Page 61 of Close Pursuit

“But…but…” she sputtered.

“You’re exhausted and you need help with the baby. I’ve got plenty of room. This way I can keep an eye on you two.”

She smiled gratefully as if she’d taken his comment to mean he wanted to keep her and Dawn safe. In point of fact, he’d meant it literally. He physically wanted to keep her close until he could figure out exactly what her marching orders were from the CIA.

Plus, his father had taken pictures of her and the baby.

Until he knew what his father and/or the FSB wanted from him and was threatening to do to Katie and Dawn, he needed to keep them both close so he could foil his father’s plans.

Katie leaned forward, interested, as the cab pulled to a stop in front of a turn-of-the century building in a stupidly posh neighborhood. Just how much money had Alex taken the mob for in his gambling spree?

Alex paid the cabbie from his stash of cash and led her inside. The lobby of what turned out to be an apartment building was sleek and modern in sharp contrast to the quaint exterior. They rode the elevator in silence to, no surprise, the top floor.

She was surprised, however, to discover that his condo took up the entire top floor of the building. Besides being huge, it was open and airy, decorated with modern, clean-lined furnishings.

“Your decorator is superb,” she commented. “To pull off a space this modern, yet keep it warm and inviting, is no easy feat.”

“Thanks. I’ll tell her,” he replied dryly.

He’d been distant and remote with her ever since they got to the embassy in Tashkent. Had something happened to him there to upset him? He was so hard to read most of the time. And she was usually pretty good at deciphering stoic men.

Alex showed her to a guest bedroom decorated in soft, pale shades of green and cream. Its floor to ceiling glass windows looked out on a rooftop terrace boasting a sleek, swimming pool and landscaping that managed to be as modern and welcoming as the rest of the condo. A mix of old-world perennials and sleek planters made for a stunning visual display.

“Your home is magnificent,” she declared.

He shrugged. “It’s relaxing.”

“Do you have guests often?” she couldn’t resist asking.

“Never.”

He was back to one- and two-word sentences with her, huh? Was it something she’d said or done? Her resolve to reach past his emotional barriers wavered. Had she set an impossible goal for herself?

“I’ll have some baby stuff delivered,” he said emotionlessly.

“You don’t have to go to all that trouble,” she replied quickly. “We’ll only be here a day or two, I hope.”

“Eager to get rid of me, are you?”

“Not at all. You’ve been a great companion and saved my life more than once. I owe you more than I can every repay.”

She lifted her gaze to his, and for just an instant, memory of what else she owed him blazed in his eyes. How was it that light gray eyes could burn so dark and hot?

He turned on his heel and walked out without a word.

Dismayed, she gave Dawn her first real bath in the oversized copper bowl that served as a sink. The baby splashed excitedly and Katie laughed in delight when the baby soaked her.

She glanced up in the mirror as a movement caught her eye and saw Alex’s silhouette just disappearing from the doorway. He’d been watching her and Dawn play together? Why? And why had he left?

She jumped in the shower while Dawn had some tummy time on a towel on the heated floor.

Maybe she could coax Alex into watching the baby for an hour or two this afternoon while she slipped out for a quick shopping trip. She was going to scream if she had to wear these clunky jeans and sweatshirt one more day. And she needed a blow dryer and some make-up in theworstway.

Alex was non-communicative when she made her request and she took his grunt for assent. Dawn went down for a nap, and she grabbed her wallet, which was one of the few personal possessions of hers that had made it all the way back to America from Zaghastan. That, and her passport. Oh, and her ugly hiking boots. That was about it.

She found a drug store and stocked up on basic toiletries. The clerk told her where the nearest shopping area was, and she walked the half-dozen blocks to a retail area. She sighed in delight at the sight of cute women’s clothes in the storefronts. Lord, she’d missed civilization.

Before she left the first store, she took deep pleasure in ceremonially throwing out the construction worker jeans and hiking boots. She walked out wearing girl jeans that made her look she actually had an ass and a cute pair of pink tennis shoes. She bought several tops at the next store, and was just collecting her bags to check out when her cell phone vibrated.

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