A Kiss in the Dark (34 page)

“I love you, Sedona Stewart,” he murmured, and she felt him press a lingering kiss against her hair. “I know you’re scared by what I do for a living, so I made some decisions.”

Sedona felt as if her heart had stopped beating. She lifted her head to gaze down at him, searching his dark eyes. He loved her? He’d made some decisions? She held her breath.

“I’m requesting a transfer to the Top Gun school as an instructor.” He smiled at her. “Any combat flight I do will be strictly educational.”

“Oh, my God…” His features blurred as the tears that had threatened finally spilled over. She swiped at them with one hand. “Angel, you don’t have to do this…”

“Shh. Don’t you get it? I
want
to.” He ran a hand over her hair. “I’m crazy about you. I want you in my life and besides, it’s way past time I settled down.” He used his thumbs to wipe the tears from her cheeks, and then cradled her face in his hands, searching her eyes. “That is, if you’ll have me,
mina.
”

Sedona gave a choked sob. “
Have you?
Are you kidding? I love you so much, Angel Torres.” Her voice was husky with emotion. “I think I have since I first saw you. And when I knew you were up there, in that jet… I’ve never been so afraid in my entire life. I just—I just—”

He frowned. “What?”

She laughed self-consciously. “I just can’t believe you really love me. I can’t get used to hearing you say it…”

Angel laughed and drew her down. “I love you,” he growled, nuzzling her neck. “I love you.”

And then his lips slanted across hers, claiming her with a fierceness that told her how much he wanted her. He buried his hands in her hair as he deepened the kiss, sweeping his tongue against hers and drawing a soft moan from her. She had one palm pressed against his chest and could feel the heavy beat of his heart. Her own quickened in response.

After several long moments, she pushed away. She was breathless and slightly dizzy from the intensity of his kiss. She braced herself over him and gazed down into his eyes. They smoldered with heat, and something else. Something that caused her heart to trip unsteadily and then swell within her chest.

She cupped his jaw, shadowed with stubble, and stroked her hand tenderly along his cheek. He smiled, turned his face into her hand and pressed a fervent kiss against her palm.

“Stay with me tonight,” he whispered. He shifted his weight to one side of the narrow hospital bed. “Here, there’s more than enough room. I know you don’t want to go back to the hotel, and I don’t want you to, either.”

“Angel…” She hesitated. “Of course I want to, but what if I bump your leg? Hurt you? Besides, I’m sure there’s some kind of hospital rule against overnight guests.”

Angel chuckled and drew her down until she was curled against his side with her head resting on his shoulder. “It’s the middle of the night and there are only two nurses on duty. Nobody is going to come in tonight,” he murmured against her temple, “and even if they did, I think it’s safe to say they wouldn’t bother us.”

Using her feet, Sedona shucked her shoes and stretched out on the narrow mattress next to Angel, careful not to disturb his injured leg. She could hear the strong, reassuring thump of his heart, feel the hard warmth of his body next to her own, and in that moment was so profoundly grateful for both, she wanted to weep.

“I was in the control tower when your distress call came in,” she said quietly, tracing a pattern on his chest with her finger.

“Ah,
mina…
I’m sorry.”

“I was so frightened. I was so sure you’d be killed, and I’d never get the chance to tell you how much I love you, or that I didn’t mean those awful things I said to you the other day after you took me up in the Coyote.” She shivered and burrowed closer. “But as scary as it all was, it wasn’t nearly as frightening as the thought of going through the rest of my life without you.”

His arm tightened around her. “Don’t think about it anymore. It’s over and we’re both here. Together. That’s the important thing.”

“They’ve arrested Lieutenant Palmer in connection with the sabotage. There will be an inquest.”

“I know. I spoke briefly with Captain Dawson before they brought me into surgery. After he chewed my ass for not ejecting sooner, that is.” He gave a snort of disbelief. “I’d have never guessed Palmer carried so much resentment and anger.”

Sedona lifted her head to look at Angel, and used her fingers to smooth the frown between his brows. “I guess you never really know what goes on inside another person’s head. Or their heart.”

Angel brushed a tendril of hair back from her face. “I guess not. I’ll try and make sure you’re never in any doubt about what’s in my heart.” He pressed another kiss against her forehead. “The good news is that it’s over. Once all the jets are checked over and cleared, the navy can get them back in the air where they belong. It’s over,
mina.
”

“Thank God for that,” Sedona breathed fervently. “Your last test flight was too close a call for me.” She yawned, suddenly overcome by fatigue.

“Let’s get some sleep,” Angel said, and tipped her face up for a brief, hard kiss.

