experienced before. AJ had never reacted to a man on such a purely physical level in the past. But then, her reaction hadn't been solely physical then, either.
Meeting him in the flesh had put another dimension to the man on the page. He'd just returned from Istanbul, and long days under a blazing sun had turned his skin a deep tan, and shot golden highlights in his dark shaggy hair. His lean strength and six-foot-three height had added an elegant cache to the black chinos and dark T-shirt he wore. A girl would have to be dumb and blind not to sit up and take notice seeing the snug fit of cotton stretched across those broad shoulders, displaying his flat stomach and impressive abs. His long legs made short work of circling the conference table to find the only vacant seat—the one opposite her.
He'd flicked a dismissive glance her way, his eyes a dark, dark blue, holding no warmth whatsoever, and then without expression returned his attention to the head of the table, where their superior immediately started outlining the mission.
She'd found out Kane Wright's displeasure was as ruthlessly clipped as his dark chocolate voice. It had taken her several minutes to grasp the fact that while she'd been sitting there trying not to drool into her coffee cup, he was informing the table at large that he didn't want to use such an important mission as a training vehicle for a rookie.
He'd wanted to go to Cairo alone, and made no bones in saying so. His dark eyes told her, in no uncertain terms, he considered her unsuitable. Worse than useless. AJ wasn't used to a man looking at her that way. There was a first time for everything.
Disinterest. Dismissal. Disdain. All emanating from Kane Wright was bad enough. The fact that everyone sat there discussing her unsuitability for the job and their doubts she would be able to pull it off made her want to scream.
She'd almost died after she'd been shot. And while AJ didn't expect their sympathy, she did expect them to give her the benefit of the doubt. She'd bitten her tongue on her anger, and rationally explained why she should accompany Kane Wright and his team to Cairo.
In the end they'd relented—only because she was, by default, the only one suitable for the job.
Kane had been harder to convince. But he'd finally agreed under duress. Severe duress.
Now, she thought, he'd believe, they'd all believe, he'd been right. Not only had AJ messed up her own chance to prove herself, she'd no doubt put a crimp in every other rookie's chances. From here on out, they'd be more careful about taking an unproven agent out on an op of this magnitude. And it was all her fault. She sighed again.
"Don't sulk," Kane said, mistaking her sigh for petulance. AJ shook herself out of her reverie to look at him. It was impossible to see the good-looking guy under that eighty-year-old face. Gray hair, crepey skin, rheumy eyes. She tried to see where the makeup ended and he began. But the application was flawless. She wasn't three feet from him and she would swear that papery, wrinkled skin was the real deal.
"I never sulk," she told him, to set the record straight. She had a few other skills in her female arsenal, but sulking wasn't one of them. "I was just thinking—"
"Save it."
"Oh, yes, sir! Didn't know thinking wasn't allowed."
"If you'd done less thinking and more shooting, we wouldn't be in this mess."
"Nice of you not to beat me over the head with my failures, though. I really appreciate it, sir." What'd she have to lose by telling him what she was thinking? He was already sending her home in disgrace. What was left? A spanking? Another tongue-lashing? A curl of something dark and hot and yearning opened up inside her at that imagery, and she figured she must have hit her head harder than she'd thought.
He shook his head and firmed those old papery lips into a grim line that told her he was done talking. She shut up, too. Streetlights blinked past as they drove through the predawn city, and
Meeting him in the flesh had put another dimension to the man on the page. He'd just returned from Istanbul, and long days under a blazing sun had turned his skin a deep tan, and shot golden highlights in his dark shaggy hair. His lean strength and six-foot-three height had added an elegant cache to the black chinos and dark T-shirt he wore. A girl would have to be dumb and blind not to sit up and take notice seeing the snug fit of cotton stretched across those broad shoulders, displaying his flat stomach and impressive abs. His long legs made short work of circling the conference table to find the only vacant seat—the one opposite her.
He'd flicked a dismissive glance her way, his eyes a dark, dark blue, holding no warmth whatsoever, and then without expression returned his attention to the head of the table, where their superior immediately started outlining the mission.
She'd found out Kane Wright's displeasure was as ruthlessly clipped as his dark chocolate voice. It had taken her several minutes to grasp the fact that while she'd been sitting there trying not to drool into her coffee cup, he was informing the table at large that he didn't want to use such an important mission as a training vehicle for a rookie.
He'd wanted to go to Cairo alone, and made no bones in saying so. His dark eyes told her, in no uncertain terms, he considered her unsuitable. Worse than useless. AJ wasn't used to a man looking at her that way. There was a first time for everything.
Disinterest. Dismissal. Disdain. All emanating from Kane Wright was bad enough. The fact that everyone sat there discussing her unsuitability for the job and their doubts she would be able to pull it off made her want to scream.
She'd almost died after she'd been shot. And while AJ didn't expect their sympathy, she did expect them to give her the benefit of the doubt. She'd bitten her tongue on her anger, and rationally explained why she should accompany Kane Wright and his team to Cairo.
In the end they'd relented—only because she was, by default, the only one suitable for the job.
Kane had been harder to convince. But he'd finally agreed under duress. Severe duress.
Now, she thought, he'd believe, they'd all believe, he'd been right. Not only had AJ messed up her own chance to prove herself, she'd no doubt put a crimp in every other rookie's chances. From here on out, they'd be more careful about taking an unproven agent out on an op of this magnitude. And it was all her fault. She sighed again.
"Don't sulk," Kane said, mistaking her sigh for petulance. AJ shook herself out of her reverie to look at him. It was impossible to see the good-looking guy under that eighty-year-old face. Gray hair, crepey skin, rheumy eyes. She tried to see where the makeup ended and he began. But the application was flawless. She wasn't three feet from him and she would swear that papery, wrinkled skin was the real deal.
"I never sulk," she told him, to set the record straight. She had a few other skills in her female arsenal, but sulking wasn't one of them. "I was just thinking—"
"Save it."
"Oh, yes, sir! Didn't know thinking wasn't allowed."
"If you'd done less thinking and more shooting, we wouldn't be in this mess."
"Nice of you not to beat me over the head with my failures, though. I really appreciate it, sir." What'd she have to lose by telling him what she was thinking? He was already sending her home in disgrace. What was left? A spanking? Another tongue-lashing? A curl of something dark and hot and yearning opened up inside her at that imagery, and she figured she must have hit her head harder than she'd thought.
He shook his head and firmed those old papery lips into a grim line that told her he was done talking. She shut up, too. Streetlights blinked past as they drove through the predawn city, and
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