgeous but even when she was old and gray he couldn’t imagine feeling any different about her. He squeezed her tight. They might not want to admit it out loud, but she was his. And he was hers. “Let’s eat.”

  HANNAH HAD HOPED they would at least have time for a quickie but shortly after they finished the pizza, Will received a phone call that sent him back to the embassy. The blizzard was insane, but he’d texted her to let her know he was safe.

  Earlier, when he mentioned promises, so many possibilities flashed through her mind. Over and over she explained this was a fling, but for her it was so much more. She’d never met a man who turned her inside out. The strength and power within him thrilled her when he was near. When they made love it was as if their bodies were in perfect sync. There was no thinking or awkwardness, only feeling.

  Part of her was angry with him for helping her to realize there could be so much more in a relationship. Now she knew sharing your soul with someone you cared about was the most satisfying experience ever. When they parted it would kill her.

  Of that she was certain. But she would be strong for him. As far as she was concerned he would never know that her heart had been broken into seven million pieces. When he’d mentioned the promises, it had seemed like foreshadowing what it would be like when they parted ways.

  Shattered. That was the right word. She knew it was coming, but she was determined to spend every moment she could with him.

  Hannah picked her sketchbook off the table in front of the couch. Her work would be her only solace when he went off to war again. She would write him emails and even letters if that were the only way he could communicate. She would pretend all was well and do her best to keep him company while he fought so far from home.

  You’re thinking about a future with him.

  Shut up.

  Tension tightened her jaw when she considered a future without Will. Her mind pushed at the thought that once he left, he might never come back again.

  Hannah’s pencil broke against the pad.

  The buzzing of her cell phone pulled her from the heartbreaking thoughts.

  “Hey, it’s Will.”

  Th
e guy must be psychic.

  “Is everything okay?”

  “Everything is fine here, but I thought of something.”

  “You’re going to have to give me more details,” she said.

  “We were doing a last-minute update on the guest list and going through their security clearances. For some reason it triggered something. You know those women, the ones in the corner you called the Hags?”

  She had no idea where he was going with this. “Yeah.”

  “Two of them stopped Jesse and Anne Marie that night as they were taking out the clothes. I’d been watching you talk to the press. I turned to pick up my hat and I saw them. It was just a glance so when I saw them at the party it didn’t really register. But at the party there were three of them, and only two were backstage.”

  “Are you saying you think they took the clothes? Why would they? The other one probably had gone to another show or something.”

  “That’s the thing. The one that wasn’t with them fits the body type we saw perfectly. I’m not sure why I didn’t see it before.”

  “But they aren’t even designers. Why would they do something like this?”

  “No, but they might have connections to those people who mass market the clothes. And you said they were wannabes who failed and then began to criticize. What better way to get back at an industry that made them feel like fools? It’s absolutely diabolical.”

  Thoughts jumbled in her head and her mind had a difficult time switching gears.

  The Hags as black-market thieves?

  “Okay, say they are involved somehow. How do we prove it?” Hannah sounded skeptical.

  He’s trying to help you. Quit being a jerk.

  “Sorry. I’m just really confused.”

  “Well, this came out of the blue, so I can’t blame you. Rafe has already called his friend Tag. They are contacting Jesse and Anne Marie as we speak to see if they remember anything suspicious about the conversation that night backstage.”

  “Oh. Okay.”

  “But there’s more. I told you about the task force a couple of days ago. Turns out there have been long-term investigations into couture—that’s a word I never thought I would say—thefts and some of the bigger fashion houses who kept having their designs stolen only to find them manufactured and on the street in a matter of weeks. Until now, none of their leads ever panned out. You guys may have helped them big-time with this case if the Hags pan out.”

  “Oh,” she said again. She couldn’t seem to form words. The Hags? Really? She tried not to hate anyone, but Hannah had a difficult time thinking any kind thoughts about the women.

  “Those horrible witches have been spewing hate while they snuck into some of the best couture houses and stole the very things they snarked about. Oh, I want to punch them. No, I want to get in my van and mow them over until they are flat pieces of mascara goo. Yes. That would make me happy,” she said through gritted teeth.

  Will chuckled. “Now don’t hold back, hon. Get it all out.”

  “You have to understand how I feel right now. Oh, my Gawd, if this is true the entire industry will be up in arms. They’ll be lucky if they live the next forty-eight hours. We are all so proprietary about our designs. I want to shoot them. You’re a marine—you have a gun, don’t you?”

  Will made a strangled sound over the phone and she had a feeling he was trying not to laugh.

  “It isn’t funny.”

  He cleared his throat. “You are right. The situation isn’t funny at all. But trust me, Tag and his men will take care of those horrible women.”

  Will had done this for her. Once again he’d solved a problem so huge she didn’t know how she would survive it. She wanted to hug him right then. The strength of his arms wrapping around her and holding her tight would be heaven. She hadn’t admitted it to anyone but she’d been sick about part of her first collection being ripped off. It wasn’t about the money; it was more an issue of pride. She’d been so proud of achieving her dreams and then she had them ripped from her in a matter of hours.