“Mmm,” she said as she sighed, smiling at him. “I
am
tired, but it’s probably nothing compared to how you must feel. You’ve had quite a day.”

Angel shook his head. “As bad as it was, it could have been a lot worse. You won’t hear any complaints from me.”

“I should probably leave.” She burrowed deeper into his warmth. “You need your rest, and I can’t help feeling I shouldn’t be here.”

Angel put a finger under her chin and tipped her face up to look into her eyes. “You’re here with me,
mina,
which is exactly where you should be.”

As Sedona searched his eyes and saw the tenderness reflected there, she knew he was right. She relaxed against him. He was safe, and they were together. Beyond that, nothing else seemed important. Her arm tightened briefly around him as she let sleep slowly overtake her. She’d made a mistake by shutting him out of her life once; she wouldn’t do it again.

17

S
EDONA
SAT
AT
her desk and fingered the photos in her hands. There was the photo of Angel in her bed, lounging back against the pillows with nothing more than a towel wrapped around his lean hips. He had one arm bent behind his head as he grinned into the camera. She traced a fingertip over the photo. From his bulging biceps to his taut, washboard stomach, he looked altogether delicious.

The second picture was of the two of them, faces close together as he snapped the picture from arm’s length. Her face was flushed and laughing. She looked like a woman in love.

Turning the photos facedown on the desk, she pressed her hands against her eyes. She couldn’t do it. There was no way she could use the intimate photos of Angel to expose the Membership and their disgusting practices.

“Hey, you okay?”

Sedona pulled her hands away from her face and looked up. She’d arrived back at her office two days earlier and had contacted Agent Denton at the Defense Criminal Investigative Service. She told him she’d had a change of heart regarding the Membership, and together they’d worked out a plan to fully expose the club and end their sordid promotion tactics. All she had to do now was confront the members. Sedona was done hiding; this would be the first courageous step she took toward her new life.

She was scared to death.

She looked up at Agent Denton. “I really hope I’m doing the right thing.”

Denton was old enough to be her father, but there was nothing remotely fatherly about him. He looked tough and uncompromising, and she wondered just what experiences he’d been through to carve such deep lines into his face.

“No waffling allowed, Miss Stewart. Either you’re committed to this, or you’re not. You’ve already turned in your resignation. What do you have to lose?”

Nothing, except my self-respect.
She just hoped Angel never discovered how she’d used the photos they’d taken. He hated deception. He’d be furious if he knew. Not that there was any chance of that. He wasn’t due back from Lemoore for another three days, and he wouldn’t be returning to the flight line at Aerospace International until after his ankle had fully mended. By then, this would be nothing more than a distant memory.

“You’re right,” she acknowledged, looking at Agent Denton. “I have nothing to lose. So…let’s do this thing.”

“Agent Bates checked your wire?”

“Yes. She said it’s good to go.” Sedona touched a hand to her midsection where Agent Bates had used first-aid tape to fasten a hidden recording device against her skin. “Hopefully she’s a little smarter than I am, and won’t forget to turn the thing on.”

A spark of amusement lit Agent Denton’s hard eyes. “It’s already recording.” He checked his watch. “We have five minutes. Ready to go?”

Sedona drew in a deep breath in an effort to calm her nerves. “Yes, ready.”

“Okay, now stop second-guessing yourself. You’ll be fine. Sullivan expects you to be triumphant, even a little aggressive, so don’t be afraid to work it. Throw those photos in his face and demand the promotion they promised you. Right?”

She wiped her damp palms on her skirt. “Right.”

“You told Mike Sullivan to get the members together in the F/A-44 conference room?”

Sedona scooped the photos up from the desk. “Yes. It’s sort of out of the way, and offers more privacy than the other conference rooms. I—I refused to meet them in the men’s bathroom.”

Agent Denton checked his watch once more. “You should be on your way. I’ll be listening right here, and Agent Bates should already be in position across the hall from the conference room.” He compressed his lips in what Sedona guessed was his form of an encouraging smile. “You can do this.”

Leaving her office, Sedona walked briskly past Linda, who practically leaped from her chair upon seeing her. “Oh, Sedona, I have a message for you.”

Sedona held up her hand to stop the other woman. “Sorry, Linda. I’m late for a meeting. I’ll catch you on my way back.”

Yeah, right. The only thing she was going to catch was a train home. Ignoring Linda’s look of dismay, she continued through the hallways, skirting the manufacturing bays until she reached the conference room where the Membership had agreed to meet.

Sedona paused outside the door to collect herself. She glanced quickly over her shoulder at the door across the hall, but it remained firmly closed. The corridor behind her was empty. Before she could change her mind, she pushed open the conference-room door and stepped inside.

