Hold On (Delos Series Book 5) (5 page)

Her hand shook as she placed the key in the lock. “Thanks,” she said a little breathlessly. “It’s nice to have a personal guard dog.” She slipped inside. “Good night, Beau. Thanks for the pizza and beer.” She saw him smile, lift his baseball cap to her, and then settle it back on his head.

“My pleasure, ma’am. Sleep well. I’ll see you in the morning. Good night.”

Callie pushed the door closed, her heart pounding with the need for more of Beau. He was being the essential gentleman, which was exactly what she’d wanted. So why did she feel so damned disappointed that he hadn’t gripped her arm, hauled her against him, and kissed her senseless? Because she knew he could have, but he hadn’t.

There were four rooms with doors within her plywood B-hut. She knocked on Dara’s door quietly, not wanting to wake up the other two women, who were already asleep. Dara didn’t answer. Grinning, Callie would have bet anything that Matt Culver had lured her over to the Eagle’s Nest. It was well known on the base that the black ops groups had their hideaways where they could take a woman, make love to her, and do it without having to worry about the MPs breaking in to ruin their night.

Turning, she moved into her small, cramped quarters across the hall from her sister’s room. Callie wanted only happiness for her big sister and was proud of Dara for becoming an MD. But Dara didn’t understand the allure of a black ops soldier the way Callie did.

Although he had a stellar reputation, Matt Culver was still a guy, and Callie was afraid he going to use her sister and then walk away. Maybe she’d have a talk with Dara tomorrow morning at chow to warn her off Matt. But would her sister believe her?

Not that Matt Culver seemed like the playboy type. The look in his eyes when she’d catch him looking at her sister was more than lust. It went far deeper.

Muttering to herself, Callie shook her head and shut her door, locking it. She had enough problems of her own with Beau Gardner suddenly popping up in her life. He seemed so damned sincere, and so far, he was scoring very low on her BS meter. In fact, he was off the meter entirely.

Well, she’d wanted honesty, right? And he was giving it to her. Shedding her clothes, she decided to take a hot shower in the morning when it was light. Callie never liked to walk over to the shower area after dark. There were too many male predators on this base, and in her five years here, women had been mugged and raped. That was not a place she wanted to go.

Instead, she had a large aluminum bowl, a gallon jug of water sitting beside her dresser, a washcloth, and some soap in a Ziploc bag. She would give herself a spit bath and then go to bed.

*

When Callie’s head
hit the pillow and she snuggled down into her bed, she immediately began to think about Beau. She loved his low, soft drawl, that boyish twitch of his lips, the warm amusement in his piercing gray eyes—eyes that missed nothing.

She was sure many people had been fooled by Beau’s good-ol’-boy demeanor. He exuded patience, care, and a sense of protectiveness that appealed strongly to Callie. The man was the whole package for a woman seeking someone steady and reliable in her life. Callie had often dreamed of finding a man who liked babies, and Beau had such a way with the little Afghan girls. That morning, when he’d arrived, they had surrounded him, shy but wanting to be in the sunlight of his aura, his care, and his open, giving warmth. Often, she’d see Beau kneel down, tie a shoelace, help a little girl with a coverall strap that was hanging off her small, thin shoulder. He’d tighten it up just a bit to keep it from falling off again.

Afghan girls were taught to fear boys and men. It was all part of a tribal culture aimed at suppressing women. Unfortunately, it started early, when little girls had barely begun to walk.

But Beau was a highly unusual man, and these children, who had lost their parents and grandparents, basked in the warmth of his quiet, gentle presence. Callie had tried to escape being affected by him, but it was too late now—her heart was already getting involved, no matter what she did to try to ignore it. So what on earth was she going to do now?

C
allie heard Dara
enter the B-hut at 0600 the next morning. She could barely hear her sister whispering to Matt Culver out on the porch as she held the door open. Her heart sinking, Callie realized that they’d been together all night over at the Eagle’s Nest. Happiness for Dara warred with her concern that Matt was like every other man on this base: wanting sex and nothing else from a woman.

Her sister was still pretty innocent about military men, who went for months without sex and were horny as hell. On the other hand, Dara wasn’t the type to tumble lightning-fast for a guy, as she seemed to be falling for Matt Culver.

Callie couldn’t blame her sister: Matt was an incredibly good-looking man, confident, brave, and demonstrating the best manners. And that didn’t even touch his sky-high intelligence. Then again, Delta Force men were dangerous that way—a lethal combination of brains and brawn.

Sighing, she heard the door close and Callie opened hers, peeking out. Dara appeared wrapped in euphoria, her eyes soft, all the tension she usually carried now gone. There was no question that they had made love last night, and probably this morning, too, judging from the drowsy, satisfied look in her sister’s eyes.

“Want to go take a shower?” Callie asked her.

“That’s a very good idea,” Dara agreed. “Just give me ten minutes and I’ll go over with you.”

“Great,” Callie said. “Is it still raining outside?”

“No, just high humidity, a lot of sharp, cutting wind, and darn cold,” Dara reported, opening her door across the hall.

“Knock on my door when you’re ready, okay?” she asked Dara.

“Yes, will do . . .”
For sure
, Callie thought,
Dara is in la-la land
. Callie easily recognized that look. It came with super orgasms and lots of them. Matt Culver must have been one hell of a lover, along with his other talents. But then, the Delta boys were always in high demand. The women here weren’t stupid; they hooked up with the strongest, the sexiest, the brightest warriors available. It was a case of natural selection at work. Right?

