Dark Knight: A Loveswept Romance Classic (23 page)

The buzz in the room quieted as people spied the latest guest, and then it quieted altogether when Scottie turned to face them.

“Everyone, I’d like to introduce you to your new co-commander.”

“Daddy?” Blue’s soft whisper traveled the entire length of the silent room. She pushed her way through the crowd until she stood before him.

Scottie watched as Del turned and focused his attention exclusively on his daughter. He nodded.

Blue looked him over. “Say something so I know it’s you.”

“It’s me,
mi cielo.
”

My sky. The name he’d called her at birth, the name that had resulted in her being called Blue. “It is you,” she said on a soft gasp. Her eyes grew glassy, and she threw her arms around him. “I thought you weren’t coming back.”

Del had been reunited with Blue, whom he hadn’t seen since she was a child and who thought her father was dead, earlier that year, during the same assignment where she’d met Diego.

Blue broke the embrace and engulfed Scottie in a tight hug. “Thank you, Scottie. For bringing him back. Again.”

“He was already back,” Scottie said, returning the hug. “I just convinced him the world wouldn’t come to an end if he stepped out of the shadows a little ways.”

Del cleared his throat, obviously uncomfortable. Amid murmurs coming from the rest of the group, he said, “Shouldn’t we get on with it?”

“Not yet,” Blue interrupted. She turned and lifted her hand, signaling Diego. “There’s another reason we wanted you here today.” Diego came forward and tucked Blue to his side. They turned so they faced Del and the rest of the gathering. “I’ve been badgering Scottie for a month now, trying to get her to find me a way to contact you.” Eyes shining at Scottie, she said, “This is so perfect.” She looked back to Del. “You’re going to be a grandfather,
mi padre
,” she said with a soft smile.

Whoops and gasps followed by applause filled the office with cheerful noise. Suspicious moisture in his own eyes, Del stepped forward and pulled his daughter into a hug that was only awkward for a split second. Only when the applause had died down, leaving a few audible sniffles, did they pull apart.

Del laid his hand on his daughter’s stomach. “I will make this child a promise.” He looked into Blue’s eyes. “I will be here for him or her. Always. Just as I will be here for you from now on.”

Scottie wiped at the tears now flowing down her cheeks. Logan moved behind her and pulled her back against him in a comforting hug. He leaned down and whispered in her ear. “I want that to be our future, too, Anunsciata Bernadina. That
will
be us.”

Scottie nodded, no longer trying to dry her eyes. She tipped her head back and looked up at Logan. “As
long as you promise me that
I
get to name her if she’s a girl.”

Logan’s mock wounded expression dissolved into chuckles.

Del cleared his throat and stepped toward the group. When the room was completely silent, he spoke.

“I started this team ten years ago at the request of our government. The guidelines I set for individual performance were strict and necessary if we were to succeed at the difficult assignments that Uncle Sam was going to ask of us. And we were successful. More than anyone could have hoped for. Every one of you can be proud of the work you’ve done, and under the most extreme circumstances and personal sacrifices.” He paused for a moment and took time to look at each team member, new and old, individually.

“I haven’t changed my stance on the requirements for a good field agent. But I have changed in other ways. I look at you, and I see some of the best agents I have ever had the pleasure to work with. I also look at you and see the beginnings of families.” There was a collective holding of breath. “And I give you all my blessing.”

Scottie squeezed Logan’s hand and saw the other couples affirming their connections in their own personal way as well.

“It is time to move this team in a new direction. The Dirty Dozen as it existed has fulfilled its original mandate. Unfortunately there is still much work to be done. In order to do it most effectively, we will continue to firmly establish an internal base of operations and training as Scottie has already implemented.”

“You’re returning to the team?” This came from John McShane.

“Always the impatient one.”

John simply smiled.

“An unrepentant lot,” Del grumbled, but it was followed by a good-natured chuckle. “Went and fell in love despite yourselves.” He bowed his head for a moment, as if composing himself, then looked up. “I consider it an honor to return to heading this team.” He looked at Scottie. “I also consider it an honor to be brought into this growing family. There is a strength here that, though it is unfortunately a weakness in fieldwork, will be one of our biggest assets internally as the Dirty Dozen moves into the twenty-first century.” He cleared his throat. “Thank you for forging ahead and proving to an old man that amidst chaos there can be love.”

He raised his hands to fend off the sudden clamor of good wishes. “Scottie will brief you all later on the breakdown of command,” he said gruffly, somewhat embarrassed by all the emotions running rampant in the room. “Essentially, she will continue to be in charge of setting up all ongoing training of current field agents. I will return to strategic command of our field operations.” He looked at Blue. “I will be based here in Denver as well.” He looked back to the group and said sharply, “So be prepared. I will be in these offices all the time. Look sharp, or you’ll be hearing from me.”

His attempt at stern command was an immediate failure as everyone moved forward and crowded around him, Blue, and Diego. Congratulations and welcomes were interspersed with hugs and backslaps.

Logan extricated Scottie from the throng and pulled her silently into the hall, easing the double doors shut behind him.

“Went pretty well, don’t you think?” she asked.

“On a scale of one to ten, I think he hit about fifteen.” He pulled her into his arms. “You did a good job, Scottie. Another mission successfully completed.”

She smiled. One down. One to go. “He was so insistent on his input remaining anonymous, he really had me worried.”

“He obviously had no idea who he was dealing with.”

She held his approving gaze for a long, silent moment, drinking in the quiet strength he offered. “My dark knight, my champion in all things.”

“Always.”

“This is really going to work, isn’t it?”

“Of course it is. All of it.”

Scottie grinned back. “What a team. Nothing can stop us.”

