Erin leaned heavily against him, sliding her arms around his shoulders. “Hold me, Ty,” she pleaded. He groaned and tightened his embrace. “Forever, if you want,” he muttered thickly. Raising her chin, he traced the outline of her lips with his thumb. Her parted lips hungrily met his descending mouth. He molded her body against him, making her fully aware of his desire for her alone. A sweet warmth uncoiled deep from within her as she drank deeply of his plundering mouth, never wanting the kiss to end. She quivered beneath his insistent hands as he awakened her body to new heights of awareness.
At last, reluctantly, he released her, his eyes a turbulent blue. She shivered within his arms, feeling his need for her, wishing that time were on their side, wanting to fall back into his arms and be loved thoroughly. Ty groaned softly and kissed her lips tenderly. “When I first met you, I thought your eyes were your most beautiful feature,” he whispered against her ear. “I was wrong. It’s your sweet, full lips.” He kissed her again, this time more demandingly. “This isn’t the end, Erin,” he promised huskily. “We’ve had a rough start, but that doesn’t mean we’ll stop trying.” He ran his fingers through her silken hair. “Tell me what you’re feeling,” he coaxed.
She shivered deliciously, feeling like a cat being stroked. All she wanted was to surrender mindlessly to his ministrations. “I don’t want you to leave,” she whispered. “I feel cheated, Ty. I’m frustrated by your schedule and by my own.” She gazed at his strong features, thinking again how handsome he was, despite his fatigue. “I want to be with you when the air force doesn’t have control over you.”
An understanding smile pulled at his mouth. “I’ll work on it,” he promised, caressing her cheek. “We’ll have time, honey. Getting mixed up with a bomber pilot means cultivating some patience.” His smile deepened. “And I know a banshee witch doesn’t have much of that commodity.”
Erin felt buoyed by his affectionate teasing. “You’re worth developing some patience over, believe me,” she whispered against his mouth.
11
Erin stared morosely out her office window, watching the drizzle of a gray November afternoon. Had it really been ten days since she’d left Ty? Her brow wrinkling, she turned halfheartedly and stared down at the rough draft of her article on SAC. She rubbed her face tiredly and gazed longingly over at the telephone.
Ty had called every day from the base. His voice had helped her immeasurably to get through the miserable days without him.
Bruce, her editor, had remained aloof and watchful since her return. He was gruffer than usual. He hadn’t changed his mind about the slant of the article one iota. She didn’t even want to remember the explosive argument they’d had just yesterday.
Just then the phone rang.
“How’s my beautiful banshee witch today?”
She sighed with longing. “Oh, Ty…”
“You sound worried.”
She closed her eyes briefly. “The same old thing—I’m caught between a rock and a hard place.”
Ty’s voice lost its teasing tone. “You can’t sit on that powder keg forever, Erin. You have to either write it or tell him no.”
“I know, I know. Right now I wish I could go up to that cabin in the Catskills and just escape.”
“Your friend’s place?”
“That’s right. I find myself wishing for two things everyday—your call and being at the cabin.”
He laughed gently. “It’s nice to be number one on your list, darlin’.”
“You’ve been number one ever since I met you,” she said, a smile curving her lips. “And you know it.”
He joined in her laughter. “This place isn’t the same without you. My crew is pining away for you just like I am.”
“You always say the right thing to make me feel better,” she told him softly, wishing he were here, holding her in his protective embrace.
“Not always,” he hedged. “That’s why I called a little earlier than usual today, Erin.”
Her spirits plummeted, and she gripped the phone tightly. “What now?”
“Our crew is being ordered out on a secret mission for nearly a month. I can’t tell you where I’m going or why. And I won’t be able to contact you except maybe with an email. I’m sorry. I don’t like this any more than you do.”
It was the worst kind of news. She had relied on his daily call. It provided at least some connection. How many times had she wanted to tell him of her love? She frowned, moistening her lips, fighting down her anguish.
“The only good thing is that we’ll be back by November twenty-ninth.”
“You don’t even get Thanksgiving off?”
