Page 40 of The Woman Left Behind

That earned a chuckle. “Your celebration drink.”

“I don’t even have a headache this morning, so I didn’t drink that much, though I was a little happy when you called.”

“Your boss was reassuring. Thank him for me, for understanding that I was worried.”

“The funny thing is, when you called, he’d just finished running off some guy who asked me to dance.”

“Good for him. Tipsy women shouldn’t dance. No good can come of it.”

“I thought that was how you met Daddy.”

“And I have five kids. Point made.”

“Which ones of us would you give back?”

“There have been times in the lives of each one of you that I’d have jumped at the chance. I’m just glad last night wasn’t one of your nights.”

“Love you, too, Mom. Before I forget—unless there’s an emergency, it looks as if I’ll be able to come home for Thanksgiving. While I was still in the training program I was nailed down, but now I can probably wiggle free for a few days.”

“Hallelujah!” Delight warmed her mother’s tone. “It’s been too long. If you hadn’t been able to come, I was planning on making a trip the next weekend to see you.”

Wow, talk about dodging a bullet. Jina could just imagine marching to Levi’s orders and trying to entertain her parents at the same time, because there weren’t enough hours in the day.

“I’ll send you my flight information. I won’t have time to drive down, that would use up half of my time off.”

“I’ll have your favorite cake waiting.”

German chocolate!Jina’s salivary glands activated. “I’ve been working out like crazy, just to buy myself some leeway for the holidays. I love it when a plan comes together.”

Jina thought about that cake while she was drinking the all-important first cup of coffee and making herself a small protein smoothie, followed by a small bowl of oatmeal for the warm and homey feeling. After yesterday, she needed some comfort food, and there wasn’t any meatloaf available. To have that cake, she’d have to run even more miles. Heck, she’d have to run whether she had cake or not, because that was how this gig worked: stay in shape, or else.

Because she had time, she got on the computer and checked flight times. She lucked out and found a single seat on a Wednesday night flight out of Reagan to Atlanta, then she checked for an available seat to either Albany or Brunswick, her family home being about equidistant between the two. Then, on second thought, she arranged for a rental car, so she’d have her own wheels while she was there, in case the team got sent out on a mission and she had to leave in the middle of the night.

Pride filled her at the realization she’d really done it: she was a member of a GO-Team now. She not only had an important job where she could make a difference, she’d lasted through some tough training. A couple of the other trainees had gotten hurt, but even more of them had washed out. She hadn’t washed out, she was still standing at the end.

As an official part of the team, she should do what the guys did and keep a bag packed and in her car so she could leave at a minute’s notice.

There was a plan. Unfortunately, packing a bag with a couple of changes of clothes and some necessities didn’t require a lot of brainpower, and she found herself thinking about Levi, whether she wanted to or not. Yesterday had been so traumatic that she hadn’t been able to analyze anything; she’d simply tried to live through the day. Last night, she’d been tipsy. This morning, there was nothing to ward him off.

He’d kissed her, damn him. Focusing on that helped hernotfocus on the fact that his hand had been under her shirt and he’d been between her legs, and that even with their clothes on he’d made her come. She didn’t know how to act, and most of all she really wanted to avoid him now. After everything he’d said,hewas the one who hadn’t toed the line. She felt resentful about almost all of yesterday—last night had been fun—but in retrospect she was most resentful about that. Kissing her was dirty pool.

In the months she’d known him, she had watched how he pulled this string to get that effect, how he shifted and balanced and analyzed in his role as team leader; given that, she had to consider the possibility that he’d kissed her as an emotional prompt to quit the team—make her think they’d have something, become a couple, if she just quit her job. Maybe some women would have done exactly that. Maybemostwomen would have made that call, depending on the depth of their own emotional involvement. Jina wasn’t one of those women. Being physically attracted to Levi wasn’t the same as being in love with him, and she didn’t confuse the two.

He was known for being ruthless in his pursuit of the mission, whatever any particular mission might be. It stood to reason that if—if—he thought she was a weakness that could endanger the team, he’d have booted her out of training. On the other hand, she was the only woman trainee, and there might have been political pressure for him to “help” her succeed. She didn’t think so, because Axel MacNamara wasn’t exactly known for his political correctness; rather, the exact opposite. Still, the small possibility existed, and that made her angry. She wanted to succeed because she could do the job, not because someone gave her a pass because of her sex.

Damn it, there was no way to sort out all the variables and possibilities, including the one that Levi might, just might, truly be attracted to her. He hadn’t been faking the huge erection in his pants, but under those circumstances, in that position, she’d have been more surprised if hehadn’thad one.

The unwelcome fact was that no matter how she worried the details or how many possibilities occurred to her, she still ended back at square one, with no options other than to do the job to the best of her ability and handle the moment she was in. That was all anyone could do, just handle the moment.

Her go-bag packed, she set it in front of the door so she wouldn’t forget it, then checked the time. Just six-thirty, she had plenty of time to get to the training site. Being a full-fledged team member didn’t change certain things, such as staying in shape. She also needed to log some computer time with Tweety, keep those skills sharp, now that she’d actually be using them in the field. She could hardly wait.

Once she was at the site Jina got in some running time, which was easier now that the heat of summer was gone. She kept to an easy lope, because she thought she deserved an easy day after the horror that yesterday had been. Besides, she’d sprinted on Friday—in the rain, no less.

Donnelly fell in beside her around the two-mile mark. His shirt was already dark with sweat, telling her he’d hit the course early.

“Hey, we heard some buzz about you last night.”

No mind reading was needed to guess what that was about. “The jump training? Yeah. It was horrible. I was scared to death, and I never want to do it again.” She was still breathing easily, so talking wasn’t a problem.

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