Beyond The Limit

by Lindsay McKenna

  “You sure?” Pete studied her beautiful forest-green eyes. The urge to sweep her into his arms nearly overwhelmed him, but he fought it. Damn, but he wanted to press his mouth against her parted lips. He wanted to taste Cali. Feel her.

  The thoughts were shocking to him. Galvanizing. What the hell was wrong with him? Angrily shaking off his desire, Pete abruptly leaned away from her.

  “You look fine. But we need to get you to the doctor. Can you stand?”

  Cali was unprepared for the sudden gruffness in his tone. “Uh, yeah.” Pete helped her up, and she was grateful because a wave of dizziness assailed her. Unexpectedly, she swayed against his warm, hard body. Oh, how many times had Cali wanted to do just this? Wanted to touch him? Feel his strong, vibrant form against hers? Too many times.

  “Easy….” Pete breathed, his mouth pressed against her hair. “Take it easy, Cali. Let me help you to my truck….”

  It was heavenly to be tucked protectively against his side, Cali decided. Her vision blurred, then cleared as she walked forward drunkenly. Maybe she’d hit her skull a little harder than she’d thought. Maybe her hard head, as her father called it, was not so hard, after all. Her boots seemed to have a mind of their own as she stumbled through the soft sand. Pete kept his arm around her shoulders and held on to her as if she were a priceless work of art. Cali’s mind reeled and tangled, along with her fast-beating heart. She could smell the sweat from his body, feel the dampness of his T-shirt.

  Pete ordered his guards to stay with the prisoners. After tucking Cali into the truck, he made a call to the office trailer. Javad, his right-hand man, would inform Sheik Hesam, and would get another company truck out here to transport the raiders. Grimly, Pete waved to his guards, who held the scowling, bleeding prisoners at gunpoint.

  Once in the truck, Pete turned to Cali. The dark, ugly blue bruise forming on her forehead undid him. “You really need to be checked out by Dr. Hakimi.”

  “I know.” Cali’s voice sounded hollow to her own ears. She struggled to latch the seat belt around her. Too bad she hadn’t done that earlier. But then, banging her head against the window would have happened anyway, due to the pickup almost flipping over.

  Pete drove at a moderate speed toward the gates in the fence. “Tell me what happened.”

  Cali told him bits and pieces. By the time they reached the entrance, a number of site security men on horseback were galloping out to help bring in the Taliban prisoners.

  Lifting her hand to rub her forehead, Cali murmured, “Hesam isn’t going to be happy about this. The Taliban have been attacking us regularly. I know he’s trying his best to find them up in the caves in those hills, but there are more of them than he counted on. This is getting crazy.”

  Nodding, Pete drove straight to the medical trailer. “I agree. We need to talk to him. Get more of his men making trips up there in the hills to root them out. We can’t have people attacked right outside our site like this.”

  Now Cali’s head began to ache in earnest. She’d been injured before and knew the routine: first shock set in, followed by pain. “Are you going to put a call in to him this afternoon?”

  “I will after we get you to the doc.” Worried, Pete glanced over at Cali. Her face was ashen. She’d closed her eyes and her fingers were pressed against her brow. With her lips parted, she looked excruciatingly vulnerable. As he parked the truck, he tried to swallow the feelings for her that had only grown over the last three months. Climbing out, he said, “I’ll come around and get you. Stay put.”

  No problem there, Cali thought. She felt like jelly that had been dumped out of a jar. Relying on Pete’s guiding hand, she inched out of the truck and allowed him to shepherd her up the wooden steps and into the trailer. As Cali eased onto the awaiting gurney, she heard Pete call for the doctor. Hurting everywhere, feeling frayed and vulnerable from her experience, she tried to ignore his gentleness and concern. But it was impossible. When Cali had least expected it, Pete Trayhern had come to her rescue.

  CHAPTER TEN

  PETE COULDN’T CURB HIS worry about Cali and her injuries. He’d just taken care of the Taliban prisoners and had driven back to the medical trailer to check on her. The nursing assistant told him that the doctor had seen Cali, and she was at her own trailer, resting for the next twenty-four hours.

