Page 81 of Stand Fast

She sighed. “The agency’s decided that I’m too widely known here after the past few weeks, and with a bounty on my head it’s too high risk for me to stay on in Kabul or anywhere else in Afghanistan. Or in South Asia, for that matter. Basically, they’re kicking me out of the region for my own good.”

“Shit, I’m sorry.”

She shrugged, even though it hurt like hell to know she wouldn’t see him for a long time. “Nothing I can do. I already pled my case, but at least the agency values me and my work enough to find me another placement somewhere.” She’d request D.C. and beg if need be.

“Where will you go?”

“London, for the time being. At least until they decide what to do with me.”

“Can you request a placement?”

“Yes, but my language skills and cultural knowledge are my big ticket items, and if I’m not using them on a consistent basis, I’m not much use to them.”

“You could put those to good use in D.C.”

The note of hope in his voice touched her, and so did knowing that they were on the same wavelength. “You would want me to transfer there?”

“Are you kidding? More than anything.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Even more than sleeping with me?”

“No, you’re right. I’d like it second best.”

He was so damn cute. How was she supposed to leave without seeing him? “Hmm. Maybe I’ll think about it,” she teased. This had to work. They had to wind up together.

“You should. That way I’d be able to spend quality time with you. Date you properly.”

“Date me?” She laughed again. The idea was absurd after everything else that had happened between them to this point.

“Yeah, you know—dinners and walks on the beach, movies. We’ll take getaway trips together and stay up all night to watch the sun come up.”

“It sounds so…normal.” And romantic. “You sure that’s what you want?”

“If I told you what I really wanted, it might scare you away.”

Scare her away? “Well now I’m all kinds of intrigued. What is it you really want? Aside from getting me into bed.”

“When do you leave?”

The abrupt change in topic wiped the smile from her face. “My flight’s in just over four hours. So I wanted to talk to you before I left for the airport.”

“Shit, I gotta go.”

She blinked, a crushing weight of disappointment and sadness pressing down on her chest at his abrupt announcement. “What? Now?”

“Right now. I’ll text you later, okay?” He sounded like he was in one hell of a rush. Maybe Taggart had called them in about something.

“Okay.” There was so much she still needed to say, but she couldn’t now. “I…be careful. I miss you.”AndI love you.

“Miss you too, sweetheart. Bye.”

He was gone before she could reply.

She lowered the phone to her lap and stared at it for a long moment, feeling utterly dejected and more alone than she ever had in her life. In a few hours she’d be on her way to the U.K. where she’d try to pick up the pieces and form a new life for herself.

Alone. All while nursing an aching heart.

The thought hurt so much she couldn’t bear it, so she got up and went straight to the shower, where she stood under the hot spray until the water began to go cold. Once she was dressed and had her hair blow-dried, she headed for the long dresser on the other side of the room to begin packing. After tucking away the last of her sweaters, she lugged her bursting suitcase off the bed and rolled it next to the door where the rest of her things waited.

---