  Tears rimmed her eyes. Will had done it again, swooped in and saved the day. “It wasn’t us. You did this, Will. Bless that observant brain of yours. I’m… It… Uh…”

  “Are you all right?”

  The last thing he needed right now was to worry about her. “Oh, yeah. This is so weird. I’m having a tough time wrapping my mind around it. They would be the last people I would suspect, and it’s like karma is having a giant field day.”

  “You sound strange. Do you need me to come back?”

  Hannah forced herself to smile so that she would sound happy on the phone. “You have a big day tomorrow. I’ll be fine.”

  “So there is something wrong.”

  Her elevator doors opened and Will stepped through.

  “What— How did you get up here?” She spoke into her cell and then stuffed it in the pocket of her jeans. “You should be working. And the storm.”

  Will didn’t say anything. He was across the floor and had her in his arms.

  This was where she belonged. The strength emanating from him seeped through her, helping her to find an emotional balance.

  “Life is hard sometimes,” she whispered.

  He guided her to the couch and pulled her onto his lap. “Tell me what’s going on in that mind of yours.” He pointed to her forehead.

  “Right now, it’s like a ping-pong match using twenty balls at one time. There’s the stolen clothing. The new show in London. The buyers have been coming out of the woodwork— I can’t believe I just said that. It sounded like something my dad would say.”

  “All but one of those things is good and that problem may be solved, too.”

  She ran her knuckles across his jaw. He probably had to shave twice a day to deal with the stubble. “Yes, but it’s a lot to handle all at once. We’re a fairly small operation. I don’t know how we’re going to fulfill all the orders we have and get ready for the show. Don’t get me wrong. Like you said, these are good problems to have. It’s scary for me. I’ve realized I have to grow up. I can’t keep dumping everything on Anne Marie. She already has her hands full.”

  “Hannah, you’ve got great people working with you. Trust them. And you’ve got Rafe and me. We’re going to get the people who stole your clothes.”

  She kissed his jaw. “It isn’t fair.”

  “What?”

  “That you’re so handsome and smart. How do women resist you?”

  “You promised we were going to keep this simple. There’s only one woman who matters.” The intensity in his eyes sent a small shiver down her spine.

  “Is it simple? I can’t stop thinking about you.”

  “No, it isn’t simple. I feel the same way about you. The reason I was sad, even with the happy news, is that I didn’t have you here to reassure me. It frightens me that in such a short time I’ve come to count on you for comfort and strength. But neither of us is in a position to— Our worlds are so— You may have to go off to—”

  “War.”

  She couldn’t acknowledge the word. It was too painful to think about.

  “That’s what scares you the most?”

  She stared up at the steel girders in her loft, unable to speak. He’d nailed her worst fear and she hadn’t even acknowledged it until then.

  “You care that much?” He had the nerve to smile.

  “Yes. I don’t want to, but I do. The idea of losing you gets to me. And I am the wrong woman for you.”

  He laughed. “How can you say that? You’re nearly perfect.”

  She snorted. “You and I both know that is so far from the truth. You need someone who is calm and keeps her emotions in check. I’m a neurotic freak show. Look at what just happened. I had a complete meltdown and my life is better than it’s ever been. You need someone sane.”

  “You don’t think I’m a freak show?” Will leaned back on the sofa and she didn’t like the distance he put between them. She wrapped herself across his ch
est.

  “No, you’re strong and so solid. And beautiful. And you are one of the kindest men I’ve ever met.”

  Will grunted. “Hannah, I’m not kind. Do you have any idea what I’ve had to do the last eight years? There are stories I could never tell you because they are so disgusting. Memories I’m going to have to live with the rest of my life. Some nights I wake up in a cold sweat. It isn’t pretty.”

  Hannah wrapped her arms around his. “Do you want to talk about it? I would listen. I whine a lot, but I’m a lot tougher than I look.”

  He chuckled. “You are a blessing, a warm lamp of light that has lifted my soul the last few days. Hell, you’ve shown me that I still have a soul. I have to shove those things on a shelf, Hannah. I see a shrink regularly. You should know that about me. Almost all the men in my unit do. We see, not to mention do, some pretty ugly things and it can be tough on the psyche.”

  She turned so that her knees surrounded his thighs. “You’re so hard on yourself. I’m glad you can talk to someone. I bet your poor shrinks have to have shrinks. It isn’t fair what you have to go through in a day. And look at me, I’m here griping about stolen blouses and skirts.”

  Will gently touched her cheek. “I’ll admit, a week ago, I would have said fashion was silly. But I’ve seen how much joy it can bring. I saw Regan in that dress. It’s the first time I’ve ever seen her smile. You did that for her. Bringing joy is in some ways even more important than what I do.”

  Hannah rolled her eyes. “Don’t even go there. But I want you to know something. I’m sure you have to be a superhero when you’re on assignment, but with me…”

  “If you call me that wuss Clark Kent, I’m so out of here.”

  She laughed and kissed his jaw. “I was going to say more like Wolverine. You’re so protective, and normally the protective thing would bug the heck out of me, but I like it when you do it. I feel safe when you’re around.”

  Will frowned and she thought back over her words. Maybe he didn’t like Wolverine.

  “Hannah, I lied before.” He shifted her so that she was back on the couch.