Read Online Internal Affairs by Jessica Andersen - Free Book Online

logic and rationality said he should leave her alone, when he reached the first floor and found her lying asleep on the sofa where she’d been before—where she’d been when he grabbed her, kissed her—he had to damp down the almost irresistible urge to cross to her, go down on his knees beside the couch and pick up where they’d broken off earlier, with her hands on his face, his buried in her thick, honey-colored hair. That part had been easy, natural. The rest of it, though, was anything but.
    Knowing it, and knowing he couldn’t live with himself—whoever he was—if anything happened to her, he snagged the bedding he’d been lying on earlier, and cobbled together a makeshift pallet near the front door. It wasn’t particularly comfortable, he found as he lay down and felt his bruises howl, his stitches tug. But that had been his plan—the discomfort would keep him from sleeping too deeply despite his injuries, meaning he’d have a better chance of hearing an intruder and responding in time. He hoped.
    He lay facing the door for maybe five minutes before he gave in to the temptation and levered himself painfully to his other side, so he could watch Sara sleep. She’d left on the same kitchen night-light as before, and the dim illumination cast soft shadows on her hands, which were tucked beneath her cheek. The pose might have been angelic, but even in repose her face lacked the pure sweetness generally associated with cherubsand angels. No, she exuded an earthy sensuality in the tilt of her high, elegant brows and the purse of her full lips. And there was an energy about her, a sense that she was never quite still, even in sleep, never quite at peace with herself, or maybe with what was going on around her.
    Can you blame her? he thought sardonically, because of course he couldn’t blame her one bit. But he could, and would, do his best to see that she didn’t suffer because she’d helped him.
    Forcing himself to turn away, he once again faced the doorway, and shifted the handgun to beneath his pillow, where he could grab it easily if he heard a suspicious noise. Then, knowing he’d better doze and give his body the time and resources to heal, he closed his eyes and put himself into a light, restorative trance he didn’t know he knew how to do until after he’d done it.
    In the trance he saw sounds as colors, a rainbow of soft nighttime noises, none of which alarmed him. Sinking a level deeper into the self-hypnosis, he heard the same whisper that had been nagging at him since he’d regained consciousness out in the woods. The mission. Must complete the mission.
    Now, though, that wasn’t the only thing he had to do. The mission—whatever the hell it was—might be his priority, but alongside it was another need, one very close to his heart. He had to make sure that Sara didn’t suffer for his sins.

Chapter Five
    The next morning Sara awoke stiff and sore, and for a moment didn’t know where she was. Her living room came clear around her first, reassuring in its familiarity, and she had a half second of thinking she’d fallen asleep in front of the TV, which although rare, was something she did from time to time.
    Then she saw the silhouette of a man standing at one of the front windows, peering between the drawn curtains. Heat shimmered through her alongside dread, though it seemed odd that the two could coexist. “See anything?” she asked softly.
    His shoulders tensed, but he kept up his surveillance for a moment longer before he turned to her. “An unmarked sedan has been by a couple of times, no doubt thanks to your friend. I haven’t seen anything I would consider suspicious.”
    Sara frowned and sat up on the sofa, rubbing her face to clear the sleep from her system. “How long have you been standing there? You’re supposed to be resting that shoulder.”
    “I can rest when I’m dead for real.” He paused. “I borrowed your gun. If that’s a problem for you, just say the word and