  The day was hot and he was sweating profusely. As he drove down a two-lane dirt road toward the western side of the complex, he noted dust was everywhere, despite the water trucks on duty. The trailers in this section were used as homes for the main construction people. The units had been spaced far enough apart so no mortar round or grenade launcher could hit more than one at a time. Being bunched together wasn’t a good idea in a war zone. And this was turning out to be a constant battlefield.

  Pete knew by heart where Cali’s trailer was located. It was a standard terra-cotta color, like all the rest. In the window nearest the door, however, a large, healthy potted plant was hung. As he pulled up and turned off the ignition, he noticed that the plant had bloomed. The blossom looked like a pink hibiscus—a touch of beauty in the desert. Just like Cali.

  How was she? He wondered if he should stop by to see her or just leave her alone. Pete didn’t want to keep second-guessing himself, so he climbed out of the truck and locked it. If she were a man, he wouldn’t hesitate to visit, make sure she was okay. He took the wooden steps two at a time, then knocked on the white aluminum door. Maybe Cali was asleep. Maybe he should have called her first. His heart roiled in his chest, and he wiped sweat off his face with his shirtsleeve.

  The door opened and his heart picked up in beat. Cali was dressed in pink linen trousers and a dark green, formfitting top. Her left arm was wrapped in white gauze and tape. Pete saw the darkness in her eyes and figured she had to be hurting. The warmth in her gaze, however, quieted his anxiety.

  “Come on in. I was just going to pour myself a well-deserved shot of whiskey to settle my nerves. Not exactly doctor’s orders, but I know it will help.” Cali grimaced as she stepped aside so he could enter. “I’m getting the shakes now. Adrenaline letdown.”

  “Pour me one, too?” Pete asked, turning and shutting the door. At once the delicious coolness of air-conditioning enveloped Pete. He took off his cap and stuffed it into his back pocket, grinning tentatively. “I wanted to make sure you were all right.”

  Cali tried to keep her tone light as she went to the kitchen and fetched the liquor from beneath the sink. Her hand trembled slightly while she poured the amber liquid into two shot glasses. “I’m just shook up right now. I guess I didn’t think the Taliban were so bold or stupid to try and attack us like that. I know they’ve been aggressive, but never like this. And am I ever sorry I didn’t have that security pickup with me today. It’s the last time that will happen.” She reached for one glass, turned and handed it to Pete. Their fingers touched and Cali tried to ignore the resulting tingle. Impossible.

  Pete nodded in thanks. “This is a new type of attack,” he agreed wearily.

  Cali lifted her glass in a toast and quickly downed the contents. “Let’s drink to life.” The liquid burned like fire in her throat and gut. She set the glass aside and walked to the couch, tucking one leg beneath her as she sat down.

  Pete downed his own whiskey and set the empty glass on the counter. His lips drew away from his teeth as he sucked in air, trying to reduce the fiery sensation of the liquor.

  “Mind if I join you?” he asked, gesturing to the leather sofa. Cali looked so fragile and he ached to take her into his arms. Dammit, he couldn’t protect her, and that realization was a brutal one. Nor could he show his emotions as he had out there at the accident scene. And yet there wasn’t a thing he would have done differently.

  “Sure, sit down.” Cali was surprised that he wanted to stay, but her head hurt too much to think about it. This wasn’t the time to explore her feelings for him.

  Pete joined her, settling a few feet from where she sat. He wanted to move closer, but tha
t wouldn’t be right. He planted his elbows on his thighs and clasped his hands together. “I just wanted to tell you about the conversation I had with Hesam earlier. This is an entirely new style of attack. The sheik said the Taliban were pretty quiet in his province until we came. It’s one thing for them to lob rocket-propelled grenades into our site at night, but quite another to attack you in a truck along the perimeter road in daylight.”

  Cali leaned back, feeling the effects of the alcohol soothing her jittery nervous system. “They were out to get anyone who was there. I’m sure they didn’t know who was in the truck,” she said. Pete’s closeness helped. Right now, she wanted him around, and somehow, he must have sensed it. Or maybe he was just making a house call because he was superintendent at the site? Cali wasn’t sure, and really didn’t want an answer to that question.

