Beyond Duty

by Stanalei Fletcher

  “I wouldn’t have been embarrassed by my omission and maybe I would have paid better attention myself.”

  He shook his head. “You were kidnapped because of my negligence.”

  “No, I wasn’t.” Chip stated firmly. “I was a target, like Fiona. We may have fallen into their trap, but it was a crime of opportunity and who I was that made the difference.”

  When he didn’t reply, she ventured another step toward him. Couldn’t he see that he wasn’t at fault? Couldn’t he see that she had come to him? She didn’t want him responsible for her protection.

  Riley finally spoke, but his tone was filled with denial. “I can’t do this.”

  “Why not?” She was afraid now. Afraid he didn’t love her as she thought. What if she had given away her heart only to have it trampled after all?

  “I can’t protect you!”

  “I’m not asking you to.” Her voice softened. “I don’t expect you to.”

  “You don’t need me. You don’t need anyone.” There was agony in his voice.

  “I may not need someone to protect me, but I need you. All I am asking is for you to love me as I love you.” There, she’d said it. Everything she had to give was on the line. She wanted him to know they could make it work. That she loved him. That they could be together.

  Riley closed his eyes for a moment and then opened them to stare at her. Slowly he moved closer until he was in reach. She was ready to fall into his arms if only he’d open up. But he didn’t. He hesitated.

  He nodded toward the silver bars on her shoulders. “What about the Army? You’ll have to go if you’re called.”

  “I might, but I’m resigning my commission. I’ll be listed with the inactive reserves and they’d have to call me back to active duty, first.”

  “What will you do?”

  His question gave her hope that they could find a way out of this impasse. “This assignment showed me how important it is to be where I can do the most good. For me, it’s with the kids, helping them beat the odds.”

  He still hesitated, an unreadable expression on his face. She’d laid everything on the line, her plans, her future… Her heart. All of it was there for his taking. And he still hesitated. Swallowing her disappointment and hurt, she took a step backward, out of his reach.

  “I’m sorry.” How had she got it so wrong? “I thought you felt…” She didn’t know what she thought. That he loved her, too? That he cared? How could she have let herself believe they could have something together? Her father was wrong—Riley wasn’t afraid for her, he was afraid of her. She’d found a chink in his armor and it scared him. She had scared him and he was shutting her out of his life.

  She waited a moment longer, but he still didn’t respond. What was she waiting for? A miracle? She turned away from him and headed toward the office door.

  “Chip, wait.” The desperation in his voice stopped her.

  She turned to look at him. Was that hope she saw in his eyes?

  With a confidence she didn’t really feel, she walked toward him. He stood so still as she drew near. Stretching up on her toes, she placed her lips against his.

  The mere touch of her mouth was all it took to shatter the stalemate. He grabbed her by the shoulders and crushed her against him.

  Chip’s hands slid up his chest for support as she surrendered to his kiss and was lost. If he stopped now and pushed her away, she would suffer more damage from the shrapnel of her shattered heart than she would be willing to repair. In that moment, she became his, even if he didn’t want her.

  He released her shoulders and gathered her in a tight embrace. Chip responded by wrapping her arms around his neck, running her fingers through his thick hair. She gave him everything. The kiss deepened, and all doubts about giving her heart fled as she took what he offered.

  ****

  The feelings pulsing through Riley both frightened and exhilarated him. He felt empowered by her response, encouraged as the kiss continued. When she opened her mouth to allow entry, every defense he’d built crumbled. He had never been this vulnerable in his entire life. She held him in the palm of her hand. And he loved her. She was part of his very essence. He didn’t simply want her. His heart wouldn’t survive without her. The raw honesty of her love encompassed him as he surrendered to his militant spitfire.

  Reluctantly, he pulled away from the sweet taste of her lips. He looked into her eyes shining with passion and desire. His body tightened with the knowledge that the look was for him. Finding his voice, he asked in deep, promising tones, “Maybe we could see where this leads?”

  He was rewarded by the vision of sunlight breaking through turbulent thunderclouds. It would take him a lifetime to get used to the way her eyes changed, like the wind across the sky. It would take their lifetimes.

