Feeling the Heat

by Brenda Jackson

  His BlackBerry suddenly went off. He pulled it out of his pocket and saw it was a call from home. His oldest brother, Dillon. There was only a two-year difference in their ages, and they’d always been close. Any other time he would have been excited about receiving a call from home, but not now and not tonight. However, Dillon was family, so Micah answered the call.

  “Hello?”

  “We haven’t heard from you in a while, and I thought I would check in,” Dillon said.

  Micah leaned back against the wall. Because Dillon was the oldest, he had pretty much taken over things when their parents, aunt and uncle had died in a plane crash. There had been fifteen Westmorelands—nine of them under the age of sixteen—and Dillon had vowed to keep everyone together. And he had.

  Micah had been in his second year of college and hadn’t been around to give Dillon a hand. But Ramsey, their cousin, who was just months younger than Dillon, had pitched in to help manage things.

  “I’m fine,” Micah heard himself saying when in all honesty he was anything but. He drew in a deep breath and said, “I saw Kalina tonight.”

  Although Dillon had never met Kalina he knew who she was. One night while home, Micah had told Dillon all about her and what had happened to tear them apart. Dillon had suggested that he contact Kalina and straighten things out, as well as admit how he felt about her. But a stubborn streak wouldn’t let Micah do so. Now he wished he would have acted on his brother’s advice.

  “And how is she?”

  Micah rubbed another hand down his face. “She still hates my guts, if that’s what you want to know. Go ahead and say I told you so.”

  “I wouldn’t do that.”

  No, he wouldn’t. That wasn’t Dillon’s style, although saying so would have been justified.

  “So what are you going to do, Micah?”

  Micah figured the only reason Dillon was asking was because his brother knew how much Kalina meant to him…even if she didn’t know it. And her not knowing was no one’s fault but his.

  “Not sure what I’m going to do because no matter what I say, she won’t believe me. A part of me just wants to say forget it, I don’t need the hassle, but I can’t, Dil. I just can’t walk away from her.”

  “Then don’t. You’ve never been a quitter. The Micah Westmoreland I know goes after what he wants and has never let anyone or anything stand in his way. But if you don’t want her enough to fight for her and make her see the truth, then I don’t know what to tell you.”

  Then, as if the subject of Kalina was a closed one, Dillon promptly began talking about something else. He told Micah how their sister-in-law, Bella, was coming along in her pregnancy, and that the doctors had verified twins, both girls.

  “They’re the first on our side,” he said. Their parents had had all boys. Seven of them.

  “I know, and everyone is excited and ready for her to be born,” Dillon replied. “But I don’t think anyone is as ready as Jason,” he said of their brother and the expectant father.

  The rest of the conversation was spent with Dillon bringing Micah up to date on what was going down on the home front. His brother Jason had settled into wedded bliss and so had his cousin Derringer. Micah shook his head. He could see Jason with a wife, but for the life of him, considering how Derringer used to play the field and enjoy it immensely, the thought of him settled down with one woman was still taking some getting used to. Dillon also mentioned that Ramsey and Chloe’s son would be born in a few months.

  “Do you think you’ll be able to be here for li’l Callum’s christening?”

  Micah shook his head. Now, that was another one it was hard to believe had settled down. His cousin Gemma had a husband. She used to be a real pistol where men were concerned, but it seemed that Callum Austell had changed all that. She was now living in Australia with him and their two-month-old son.

  “I plan to be there,” Micah heard himself saying. “In a few weeks, I’ll have thirty days to kill. I leave for Bajadad the day after tomorrow and I will be there for two weeks. I’ll fly home from there.” Bajadad was a small and beautiful city in northern India near the Himalayan foothills.

  “It will be good seeing you again.”

  Micah couldn’t help chuckling. “You make it sound like I haven’t been home in years, Dil. I was just there seven months ago for Jason’s wedding reception.”

  “I know, but anytime you come home and we can get everyone together is good.”

  Micah nodded. He would agree to that, and for Gemma’s baby’s christening, all the Westmorelands would be there, including their cousins from Atlanta, Texas and Montana.

  Moments later, Micah ended his phone conversation with Dillon. He headed for the bedroom to undress and take a shower. The question Dillon asked him rang through his head. What was he going to do about Kalina?

  Just like that, he remembered the proposition she’d made to Major Rose. And as he’d told her, he had no intention of letting the man go anywhere with her.

  And just how are you going to stop her? His mind taunted. She doesn’t want to have anything to do with you. Thanks to her daddy’s lie, you lost her. Get over it.

  He drew in a deep breath, knowing that was the kicker. He couldn’t get over it. Dillon was right. Micah was not a quitter, and it was about time he made Kalina aware of that very fact.

  Micah was pulled from his thoughts when his cell phone rang again. Pulling it from his pants pocket, he saw it was an official call from the Department of Health and Human Services. “Yes, Major Harris?”

  “Dr. Westmoreland, first I want to apologize for calling you so late. And secondly, I’m calling to report changes in the assignment to India.”

  “And what are the changes, Major?”

