Born of Passion

“You’ve come to the prettiest island in the world,” the cabbie said, his dark eyes looking at Kyle through the rearview mirror.

“Have you been here long?” Kyle asked, recognizing a slight East Coast U.S. accent in the man’s voice.

“Ten years. Came out here to visit a friend for a week, but somehow I never left. This island is as bewitching as a beautiful woman. Once it gets you in its grasp, you never want to be released.”

The cabbie’s words instantly evoked a memory in Kyle’s mind—the memory of a single night with a local Montebello woman…a single night of the most mind-numbing, searing passion he’d ever experienced in his life.

They had met in a local bar, and she’d said her name was Marie. They’d spent the evening flirting outrageously with one another, performing an intense dance of courtship that had culminated in a nearby hotel room.

Although three months had passed since that crazy night, her bewitching image was still as sharply etched in his mind as it had been the first moment he’d spotted her.

Her dark brown hair had been a spill of silk to her shoulders. Her rich nut-brown eyes, with their sinfully long lashes, had flirted and danced. She’d had a heart-shaped face and full lips that had tantalized him.

Clad in a lacy white dress that emphasized not only her slender curves and long, shapely legs, but also the dark olive of her skin, she’d caught his eye the moment he’d walked into the place.

Their lovemaking had held an edge of wildness, as if they had indulged in foreplay for years instead of mere hours. When he’d finally fallen asleep with her in his arms, he’d had the feeling that for the first time in his thirty-one years, life was about to make some kind of sense.

In the morning she’d been gone, like a desert mirage that shimmered brightly in the sun, then vanished. He’d been shocked—bewildered—and surprisingly devastated.

He’d looked for her for two days, then had been called back to the States.

Now he was back in Montebello, but he didn’t expect to have time to dwell on thoughts of a dark-haired beauty who had turned his world upside down for a single night.

He sat up straighter as the U.S. Embassy came into view. The building itself was imposing with thick columns and steep steps leading to the grandiose building. An American flag on a tall pole fluttered in the breeze.

The driver pulled up in front, and Kyle paid him, then picked up his duffel bag and entered the embassy through the front doors.

A metal detector and a conveyor belt instantly confronted him. Both were a vivid reminder of the marvels of technology and the state of unrest around the world. And from what the rumor mill implied, nowhere was unrest more threatening than here in Montebello.

Tensions had risen between King Marcus Sebastiani of Montebello and Sheik Ahmed Kamal of the neighboring kingdom of Tamir. The tension had reached explosive proportions a month before when a bomb had detonated in a civilian square, destroying a restaurant and trapping people inside. The people of Montebello pointed fingers of blame to Kamal, furthering increasing tensions.

After walking through the metal detector, he had his identification checked and signed in for his appointment with Ambassador Nigel Templeton.

By the time Kyle had cleared security, an assistant had appeared to lead him to the ambassador’s office. “Joel Mayfield,” the young man said, and held his hand out to Kyle. He had the kind of crisp, clean attractiveness that all the people who worked at the embassy seemed to possess.

“Lieutenant Commander Kyle Ramsey,” Kyle replied, and firmly shook Joel’s hand. With the formalities out of the way, Joel led Kyle down a long hallway to a bank of elevators, past a number of offices buzzing with activity.

“I understand this isn’t your first trip to Montebello,” the assistant said as they stepped into the elevator and he punched the button for the fifth floor.

“That’s right. I was here several months ago,” Kyle replied.

“It’s a beautiful place, isn’t it?”

Kyle nodded, and again his head filled with the vision of the beautiful woman who had given him the most memorable night of his life. He could still recall her haunting fragrance—a scent of exotic spices and a touch of citrus, as mysterious and romantic as this island itself.

Stepping out of the elevator, he shook his head, as if to physically dispel the seductive image. He needed to be clearheaded for his meeting with the ambassador. From the moment Kyle had been commanded to return to the island, he’d sensed something odd going on.

Although he’d previously met Ambassador Templeton, he’d never been in the man’s inner sanctum. The assistant led him into a large waiting room, nodded to the secretary on duty at a desk, then knocked lightly on the door just behind where she sat.

Joel opened the door and gestured for Kyle to enter. The office was large and airy, a corner room with windows. Ambassador Templeton rose from behind his large, mahogany desk, his hand outstretched in greeting.

