“What? Why? This one isn’t even done yet.”
“I know, but it was urgent.”
“So is this.”
“I’ll figure something out.”
“That settles it.”
“Settles what?”
“You’ll have to use me.”
Robby closed his eyes and sighed before focusing back on her. “You know that’s not going to happen. Not ever.”
“You said you’d think about it.”
“And I have.”
“You have not. Not really.”
“If there was any reason that could possibly warrant you coming to Burma, that’s one thing, but you are not the person I need on this mission. All you would do is be a distraction.”
“That’s all I am to you? A distraction?”
He stepped up to her. He needed her to understand without voicing how he felt and make things more complicated than they already were. He looked down at her lips. It wasn’t the first time he’d wanted to kiss her in the last twenty-four hours, but he had enough self-control to resist even in this moment. When he lifted his eyes to hers, he saw her pupils were dilated and knew they were on the same page, so he stepped back.
“Oh,” she said softly. “That kind of distraction. I didn’t—um. Okay.”
“And I need qualified people.” He went to the window and looked out, not because he was worriedsomeone was there, but because he needed distance from her.
“But can you at least understand my position on this? Why I want this so bad?”
“I do. I get it. Trust me.”
“How many people do you need to make up a team?”
“Why? Do you have a team standing by, looking for something to do?”
“What if you had one other person? Would that be enough?”
“Hannah, I told you?—”
“Not me. I get that you…need people who are capable of whatever it is you’ll be doing. Could you get by with one?”
“I guess if they had the right skillset.”
“What skills specifically?”
“We’ll try to get in and out without anyone knowing. Or at least, not knowing until it’s too late, so they’d need to know how to do that.”
“Is that it?”
“They’d need to be good in close combat. Not just fighting but weapons as well.”
“Let me make a call.”
“Hang on a second. Who do you know that fits that profile?”