  “You will leave tomorrow instead of Monday. And Dr. Moore’s wife went into labor earlier today so he has to be pulled off the team. We’re going to have to send in a replacement.”

  Micah headed the U.S. epidemic response team consisting of over thirty epidemiologists, so calling to let him know of any changes was the norm. “That’s fine.”

  He was about to thank her for calling and hang up when she said, “Now I need to call Dr. Daniels. Unfortunately, her vacation has to be canceled so she can take Dr. Moore’s place.”

  Micah’s pulse rate shot up and there was a deep thumping in his chest, close to his heart. “What did you say?” he asked, to make sure he’d heard her correctly.

  “I said Dr. Daniels will be Dr. Moore’s replacement since she’s next in line on the on-call list. Unfortunately, her vacation was supposed to start tomorrow.”

  “What a pity,” he said, not really feeling such sympathy. What others would see as Kalina’s misfortune, he saw as his blessing. This change couldn’t be any better if he’d planned it himself, and he intended to make sure Kalina’s canceled vacation worked to his advantage.

  Of course, when she found out she would automatically think the worst. She would assume the schedule change was his idea and that he was responsible for ruining her vacation. But it wouldn’t be the first time she’d falsely accused him of something.

  “Good night, Dr. Westmoreland.”

  He couldn’t help smiling, feeling as if he had a new lease on life. “Good night, Major Harris.”

  He clicked off the phone thinking someone upstairs had to like him, and he definitely appreciated it. Now he would have to come up with a plan to make sure he didn’t screw things up with Kalina this time.

  * * *

  Kalina paced her hotel room. What was she going to do about Micah?

  She came to a stop long enough to touch her lips. She’d known letting him kiss her had been a bad move, but she hadn’t been able to resist the feel of his mouth on hers. She should have been prepared for it. She’d seen the telltale signs in his eyes. He hadn’t taken her off to a secluded place to talk about the weather. She’d been prepared for them to face off, have it out. And they’d done that. Then they’d ended up kissing each other senseless.
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br />   As much as she would like to do so, she couldn’t place the blame solely at his feet. She had gone after his mouth just as greedily as he’d gone after hers. A rush of heat had consumed her the moment he’d stuck his tongue inside her mouth. So, okay, they were still attracted to each other. No big deal.

  Kalina frowned. It was a big deal, especially when, even now, whirling sensations had taken over her stomach. She knew with absolute certainty that she didn’t want to be attracted to Micah Westmoreland. She didn’t want to have anything to do with him, period.

  She glanced over at the clock and saw it was just past midnight. She was still wearing her cocktail dress, since she hadn’t changed out of her clothes. She had begun pacing the moment she’d returned to her hotel room. Why was she letting him do this to her? And why was he lying, claiming he had not been in cahoots with her father when she knew differently?

  Moving to the sofa, she sat down, still not ready to get undressed, because once she got in bed all she would do was dream about Micah. She leaned back in her seat, remembering the first time they’d worked together. She had arrived in Sydney, and he had been the one to pick her up from the airport. They had met a year earlier and their attraction to each other had been hot and instantaneous. It had taken less than five minutes in his presence that day to see that the heat hadn’t waned any.

  She would give them both credit for trying to ignore it. After all, they’d had an important job to do. And they’d made it through the first week, managing to keep their hands off each other. But the beginning of the next week had been the end of that. It had happened when they’d worked late one night, sorting out samples, dissecting birds, trying to make sure the bird flu didn’t spread to the continent of Australia.

  Technically, he had been her boss, since he headed the government’s epidemic response team. But he’d never exerted the power of that position over her or anyone. He had treated everyone as a vital and important part of the team. Micah was a born leader and everyone easily gave him the respect he deserved.

  And on that particular night, she’d given him something else. He had walked her to her hotel room, and she had invited him in. It hadn’t been a smart move, but she had gotten tired of playing games. Tired of lusting after him and trying to keep her distance. They were adults and that night she’d figured they deserved to finally let go and do what adults did when they had the hots for each other.

  Until that night, she’d thought the whole sex act was overrated. Micah had proven her wrong so many times that first night that she still got a tingling sensation just remembering it. She’d assumed it was a one night-stand, but that hadn’t been the case. He had invited her out to dinner the following night and provided her with the terms of a no-strings affair, if she was interested. She had been more than interested. She was dedicated to her career and hadn’t wanted to get involved in a serious relationship any more than he did.

  That night they had reached a mutual agreement, and from then on they’d been exclusively involved during the two months they’d remained in Sydney. She was so content with their affair that when her earlier request for an assignment to Beijing had been denied, it really hadn’t bothered her.

  That contentment had lasted until she’d returned to the States and discovered the truth. Not only had her father manipulated her orders, but he’d solicited Micah’s help in doing whatever he had to do to make sure she was kept happy in Sydney. She had been the one left looking like a complete fool, and she doubted she would forgive either of them for what they’d done.

  Thinking she’d had enough of strolling down memory lane where the hurt was too much to bear, Kalina got up from the sofa and was headed toward the bedroom to change and finally attempt to sleep, when her cell phone rang. She picked it up off the table and saw it was Major Sally Harris, the administrative coordinator responsible for Kalina’s assignments. She wondered why the woman would be calling her so late at night.

