"What time is it?" His voice was a bare murmur.
"Five."
"Jeez, woman, are you crazy?" Nevertheless, he gave a long stretch.
She traced designs on his chest. "I often run in the morning."
"I repeat…are you crazy?" He dropped a kiss to the top of her head and swung his legs over the side of the bed.
She admired his backside as he walked to the bathroom. Perfect, absolutely perfect, right down to his toes. The only flaw was a small hickey on his right buttock. She grinned. It had been a pleasure administering that mark.
His front side was just as tempting, but there were two old scars, one on his left shoulder near the rotator cuff, and the other on the top of his left thigh. They looked like little round divots, but when she’d asked about them he only shook his head and continued nibbling the underside of her neck. Ah, well. She’d ask him again later.
"There’s an extra toothbrush in the left hand drawer. Still fresh in its box." She pointed in the direction of the bathroom sink.
Tossing off a yawn, he muttered his thanks and shut the bathroom door, cutting off her view. On cue, Hades leaped up on to her bed and demanded breakfast. Ellie let him fuss. The last thing she felt like doing this morning was jumping out of bed. Muscles she never knew she had ached, but it was a pleasant throbbing. She was more than a little sore from a night of unfettered, uninhibited, sheet-twisting sex. And right now, all she wanted to do was grab that gorgeous man and do it again. Kurt stepped out of the bathroom, an early-morning erection jutting out proudly before him.
Smiling, he crawled up to her from the bottom of the bed. "Sure you want to go running? I can think of something much more fun. Aerobic, too."
Ellie tossed back the covers. The chilly air made taut rosy beads of her nipples, something Kurt’s gaze zeroed in on with record speed. She raised one eyebrow. "Feed Hades while I brush my teeth and you’ve got a deal."
He snagged her waist as she passed, swung her against him, and slipped his mouth over her breast. Ellie arched into the embrace. She was putty where Kurt was concerned.
"I’m going to be late for work," she said with a long sigh.
"I’ll be quick." He tossed her onto her back.
Ellie laughed and reached for him. "And leave me unfulfilled?"
That devilish grin spread. "Never."
Thirty minutes later, still weak-kneed, Ellie let a hot shower pulse life back into her while Kurt indulged Hades. This was too good to be true. He was too good to be true.
She scolded herself while she brushed her hair in front of the mirror. This was about enjoying life, not analyzing it. Her unease doubled when he set a steaming mug of coffee on the dresser for her.
"You want some breakfast to go with that?"
Ellie wanted to cry. If he kept this up, she’d be falling in love with the guy in no time. She took a sip of the rich brew. Who was she kidding? She was halfway there already.
"No thanks, I’ll grab something on the way out."
After he went back downstairs, she rubbed apricot body lotion along her legs and arms, mind racing. Maybe it was time to take a step back, especially if her heart was saying love was entering the picture. She couldn’t afford another mistake like Allan. They’d been living together for months before she realized they didn’t really know each other. Wasted time. They’d been two people with vastly different goals and dreams. Ellie refused to allow that to happen again.
She gulped down her coffee as she dressed in her camouflage uniform. Looked like he was about to get a dose of reality right now. Test number one—could he deal with her being a Marine? Number two—how did he feel about her love of books? Three—animals. Four—children. Where did he work? Did he have a family? Where did he go to school?
Ellie jerked herself to a halt. This wasn’t a job interview. She’d scare him off for sure. Maybe that was her intent. The heart was safer alone. And there was the operative word—alone. She didn’t want to be alone any more. She wanted to be a couple.
"Just stop it!" She twisted her hair into a bun, secured it savagely with a handful of hairpins, grabbed up her glasses and her mug, then walked downstairs.
Kurt stood propped against the counter, a copy of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets in one hand, a mug of coffee in the other, and Hades twined around his ankles. Ellie’s heart did somersaults.
"You enjoy kids’ books," she somehow managed to say.
He nodded. "They’re full of fun and adventure, and we all need a little excitement in our lives now and then, don’t we?" He flashed a lecherous look.
