the doorway, watching him move with lithe grace to his car. Soon the powerful engine sprang to life and roared down the road. She watched the red tail lights disappear and touched her fingertips to her swollen lips. She slowly closed the door, a dreamy expression on her face.
Sean became a part of Valerie's life. When he was free from his duties at the base, he would show her parts of the famous city that she hadn't known existed. Her breath caught in her throat when they would walk along and Sean would lift her hand, pressing his lips against her open palm, sending liquid fire through her veins. She soon didn't want to think of what the future would be like without him.
One of their favorite haunts became the zoo. Watching the panthers pace restlessly, she glanced sideways under her lashes, comparing the tall, lean man standing next to her to the graceful jungle animals. A dark shirt and pants emphasized his wide shoulders and lean hips. His forearms were resting on the top of the fence, the fingers linked together. Sean's dark brown hair reflected gold highlights in the bright sunlight. Valerie's eyes traveled over his strong face, noting dark eyebrows over expressive eyes, the faint bump on his nose, and the cynical twist to his sensual mouth.
"Keep it up and I won't be responsible for the consequences." A low voice invaded her thoughts.
"What do you mean?" She looked up coyly.
"You know perfectly well what I mean, so don't play the fool with me." His words were clipped, cold.
Hurt by his sudden anger, she lowered her head to hide the tears pricking her eyelids. The back of a brown hand gently stroked her cheek.
"People will think I beat you, cat eyes," he murmured. "Strange, you seem so self-assured, yet you're such a little girl underneath. I have trouble finding out which you really are."
"Sometimes I'm not even sure myself," she whispered, her eyes still downcast.
"Let's go," Sean said crisply.
As the day passed, Valerie could feel his continued withdrawal, hurting her even more. In self-defense, she also withdrew, not caring that she was behaving like the child he was determined to consider her.
"How about some dinner?" Sean's brusque voice interrupted her feelings of self-misery.
"I don't care." Valerie shrugged her shoulders indifferently.
Sighing heavily, he directed her to a popular Chinese restaurant. Their meal was silent as she idly picked at her food. Sean pushed his plate aside, lighting a cigarette, and leaned back in his chair, his eyes narrowed against the smoke curling upward.
"I think you've played with your food long enough," he said abruptly, signaling the waiter. "Let's get out of here."
"I'm not finished," Valerie mumbled.
"Yes, you are," he said flatly.
Outside in the cool air, he looked down at her set features as if regretting his harsh words. "Would you care to look through some of the shops?"
"I want to go home," she replied tightly, walking away from him.
When they arrived at the car, she stared numbly ahead as he unlocked the passenger's door. She could feel his eyes on her, but refused to look up. Muttering a savage oath under his breath, he pulled her roughly into his arms, his hard mouth bruising her soft one. Struggling against the steel bands holding her, Valerie could feel the tears roll down her face in mute protest at his burning kiss. A soft moan was torn from her throat as he lifted his lips a fraction above hers.
"You're a witch, Valerie Rhodes, and by all rights I should be miles away from you," he muttered thickly, burying his face in her softly scented hair.
"Then why aren't you?" she asked breathlessly, resting her cheek against his chest.
"Because I am a fool." He quickly released her and pushed her into the car.
The silence was heavy during the drive back to Valerie's house. Sean shut off the engine, staring straight ahead.
"Will I see you tomorrow?" she asked softly.
"I don't think so, Val." His voice was bleak.
"The—the next day, then?" She feared
Sean became a part of Valerie's life. When he was free from his duties at the base, he would show her parts of the famous city that she hadn't known existed. Her breath caught in her throat when they would walk along and Sean would lift her hand, pressing his lips against her open palm, sending liquid fire through her veins. She soon didn't want to think of what the future would be like without him.
One of their favorite haunts became the zoo. Watching the panthers pace restlessly, she glanced sideways under her lashes, comparing the tall, lean man standing next to her to the graceful jungle animals. A dark shirt and pants emphasized his wide shoulders and lean hips. His forearms were resting on the top of the fence, the fingers linked together. Sean's dark brown hair reflected gold highlights in the bright sunlight. Valerie's eyes traveled over his strong face, noting dark eyebrows over expressive eyes, the faint bump on his nose, and the cynical twist to his sensual mouth.
"Keep it up and I won't be responsible for the consequences." A low voice invaded her thoughts.
"What do you mean?" She looked up coyly.
"You know perfectly well what I mean, so don't play the fool with me." His words were clipped, cold.
Hurt by his sudden anger, she lowered her head to hide the tears pricking her eyelids. The back of a brown hand gently stroked her cheek.
"People will think I beat you, cat eyes," he murmured. "Strange, you seem so self-assured, yet you're such a little girl underneath. I have trouble finding out which you really are."
"Sometimes I'm not even sure myself," she whispered, her eyes still downcast.
"Let's go," Sean said crisply.
As the day passed, Valerie could feel his continued withdrawal, hurting her even more. In self-defense, she also withdrew, not caring that she was behaving like the child he was determined to consider her.
"How about some dinner?" Sean's brusque voice interrupted her feelings of self-misery.
"I don't care." Valerie shrugged her shoulders indifferently.
Sighing heavily, he directed her to a popular Chinese restaurant. Their meal was silent as she idly picked at her food. Sean pushed his plate aside, lighting a cigarette, and leaned back in his chair, his eyes narrowed against the smoke curling upward.
"I think you've played with your food long enough," he said abruptly, signaling the waiter. "Let's get out of here."
"I'm not finished," Valerie mumbled.
"Yes, you are," he said flatly.
Outside in the cool air, he looked down at her set features as if regretting his harsh words. "Would you care to look through some of the shops?"
"I want to go home," she replied tightly, walking away from him.
When they arrived at the car, she stared numbly ahead as he unlocked the passenger's door. She could feel his eyes on her, but refused to look up. Muttering a savage oath under his breath, he pulled her roughly into his arms, his hard mouth bruising her soft one. Struggling against the steel bands holding her, Valerie could feel the tears roll down her face in mute protest at his burning kiss. A soft moan was torn from her throat as he lifted his lips a fraction above hers.
"You're a witch, Valerie Rhodes, and by all rights I should be miles away from you," he muttered thickly, burying his face in her softly scented hair.
"Then why aren't you?" she asked breathlessly, resting her cheek against his chest.
"Because I am a fool." He quickly released her and pushed her into the car.
The silence was heavy during the drive back to Valerie's house. Sean shut off the engine, staring straight ahead.
"Will I see you tomorrow?" she asked softly.
"I don't think so, Val." His voice was bleak.
"The—the next day, then?" She feared
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