Rogue Soldier Read Free

winter he spent in a cave in the highlands,” he said.
    She didn’t respond.
    She was mad all right. She used to love his Grandpa Fergus stories.
    They huddled in the dark silence of the tent. He assessed their situation and tried to come up with a workable plan, but it wasn’t easy with Tessa right next to him.
    He could have recognized her by scent alone. She’d never been one for perfumes, but she had her own unique feminine essence that made him think of soft warm places and the way she would taste if he pressed his lips against her neck just below her ear. The way her eyes would glaze over if he dragged his day-old stubble over that sensitive patch of skin.
    â€œSo you and this Dr. Lippman, living out on the snowfields for months at a time, were…” He voiced the question that had been bugging him for days.
    Two dogs snapped at each other, and she recognized them from sound, called them by name and calmed them down before returning her attention to him.
    â€œLovers? Is that what you want to know?”
    The idea hurt. Man, he was an idiot. What had he expected? A woman like Tessa had probably had a dozen lovers in the past three years. Hell, she could get anyone. “Never mind.”
    â€œWe tried, but it didn’t work. We were much better at being colleagues than being a couple.”
    Some of the tension seeped out of his shoulders. He held back the need to ask what exactly “tried” meant. He wished he could see her face, but it was pitch-dark, their makeshift tent smelling like eau-de-wet-dog.
    He moved closer in the direction of her voice, and they bumped knees. She pulled away.
    She didn’t fool him, though. No way had she forgotten what they’d once had between them. She was probably hurt that he hadn’t come after her before this. Hell, he would have, but he’d been on one overseas assignment after another.
    He remembered every damn night they’d ever spent together—in detail. No time like the present to refresh her memory. He reached out and found her, cupped her face.
    â€œI missed you,” he whispered before lowering his mouth to hers.
    Her lips were soft and warm, and he sank into the sensation awakening his body from head to toe. He tasted the corners, not wanting to push, even as he burned for the rest of her. Then he felt the barrel of a gun press against the soft spot under his chin.
    â€œGet away from me, McNair,” she said, her voice as cold as the gunmetal.
    Â 
    S HE HATED THE WAY her body responded to him still, like a dog to the voice of his master, panting andjumping with excitement. Mike McNair did not control her. Not anymore. She’d worked hard to exile his memory and the emotions tangled up with it.
    Tessa pulled back the gun and licked her lips to make the tingling go away. He was the devil’s own. God, she was glad he’d come. Just this once. Even if she would never admit it out loud.
    The past had slammed into her, knocking the breath out of her the moment she’d seen him. The power he had over her scared her spitless, so she’d gone on the offensive and attacked him. The only other choice she had was to collapse into his arms, and she couldn’t do that. She couldn’t give him a toehold. If she did, he would take everything and leave her empty again.
    They were so close she could smell his tangy scent, feel his breath feather her cheek. She tucked her hands under her armpits so she wouldn’t reach out to him in the darkness.
    This was the man who took her virginity, ruined her career and broke her heart. In that order. Mike McNair was nothing if not thorough.
    â€œRemember Captain Tchaikovsky?”
    Of course she did. She grinned at the memory, glad it was dark and he couldn’t see her. Captain Tassky had been one mean SOB, called Tchaikovsky because he was considered a regular nutcracker. He was alsothe man who had sent Mike and Tessa into the woods with nothing but a pup