She flushed and remembered their early morning lovemaking.
He grinned. "All right, I’ll start over again. Well, good morning, Staff Sergeant. Don’t you look cute."
"Cute?" She jammed her fists onto her waist. "I’m a Marine. I’m a killing machine."
Kurt tossed back a laugh and snapped the book closed. "I’ll bet you are." He swung her into his arms. "But you know what?"
She cocked her head to one side. "What?"
"Sweetheart, the bun has to go."
Her heart plummeted. So, he was into looks. Well, if that’s what he was about, he could…
Kurt chucked her under the chin. "Now don’t start twisting my words, Ellie. I know you’re in a hurry in the morning. I know the hair is long and heavy. I know it’s a hassle. But you’re a beautiful woman…even for a killing machine. Let the world know it."
He yanked out a chair. Before she could protest, he had her in it and her hair undone.
"What are you doing?" She grabbed for the bobby pins. "I’m going to be late. I’m due in court. The judge will have my ass for sure."
"Just relax. I can whip up a French braid like nobody’s business. One of the pluses of having a younger sister."
In record time, he was done. Still, Ellie frowned at him until he steered her upstairs and parked her in front of the dresser mirror.
"See?"
She studied herself from all angles. The style narrowed her face, pulled in her cheekbones, made her feel sleek.
"You going to do this for me every morning?" she asked, half kidding.
"I could be persuaded." He dropped a kiss to her lips.
Ellie tasted peanut butter and pulled back. A tiny dab clung to the corner of his mouth. Frowning, she wiped it away with the point of her finger. Who else—
"I’ve got to get to work myself. See you tonight." Another quick kiss and he was gone.
She caught her reflection once more. The hair was great. Just one thing was missing.
* * *
Kurt yanked off the hairpiece and beard two blocks from Ellie’s apartment. He’d had one close call after the other this morning. And his eyes were killing him from having slept in the contacts. Thank goodness, the early morning darkness hid his slipping hair and the fact the beard was coming loose. He’d had just enough time to get to the bathroom, fix both, then dig out his contacts and clean those.
The peanut butter, however, was a major mistake. He should have grabbed a bite to eat later. But they’d never had dinner last night. In fact, he hadn’t eaten since the morning before. Hunger had gnawed a hole straight through to his spine. Hopefully, she wouldn’t connect the incident yesterday with Agent Duncan to the one this morning.
Kurt raked his fingers over his morning whiskers. Ellie wasn’t the only one who had to be in court this morning. Fortunately, he had a change of clothes at work, but his razor was at home, and he didn’t have time to get it. Maybe Vic had one at the office. If not, would it be enough to raise Ellie’s suspicions?
He never should have stayed the night, never meant to make love to her more than once. But being with her was addictive. The more he had her, the more he wanted. She was better than fine wine, better than a four star meal, better than Swiss chocolate. Crazy as it sounded, her very essence wrapped itself around him. For the first time in his life, making love was a true full body experience. And after each bout of glorious sex, gut-wrenching fear swoop
ed in.
Kurt couldn’t continue to live a lie. Some day soon she’d have to learn who he was—a man she detested. He pictured her initial rage, the questions and accusations she’d throw his way. But the thing that tore at his heart was imagining the pain of betrayal in her beautiful smoky eyes.
He violently raked his fingers through his hair. How could things change so quickly in just a few days? True, he was physically attracted to her when he believed she was a suspect. But even as he investigated, her personality insinuated itself into his system. He grew to appreciate her laugh, her charm, her thousands of books, the warmth of her home, her feistiness, even her grumpy cat.
Why hadn’t he looked beyond the surface of Staff Sergeant Severance before and noticed these qualities? Because he scoffed at her looks? Had he been that superficial? That shallow? With each encounter since her arrival two months ago, the animosity had grown like an unchecked poisonous weed.
Kurt was ashamed of himself. Even without makeup and her hair in a bun, Ellie was a striking woman. Why hadn’t he noticed before? Because he didn’t want to, or because subconsciously he knew she represented an end to his carefree bachelor days?