  “Say the words, Riley O’Neal. Please, let me hear them.”

  “I love you, Lieutenant Chip Mary Anderson.” His voice was thick with emotion. “I don’t know what the future holds for us, but I want to find out. Are you willing?”

  “I am.” Her promise was a symphony to his ears.

  Riley released her and reached inside his shirt. He took the thin silver chain from around his neck and unclasped the ends. He reached behind her neck and fastened the chain again. The gold rings slid down the linked rope and rested atop her uniform. Her ring, and his, the eternal symbols of love and promise.

  “You found my ring.” Her fingers trembled as she touched it.

  “With this ring, I found you.” He voiced the words from his heart. With both her hands firmly in his, he lowered his head and sealed the vow with a kiss.

  Epilogue

  A cool, early November breeze fluttered through the sheer curtains on the balcony of the O’Neal home. The dining room had been cleared out to make way for the small gathering of wedding guests, and the breeze was a welcome respite from all the warm hugs. Riley lifted his champagne glass and tapped it lightly with a silver fork. At the ringing sound, all conversation stopped and everyone looked over at him. He gave a smile to the crowd, then turned his attention to the bride and groom standing in the corner.

  “A toast to the newlyweds.” He raised his glass and winked at his sister, Kellee. “Since I can’t pull your pigtails any more…Egan would certainly break my arm…” He let the laughter settle before he continued. “Then I’ll take this moment out of your special day to simply wish you both warm winds and smooth sailing on your journey of a lifetime.” He lifted his glass. “To the happy couple!”

  Murmurs of congratulations were offered as those gathered lifted glasses and drank to the toast. His sister gave him a thumbs-up while Egan, his new brother-in-law, tipped his finger to his brow in a salute. As the couple’s gazes returned to each other, Riley sought out the stormy gray eyes of his Lieutenant Chip.

  She crooked a finger at him and he started winding his way through the crowd to her side. Along the way, he passed his father and Sean Malone, Caitlin’s father, who broke off their conversation to shake his hand and thank him for the nice toast.

  Caitlin and her husband, Mac, stopped him next. Mac was a standup guy, and Riley couldn’t help but notice how well he and Caitlin fit together. It was great to see Caitlin so much more relaxed than she’d been during her impatient training days. She was proving to be a valuable asset for their western office. He gave Caitlin a hug and shook Mac’s hand. “Thanks so much for coming tonight. I know Kellee is thrilled you could be here.”

  “Wouldn’t have missed it for the world.” Caitlin gave him another hug.

  A slap on his back drew Riley’s attention. “Nicely done, buddy.” Sloan Cartland gave him a nudge with his elbow. “Getting in practice, by any chance?”

  He turned to grin at Sloan. “Mind your own business.” He tipped his head toward the tall, stacked blonde on Sloan’s arm. Sloan sure knew how to pick ’em.

  Then he caught Chip staring at him with that hungry gaze and all the glamour and noise fell away, and it was just the two of th
em, alone on a warm plateau in the New Mexican mountains. “Sorry buddy…gotta go.” He offered an apologetic smile to Sloan and his date and kept moving through the crowd.

  He reached Chip’s side and leaned over to whisper in her ear. “Ready to get out of here?”

  She looked up with those expressive gray eyes. “Before the bride tosses the bouquet?” She glanced across the room at Allison. In addition to Sloan’s date, Chip and Allison were the only other single woman at the gathering. “I rather like my chances.”

  He stroked a finger along her cheek, now completely healed from her ordeal last month, and his heart pounded against his ribs with so much love he thought he would burst. “Trust me, my runaway Mary, you don’t need to catch the bouquet.”

  A word about the author…

  Stanalei’s love of writing romance stems from reading favorites such as Grimm’s Fairy Tales, Barbara Cartland, and Alistair MacLean. She has over twenty years in the martial arts and holds the rank of Sandan, a third degree black belt, in Aikido. After a taste of life on both U.S. coasts, she now resides in the beautiful Rocky Mountains with her hero, who is also her best friend and husband. Together they enjoy the open road, visiting museums, exploring ghost towns and our National Parks.

  Visit Stanalei at www.stanaleifletcher.com

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