Page 56 of Stand Fast

She loved the way he said it, and the sentiment behind it. Even if this could only last a short while longer.

He stroked her hair back from her forehead. “You really okay with this?”

“Yes. Thank you.”

He chuckled. “Trust me, I should be thanking you. Although technically you still haven’t had sex or slept with me.”

That made her smile. “No, I haven’t, have I?”

“No. So your honor is still intact.”

She’d wondered why he hadn’t entered her. Now she knew why, and it turned her heart over to know he’d wanted to protect her that way even in the heat of passion. “You make me lose my head.”

“Yeah? Well that’s only fair, since you do the same to me.” He gathered her clothes from the floor and handed them to her.

She tugged them on quickly, relieved when she was covered once more. “Here’re yours.” She held out the shirt she’d been holding to her breasts.

He lifted it to his nose and inhaled. His eyes went smoky. “Mmmm, smells like you.”

She flushed. “Shame, to cover up such a nice view.”

He grinned and pulled the shirt over his arms. “Flatterer.”

With reality rushing in to interrupt their interlude, nerves began to take hold. She fiddled with the blanket beside her hip and swallowed. “What you said earlier, about the op.”

He drew the shirt over his head and tugged it over his torso. “What about it?”

“Was it the truth? You really don’t see what happened as my fault?”

His expression filled with understanding. “Honey, of course it wasn’t your fault. It’s like I said, shit happened. Nobody has a crystal ball, and no one can predict what will go down during a mission. No one’s going to blame you for what happened, and you can’t either.”

“Because I was thinking that he was right.”

“Who?”

“My dad. That I’m not cut out for this job. That I’m not good enough.”

Warm, gentle hands cradled her face. She looked up into his gorgeous hazel eyes as he spoke in a low voice. “You are good enough. And I believe in you.”

His words hit her in her most vulnerable spot. Until that moment she hadn’t realized how badly she’d needed to hear them. To know that he had faith in her and her abilities.

She swallowed the sudden lump in her throat and smiled up at him, the sincerity in his voice warming her straight to her soul. “Thank you.”

His gaze was both tender and intense. Steady. Seeing every part of her in a way that no one else ever had. “You’re going to find The Jackal. And when you do, we’re gonna nail the son of a bitch.”

Chapter Fourteen

The words inside the card blurred as her eyes filled with tears and the strains ofSimply the Bestby Tina Turner filled the air. Jaliya angrily wiped her eyes and finished reading the words while the recorded song played.

You’re simply the best, it read in bold red letters. Beneath it, her family had all signed it along with little notes saying how much they missed her, and that they couldn’t wait for her to come home. Their timing was uncanny, fresh on the heels of the disastrous op last night.

Even her father had put an X and an O under his note, as close to anI love youas he ever gave. He wasn’t a demonstrative man, and used praise sparingly. He expected them all to just know that he loved them; they shouldn’t need him to say the actual words.

But she yearned to hear them nonetheless. Always had, and probably always would.

Closing the card and setting it down on her bunk, she sat up and swung her legs over the edge, looking around her room. It was cold, almost sterile. And it felt emptier than ever after what she and Zaid had done here last night.

He and his team were headed out on another op shortly. She’d helped compile the intel for it this morning, but had asked David that she not be directly involved with the mission. She was too raw, and worried sick about Zaid. David must have seen how upset she was because he’d let her leave at dinner and told her to take the rest of the night off.

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