  “I’m not certain I agree. They were after a high-value target. Why else would they risk a daylight attack against our security?”

  “I don’t know.” Cali was afraid to think they might have purposely targeted her.

  Shaking his head, Pete studied his callused hands and the many small scars on his fingers. “How are you doing now?” He glanced up and held her gaze.

  “I’ll live. The doc gave me a tetanus shot, antibiotics to take and—” she pointed to her bandaged arm “—he picked fifteen shards of windshield glass out of my arm. And found three more pieces here,” she said, gesturing to her neck.

  “Thank God you didn’t get any in the face. If one of those splinters had hit you in the eyes…” Pete’s voice trailed off at the horror of that possibility. He tore his gaze from hers and frowned down at his fisted hands. You have the most beautiful eyes in the world. I could lose myself in them…. He wanted to tell her. But he didn’t dare whisper those words. This close call had brought feelings to the surface he’d not been aware of before.

  “I got lucky and I know it,” Cali agreed softly. “I wonder if they’d have attacked if security had been with me? Were they waiting to catch someone out on the perimeter without a guard, or was it just the luck of the draw?”

  “Security will interrogate the prisoners. We’ll know more soon. I don’t like what happened, Cali.” Pete didn’t care if she objected to his use of her first name. Somehow, he couldn’t call her “Ms. Roland” now.

  “I’d like some answers myself.” She could tell Pete was wrestling with a lot of emotions just by looking at his chiseled, bronzed face. His straight black hair was closely cropped, a few errant strands dipping rebelliously over his furrowed brow. He was intensely handsome, and Cali felt a delicious sense of desire for him as she absorbed his strong profile. What was there not to like about this guy?

  Plenty, her head told her. Think about Russ. Think about what he did to you.

  “From now on, Cali, you will have security with you. If the truck breaks down, you’ll wait until it’s fixed before you leave the site. Have you ever been shot at on other projects?” Pete asked.

  He saw her lips part. Lips he so badly wanted to taste, touch and make his own. Obviously, he couldn’t act on his desire.

  Shaking her head, Cali said, “No. First time. Oh, I’ve been in a lot of dire straits on other job sites. Even had a gun aimed at my chest by a pissed-off sheik. But we managed to calm things down, and cooler heads prevailed.” Cali smiled, feeling her tension beginning to dissolve. “If I’d been thinking, I’d have just pulled out my pistol today and started shooting back instead of running from them.”

  Pete straightened in alarm. “No, Cali, you did the right thing. It was five of them against one of you. Besides, hindsight is always twenty-twenty.” His terror over what had happened—what could have happened—made his gut feel as if it were burning. “You can’t outgun these bastards.”

  “I didn’t know who they were. At first I thought they were some of our people, driving too fast on that friggin’ road. I swear, I’m going to find some extra gravel and get a dump truck out there and fill those ruts. They are just too dangerous for anyone to drive on, never mind the damage they cause our trucks, which are not in endless supply out here.”

  Hearing the grimness in her tone, Pete said, “We have to get some culverts across that road before we put gravel on it. We need to drain off the rainwater.” He’d have to eyeball his budget to find extra money for the tons of gravel and pipes. Expenditures like this often popped up on a construction site. Still, his budget was tight and he had to be careful where he spent any cash. He had approval to do some drainage projects in town. He’d take some of that material, and pour open concrete channels there instead. Kerwin Elliot and his bean counters back in Kabul made him go over the budget every two weeks. Pete didn’t give a damn what this would mean. Cali had nearly been killed, and was lucky even though her truck had flipped over.

  “I’m feeling better now, Pete—I mean, Major.” Cali’s eyes were growing heavy. “I think the whiskey helped.”

  “I don’t mind if you call me Pete,” he said in a gruff tone.