He slammed on his brakes and nearly slid through a red light. Good God, he was in love with her! How crazy was that!
"No, no, no," he shouted. "It’s just sex!"
A honk and the sound of hooting laughter from the car stopped in the lane next to him drew his startled attention. Four pimply boys were laughing and nodding at him from a dented blue Honda Civic. The light changed to green. They revved their engine and offered him several suggestive hand gestures. In a moment, they were out of sight down a side street, but their mocking laughter barely pierced his panicked thoughts.
Only sex? Could what he was feeling be as simple as carnal lust for a desirable woman?
Kurt felt the net settle securely over his heart. It was love all right. Why else would panic seize him at the thought of losing her? Arriving at that thought seemed to calm him, create a small pool of stillness within his churning emotions. It was love. He was in love. Finally.
He shuddered and took a gasping breath. What to do next was the problem.
Somehow he had to change the combative relationship between Staff Sergeant Severance and Agent Duncan or there would never be any chance of love between them. No doubt she’d be in a full blown rage when she discovered the truth. He’d be lucky if Ellie didn’t cut off his family jewels and shove them down his throat. Hopefully, she wouldn’t stay mad for long. If he had to, he’d crawl through broken glass to keep her. His body relaxed as his heart and mind came into accord. Eleanor Severance was going to be his, and that was that. No more denial, no more shirking.
"Talk about being a fool."
Shaking his head, he inched through the base front gate with the rest of the heavy morning traffic. By the time he reached his office, Kurt barely had time to change much less shave. That didn’t stop Jess from cornering him.
"You look like something the cat dragged in." Jess propped himself just inside Kurt’s doorway, his trademark toothpick jutting from between clenched teeth. "Where the hell have you been? You know you’ve got to testify in—"
"I know." Kurt yanked off his pullover and slipped his arms into a pale blue long-sleeved shirt he kept hanging in his office locker. "I’m hurrying as fast as I can. I don’t suppose you’ve got a razor handy."
"Nope. Sorry. You pull an all-nighter?"
Not the kind Jess might be thinking of. Jeans off, navy blue twills on.
"Not exactly."
Jess grunted a response. "We got the okay to search Forton’s room yesterday afternoon. Someone had been there before us. Tore it completely apart."
Kurt shoved his shirttails in with one hand while he tossed a tie around his neck with the other. "Looking for the packet of ketamine Ellie found?"
"Could be. We also discovered paperwork that showed Forton rented a separate house out in town. Kind of suspicious for a bachelor Marine."
"Ten guesses how he managed to afford that."
"Yep. We checked, and it’s been ransacked, too. There wasn’t much to disturb anyway. We did find evidence of ketamine manufacture, but not the ketamine itself. The cooking equipment has been confiscated for evidence. But here’s the big surprise…he was being blackmailed just like Lee Parsons."
Kurt jerked his head up. "How do you know that?"
"A computer-generated blackmail letter was found in his BEQ room among some bills. It was similar to the one Parsons received. We’re running it for fingerprints right now, but it doesn’t look good. The blackmailer didn’t leave any on Parsons’ letter. She probably didn’t on Forton’s either."
"What did it say?" Kurt asked.
Jess rubbed the back of his neck. "It said, ‘You know what I have. Pay up or I send it to your command.’"
Kurt frowned. "Why would Forton’s command care if he was having sex with some bimbo or not? He wasn’t married, so it wasn’t a case of adultery. Doesn’t make any sense."
"I agree, but now he’s dead, so we’re a little late to be asking. The big question is whether he was killed by the blackmailer or by the ketamine ring."
"Or are they the same?"
"What about you? Find out anything?"
Kurt twisted a knot in his tie. "Ellie Severance isn’t our suspect. A petty officer named Susan is. I’ll see what I can find out about her today."
"And it took you all night to learn this?"
Kurt didn’t like the tone in Jess’ voice. It smacked of a lecture.
"No. I discovered it early yesterday evening. I had a date that got a little out of hand." He buffed a brush over his leather oxfords, snatched up his keys and the case file on this trial.