  Kalina flipped on the phone. “Yes, Major Harris?”

  “Dr. Daniels, I regret calling you so late and I want to apologize, because I have to deliver bad news.”

  Kalina frowned. “And what bad news is that?”

  “Dr. Moore’s wife went into labor earlier today so he has to be pulled off the epidemic response team headed out for Bajadad. I know your vacation was to start tomorrow, but we need your assistance in India.”

  Kalina drew in a deep breath. Although she hadn’t made any definite vacation plans, she had looked forward to taking time off. “How long will I be needed in Bajadad?”

  “For two weeks, beginning tomorrow, and then you can resume your vacation.”

  She nodded. There was no need to ask if there was someone else they could call since she knew the answer to that already. The epidemic response team had thinned out over the past few years with a war going on. And since the enemy liked to engage in chemical warfare, a number of epidemiologists had been sent to work in Afghanistan and Iraq.

  “Dr. Daniels?”

  Resigned, she said. “Yes, of course.” Not that she had a choice in the matter. She was civilian, but orders from her boss were still meant to be followed, and she couldn’t rightly get mad at Jess Moore because his wife was having a baby. “I’ll be ready to head out tomorrow.”

  “Thanks. I’ll send your information to your email address,” Major Harris said.

  “That will be fine.”

  “And Dr. Westmoreland has been notified of the change in personnel.”

  Kalina almost dropped the phone. “Dr. Westmoreland?”

  “Yes?”

  She frowned. “Why was he notified?”

  “Because he’s the one heading up the team.”

  Kalina’s head began spinning. No one would be so cruel as to make her work with Micah again. She drew in a deep breath when a suspicion flowed through her mind. “Was Dr. Westmoreland the one to suggest that I replace Dr. Moore?”

  “No, the reason you were called is that you’re the next doctor on the on-call list.”

  Lucky me. Kalina shook her head, feeling anything but lucky. The thought of spending two weeks around Micah had her fuming inside. And regardless of what Major Harris said, it was hard to believe it was merely a coincidence that she was next on the call list. Micah was well liked and she knew all about his numerous connections and contacts. If she found out he had something to do with this change then…

  “Dr. Daniels?”

  “Yes?”

  “Is there anything else you’d like to know?”

  “No, there’s nothing else.”

  “Thank you, Dr. Daniels, and good night.”

  “Good night, Major Harris.”

  Kalina hung up the phone knowing she couldn’t let her feelings for Micah interfere with her work. She had a job to do, and she intended to do it. She would just keep her distance from him. She went into the bedroom and began tugging off her clothes as she became lost in a mix of disturbing thoughts.

  The first thing she would do would be to set ground rules between her and Micah. If he saw this as a golden opportunity to get back in her bed then he was sadly mistaken. She was not the type of woman to forgive easily. Just as she’d told him earlier tonight, there was nothing else they had to say to each other regarding what happened between them two years ago. It was over and done with.

  But if that kiss was anything to go by, she would need to be on guard around him at all times. Because their relationship might be over and done with, but the attraction between them was still alive and well.

  Three

  Micah saw the fire in Kalina’s eyes from ten feet away. She glared as she moved toward him, chin up and spine stiff. She meant business. He slid a hand into the pocket of his jeans, thinking that he was glad it was Sunday and there were few people around. It seemed they were about to have it out once again.

  This morning, upon awakening, he had decided the best way to handle her was to let her assume he wasn’t handling her at all, to make her think that he had accepte
d her decision about how things would be between them. And when he felt the time was right, he would seize every opportunity he could get and let her know in no uncertain terms that her decision hadn’t been his.

  His gaze swept over her now. She was dressed for travel, with her hair pulled back in a ponytail and a pair of comfortable shoes on her feet. She looked good in her jeans and tank top and lightweight jacket. But then, she looked better than any woman he knew, in clothes or out of them.

  He continued to stare at her while remembering her body stretched out beneath his when he’d made love to her. Even now, he could recall how it felt to skim his hands down the front of her body, tangle his fingers in her womanly essence while kissing her with a degree of passion he hadn’t been aware of until her.

  His heart began racing, and he could feel the zipper of his pants getting tight. He withdrew his hands from his pockets. The last thing he needed was for her to take note of his aroused state, so he turned and entered the private office he used whenever he was in D.C. on business. Besides, he figured the best place to have the encounter he knew was coming was behind closed doors.

  By the time she had entered the office, all but slamming the door behind her, he was standing behind the desk.

  He met her gaze, and felt the anger she wasn’t trying to hide. As much as he wanted to cross the room and pull her into his arms and kiss her, convince her how wrong she was about him, common sense dictated he stay put. He intended to do what he hadn’t done two years ago. Give her the chance to get to know him. He was convinced if she’d truly known him, she would not have been so quick to believe the worst about him.

  “Dr. Daniels, I take it you’re ready to fly out to Bajadad.”

  Her gaze narrowed. “And you want me to believe you had nothing to do with those orders, Micah?”