Ty laughed. “Darlin’, the military doesn’t recognize holidays. Listen,” he urged, growing serious once again, “I want you to keep the week of December first through the seventh open. Our crew is getting leave then and I want to come and see you. We have some important things to discuss, Erin. How about it?”
She looked glumly at the calendar. The dates seemed so far away! “Of course I’d love to see you,” she answered, her voice tremulous.
“I’m glad, honey,” he soothed. “Just know you’re in my thoughts, Erin. And in my heart. You’ve never left there. Not ever.”
Erin’s assistant, Ruth, glanced worriedly at her. Ruth had just completed typing the final manuscript on the SAC article. It was the day before Thanksgiving, and everyone in the office was in a festive mood except Erin. “What do you think?” she asked her secretary.
Ruth grimaced. “I think you’re putting your head on the chopping block. This isn’t a compromise article at all. Bruce has been in such a foul mood lately, Erin. Why don’t you just let this go the way he wants?”
Erin tightened her lips and began cleaning out her top desk drawer, throwing several items into the wastebasket. “I’m tired of sitting on the fence, Ruth. Thanks for your concern, but I want you to take that article in to Bruce. Please?”
Her assistant gave her one last distraught look and left the room. Erin collapsed at her desk, staring moodily down at the sheaf of reports she had collected on the SAC Triad. It didn’t matter anymore, she thought grimly. Taking a deep breath, she glanced anxiously at the open door. It was 10 a.m. and she knew that within an hour Bruce would be buzzing her on the phone and asking her to step into his office. She found herself wondering how Ty would handle a similar situation.
Frowning, she played idly with a paper clip. Would she be as calm, cool and efficient as Ty had been when his job had required it of him? He worked seventy hours a week and got home maybe ten days out of the month. He believed in what he was doing and was willing to make the necessary sacrifices. She found his dedication inspiring now. To stand up for what she believed in, she was willing to sacrifice her promotion, even her job.
Bruce Lansbury called a half hour later. Oddly, she was almost relieved that the moment of truth had finally come. Memories of her flight in the Buff flashed across her mind as she walked determinedly across the hall to the editor’s office. There were many forms of combat, and she was ready to fight.
“You wanted to see me?” she asked as she walked into Bruce’s plush office.
He raised his head, displeasure evident in his expression. He motioned brusquely for her to sit down. Erin complied, trying to appear at ease despite the icy tension between them. Bruce tapped his pipe against the ashtray, his brows furrowed.
“Why are you doing this, Erin?” he asked softly. “What do you gain by taking a pro-SAC stance?”
Her heart hammered and her mouth went dry. “The facts dictate the stance, Bruce.”
His mouth curled in irritation. “Come on! You were asked to research this article and take a certain slant on it. It’s not as if I haven’t given you similar assignments before, that I haven’t asked for the same thing.”
“In the past the facts happened to support the slant,” she replied coolly.
He drew out a tobacco pouch and angrily stuffed his pipe. “Do you know what’s at stake here?” he ground ou
t.
“I have a pretty good idea.”
“From the start I tried to tell you how damned important this article is, Erin.”
Abruptly, she got up, unable to sit still for a moment longer. Her skirt swirled around her slender legs as she walked toward the corner opposite where Bruce sat. “I won’t write something that isn’t substantiated by facts, Bruce, and that’s final. The end. Call it what you want. I just won’t prostitute myself in that manner.”
He rose, shaking his head angrily. “Prostitution. You know, that’s an interesting choice of words, Erin,” he said softly.
Her nostrils flared with fury. In an instant she realized he was referring to her personal relationship with Ty. “You’re overstepping your—”
“Am I?” he barked. He picked up her article and threw it down on his desk with disgust. “He must be one hell of a man to turn your head! I never thought you’d fall for such an obvious ploy. You, of all people, Erin.”
“Now, just a minute, Bruce!” She faced him squarely. “Are you accusing me of being sexually blackmailed by Captain Phillips?” Her voice quavered with barely contained anger. “Well?”
