"So, Mr. Donovan, how about you? I bet a man like you knows one or two things about undercover operations?"
Shane raised an eyebrow. "Undercover operations?" If I didn't know better, I'd think she was flirting with me, he thought
"Yes," Rachel said, with a cheshire-cat grin. "Who knows? Maybe you could give me a few pointers after you answer my question."
She is flirting with me, Shane realized. He tried not to feel flattered. "If you're asking me if I know something about the ISA, you're going to be quite disappointed." He laughed and grinned. "Just because I've got the accent doesn't mean I'm James Bond. I'm just an ordinary businessman."
"So you got those bruises at a sales meeting?" she asked.
"On the way back, actually," Shane said, keeping his cocky grin. "Would you believe I lost control of my car trying to swerve around a camel-riding bedouin and his herd of goats?"
"Not particularly," she said, adding that same coy smile.
"Sorry, my dear, that's the best I can do. But I will say I'm flattered that you thought I might be a spy. It's quite a respectable profession in England."
She seemed to study him carefully then said, in a joking manner, "Well you can tell your wife about being mistaken for ISA when you go home."
"I can't do that." Shane raised his hand so she could see that he had no wedding ring, even as he wondered why he was encouraging her. "Divorced."
"That's a shame," she said in a tone of voice that told him she was not sorry at all.
Before he could reply, the food arrived. While Shane and Nowicki ate, the three of them chatted amiably, with Shane providing a host of details on his "import/export business" to Rachel. He got the distinct impression that she was paying no attention to a word of his cover story, even though her eyes never left him. He also noticed that the more he talked, the closer Rachel seemed to slide toward him and the lower her blouse seemed to be cut.
To be honest, Shane appreciated the distraction. Had he been alone with Nowicki, the discussion probably would have gone back to the recent mission, and Shane would have been forced to think about Malik's death. A beautiful woman was definitely a welcome diversion.
"So you're based in Salem?" she asked in response to Shane's description of his phony business.
"Yes," he replied.
She gave him a rather sly smile. "I understand that there's been a lot of ISA activity in Salem in recent years."
"Nobody would ever accuse you of lacking persistence, my dear," Shane said with a laugh. "I really do hate to disappoint you, though." His laugh turned into a cough when Rachel's hand slid along his leg and came to rest mid-thigh.
Nowicki obviously caught wind of something, because he set his napkin down on the table. "It's getting pretty late, and I should be heading back to the base."
Shane took Rachel's hand, lifted it off his leg, and asked her, "Would you mind if I have a few minutes to finish my business with the Captain?"
She pouted for a moment, before standing up. Shane tried to pretend that his pulse did not quicken slightly as he watched her.
"I have to have a word with Nolan from the Times, anyway." She gave Shane that coy smile again. "I'll come back when you're finished."
As he and Nowicki both watched Rachel sashay across the room, Nowicki said, "I guess I know who's not sleeping alone tonight."
Shane turned to the soldier, who had a wide grin plastered on his face. Sputtering, Shane said, "Oh, please . . . I just met the lady."
"So? A blind man could see what she wants." Nowicki leaned forward and said in a low voice. "And you're a lucky guy. Just about every man in my unit tried to get into her pants."
Shane winced slightly at Nowicki's crass comment. Then, Shane leaned forward also and responded in his own low voice. "It's not going to happen." But even as he said that, a voice in the back of his head asked, Why not?
"Why not?" Nowicki said, echoing Shane's thoughts. "You're both adults. And from what you told me in Cyprus, I gather that you wouldn't be cheating on anyone."
Shane sighed at that. No, I wouldn't be cheating anyone. I'm 100% unattached.
As he stood there, he thought back to the period after Emma "died" and before he met Kim. He had slept with a lot of woman in between, a series of meaningless flings that occurred mainly so he could distract himself with a night or two of physical pleasure. But everything had changed after he met Kim. Since that time, she had been his only lover. Even when Kim walked out on him the year before, Shane had not reverted back to his old ways. And then, after several months, he had fallen for Kayla and had decided to wait until she was ready.
Nowicki was still talking, but Shane only caught the end of it. ". . . and, hell, after the crap you went through in the desert, Donovan, you deserve it."
Shane understood what Nowicki meant. Sometimes, after a mission, all he would want was to fall into bed with a woman so he could bury his thoughts about what had happened. Kim had always known when a mission had gone bad, because their lovemaking would be fueled by his desperate need to forget what had happened. He could almost picture what it would have been like if he was still with Kim when he returned from this mission. He would have pulled her into their bedroom and made love to her for hours. At first, it would be frantic, driven by his desperation, but would later become slower and more tender, as he let go of the residual fear and pain. Then, after they were both exhausted, they would hold each other while Kim carefully prodded him to exorcize the demons by telling her what he could about the mission. What he wouldn't give to be in her arms right now, he thought.