“Look out world, here comes the new dynamic duo.” Logan kissed her. He released her suddenly. “I can’t wait another second. I wanted to plan something really wonderful and romantic, but all those people in there so disgustingly happily married and—” He broke off and grinned. “Think you could handle being married to a superhero?”

“Could you?” she tossed back.

He swooped in and delivered a kiss that left her gasping and clinging to him. Of course, the way she’d kissed him back had rendered him the same. “Most definitely.” He hugged her. “Most definitely.” He pulled away enough to look at her. “But you have to promise me one thing. You’ll wear the catsuit on our wedding night?”

She punched his shoulder even as she laughed. “See,
I knew you had latent latex fantasies. So, you want Catwoman, do you?” She snuggled up to him, purring, then ran a fingernail slowly down his chest. She continued to trail her nail down over the fly of his jeans.

He groaned. “Okay, no catsuit. You don’t need one.”

She looked him in the eye and smiled smugly. “You’re right.”

She beamed and pulled his head down for a long, deep kiss. When she had him reduced to gasping, she pulled away. “What are your plans for later this afternoon?”

“Plans?” His eyes were still glazed.

“Well, we do think alike. About those romantic plans … I had some of my own.”

Logan grinned. “You were going to propose?”

“I have a room reserved at the Brown Palace for tonight. Would you care to join me?” She leaned in and delivered a growling purr next to his ear. “There might be latex involved.”

“I’m there,” he said weakly. Then he surprised a whoop of laughter out of her as he swung her up into his arms.

“Logan, put me—Where are you taking me?”

He strode down the hall toward the elevators.

“I have an office full of people. We can’t leave right n—”

“We can. Del’s there. He can take care of things. That’s what delegating is all about.”

“But—”

“When latex is involved, it’s every man for himself.” He kissed her silent as he stepped into the elevator. He didn’t release her mouth until the doors opened in the
parking garage. She wasn’t arguing any longer. He grinned down into the face of the woman who had changed his life, who had given him back his life. The woman who was breathless and grinning back at him.

“So,” he asked, walking on air, “do you think the Brown Palace has a chapel?”

She smiled slyly. “I know they do.”

He chuckled. “I see another successful mission in your immediate future.”

“I see a lifetime mission in my future.”

Logan dropped her feet gently to the ground. “And we all know how important a successful mission is to you.”

“Yeah,” she said, going into his arms. “That we do.” Tears sparkled in her eyes. “I can’t promise you what kind of future we’ll have, but I can promise you that you’ll always come first.
We
will always come first.”

“That’s all I’ll ever ask.”

“I’ve given my whole life to my work, willingly. I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished and I’m looking forward to continuing, with you there fighting the good fight with me.” She looked up into his eyes. “But I also want time for me. For us. I want time for family. I want to spend the rest of my life creating and building the family I always wanted and never had.”

“We’ll have all that and more, Scottie.” He stepped closer. “In fact, that’s a promise I intend to start keeping right now.”

He pushed her back against the car and lowered his mouth to hers. Several moments later a throaty chuckle echoed through the empty garage. It was quickly followed by a low, whispered moan.

“Ohhhh, James.”

Welcome to Loveswept!

Summer’s over and the days are starting to get shorter and cooler. If you’re missing summer’s warmth, turn up the heat with our new Loveswept releases.

Coming out next month: Linda Cajio’s super-sexy
NIGHTS IN WHITE SATIN
, Karen Leabo’s moving and tender
LANA’S LAWMAN
, and three more fantastic books from Donna Kauffman:
MIDNIGHT HEAT, BORN TO BE WILD
and
SURRENDER THE DARK
.

If you love romance … then you’re ready to be
Loveswept
!

Gina Wachtel
Associate Publisher

P.S. Watch for these terrific Loveswept titles coming soon: In November, we have six more exhilarating reads for you: Adrienne Staff’s irresistible
PARADISE CAFÉ
, Linda Cajio’s playful and sexy
THE PERFECT CATCH
, Debra Dixon’s sensual
DOC HOLIDAY
, Samantha Kane’s brilliant
THE DEVIL’S THIEF
, and two more enthralling titles from Donna Kauffman:
TEASE ME
, and
BAYOU HEAT
. And December brings these fantastic releases: Juliet Rosetti’s charming
ESCAPE DIARIES
, Juliana Garnett’s enchanting medieval
THE MAGIC
, and four more breathtaking stories from Donna Kauffman’s:
BOUNTY HUNTER, TANGO IN PRADISE, ILLEGAL MOTION
and
BLACK SATIN
. Don’t miss any of these extraordinary reads. I promise that you’ll fall in love and treasure these stories for years to come.…

“Any local worth his salt knows what time the fishing starts in Star Harbor,” a large, handsome, dangerous-looking man with raven-black hair intoned in a deadpan. “And it ain’t eight-thirty.”

After listening to this blatant insult, Sebastian Grayson, world traveler and master chef, fought the urge to throttle the man who was now reeling in his line. Throttle him, or toss his own tackle box off Mutterman’s Pier and crawl back into his tiny berth on Val’s boat. Of course, both would require energy, so he let exhaustion win out. Pulling his leather jacket more tightly around his tired, aching body, Seb leaned back on a pylon and closed his eyes, breathing in the familiar tang of salt water and wet wood. The cold, foggy air rushing into his lungs was helping to wake him up some, but he’d still kill for a latte.

Cole’s wisecrack had definitely hit a nerve. Just like his brother, Seb was Star Harbor born and bred, and even though he hadn’t lived in town for the last decade, it didn’t mean he’d lost his “local” status. He’d been on this pier a thousand times. The clang of the buoys in the harbor, the strain and creak of the boats at their moorings, and the cries of the seabirds searching for their morning meal were all imprinted on his brain. The images of his three brothers were imprinted there, too, each of them in his favorite spot along the wharf, just as they were now.