Drawing her gun, Raeleen pointed it down at Jada. “Where is Travis?”
Jada held her midsection and glared up at her. Then her face turned smug as another gun came against Raeleen’s temple.
Climbing to her feet, Jada took the gun from her as Lucian LeFevre moved to stand beside her.
“It appears that I have underestimated the daughter of Colonel Roth.” Then he glanced at Jada. “Are you all right?”
Her eyes warmed and she replied huskily, “Yes.”
Seeing the exchange, Raeleen realized that Jada was helping him take the painting.
Where once she’d sympathized with the woman and would have helped her retrieve something stolen from her ancestors, now she vowed to do the opposite.
* * *
Leaving the outbuilding, Travis emerged from the trees after Habib, who headed for a car parked along the street just down from the resort. He didn’t see where Lucian had gone. No one was in the car parked in front of Habib’s, but Travis found it odd that they were both parked there and not in the resort parking lot. Was Lucian still here? After he took care of Habib, he’d find him next. The two of them must have assumed Travis had rushed off to get the painting to save Raeleen and his friends. They assumed wrong.
When Habib was about to open the car door, Travis made his move, using his hand to chop him on the back of his neck. Habib’s head hit the car. Catching his slumping frame, Travis made sure no one noticed and dragged him into the trees. Lifting him, he carried Habib to the back of the outbuilding and leaned his limp body against the wall.
Travis would let Habib go back to Monrovia. He wasn’t a threat. Grief had made him blame TES for his loss. But LeFevre wasn’t going to be that lucky. He was an unscrupulous black-market thug and a killer who needed to be stopped. Not keeping a gun on Travis had been his first mistake. Giving him twenty-four hours had been his second. That was plenty of time to track him down and get back to Raeleen in time.
Hearing voices coming from the beach, Travis moved to the edge of the outbuilding. Spotting Raeleen standing in the shadows of meager light coming from the resort, LeFevre with a gun pointed at her and Jada beside him, he couldn’t believe his eyes. What was she doing here? How had she escaped?
Jada must have seen her coming to the shelter, and she and LeFevre had intercepted her. Not quite the way he’d planned this to go, but it would work.
Staying hidden in the trees, Travis followed the darkest shadows until he was positioned behind Jada and LeFevre. Then, just as he was about to make his move, Raeleen decided to start fighting. She chopped with her arm, dislodging the gun from Jada’s hand and following up with a kick that sent her onto her backside. Simultaneous with the kick, she knocked LeFevre’s wrist. She should have gone for him first. LeFevre used his foot to push her onto her backside.
“I don’t need you anymore,” Travis heard him say.
Already aiming for his head, Travis fired and LeFevre went down.
Jada screamed and crawled over to him while Raeleen stared in shock at Travis as he sprinted through the sand toward her.
Helping Raeleen to her feet, he waited for Jada to figure out that LeFevre was dead. Distraught, she looked up at him.
“You killed him.”
“How many people has he killed?” Travis asked her.
She began crying harder, bowing her head. Travis didn’t think she’d intended to get involved with a man like that.
“I’ll go to the resort to get the police.” Raeleen started to walk away when Travis stopped her.
She looked at him.
“Let’s just go.”
“But...” She looked down at Jada, whose crying subsided some as she lifted her head.
“She’s done nothing more than get involved with the wrong man to try and get her ancestor’s painting back.”
“She set us up.”
“She hasn’t hurt anyone.” He turned to Jada. “I’m giving the painting back to Deet. If you can talk him into selling it to you after all you’ve done, it’s yours. Otherwise, you’re getting what you deserve.”
“It’s my painting!” She scrambled to her feet. “Lucian was going to give it to me.”
Putting his arm around Raeleen, Travis guided her up the beach toward the resort.
“You can’t just leave!” Jada shouted.
“Watch us,” Travis called over his shoulder.
Chapter 15
Just like the last time they were here, Raeleen had to wait for her flight home. Unlike the last time, she knew she was going home. Just like last time, she sat at the hotel bar. Unlike last time, there was no one watching, and Travis wasn’t beside her.
Meena and a recovering Harry were on their yacht headed back to Florida. Raeleen had decided to fly home, and Travis had done the same. She had a feeling he’d done that to be with her, but now he was avoiding her. He’d gotten them two rooms and she hadn’t seen him since check-in.
“I never noticed this restaurant had a patio.”
Pure glee threatened to make her smile like a fool as she spun on her barstool to see Travis.
He twisted charmingly to indicate the double doors leading to a leafy oasis that had a view of the ocean and a setting sun.
“Me neither.”
He extended his hand. “Last night on the island.”
She gave him her hand, wondering what he intended. “Trying to get in my pants, soldier?”
Tugging her to her feet, he grinned. The way she’d said “soldier” had come out of nowhere. She felt nothing but warmth saying the word, and instead of making her tense, she let herself enjoy it as Travis led her to the patio. There, a waiter stood with a bottle of wine.
