by Raina Wilde
Most of the men on base were already tied down with families. Young wives and children who dominated their free time and caused additional stresses during a dangerous mission. For example, Chris’s best friend Tony Pomeretti had a wife and three children that were left to deal with the aftermath of Tony’s sudden death.
That was not something that Chris was interested in having. So then why could he not stop thinking about the woman from last night?
Two hours later he had almost put her from his mind when he pulled in to the VA outpatient clinic. The stress that he was feeling about the upcoming appointment was enough to distract him from just about anything else. This clinic was designed to help veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder. Chris did not think that he had any reason to be here. He knew perfectly well what had happened. Was there trauma that he might never wrap his head around? Yes. But it was not something that he ever wanted to talk about. Especially, not to a complete stranger.
He entered the clinic and his eyes roamed around its sterile halls. There was nothing comfortable about this place. Nothing soothing. Even the antiseptic smell made his stomach churn so that he had to suppress the urge to abandon the appointment completely.
Commander Barclay had made it very clear that these appointments were not optional. If he failed to pass the tests provided by the psychiatrist, he could kiss his career goodbye.
He signed the arrival sheet and began to pace the waiting room. The last time he was in a room like this was when the last man in his unit was dying in the other room. He hated hospitals. So maybe this was not exactly a hospital, but it still brought back memories that he did not want to confront.
Chris picked through the brochures that were spread along the edge of the table. They listed symptoms such as flashbacks, night terrors, amputations, and all sorts of things that did not apply to him. He scoffed. There was no reason for him to be here.
Sure, he was angry. There might be a lot of things that he would never understand. But he was not traumatized. He was still physically and mentally capable of carrying out any mission that was asked of him.
“Mr. Ryker, Doctor Barnett will see you now. ” The receptionist ushered him down the hallway and toward a lone door that listed the psychiatrist’s name on a bold placard.
Chris took a deep breath and hardened his resolve. He would do what he had to to complete the requirements in order to return to active duty, but he had no intention of sharing any more information than was absolutely necessary.
He entered the room with a confident air that dissipated the moment that he crossed the threshold.
Sitting on the other side of a massive oaken desk, was none other than the woman from the night before.
Chapter 4:
Natalie Barnett felt a cold sweat break over her skin. She had just been scanning the notes for her first case file when the patient entered. The door had clicked shut behind the receptionist, when she had looked up into the very last face that she had expected to see this morning.
She glanced again at the name on the folder and felt her heart sink.
Chris Ryker. Chris. It was such a common name that it never occurred to her that the man from the night before might be her patient. Let alone her very first patient as a psychiatrist at the Naval Outpatient Clinic.
She forced her facial features into an ambiguous mask. She was sure that he would have seen the moment of sheer panic on her face at his arrival, but she had no intention of letting him know that he could fluster her.
This was her job, and she was not going to ruin her career on her first case.
Natalie stood and rounded her enormous desk. She had hated the thing the moment that she first laid eyes on it. The imposing piece of furniture would create a distance between her and her clients that she did not want to encourage. Instead, she had been determined to encourage her patients to settle into the more casual corner of her office, where a comfortable circle of furniture sat waiting.
Now, however, her mind cried for her to remain behind the safety of the desk.
The last thing that she needed was a resurgence of the desire that she had felt the night before. Unfortunately, Chris was wearing his crisp uniform and looking all-too dashing for her taste.
“Mr. Ryker. ” She began with a professional air as she gathered her folders and gestured toward the sofa. “Why don’t you choose a seat. ”
“I’m pretty sure that we are well past the ‘Mr. Ryker’ phase. ” Chris’s smile was like a beacon in her boring office. She had not yet had a chance to unpack her things and her office felt terribly empty and impersonal.
He continued to smile. He knew that she was uncomfortable and she had a terrible feeling that he was not going to let the topic slide.
Again she gestured at the sofa.
“Alright, Christopher. Please have a seat. ”
His eyebrows raised as he waited for her to submit.
With an exaggerated huff she shortened his name and he sat with a satisfied grin.
“Natalie Barnett…” He mused.
She cut him off with a sharp glare. She refused to play this game with him. Sure, he was charming and sexy, but she would not be toyed with. She was supposed to be the one in control in the office. Why then, did she feel as if she were a mouse who had been surely caught by the cat?
“Where would you like to begin? ” She began to flip through his file. This man had an extensive history.
“Well… Personally, I’d like to begin where we left off last night. ” His voice all but dripped sex appeal.
Natalie had to suppress the urge to throw her notebook at him. The grin that crossed his face told her that he knew exactly what she had refrained from doing.
“Alright, if you don’t have a preference, why don’t we start with your recent trip to Afghanistan? ”
That shut him up.
For a moment, his face turned steely. Then, with the precision of a true loner, he gave a false laugh and pretended to make light of the situation.
