Hot Combat. Elle James

it’s me, Kevin.”

      “Thank goodness.” She laughed, the sound even shakier than her knees.

      “Any more trouble last night?”

      She shook her head and then remembered he couldn’t see her. “No. I’m beginning to think I’m paranoid.”

      “Not at all. In fact, I’m sending someone over to check things out. He should be there in a few minutes.”

      “Oh. Okay. Thanks, Kevin.”

      “The guy I’m sending is one hundred percent trustworthy. I’d only send the best to you and Lolly.” He broke off suddenly. “Sorry. I have an incoming call. We’ll talk later.”

      “Thanks, Kevin.” Feeling only slightly better, Charlie returned the phone to its charger and stepped out onto the porch.

      Shadow rubbed against her legs and trotted to the empty bowl on the back porch steps.

      “Impatient, are we?” Charlie walked out onto the porch, shaking off the feeling of being watched, calling herself all kinds of a fool for being so paranoid. She dropped to her haunches to rub the cat behind the ears.

      Shadow nipped at her fingers, preferring food to fondling. Charlie smiled. “Greedy thing.” She bent to grab the dish. When she rose, she caught movement in the corner of her eyes and then there were jean-clad legs standing in front of her.

      She gasped and backed up so fast, she forgot she was still squatting and fell on her bottom. A scream lodged in her throat and she couldn’t get a sound to emerge.

      The man looming over her was huge. He stood with his back to the sun, his face in the shadows, and he had hands big enough to snap her bones like twigs. He extended one of those hands.

      Charlie slapped it away and crab-walked backward toward the door. “Wh-who are you? What do you want?” she whispered, her gaze darting to the left and the right, searching for anything she could use as a weapon.

      “Geez, Charlie, you’d think you’d remember me.” He climbed the steps and, for the second time, reached for her hand. Before she could jerk hers away, he yanked her to her feet. A little harder than either of them expected.

      Charlie slammed against a wall of muscle, the air knocked from her chest. Or had her lungs seized at his words? She knew that voice. Her pulse pounded against her eardrums, making it difficult for her to hear. “Jon?”

      He brushed a strand of her hair from her face. “Hey, Charlie, I didn’t know you were my assignment.” He chuckled, that low, sexy sound that made her knees melt like butter.

      Her heart burst with joy. He’d come back. Then as quickly as her joy spread, anger and fear followed. She flattened her palms against his chest and pushed herself far enough way, Jon was forced to drop his hands from around her waist. “What are you doing here?” she demanded.

      “I’m on assignment.” He grinned. “And it appears you’re it.”

      She shook her head. “I don’t understand.”

      “Kevin Garner sent me. The Navy loaned me to the Department of Homeland Security for a special task force. I thought it was going to be a boondoggle, and actually asked to be released from the assignment. But it looks like it won’t be nearly as bad as I’d anticipated.”

      Charlie straightened her shirt, her heartbeat hammering, her ears perked to the sound of little footsteps. “You were right. Get Kevin to release you. Go back to the Navy. They need you more there.”

      “Whoa. Wait a minute. I promised Kevin I’d give it a week.” Jon gripped her arms. “Why the hurry to get rid of me? As I recall, we used to have chemistry.”

      She shrugged off his hand. “That was a long time ago. A lot has changed since then. Please. Just go. I can handle the situation myself.”

      “If you’re in trouble, let me help.”

      “No.” God, why did he have to come back now? And why was it so hard to get rid of him? He’d certainly left without a care, never looking back or contacting her. Well, he could stay gone, for all she gave a damn. “I’m pretty sure I don’t need you. Ask Kevin to assign you elsewhere.”

      “Mommy, I found the brush.” Lolly pushed through the back door, waving a purple-handled hairbrush. “You can braid my hair now.” Charlie’s daughter, with her clear blue eyes and fiery auburn hair tumbling down her back, stepped through the door and stopped. Her mouth dropped open and her head tilted way back as she stared up at the big man standing on her porch. “Mommy?” she whispered. “Who is the big man?”

      Charlie’s heart tightened in her chest. If only her daughter knew. But she couldn’t tell her and she couldn’t tell Jon. Not after all these years. Not when he’d be gone again as soon as he could get Kevin to release him. “This is Mr. Caspar. He was just leaving.” Thankfully, her daughter looked like a miniature replica of herself, but for the eyes. No one had guessed who the father was, except for her parents, and they’d been very discreet about the knowledge, never throwing it up in her face or giving her a hard time for sleeping with him without a wedding ring.

      Jon dropped to his haunches and held out his hand. “Would you like for me to brush your hair? I used to do it for your mother.”

      The memory of Jon brushing the hay and tangles out of her hair brought back a rush of memories Charlie would rather not have resurrected. Not now. Not when it had taken seven years to push those memories to the back of her mind. She had too much at stake.

      Charlie laid a hand on her daughter’s shoulder. “Mr. Caspar was leaving.”

      He shook his head and crossed his arms over his chest. “Sorry. I promised to stay for a week. I don’t go back on my word.”

      No, he didn’t. He’d told her he wasn’t looking for a long-term relationship when he’d last been in town. He’d lived up to his word then, leaving without once looking back. “Well, you’ll have to keep your promise somewhere else besides my back porch.”

      Her daughter tugged on the hem of her T-shirt. “Mommy, are you mad at the man?”

      With a sigh, Charlie shook her head. “No, sweetie, I’m not mad at him.” Well, maybe a little angry that he’d bothered to come back after seven years. Or more that he’d waited seven years to return. Hell, she didn’t know what to feel. Her emotions seemed to be out of control at the moment, bouncing between happiness at seeing him again and terror that he would discover her secret.

      Since Jon seemed in no hurry to leave, she’d have to get tougher. Charlie turned her little girl and gave her a nudge toward the door. “Go back inside, Lolly. We adults need to have a talk.”

      Lolly grabbed her hand and clung to it. “I don’t want to go.” She frowned at Jon. “What if the big man hurts you?”

      Lord, he’d already done that by breaking her heart. How could he hurt her worse?

      * * *

      GHOST WATCHED AS the little girl, who looked so much like her mother that it made his chest hurt, turned and entered the house, the screen door closing behind her.

      Charlie hadn’t waited around for him to come back. She’d gone on with her life, had a kid and probably had a husband lurking around somewhere. “Are you married?” He glanced over her shoulder, trying to see through the screen of the back door.

      “Since you’re not staying, does it matter?” She walked past him and down the stairs, grabbed a bowl from the ground and nearly tripped over a dark gray cat twisting around her ankles.

      When Charlie stepped over the animal and started up the steps, the feline ran ahead and stopped in front of Ghost. She touched her nose to his leg as if testing him.

      Ghost grew up on a ranch with barn cats. His father made sure they had two or three at any given time, but had them spayed and neutered to keep from populating