She sat and the waiter put a napkin on her lap.
“You are.”
He gestured for the waiter to pour the wine.
“I already ate dinner.”
“I only ordered wine.”
She angled her head, trying to figure him out. Was he going for her or playing her because he didn’t trust her anti-men-who-remind-her-of-her-father attitude? She still wasn’t completely sure she wouldn’t keep following that course, and she needed to be.
When the waiter left, Travis lifted his glass. Raeleen clinked hers with it and sipped with him. He set his down.
“You were right.”
He was just full of mystery tonight. “About what?”
“I am afraid of failure. No one should have to die the way my sister did. No woman should have to die that way. I was afraid because I didn’t want anyone else to lose their life to violence. But I’m not afraid anymore. You taught me that.”
Had she? “Why are you telling me this?”
“I want tonight to be about us. In the morning, if you still feel the same, you can go back to your life and I’ll have no hard feelings.”
He was going for her. A thrill tingled through her.
“Travis...”
“I know you’re still unsure about a few things. I haven’t done a very good job of showing you how wrong you are about me.”
“It’s not you, it’s—”
“You’re afraid, too, Raeleen. You’re afraid I won’t be there for you. You’re afraid any man won’t be there for you.”
“Travis—”
He held up his hand. “We have tonight. All I ask is that we spend it together. See how we really feel about each other. Then tomorrow you can decide if I’m as right about you as you were about me.”
No pressure there. They were on Anguilla. Why not enjoy the last night here? She hadn’t been able to enjoy the island at all since her kidnapping.
“All right.”
He grinned. “You’re in so much trouble.”
She laughed with slight hesitation. When he leaned toward
her to kiss her, she tensed. But only for a fraction of a second. One touch of his mouth and she fell into his invitation.
He slid her chair closer to his and they turned their heads to watch the sun slip beyond the horizon, the shimmering sea going dark.
She finished her wine with a warm glow lingering.
Turning his head toward her, he kissed her again. “Let’s go somewhere more private.”
Why not? She could enjoy him without any chaos in the way. Just a couple on vacation in Anguilla.
“Okay.”
Telling the waiter to put the bill on his room, he led her by the hand out of the restaurant. In the elevator, he leaned against the opposite wall just looking at her. Her heart did acrobatics on her rib cage. Both of them were thinking about what they were about to do and questioning it. But not much. The real decisions wouldn’t have to be made until after they returned to the States. She felt this between them. He distrusted her and she didn’t trust herself. Two bad combinations. But not bad enough to stop either one of them.
Each step beat doubt into insignificance. She followed him into his room.
He put the key card down and she wandered to the window, a view of lights and a dark ocean glimmering beneath moonlight. She wasn’t ordinarily a romantic person, but being with Travis changed that. She was glad the moon was shining tonight.
“Beats tree branches flying through the air.”
She laughed softly at his reference to the storm they’d survived.
Standing behind her, he put his hands on her shoulders and ran them down her arms. Next, he put his face beside hers. She felt his warm breath just before he kissed her. So soft. She closed her eyes and arched her neck so that he could kiss her mouth. His hands roamed her body. Gentle. Slow.
She turned in his arms and kissed him again, in keeping with his slow and gentle touches. This could be the last time they were together.
“You have the softest hair.”
Only then did she realize he had his fingers in it.
“I never thought I’d fall for a headstrong celebrity with blond hair.”
“I never thought I’d fall for a soldier who always tells me what to do.”
He laughed deeply.
As the meaning of what they’d both just said settled beyond the haze of passion, they met each other’s eyes.
“Get undressed,” he commanded.
And now she laughed. But she stepped back and did what he said, before his lustful eyes.
“At least you do what you’re told in the bedroom.”
Naked, she moved to him and planted her hands on his chest, giving him a push. “On the bed, soldier.”
He lay on his back and she climbed onto him, straddling him. Letting her play for a while, he soon took control and rolled her onto her back, kissing her to soften the domination.
It crazed her with desire. Or something more. Something deeper that she didn’t want to explore right then. She only immersed herself in the sensation of his mouth on hers, so full of meaning.
She moved her legs at the same time he began to seek her. They were so in sync. Raeleen took in the sight of him, his face, his dark blond hair, his mouth continually kissing hers.
When he slid into her, she felt more than the physical contact. She felt a celebration of whatever this was between them. She wouldn’t, not now, maybe not ever, call it love. But it was worth celebrating.
She moved with him, slow and gripping, until he entwined his fingers with hers and dragged them up on the mattress. Then his smooth movements grew more intense. Harder. But slow. Ever so slow.
Raeleen suddenly lost her breath and all contact with reality. She called his name as she peaked and he gruffly responded with hers and shortly thereafter collapsed in completion on top of her, his hands still gripping hers.
Panic welled.
Raeleen struggled to quell it and managed to keep from running out of the room naked.
Travis rolled to lay beside her. He said nothing, and she sensed he struggled with the same problem.