* * *

A
NGEL
TRIED
TO
curb his impatience. “Did you give her my message?”

It was clear the plump administrative assistant was completely flustered by his presence, but he didn’t care. He was anxious to see Sedona, and missing her by mere minutes hadn’t improved his disposition.

“I tried to give her your message, sir, but she was in such a hurry.”

“Okay.” He rubbed a hand over his face. He’d pushed himself hard over the past week, both physically and mentally, to get released from the hospital and complete his statements to the investigators. He’d been overjoyed when the lead investigator finally seemed satisfied with his report and said he was free to go home. He’d managed to catch an early flight out of Lemoore that morning. From Logan Airport, he’d caught a taxi directly to Aerospace International. “Can you tell me where the meeting is? I really need to see her.”

The woman looked slightly dazed as she stared up at him. “I’m not sure…sir. There was no meeting scheduled on the calendar. It looked like she was headed to the manufacturing bay.”

Angel gave her a quick smile and swung away on his crutches. “Thanks, I know where she’s going.”

The F/A-44 conference room, located on the far side of the manufacturing bay. Whatever meeting she was attending, he’d just slip into the back of the room and wait for her to finish. It had been three days since he’d seen her and he was going crazy.

Bracing himself on his crutches, he swung silently through the corridors. Since he was officially off duty, and out of consideration for the bulky cast on his foot, he wore a pair of loose cargo pants and a T-shirt. He was grateful he didn’t run into anyone he knew.

As he neared the conference room, voices drifted toward him through the partially open door. He was just debating poking his head in to see if Sedona was there, when the sound of his name being spoken froze him where he stood.

“So you’re telling me you were getting it on with Lieutenant Commander Torres the entire time we were out at Lemoore? Well, hell, Stewart, that’s all you needed to tell me. Why make me feel like it was a personal rejection?”

What in hell?
That was Larson’s voice.

“Because if Lieutenant Torres even suspected my true reasons for being with him, it would have been all over. But he didn’t suspect a thing, and I have the proof.”

Angel recoiled.

“Okay, let’s see this ‘proof.’”

Angel thought he recognized this new voice. It sounded like Mike “Hound Dog” Sullivan, one of the lead engineers for the Coyote program. Angel didn’t know the man well, but he was familiar with Sullivan’s reputation.

“Oh,” Sedona crooned, “you’ll get your proof.” Her voice hardened. “Just as soon as I get my guarantee that the next promotion is mine. I mean, that was the deal, right? I screw some guy’s brains out while I’m on business travel, bring back proof of the deed, and you guys make sure I get promoted. So I ask again—where’s my guarantee?”

Angel heard several male voices as they talked in raised, excited tones. He stood immobile, stunned. He felt like someone had just kicked him in the gut. Hard.

“Okay, Stewart,” Sullivan drawled. “Show us the proof, and if it’s like you say it is, then sure…the next promotion is yours.”

“Well, then, here you go, boys.”

There was the sound of paper being slapped down on the surface of the table, and then several long, low whistles.

“I’m impressed, Stewart,” Larson said. “You really
were
banging Torres. These photos are…inspiring.”

“Yes, I think so, too. Now, about that promotion…”

Angel turned away, sickened. Part of him wanted to shove his way into that conference room and confront Sedona. He wanted to throw the deceitful little witch over his shoulder and carry her to some private place where he could wring the truth out of her lying lips; she belonged to him.

Another part of him wanted to go in there and smash a fist into Larson’s face. Anything to wipe off the smug expression he knew he’d find there.

Instead, he turned away. He didn’t know if he had the stomach to face Sedona, not when he’d been so certain what they’d shared had been special…magical.

She’d told him about the Membership, but she’d left out the fact that she was campaigning for her own position within the club. To find out she’d used him to satisfy some twisted, sexual prerequisite to advance her career was mind-boggling. He felt defiled.

Without waiting to hear more, he retraced his steps as swiftly as his crutches would allow. He was an idiot, a total idiot to have been so completely duped by her. To think, he’d fallen hook, line and sinker for her sweet, sultry come-ons. He didn’t know if he’d ever manage to accept that she’d seduced him in order to get ahead.

He thumped his way along the corridor, remembering how she’d protested his taking the pictures. He’d played right into her hands, thinking he was helping her with her artwork. At the time, he’d have done anything she wanted, given her anything. Christ, he’d practically begged her to take the photos.

He snorted derisively. After he’d taken her up in the Coyote, she’d told him what they had together was nothing more than lust, but he’d refused to believe it. He’d been so convinced their relationship was the real thing, but in reality, it had been nothing but a cheap knockoff. She’d fooled him once. It wouldn’t happen again.