Callie groaned and pushed on her clogs, wrapped herself up in her yellow terry-cloth bathrobe, and put her bath and hair towels into her bag. She tossed in shampoo, soap, and conditioner, and she was ready to go. She expected that she and her sister would catch up over morning chow.

*

“You look like
you’ve just arrived from another universe,” Callie teased as she and Dara found some seats midway through the hundreds of tables and benches. The chow hall at 0630 was relatively quiet compared to what it would be like in an hour. This building held a lot of hungry men and women for three square meals a day.

Dara sat opposite her, dressed in a pair of black wool slacks, a red turtleneck sweater, and a black wool blazer. “Is it that obvious?” she asked coyly, scooping scrambled eggs onto her fork.

Chuckling, Callie said, “How many orgasms? Must have been a lot, judging by the way you looked when you came in.” She saw Dara give her a horrified look. “Oh, come on, Dara, this is between us girls. Orgasms do exist, you know. And after all, you’re a medical doctor,” she said, grinning wolfishly.

“You are so crass sometimes,” Dara muttered, trying not to smile.

“How many? Come on, tell all to your little sister . . .”

“Lots. That’s all you get to know. And now I’m going to change the subject.”

“I’d sure like to be in your shoes,” Callie sighed. “Or out of them!” She ate her oats and saw her sister’s cheeks turn red. Dara was conservative, elegant, beautiful, and introverted. Unlike Callie, who was the exact opposite. Callie knew she was attractive, but she’d never kidded herself that she was the beautiful sister. Dara was the one with that soft, natural blond hair that fell like a cloak around her shoulders.

“What about that other Delta guy? Beau Gardner? He seems to really like you,” Dara pointed out. “Sometimes, I see him watching you, and the look on his face belongs to a man who yearns for his woman.”

“Yeah, to get into my pants,” her sister mumbled.

“Oh, that’s mean, Callie. He’s as nice as Matt is.”

“Yes, and look what happened to you once Matt came along!”

Dara grinned and shook her head. “Okay, so this isn’t my norm with a man. I know it takes me months to warm up to a potential prospect.”

“Yeah, this one took . . . what? All of six days? Wow, you’re setting a new personal best for yourself, Dara.”

“Jealousy will get you nowhere,” her sister laughed. “Come on! He’s a wonderful person. I really enjoy being with him.”

Callie sobered. “But, Dara, you’re going to be gone in another four days, back home in Alexandria to finish your residency. Matt Culver is staying here until March, and what then? God only knows where the Army will send his team next. He’s a shadow warrior—not the best type of guy to hook up with.”

“Matt’s enlistment is up next March, Callie, and then he’s getting out.”

Brows raised, Callie said, “Really?”

“Yes, and did you know his family lives in Alexandria? He’s coming home to Virginia to help his mother run Delos, her global charity.”

“Oh,” Callie murmured thoughtfully. “So that makes a difference. After all, he’ll be in your area.”

“It does make a difference,” Dara agreed. She sighed. “Callie, I’m falling for this guy. He’s the real deal. I realize I don’t have your experience with men, but I have enough to know Matt is someone I’m very serious about.”

“And is he serious about you?”

“I believe so.”

Callie stirred her oats. “I just don’t want to see you get hurt, Dara.”

Reaching out, Dara squeezed her hand. “I know that, Callie.”

“Yes, well, I can tell you from too many experiences that falling for a military guy isn’t the best choice.”

Dara munched on her toast. “So what’s with you and Beau, then? Sometimes I’ve come out of my examination room and found him watching you from a distance. Not stalkerlike, but he’ll be diapering the babies or helping the little ones, and he’ll lift his head and watch you pass by.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

Shrugging, but secretly pleased, Callie said, “I’m too busy to check out who’s looking at me.”

“Well, I swear, he looks like a puppy dog who’s falling in love.”

“Great!” Callie choked. “Just what I need.”

Laughing, Dara smiled over at her. “Callie, you’re young, you’re beautiful, and you have a killer body most women would die for. I see the looks you get here in the chow hall every morning.”

“But I don’t want to be a damned sex object, Dara. You know that.”

“Well, you and I agree on that one. I want a man who treats me like an equal too. One who respects me . . .”

“Like Matt Culver does?”

“Yes.” Dara’s voice went soft. “He’s wonderful, Callie. I tried to ignore him when he met us outside those exit doors after our belly-dancing routine. But he has a way about him.” She sighed. “He’s so sensual. And charming. And funny. He even makes me laugh, and you know how few men can do that!”

“Well, it sounds pretty good, and I’m happy for you, sis,” Callie agreed. “Enjoy your last four days here, and don’t forget, we’re driving out to that Shinwari village. It’s all set up. You’ll be doing your medical rounds for women, children, and babies in the village, and I’ll be handing out shoes and winter clothing to the children.”

“Are Matt and Beau going with us, I hope?”

“Yes. You worry too much, Dara. I don’t think Matt would let you go out there without him.”

“I know,” she admitted ruefully. “I never feel safe here, Callie. I mean, I want to volunteer my time with you and the Hope Charity. But I’m never relaxed. Well, I take that back. Last night, I was
very
relaxed.”

Callie snickered, shaking her head. “Well, if nothing else, keep going to the Eagle’s Nest every night with him and you’ll be loosey-goosey by the time we drive that twenty-five miles to the village.”

Dara’s eyes became huge. “Callie! How did you know about the Eagle’s Nest?”