he said finally, sending her an oblique glance.
Teddy slid off the cot, straightening her clothes with automatic movements. She was aware of his eyes following her, and strove to keep her face calm. But behind the facade she was thinking with a clarity born of need.
He wouldn’t believe her, wouldn’t
let
himself believe her. All right, then. So be it. If she couldn’t convince his stubborn mind, she’d work on other parts of him. Somehow. The big, tough body that she knew wanted hers. And the heart she was sure lay hidden deep within him, encased in the protective metallic armor of a warrior.
She wondered if the Gypsy had fought for her Scot and thought that she probably had.
Teddy wished she had seen just a bit more ofthat final image, wished she could be
sure
. But how often was certainty of the future given to mortals?
Silent and at least outwardly calm, she began preparing an evening meal for them.
F OUR
S ARAH L EWIS WAS a familiar sight in the building housing Long Enterprises, and she knew her way around quite well. Greetings followed her as she made her way up to the fifteenth floor, where she expected to find her husband despite the fact that his own suite of offices was two floors up. She hardly needed an identification badge to gain access to the security-conscious fifteenth, but she wore one nevertheless—and the security guard at the desk near the elevator didn’t even glance at it.
“Morning, Mrs. Lewis.”
“Hi, Phil.” Her voice was soft and a bit shy, and the guard looked with pleasure at her bright hair and serene eyes.
While she signed the register he asked how Junior was doing on this fine morning, and the glow in her eyes seemed to intensify even as she laughed.
“Fine, thanks.” She patted her rounded stomach, over which a gay yellow sign imprinted on her terrycloth shirt proclaimed the presence of a baby on board. “Rafferty’s here, isn’t he?” she asked.
“Yes, ma’am. In Mr. Kendrick’s office.”
Sarah waved her thanks and went on down the hall. She could hear the steady humming of computers in the offices she passed, but didn’t pause until she reached a corner office. The door was open, and she went in, saying as a greeting, “We’re going to have to name him Junior; everybody expects it.”
“Over my dead body,” her husband promised, looking up to smile at her.
“It sounds original to me,” Lucas decided without looking up from the computer screen busily flashing data.
“Nobody asked you,” Rafferty told him, then lifted a questioning brow at his lovely wife.
“I used a bit of blackmail,” she said, sounding not in the least perturbed about it. “Emotional. Looked teary-eyed and anxious. He’s treating me like glass these days, so I thought I could probably get away with it. I think pregnant women make him nervous,” she added thoughtfully.
Lucas turned from the computer to face them, grinning a little. “Then by all means let’s make him nervous.”
Rafferty caught his wife’s hand and led her to one of the chairs in front of the desk, sitting on the arm of the second one himself. “So what did your esteemed boss cough up?” he asked.
“Not much,” she admitted, an expression of frustration briefly crossing her delicate face. “He did confess that Zach
is
working for him,in Colorado of all places. He promised that—this time—he had been completely truthful about the assignment. Zach knows exactly what’s going on, according to Hagen, and is in possession of all relevant information.” She stopped, looking suddenly uneasy.
Lucas sighed and ran a hand through his silvery hair, while Rafferty cursed quietly.
“All
relevant
information,” the investigator repeated dismally. “Great. If Hagen were directing Grant’s army, his idea of relevant information would be to tell him to head south.”
“I vote we go kill him,” Rafferty said in a dispassionate tone.
“Zach will take care of that later,” Lucas decided. “If he
Teddy slid off the cot, straightening her clothes with automatic movements. She was aware of his eyes following her, and strove to keep her face calm. But behind the facade she was thinking with a clarity born of need.
He wouldn’t believe her, wouldn’t
let
himself believe her. All right, then. So be it. If she couldn’t convince his stubborn mind, she’d work on other parts of him. Somehow. The big, tough body that she knew wanted hers. And the heart she was sure lay hidden deep within him, encased in the protective metallic armor of a warrior.
She wondered if the Gypsy had fought for her Scot and thought that she probably had.
Teddy wished she had seen just a bit more ofthat final image, wished she could be
sure
. But how often was certainty of the future given to mortals?
Silent and at least outwardly calm, she began preparing an evening meal for them.
F OUR
S ARAH L EWIS WAS a familiar sight in the building housing Long Enterprises, and she knew her way around quite well. Greetings followed her as she made her way up to the fifteenth floor, where she expected to find her husband despite the fact that his own suite of offices was two floors up. She hardly needed an identification badge to gain access to the security-conscious fifteenth, but she wore one nevertheless—and the security guard at the desk near the elevator didn’t even glance at it.
“Morning, Mrs. Lewis.”
“Hi, Phil.” Her voice was soft and a bit shy, and the guard looked with pleasure at her bright hair and serene eyes.
While she signed the register he asked how Junior was doing on this fine morning, and the glow in her eyes seemed to intensify even as she laughed.
“Fine, thanks.” She patted her rounded stomach, over which a gay yellow sign imprinted on her terrycloth shirt proclaimed the presence of a baby on board. “Rafferty’s here, isn’t he?” she asked.
“Yes, ma’am. In Mr. Kendrick’s office.”
Sarah waved her thanks and went on down the hall. She could hear the steady humming of computers in the offices she passed, but didn’t pause until she reached a corner office. The door was open, and she went in, saying as a greeting, “We’re going to have to name him Junior; everybody expects it.”
“Over my dead body,” her husband promised, looking up to smile at her.
“It sounds original to me,” Lucas decided without looking up from the computer screen busily flashing data.
“Nobody asked you,” Rafferty told him, then lifted a questioning brow at his lovely wife.
“I used a bit of blackmail,” she said, sounding not in the least perturbed about it. “Emotional. Looked teary-eyed and anxious. He’s treating me like glass these days, so I thought I could probably get away with it. I think pregnant women make him nervous,” she added thoughtfully.
Lucas turned from the computer to face them, grinning a little. “Then by all means let’s make him nervous.”
Rafferty caught his wife’s hand and led her to one of the chairs in front of the desk, sitting on the arm of the second one himself. “So what did your esteemed boss cough up?” he asked.
“Not much,” she admitted, an expression of frustration briefly crossing her delicate face. “He did confess that Zach
is
working for him,in Colorado of all places. He promised that—this time—he had been completely truthful about the assignment. Zach knows exactly what’s going on, according to Hagen, and is in possession of all relevant information.” She stopped, looking suddenly uneasy.
Lucas sighed and ran a hand through his silvery hair, while Rafferty cursed quietly.
“All
relevant
information,” the investigator repeated dismally. “Great. If Hagen were directing Grant’s army, his idea of relevant information would be to tell him to head south.”
“I vote we go kill him,” Rafferty said in a dispassionate tone.
“Zach will take care of that later,” Lucas decided. “If he
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