“Lieutenant Commander Ramsey,” he said as they shook hands.

“It’s nice to see you again, Ambassador Templeton,” Kyle replied, then was waved into one of the chairs in front of the desk.

Nigel Templeton had been born in Phoenix, Arizona, though his parents were natives of Montebello. He’d grown up in the States, then his family had moved back to the island, and Nigel had begun a career in diplomacy and politics, culminating in him being appointed ambassador three years earlier.

He was a handsome man, his ethnicity apparent in his rich dark hair, deep olive skin and brown eyes, which radiated not only intelligence and dignity, but compassion as well. At the moment, his gaze was filled with worry, and lines of tension snaked across his forehead.

“Montebello is on the verge of a security crisis,” he began. “I know your commanding officer told you that your mission here would be as it was when you were here before—to protect American oil interests in the Middle East. But that’s not your real mission.”

Kyle leaned forward, intrigued.

“I’m sure you’ve heard that Prince Lucas Sebastiani is missing,” Ambassador Templeton continued.

Kyle nodded. “I read that his plane went down somewhere in the Colorado Rockies a couple months ago, and the search and rescue teams have yet to find his body.”

“A tragic state of affairs. As you can imagine, King Marcus is beside himself with grief. Compounding that sorrow is the fact that his daughter, Princess Julia, is pregnant, and the father of the baby is reported to be Sheik Ahmed Kamal’s son, Rashid.”

“But I would think this good news,” Kyle replied. “A union between Princess Julia and Sheik Rashid surely would end the tensions that have existed between Montebello and Tamir.”

Ambassador Templeton leaned back in his chair. “Unfortunately, Sheik Rashid has disappeared, and since he was last seen in the company of Princess Julia, Sheik Ahmed believes King Marcus had something to do with his son’s disappearance. Sheik Ahmed has let King Marcus know he’s prepared to take by force the land on Montebello that would have gone to Prince Lucas.”

Kyle frowned thoughtfully. If the nearby kingdom of Tamir waged battle against Montebello, the fragile peace of the entire Middle East would be shattered.

Once again Ambassador Templeton leaned forward, his dark gaze intense. “Officially, you are here as you were before, to protect American oil interests. Unofficially, you and your team of top gun pilots will be patroling the air space between Montebello and Tamir. You will be on a state of high alert, anticipating a potential air strike and invasion from Tamir. You will report to only three people—King Marcus himself, me or any of the Noble Men who might contact you.”

“The Noble Men?” Kyle looked at him in bewilderment.

“They are the ones who brought you here. They are the ones funding the entire mission of protection for King Marcus and Montebello.”

“I don’t understand. Who are these Noble Men?” Kyle felt as if the ambassador had suddenly begun to speak a foreign language.

“I’m only telling you this because King Marcus and the Noble Men agreed you should be told.” He stared out the window for a long moment, where the sky was an intense, almost surreal blue. “But first I must have your word that you will keep what I tell you in total confidence.”

“Of course I give you my word,” Kyle said instantly, his curiosity aroused to a fever pitch.

“Nobody knows exactly who they are, and very few people know of their existence.” Templeton looked back at Kyle. “What we do know is that they are a covert organization of wealthy, powerful men.” His voice was filled with admiration and respect. “They are peacekeepers and protectors who save lives and restore order, often financing and planning rescue missions in situations where government hands are tied.”

Kyle’s head reeled with the information he’d just been handed. A covert organization, men wielding power and influence for world peace… It sounded like something from an action-adventure movie, and yet he had no reason to doubt what the ambassador had shared with him.

“You said that these Noble Men were the ones who brought me here. Why me?”

For the first time since the ambassador had greeted Kyle, he smiled. “I can’t know for sure, and I wouldn’t begin to question the choices the Noble Men make, but I would imagine it’s because you are one of the best pilots that the United States Navy has to offer.”

His smile faded. “You must understand that, officially, the United States military is not involved in this operation. Unofficially, they will allow you to use their planes and their equipment, and will provide ground support. I’m placing one of my top military attachés in charge of the ground support unit. She will be available to you day and night, whatever it takes to make this mission a success. Her name is Joanna Morgan.”

The ambassador looked down at his wristwatch. “I had hoped she would join us here, but apparently she’s been held up. We’d like to get twenty-four-hour patrols started as soon as possible.”