Jess blocked his exit. "She’s a sweet kid. Don’t hurt her."
Denial froze on his lips. What was the sense in lying? "I’m more concerned with how she’s going to hurt me when she discovers who I really am."
Kurt expected sage advice. All Jess did was grin around his toothpick and walk away.
A quick stop at Vic’s office yielded the much-needed cordless razor. As he strode toward his car, he ran it over his face and neck. Flecks of shorn stubble dotted his shirt no matter how much he tried to brush them away. Ellie was sure to comment on that. At least it wasn’t peanut butter.
He smiled. One day they would laugh about the peanut butter incident. Hopefully.
He was still trying to clear away the evidence of his quick shave as he walked into the Staff Judge Advocate’s building. The long hallway stretched before him. And there at the end Ellie stood laughing over a joke with her coworkers.
His heart caught in his throat. Even from this distance her smile glowed. Kurt drew closer. She’d put on makeup after he left. Much more subtle than when she posed as the mysterious redhead, it enhanced her features delicately.
She caught sight of him and all humor faded. Excusing herself, she tried to duck into the courtroom. First Sergeant Yost zoomed out from the Military Justice Office, cutting her off.
"Been playing in your mama’s makeup there, Severance?"
Ellie’s face tightened. There was little she could do to defend herself against a senior ranking Marine without showing disrespect. Kurt didn’t have that problem.
"Back off, First Sergeant," he barked as he walked toward them. Heads turned his way. A few people backed up to give him room. Ellie tossed him a puzzled frown.
Yost held firm. "What’s got you singing a new tune this morning?"
Kurt shoved between Yost and Ellie. "She’s a lady and deserves a little respect."
"She’s a Marine and ought to learn how to take it. If she can’t, she can take her damn tea cups and dolls, and get the hell out of my Marine Corps." Yost pushed past them and marched down the hall. The front door banged shut with his exit.
The hall cleared, leaving Kurt alone with Ellie. He glanced down to find her studying him, distrust in her eyes. It killed him not to touch her. He had to settle
for keeping a polite distance, arms clasped loosely in front of his body.
She tilted her head to one side. "That was rather unexpected, but thank you."
"Let’s just say I had a chance to consider things from your perspective."
She lifted an eyebrow. "Really? And what perspective might that be?"
Kurt shrugged a shoulder. "As much as the military would like to preach equality, there are still the diehard few like Yost. The more beautiful a woman is, the less she might be taken seriously. I can see why you’d downplay your looks. You’re a very attractive woman. You deserve the chance to show the world that. You look especially nice this morning. Don’t let people like Yost take that from you."
"And it’s taken you two months to come to this remarkable conclusion?"
He couldn’t blame her for the sarcasm. He deserved worse than that. "Let’s just say I never bothered to look beyond the surface until recently. There’s more to you than I realized."
She snorted. "You can’t judge a book by its cover, Agent Duncan. You might be surprised at what you’d find out about me if you’d bothered to try."
His hand shook from the effort not to touch her, to slip in around her waist and hold her tight. "There’s nothing that says we can’t start now. A clean slate. Would you begrudge a man a second chance?"
Ellie narrowed her eyes. "Now…why don’t I believe you? Oh, I know…all the snide comments the last two months."
"You’re just as guilty as I am."
"Court in five minutes," one of the attorneys reminded them as he zipped by.
* * *
Ellie pivoted on her heel and followed the captain into the courtroom. Duncan was right. She’d given as good as she got. And even if he started it, she could have stopped their wrangling at any time by not adding energy to the mini-confrontations. It wasn’t like her to hold a grudge when someone offered an olive branch. She’d even be willing to forgive Bernadette if the woman met her halfway.
Duncan seemed sincere. At least his mesmerizing blue eyes reflected sincerity. Ellie believed you could see a lot in a person’s eyes. What harm would it do to let the past go? Whatever Duncan’s motives might be, it would be nice not to have that edgy feeling each time he came around. She had to admit, it would be easier to get along with the handsome agent rather than constantly argue.
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