Kim's gone because you pushed her away. You destroyed the best thing you ever had, and you're all alone now.
He glanced in the direction of where Rachel had walked and saw her standing over a table with some older men who were smoking cigars. As he watched, she turned and gave him that smile again.
"Listen," Nowicki said. "I've really got to go."
Shane stood up as Nowick did and shook the man's hand. "I want to thank you again," Shane said.
"It's nothing. It's just-"
"I know." Shane cut him off. "You're just doing your job. But it's not 'nothing' to me. You saved my life and I'll forever be indebted to you and your team." Nowicki seemed a little uncomfortable, so Shane just added, "If you ever need anything - or any of your men do - just let me know. And if you're ever in Salem, look me up. I'll break out the good whiskey that I keep stashed away. Nothing less than 30 years old."
Nowicki laughed. "Now that would be plenty of thanks. We head back to Kentucky in several weeks, so you just might hear from me."
"I'll be expecting it," Shane said as they shook hands again and Nowicki headed for the exit. The solider stopped by the table where Rachel was standing and whispered something to her. Once he was done, she turned back toward Shane and headed purposefully in his direction. She stopped a passing waiter and Shane watched as she had a brief conversation and passed the man some riyals. Before Shane knew it, she was pulling him to a seat in the booth next to her.
She turned so she was almost facing him. Rachel leaned close and said, in a low voice, "So now that the good Captain has left, why don't you tell me what you're really doing in Riyadh?"
Shane tried not to look down her blouse, but she was making it awfully hard. His heart began to beat faster. I can't even believe I'm considering this, Shane thought. Before he could say anything, however, the waiter she had stopped appeared at the table with two small cups and a bottle of fruit juice.
"Saved by the bell," Shane joked. "Or juice, I guess."
Rachel laughed and waited for the waiter to leave. Once he was gone, she opened the juice bottle and pour a clear liquid into each of the cups. "Sadiki," she said, handing him one of the cups before raising her own.
Shane chuckled as she said the Arabic word for "friend." Despite the ban on alcohol, the aptly named sadiki was a common home brew in the country - the Saudi version of moonshine. Shane was just surprised that it would be served so openly in the restaurant, but then, with a large number of foreigners, maybe the hotel workers figured it was worth the risk. Not that Shane minded it now. A drink was probably just what he needed. He raised his cup to Rachel as he said, "So what do we toast to?"
She grinned. "To new friends, of course. And maybe something more."
She's not exactly demure, is she? Shane thought, but he drank anyway. The liquor burned as it went down, but he appreciated the calming warmth that spread through him. Rachel poured another round, emptying the small juice bottle, and they toasted once more.
"Now where were we?" she asked, obviously not meaning the question she had asked before the sadiki arrived. She ran her hand along the inside of his thigh. He let out a hiss as she reached his groin. "Yep, I think it was definitely right about there."
Shane decided not to tell her that she was much higher than before. This time, there was no way to pretend that his pulse had not quickened. "You definitely know what you want, don't you?"
"Always." She grinned, as she began stroking him through the fabric of his trousers.
Shane tried not to gasp. It had been so long since he had felt a woman's touch. And why was he hesitating?
"I shouldn't . . . I, uh, have an early flight in the morning," he said, though he almost immediately regretted his words.
She was hardly put off, as she whispered in his ear, "Then why are we wasting time talking?"
Why are we? he asked himself. He could smell the scent of her perfume, something that seemed to fit their locale - like exotic spice and sandalwood. Don't deny it, he told himself. You want her. And as Nowicki had said, it wasn't like Shane would be cheating. "I . . . Oh . . ." Rachel's hand had touched a particularly sensitive spot, and his body had begun to respond. When he regained his breath, he said, "I swear . . . I'm really just a businessman."
Rachel laughed - a sexy, husky laugh - and whispered, "I don't believe that for a minute, Shane Donovan, but why don't you let me judge for myself?"
Why not? What are you waiting for? he asked himself. You've got a beautiful woman who wants to make love to you.
The voice was right. He didn't owe anything to anyone right now. So what if he wanted to enjoy the comfort of a beautiful woman for a night? It wasn't like he was making a commitment; it was just a one-time thing. He reached out and touched Rachel's chin with his hand, lifting it so their eyes met. Shane shoved aside the last shred of doubt, and let impulse and lust take over. Shane smiled and said, "Let's get out of here."