“Oh, you know… just another day in the field. ” His response told Natalie a lot more than he realized. She stared at him as she waited for him to continue, but he did not.
Natalie narrowed her eyes. In the best of circumstances Chris Ryker would be a tough patient to handle. In light of recent events, however, she was fairly certain that he was never going to reveal a thing.
For a moment she considered submitting her evaluation to his commanding officers immediately. However, she knew that his refusal to open up would be detrimental to his career, and her failure on her very first case would be likewise damning for her own. At that moment she knew that, despite their sultry past, she needed to help him talk through what had happened.
Natalie gestured toward the doorway and pierced Chris with her most prim glare.
“I don’t think that we will be able to accomplish much today. ” She spoke with a firm, detached tone. She could see his eyes narrow in response.
“Are you uncomfortable, Dr. Barnett? ” He rose from his seated position. The immense height of this man seemed to swallow what little space was left in the office. In one step he was standing entirely too close.
“Not at all. ” Her sharp reply revealed otherwise and she was forced to clear her throat. “I suggest that we postpone this meeting until later in the week. That way we can both participate without any shock or…”
“I think we both participate just fine. ” He cut her off. The devilish smile that crossed her face told him exactly what sort of participation he was talking about.
Natalie felt her cheeks grow hot and she forced herself not to cover them with her hands. She never blushed! What gave this man the power to affect her on such a visceral level?
“Thursday. ” She tried to brush past him but he blocked her way. The only thought in her mind was that she needed to put that immense desk between them. For both of their safety.
“It’s a date!” Chris made his way toward the door but Natalie spun on her heel and st
opped him with and out-flung arm.
“It is a therapy session, Mr. Ryker. Nothing more. ”
“You’re going to try to heal me? ” His voice dripped with sarcasm.
“I can’t help you if you don’t want it. ” Her frustration came off a little breathier than she would have liked.
Chris reach forward and tucked a stray hair behind her ear.
“Oh, I want it. ” His tone was entirely too serious and Natalie felt her breath catch in her throat. Why did he have to look at her with such intensity? She forced herself to look away.
Before she could manage a response he had stepped past her and out into the hallway.
She had no idea whether or not he would show up for their Thursday session. She also had difficult time determined whether or not she wanted him to.
With a deep sigh, Natalie sunk into her plush leather chair. She leaned forward and placed her forehead against the cool desk.
What had she gotten herself into?
Chapter Five:
Two days later, Chris was still having trouble distracting himself from thoughts of the incredibly sexy Doctor Barnett. Holy smokes, but she made his blood churn. Never would he have expected that the laid back, witty, tomboy from the bar would be none other than his pristine therapist with her high heels and knee-length power skirt.
He had kept himself busy between the shooting range and exploring old haunts on his motorcycle. Though he was still the best shot on base, and had even run in to some old riding pals, there was not much that kept the spunky brunette from his mind.
He pulled the Harley into a gas station after a particularly long afternoon astride the beast.
He had almost finished pumping the gasoline when he heard a commotion on the far side of the station.
A young woman was battling three rowdy kids as she attempted to put air in a seriously deflated tire.
Annabelle Pomeretti.
Chris felt his stomach roll and twist. For a moment he thought that he might actually be sick. There, in her beat-up blazer was the wife, the widow, of Chris’s recently deceased best friend.
She looked like hell. No surprise there.
A young mother of three, newly widowed and left to fend for herself. It was no surprise that she looked as if she had been hung out to dry.
For a moment, he considered speaking with her, but then thought otherwise. She looked frazzled enough without a confrontation with Chris. For he knew that it would be just that. He was supposed to visit the family after Tony’s funeral, but he had not. Tony had been an avid family man. His wife and children were the pride of his life. As the best friend, and as a member of the same unit, he should have been there to help the family in their time of need.
However, he simply could not bring himself to do it. Guilt washed over him for his actions. He kicked the bike into gear and rumbled away before she could recognize him. Maybe he was a coward, but he was not ready to speak with her.
Instead, he decided to go visit one of his old riding buddies. At least these guys, who had slowly eased away from the life of crime, were not known for asking questions.
Chapter Six:
Natalie sat at her desk, brooding. Chris was potentially coming in for his appointment this afternoon and she had no idea what to do.
All of her spare time in the past days had been spent going over the extensive notes of Chris’s case file.
He was a highly decorated Seal sniper with more medals of honor than she had even heard of. It was obvious that he was the best of the best. The elite. He was known for his ability to evaluate a situation with quick, precise determination.
He flawlessly executed his plans, led his unit with poise and precision, and never took unnecessary risks.
His team was both skilled and unnaturally successful on their missions.
How, then, had everything gone so terribly wrong?
The case report from his most recent mission was shocking enough to raise the hair on the back of Natalie’s neck.
The elite group of seals had somehow been ambushed while they had been separated. One by one, the team members were slaughtered. All except for Chris Ryker.
