Born of Passion

“Kyle,” he interjected as he fell into step beside her. “I figure any woman who has seen me naked should be able to call me by my first name.”

Joanna refused to rise to his obvious baiting, but her cheeks burned with embarrassment. “Okay, fine,” she continued as they left the embassy building and walked toward the nearby parking area. “Kyle, we have a job to do…an important job. And it would be best if we could just pretend that we met for the first time right now.”

She stopped walking as they reached her small sports car. She unlocked the passenger door, then turned to face him, swallowing a gasp as she realized just how close he stood to her.

“Don’t tell me you’re married,” he said.

“Of course not,” she replied indignantly.

“Why didn’t you tell me you worked at the embassy?” he asked, and took another step closer, effectively trapping her between her car and his hard, muscled body.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were a hotshot top gun?” she countered.

She’d realized he was a military man early the next morning, when she’d awakened and gotten up to go to the bathroom. She’d spied his wallet on the bathroom counter. The wallet was open, displaying military identification. It was that that had prompted her to leave him, sneaking out like a thief just as the dawn had began to creep across the sky.

A slow, seductive smile curved his lips. “I didn’t tell you I was a pilot because I wanted you to like me for who I was, not what I did for a living.” He reached up and tucked an errant strand of hair behind her ear.

The simple touch galvanized her. She slid sideways, freeing herself from contact with the car and with him. “Like I said, it would be best if we’d just forget we had any dealings with each other before now.”

She didn’t wait for him to reply, but instead walked around the car and unlocked the driver’s door. She slid behind the wheel at the same time he got in on the passenger side. She started to put the key in the ignition, but was stopped by his hand grabbing hers.

His long fingers curled around her wrist, warm and strong, and for just a second she remembered what those fingers had felt like touching her intimately. She felt a renewed burst of heat flame in her cheeks.

“Okay, we’ll pretend that night never happened…on one condition,” he said.

“What condition?” She eyed him suspiciously.

There was no humor in his eyes, no flirtatious light whatsoever. “Tell me why you left that morning. Tell me why you left without saying a word to me.”

She pulled her hand from his, her mind racing for an explanation that would effectively douse any attraction he might still entertain for her.

“To be perfectly honest, Kyle,” she began, wondering if perhaps what she was about to say was too over the top, verging on cruel. She quickly decided to forge ahead.

Better he hate her and stay out of her life than find out that their night of passion hadn’t been without consequence. Better he hate her than find out she was pregnant with his child. “As lovers go, you weren’t that great. In fact, you were terrible.”

Chapter 2

Kyle stared at her for a long moment, then, unable to help himself, he threw back his head and laughed. “Darling, there are only two things in this world I’ve been told I do really well. One of them is flying planes…” he paused a moment, then continued “…and the other is making love.”

He watched her cheeks burn with color as she jabbed the key into the ignition and started the engine. “You certainly weren’t doing much complaining that night,” he added softly. “And don’t try to tell me you were pretending. I know the difference between reality and a good acting stint. I still remember the way your heart raced with mine, the sweet sound of your moans…”

“Okay,” she snapped. “Forget I said anything.” She threw the car into gear and backed out of the parking space. “Where am I taking you?”

“You know where Ramsey Enterprises is?”

Those sooty eyes of hers shot him a sharp glance. “You’re one of those Ramseys?”

“Firstborn son.” He was pleased his voice held none of his ambiguous feelings concerning his family, more specifically, his father. “There’s a small apartment complex on the grounds of the business. My family has an apartment there, and that’s where I’ll be staying for the duration of this mission.”

For a few minutes they rode in silence. Her scent, that mysterious, spicy fragrance that had haunted him, filled the confines of the small car and evoked heated memories of that night they’d spent together.

She could lie all she wanted about him being a lousy lover, but he had intimate knowledge of just how intensely she had responded to him.

They had made love as if all the time in eternity was theirs, and he had made certain that she was completely, almost exhaustively sated before he’d allowed himself the ultimate release.

He gazed at her as she maneuvered the car through the midmorning traffic. She was as lovely—lovelier—than he remembered. Her dark hair had the sheen of satin, and her skin was smooth and unblemished.

She had killer eyes. Dark with thick, sooty lashes, they sparkled with life and the promise of hidden passion…passion he’d tapped into and tasted and thoroughly enjoyed. They also held just a touch of mystery, prompting a man to want to delve inside her and discover all the secrets she might possess.

The night he had met her, the white dress she’d been wearing had been short, exposing the length of her shapely legs, and tight, emphasizing her curves. She’d looked ultrafeminine, with red lipstick on her sensuous lips and a flirtatious glint in her eyes.

There was no sign of that woman in the one who now sat next to him. Clad in a navy blazer and skirt, with her hair pulled back and minimal makeup, she looked crisp, controlled and utterly professional.

“You didn’t answer when I asked before—why didn’t you tell me when I first met you that you worked for the embassy?” he asked.

“I wanted you to like me for who I was, not what I did.” She echoed his own words back to him.

“Touché,” he replied dryly. “At least I gave you my real name.” There was more than a touch of irritation in his voice. And he was surprised to realize he was irritated with her…irritated that she’d given him a fake name.

He was miffed that she’d disappeared like a puff of smoke when he’d believed they had made a connection that had somehow transcended their explosive lovemaking.

There had been times when he’d wanted to vamoose from a bed before his companion awakened and he had to face the morning reality. But he’d never, ever had a woman hightail it out of his bed without a backward glance.

Until Joanna Marie Morgan.

“So, why didn’t you give me your real name?” he asked.

“Don’t you think we have more important things to discuss besides a foolish night spent three months ago?” Although her voice was cool, her cheeks were still a becoming, unnatural pink.

“You’re absolutely right,” he said, peeved that she was reminding him of duty when that should be the first thing on his mind. He stared out the window at the passing scenery, then continued, “I’m assuming the ambassador filled you in on everything.”

She nodded and made a righthand turn. “I believe I’ve been briefed on everything I need to know. I’ve already been in touch with the brass at the base, and they are expecting us to set up operations there sometime early in the morning. Unofficially, they will do whatever they can. Your team of fliers have been contacted and should all be here in Montebello by this evening.”

He stared out the window for another long moment, then turned to look at her once again. “Do you really think Sheik Ahmed Kamal is going to order aggressive action against Montebello?”

She frowned. “I don’t think anyone can guess what a man might do out of grief.” She pulled into the entrance of Ramsey Enterprises and looked at him curiously as they came to a fork in the road.

He pointed to the left and she made the turn. “Sheik Ahmed is a strong, proud man,” she continued, “a family man who suddenly finds his eldest son missing and suspects that King Marcus had something to do with his disappearance. King Marcus is also functioning from grief and anger from the loss of his own son, Prince Lucas, who reportedly perished in a plane crash a few months ago. At the moment, I’d say one is as much a loose cannon as the other.”

“And a loose cannon is exactly what this area of the world doesn’t need.”

“Exactly,” she agreed.

“Pull up in front of the apartment building,” he said, pointing ahead to the attractive three-story structure. “Our family quarters are on the top floor. You can just let me off in front.” He offered her a lazy smile. “Unless you would like to come up and have a replay of our night together.”

She braked so hard that, had he not been wearing his seat belt, he would have been catapulted out the front window. When she turned to look at him, her eyes were dark fires of anger and her cheeks were stained with color.

“That night, Kyle, was an anomaly. I acted completely out of character and I regret that it even happened. I have been assigned to work with you, and that’s what I intend to do—work and nothing more.” Her eyes pleaded with him. “Can’t you just forget about it?”