“I told you what I’d be forced to do if you didn’t turn in a suitable article,” he returned coldly. “What do you think it will do to your credentials as a reporter when it comes out in print that you swapped your professional integrity for a couple of nights in bed?”
Erin took a step back, deeply shocked. In all the years she had worked for Bruce, he had never come close to being so underhanded. Frozen by amazement, she stood in openmouthed silence.
“And if you print that kind of garbage, you’ll have a lawsuit on your hands, Mr. Lansbury,” came a deep voice from the door.
Erin gasped and whirled around. “Ty!”
He was dressed in his air force uniform, his body tense and shoulders thrown back. His eyes were thundercloud-black and narrowed on Bruce. For a brief instant his gaze swept over Erin; then he returned his attention to her boss and walked into the office as quietly and confidently as a cat hunting its prey. He halted inches from the desk.
Erin felt suddenly weak. Her thoughts whirled as she stared at Ty. He hadn’t expected to return to Sawyer until the twenty-ninth! What had happened? But it didn’t matter. He was here, defending her, protecting her.
Bruce glowered at Ty. “Captain Phillips, I presume?” he drawled. Then his voice hardened. “You haven’t got a lawsuit. The air force isn’t going to get embroiled in this messy little tempest in a teapot. We both know that. The military stooping to sue a publishing company? That would make even better press, wouldn’t it?”
Ty slowly removed his cap and placed it on the desk in front of him. “I’m not here in an official air force capacity, Mr. Lansbury. I’m here strictly as a civilian with certain rights, which seem to be in need of protection.” Ty glanced at Erin. “And if you think you’re going to drag her down in the filth of your blackmail, you’re mistaken,” he snarled softly. “You print whatever you want about the Triad. I don’t give a damn what you say. But if you so much as intimate anything about the personal, private relationship between Erin and me, I’ll hang you.” His words were chilling. “You and I both know you have no proof, only conjecture. And that won’t stand up in any court of law.”
Bruce’s face paled. “Do you have any idea of the size of our legal department, Captain?” he said coldly.
“You don’t scare me, Lansbury.”
Bruce’s eyes narrowed speculatively. “No? Then what does?” He looked at Erin. “She’s as good as fired right now. Was it worth it, Erin? You’re going to throw it all away on this lousy SAC article?”
She trembled, anger momentarily dimming her vision. She had taken several steps forward before she felt Ty’s reassuring hand on her arm.
“No,” she heard him order quietly. “Let him throw the accusations. It’s so much more evidence to be used later, if necessary.”
Bruce laughed harshly. “You’re a bigger fool than I thought, Captain. If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I’d never have believed it! I thought patriotism, high moral standards and blind honor were dead. I can see I’m wrong.” He pursed his lips, watching Ty carefully. Ty pulled Erin closer, keeping a steadying hand on her arm. “We’re from two different worlds, Lansbury,” he said coldly. “And don’t talk to me about honor. You don’t know the meaning of the word.” He jabbed his finger at the stunned editor. “Don’t let me see anything about our personal lives in print. If I do, you and I will tangle personally. And I’m not in the habit of losing the battles I fight. Do we understand each other?”
The silence lengthened. Erin stared at them, frozen, acutely aware of the vast gulf between them. Bruce was prepared to abandon his principles to keep his job, to maintain his political standing with the publisher. Ty would never forsake his values, no matter what the cost. She would lose her job if she sided with Ty. Suddenly, it seemed a small price to pay for what was important in her life. She touched Ty’s arm.
“Enough’s been said,” she told him in a low voice. Erin lifted her head, meeting her boss’s gaze. “Under the circumstances, Bruce, I find it impossible to stay. I know you’ll accept my resignation.”
Ty’s eyes on her were filled with pride. Then he glared at the editor. “Are we clear?” he demanded, his voice as sharp as a blade.
Bruce nodded imperceptibly. “Clear,” he agreed.
Ty gently urged Erin toward the door. “Let’s go.”
Numbly, Erin did as he asked, barely aware of the employees who had gathered at the end of the hall. She walked into her own office, at a loss for words. Ty shut the door quietly behind them.