  Cali had closed her eyes momentarily. Her hair was mussed, red strands burnished with gold highlights. Her pixie-style haircut was perfect for someone who wore a hard hat all day long. She didn’t need a fancy hairdo to look beautiful to him. No, she was a natural product of the earth, and Pete liked that about her. She never wore perfume or makeup. Lip balm, yes, because the desert air was brutal. And lip balm simply enhanced those elegant, soft lips of hers that he wanted so badly to kiss.

  Cali sighed and opened her eyes. “Thanks, I will. You can call me Cali if you want, too.” The man had ust saved her life. She couldn’t continue to be so standoffish under the circumstances. Through her lashes, she studied his strong face. There was something so clean and powerful about Pete Trayhern. Her defenses were weak, so she let herself study his features.

  “Listen, can I call anyone for you? I’m sure your parents might like to know what happened and that you’re okay.”

  She winced. Not only was she dizzy and tired, but she couldn’t avoid the issue. Yes, her parents should be contacted. “If you could just call my dad…”

  “Are you sure about not contacting anyone else? I know you said there was no one special in your life….”

  “There’s no guy you have to call.” It hurt to say the words, and she saw Pete frown. Uncertain what emotion flitted briefly across his face, she said, “Look, my past with men is awful and I’m tired of getting hurt all the time.” Cali shrugged and touched the center of her chest, above her heart. “I seem to pick the wrong guy every time. Neanderthals in disguise are what I call them. They pretend to want to see me as strong, confident, a leader in my own right, but after a while, their mask falls away and they try to control me. I won’t put up with that anymore. I’m twenty-nine years old and I’ve been around the block one too many times.” There, the truth was out. Or as much as she was going to say about it. Russ had been the worst of all of them.

  Pete rubbed his hands against his thighs and sat up. “I see.” It was all he could think to say. He wanted to comfort her, but knew they had to keep some distance. Instead of reaching for her, he leaned back on the couch.

  “It’s not something I’m proud of,” Cali told him, touching her aching head briefly.

  “I’ve already told you I don’t have a sterling record with women, either.” Somehow, Pete wanted her to feel better about her honest admission. He could see suffering in Cali’s eyes, along with real pain.

  “The women who lied to you?”

  “That’s right. My parents taught all their kids about the honor of telling the truth. I just can’t figure out how I always draw women who don’t.”

  Cali felt for Pete and heard the rawness in his tone. “Maybe the right woman just hasn’t come along yet,” she said softly.

  “I’ve sort of given up,” Pete admitted guardedly. Why was he telling her what lay in his heart of hearts? The words just tumbled out, unbidden. Uncontrolled. What kind of power and influence did she wield over him? Pete felt almost n
aked in front of her.

  “I told my dad last year that there wasn’t a man on this earth that could reach the bar I’m insisting on.”

  “And what did he say?”

  “Well, you have to put this into the context of his marriage, Pete. My dad fell in love with my mother on a construction site. I guess they fought like cats and dogs. They tamed each other, he said.” Cali gave a careful one-shoulder shrug. “They’re going on thirty-five years of marriage now. They still love each other. That’s amazing to me.”

  “Yeah, throwaway marriages are a dime a dozen nowadays,” Pete said unhappily. “People cohabit and they don’t even think of weddings anymore. My own parents married around age thirty. My mother said that she’d been hit by a car at the Reagan Airport in Washington, D.C. The accident blinded her. My dad rescued her, stayed with her and took care of her until she regained her sight.”

  “Wow,” Cali murmured, “that’s a helluva story.”

  Pete felt infinitely better discussing his family instead of himself. And he sensed Cali needed someone to talk to after her near brush with death. That was understandable. He’d had many such experiences with his Marines after they engaged the enemy and needed “let down” time afterward. As an assistant company commander, he was used to listening to his officers and people. Sometimes just listening provided a monumental healing for a soldier who had survived combat. “Over time my parents just gravitated to one another. My mother finally got her sight back, and she told me, when she saw my father for the first time, she fell in love with him even more than before.”

  “So, what’s wrong with us, then? Why can’t we find a love like that?” Cali looked unhappily around the trailer. Outside, she could hear the throaty rumble of bulldozers at work, the deeper growl of earthmovers. All of it was somehow calming and reassuring to her.