The incident was currently under investigation and Natalie now understood why Chris was so hesitant to talk.
There were conflicting testimonies in the case. Chris’s debriefing had raised some questions that were inconsistent with the investigator’s findings.
Obviously his survival had raised questions. Despite their best efforts the analysts were unable to locate, or determine, infiltration by any enemy forces.
It appeared that the deaths had been an inside job. Cold-blooded murders.
Natalie could not blame his commanding officers for sending Chris to a therapist. Their theory was that if Chris was responsible for the deaths of his teammates, then a therapist might be able to draw a confession from him. If he was somehow innocent, they might be able to gather details about what actually occurred. If this were the case, though the odds did not sway in his favor, they figured that he would need professional help to deal with the trauma of such a brutal, internal attack.
Was Chris Ryker a homicidal manic? Had he murdered his own teammates and best friend?
Natalie tried to force that thought from her mind but it kept circling back to the same details.
A small notation at the base of the report concerned Natalie the most. One of the victims had almost survived the attack. While the medics had been struggling to keep him alive, he had spoken in short incoherent bursts. The only thing that anyone had been able to piece together was a short string of words, “Ryker took him out. ”
Natalie could not keep that phrase out of her mind.
Ryker took who out? All of them?
Unfortunately, that is what the evidence pointed to. The sole survivor with a finger pointed firmly in his direction.
She had no idea how to process this information. Additionally, if she was expected to draw forth a confession, how could she manage that now, when their professional relationship was already so muddled?
Try as she might, Natalie could not find a solution. She only hoped that if he did show up for their session, she could remain calm and not act like a blubbering fool.
If Chris really did take out his entire team, should Natalie be afraid of him? Surprisingly, she did not feel that fear. Despite what she had learned, Natalie still found herself innately trusting of the man. Maybe it was because of the fact that they were already intimately connected, but at no point during their encounter at the bar had Natalie felt unsafe or uncomfortable with Chris. If she had, she would have been long gone before he could have said, “What are you drinking? ”
Natalie needed to keep her wits about her on this case for sure. Not only would her evaluation have the ability to make or break Chris’s career, but she also knew that the committee would be watching the case closely. If she was suspected of showing preference, or irrational judgment in any way, it would be the end of her own career.
With a sigh, she turned back to the beginning of the file. Maybe if she re-read the notes she would come across something helpful. Not, she reminded herself, that it had worked the first dozen times.
Chapter 7:
With a soft knock Chris entered the office to find Natalie swinging her chair back and forth in front of the window. She must have been deep in thought because it was obvious that she had not heard him enter.
With the silent steps of a professional he crept up behind her chair. When the high-backed chair swung in front of him, he stopped it firmly in its tracks.
He had never seen a woman move so fast. Natalie was out of the chair in an instant and rounding on him as if braced for a fight.
When recognition dawned on her, she placed an open palm against her chest and took a series of calming breaths. The action was distracting, to say the least.
“You can’t sneak up on people like that!” She gasped.
Chris laughed. “Sure I can. I have years of training that t
ell me it’s OK. ”
She slapped at his arm when she walked past, as if the minor punishment was anything other than playful. In response he slid an arm around her waist and turned her toward him.
With wary eyes she gazed at him. One perfectly arched eyebrow raised as she waited for him to release her. He did, but not before they both felt the heat that pulsed between their bodies as they pressed against one another.
“You’ve read my file. ” He quipped as he flung himself lengthwise along a nearby couch. Placing his arms behind his head he closed his eyes and assumed what he considered was the stereotypical therapy position. “I’m ready for you to shrink me, Doc. ”
He heard her sink into the chair directly across from him.
He knew from the look that had crossed her face that she was now intimately familiar with the details of the investigation. If that were so, then there was no point in Chris elaborating any further. He had made his statement and he was sticking to it.
“Are you going to take this seriously? ” Her voice was low and calming.
“Sure. ” He replied. “I’d say we are about as serious as I can ever remember being with a woman. We’ve seen each other, what… three times this week? ”
He could almost hear Natalie roll her eyes.
“I’ll take that as a no. ” she sighed.
“What do you want to know? I’m an open book. ” He settled more comfortably into the sofa.
“Why don’t we just start with you telling me about yourself? ” Her voice once again reverted to its professional tone.
“Well… as you know I’m extremely charming. Damn near irresistible, so I’ve been told. I mean by you. ” He turned his head and glanced quickly at her blushing face. “You said that, you know. ”
Natalie’s only response was a glare that could freeze fire.
“Anyways…” He resumed his pensive playacting. “I’ve spent more time overseas in the past ten years than I have on home soil. I own my own home, which my sister happily decorated, even though I can’t for the life of me find a thing in it, and I’m more of a dog person than a cat person but that’s really irrelevant since I don’t own either. If you want references I would be happy to pro…”