“I’m sorry,” he said, coming over to her. “Get your purse and coat and we’ll go.”
She gave him a stricken look, standing inches from him. “Go where?”
He reached out, the harsh lines of his mouth softening, the anger fading from his eyes as he gazed down at her. “Home,” he whispered. “Back to Michigan. With me.”
Erin was stunned by the turn of events and grateful for Ty’s supporting arm around her waist as they returned to her apartment where she packed enough clothes for several days. The shock of seeing him and quitting her job had left her reeling. Saying little, he simply kept her close to his side.
When they were on the way to the airport, the questions finally came together in Erin’s mind. “I thought you weren’t off duty until the twenty-ninth,” she said, catching his gaze.
He gave her a swift embrace. “We got finished early.” He grinned broadly, the lines of tension in his face finally easing. “Call it pure Irish luck, honey. I wanted to surprise you.”
“You surprised me, all right,” she muttered. “How long were you standing outside Bruce’s door?”
His mouth thinned. “Long enough to hear all his accusations. Your assistant told me you were in his office. I could hear the two of you going at it clear down the hall. So did half the people in the office.”
Erin buried her face in her hands. “Oh, Lord, I should have remembered to shut his door.”
Ty chuckled and pulled her head against his shoulder. “You know something?” he whispered. “You’d make a hell of an SAC crew member. Standing there taking the heat and not backing down one inch from what you believed.” His eyes shone with admiration for her. “I’m proud of you. “
“But you and everyone I met at the base have that kind of commitment.”
An indulgent smile curved his mouth. “Maybe you’ve been living in the wrong world, darlin’.”
Her heart flowered and she trembled at the suggestion in his softly spoken words. She buried her head against him. “I’ve been so miserable without you, Ty.”
“No,” he countered gently, “We’ve both been miserable without each other. But that’s going to change soon. Very soon.”
Once they were aboard the commercial jet, Erin leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes, feeling incredibly weary. Ty picked up her hand and cradled
it in his. “All right?” he asked, concerned.
She managed a weak smile. “I’m fine,” she whispered.
“You’re tired. Try and sleep,” he urged.
He was right; the need to sleep was almost overpowering. She was safe, he was here, and that was all that mattered. She murmured something inaudible and rested her head against his broad shoulder, allowing sleep to steal over her.
It was dark when Ty pulled the black SUV into the garage. Erin had awakened when they’d landed at Marquette Airport, amazed to see the large accumulation of snow. It slowly dawned on her that they were only miles from the Canadian border. She remained in a cocoon of relaxation and Ty seemed to realize that she didn’t want to talk, only to touch him, as he led her from the car into the warm, quiet house.
“Come on, sleepyhead. You’re due for some downtime.”
Erin followed him down the carpeted hall to the first bedroom on the right. He opened her suitcase and pulled out a silk nightgown, which he laid on the bed. “Get undressed and into bed,” he ordered.
She looked at the nightgown. “But—”
He gripped her arms and brought her against him, kissing her parted lips. “No arguments, my banshee witch. Not tonight. It’s been a very long, hard day for both of us. We need a good night’s sleep, honey. Just do as I ask. I’ll be back in a few minutes. I have to check in with the squadron by phone.”
Snuggling down between the cool, crisp sheets, Erin dozed. Somewhere in her dazed mind, her heart whispered that she was finally home, truly home for the first time in her life. She allowed the fingers of sleep to steal her away.
During the night she awoke briefly, her head resting against Ty’s shoulder, her arm and leg thrown casually across his warm, hard body. A sensation of utter joy enveloped her as she nuzzled his jaw like a lost kitten, immediately aware of his arm tightening in answer against her shoulder. Sighing softly, she gave in to an enveloping blanket of healing sleep.
Erin awoke to the scolding of blue jays outside the bedroom window. Next to her, Ty groaned and muttered an oath. A smile curved her mouth as she stretched languidly at his side, running her fingers across his naked chest. Delighting in the play of the hard muscles, she became aware of his pounding heart beating against her ear. The jays squawked raucously.
On Wings of Passion Page 14