The meaning this held had risen to heights neither could contend with at the moment. Too many uncertainties remained.
Waiting until he slept, not caring if he woke, Raeleen dressed and left. Special-ops man that he was, he must have been well aware of her escape. But the fact that he hadn’t stopped her said enough.
* * *
Full of melancholy that was beginning to make her mad, Raeleen closed the last trash bag after cleaning up her apartment. She’d had to talk to the police when she returned, and she told them the whole story, leaving out any mention of Travis or her father and the secret hero organization called TES. She’d also lied and said The Portrait of Sarah was still missing. Travis had told her he’d give it to Deet, where Raeleen thought it belonged. The decision to sell to Jada was his to make.
The buzz of her intercom spared her from lamenting more over Travis and that last night they’d had together. She was still so torn over it.
“Yes?” she said into the intercom.
“Your father is here to see you.”
Moments later, she opened her apartment door. “I can’t remember…. Have you ever been here?”
Dressed in his decorated uniform, her father entered, a powerful presence. “None of that, Raeleen. It’s long past the time we had this out.”
She was too forlorn over Travis to fight him.
“Travis told me you left him behind in Anguilla.”
“I didn’t need his protection anymore.” Even though her heart cried out for it now.
“He also told me why.”
She stopped fiddling with a throw pillow on her couch to check his face for more detail.
“He reminds you of me?”
That explained his anger. She finished arranging her pillows the way she liked them.
Her father approached her, reaching to take her arm and prevent her from fiddling with anything else. She was forced to straighten and meet his eyes.
“I can tell you’re unhappy.”
She averted her eyes.
“Lucky for me, it isn’t me you’re unhappy with.”
She returned her eyes to him, waiting for the politic-skirting colonel in him to push her.
“You can blame Odie’s insight on everyone drawing the conclusion that you and Travis are meant for each other.”
“Dad—”
He let go of her arm to hold up his hand. “I didn’t come here to talk to you about that.”
She knew why he’d come. She just wasn’t sure she was ready to forgive him yet.
“I know you resent me for not spending more time with you when you were young,” he said.
In that instant, she let go of the defenses she’d carried for so long. When she was young, having her father there every day wouldn’t have been enough. She’d missed him when he was away, and that had compiled into anger against him.
“I’ve been selfish.” She’d essentially realized it when she remembered all the long hours he’d spent training her in self-defense. “You have been there for me.”
“I wanted to be there more. You grew up thinking I’d rather be working, and that wasn’t true. I thought of you every day. Both you and your mother. The time I did have for you, I cherished. Those are my best memories. They’re what made having to work long hours worthwhile.”
She moved toward him, his declaration ringing true and warming her further. “They’re my memories, too. I just forgot them over the years. But not anymore. I remember now.”
“I promise I’ll be there for you more.”
She shook her head. “You don’t have to.”
“Yes, I do. Hearing you were missing nearly killed me. I kept thinking about how long it had been since I’d last seen you. And then when T
ravis brought you to Dad’s...” Her stoic father lowered his head with the onslaught of tears. “I couldn’t bear it if I lost you, Raeleen.”
She rested her head on his chest as they hugged. “I’m sorry for being angry with you. I love you so much.”
“I love you, too. More than anything. I’d do anything for you.”
She leaned back to see his face. “I’d do anything for you.”
He smiled softly and then moved back from their embrace, the colonel back in place again.
“Now that we have that cleared up, I wasn’t completely honest before when I said Travis wasn’t the reason I came here.”
Hope and tension reared up in her.
“I told him about your show in Istanbul.”
As soon as she’d arrived in New York she’d arranged to replace the canceled show with a new one...at the restaurant in Istanbul that Travis had mentioned.
“Dad!”
He chuckled. “Don’t be surprised if he shows up. All I ask is that when he does, you remember that he isn’t completely like me.”
She knew that now. Raeleen had learned a valuable lesson in the days she’d spent with Travis. It wasn’t about the amount of time someone spent with her, it was about the love she felt when they were together. Love that was made with that person.
Tears she rarely shed slid down her cheeks. “I was wrong about Travis. He’s a good man. Just like you.”
Her father headed for the door with a satisfied look in his eyes. There, he turned. “Your mother has been complaining she hasn’t seen you.”
“I’ll come to D.C. on my way out of the country.” She was going to be doing more of that. If her father was going to work at spending more time with her, she could meet him in the middle.
And she hoped Travis would meet her in Istanbul.
Chapter 16
Berk’s Burger Café was near Istinye Park in Istanbul, on a side street filled with small restaurants and boutiques. The older architecture contrasted with Istinye’s sleek sophistication, but Raeleen discovered she preferred the more ornate stone trim and rows of lights hanging over the entrances of many of the buildings. She’d just finished her show inside the weathered interior of Berk’s and now stood with Berk, his wife and son, talking. Her cameraman had already gone to explore more of Istanbul. Landon was still recovering, so she’d been sent someone new.
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