Morgan's Mercenaries: Heart of Stone (19 page)

“I see.”

Dane held her gaze. Silence filled the void between them. She sipped her coffee almost gratefully. Sitting up, Dane said, “And you’re okay with that?” He tried to keep the disbelief out of his tone.

Shrugging, Maya said, “I wanted you to assess our flight demands against your training schedule, Dane. You did that. If that’s what you’ve come up with, then I’m fine with it. What’s wrong? You look like you just got hit by a freight train.”

Blinking once, Dane opened his mouth and then closed it. Maya was giving him a wry look, a smile barely touching her full lips. No anger. No accusations. No…nothing. “Maybe I have been,” he admitted in a
hushed tone, followed by a nervous laugh. How badly he wanted to just stare at Maya. How badly he ached to have just a normal, human-to-human conversation with her. She looked hauntingly vulnerable right now. Scratching his head, Dane muttered, “I just thought you might be upset that we’d be here a lot longer than you wanted us here, was all. I know we’re not all that welcome…well,
I’m
not welcome. The rest of my men aren’t like me.”

“Honest to a fault,” Maya murmured. After sipping the coffee, she set the cup on the front of his desk. “Look, Dane…may I call you by your first name?”

He nodded. “Of course!” He tried to keep the shock out of his voice and face.

“My sister just gave me a good talking to,” she admitted, amusement in her tone. “Inca’s made me realize that I’m part and parcel of our ongoing problem.”

Looking at her quizzically, Dane said, “I don’t understand, Captain.”

“Call me Maya, if you want.” She slowly rose and stood before him. He was looking at her in utter shock—maybe because she was trying to be friendly. Or because she had called him by his first name. Unsure, and equally nervous, Maya opened her hand toward him. “We’ve both had a lot of water go under the bridge, from where I stand. You were prejudiced against women gunship pilots. Well—” Maya grimaced “—I was equally prejudiced against men. The pot calling the kettle black. I know…” She hesitated. “I know since you’ve arrived here you’ve been trying to bury the hatchet between us, and I haven’t let you. Well, that’s all changing as of now.” Maya’s voice deepened with barely held emotion. “You didn’t have to give your blood to me. I know that. Inca made me
realize a lot of things this morning. I was just as blindly prejudiced against you as you were against us. I’m calling a halt to it, Dane. I want peace between us. Can you live with that?”

“M
aya?”

Dane’s voice feathered across her. She felt his large, strong hand move gently across her shoulders.

“Ummph…”

“Come on, you need to get some sleep….”

Barely lifting her head off her crossed arms, which were resting on her desk, Maya forced her eyes open. She felt Dane lean over her, his lips very close to her ear. His moist breath flowed over her temple and brow. Strands of her hair tickled her nose as she looked up at him.

“What…what time is it?” she mumbled, sitting up and rubbing her face wearily.

“Too late,” he growled. Easing her out of the chair, Dane pointed her toward the cot in the corner of her office. “Come on…”

Maya had lost count of how many times Dane had found her working late in her office. For the past three
weeks, ever since their truce, he was like a big guard dog, always looking out for her, taking care of her in small but meaningful ways. Right now, Maya appreciated his thoughtfulness as she felt him grip her upper arm, guiding her around the desk and to the cot.

Once she got there, she started to lie down.

“Take your boots off.”

“Ohhh…I sleep with them on all the time, Dane.”

“Not with me around. Come on. Just sit up and stick out your right foot.”

Maya watched as he crouched down in front of her, his hand slipping around the heel of the boot she offered. Sleep warped her sense of time, and when she awakened she was always vulnerable. Somehow Dane knew that, because he always spoke to her in a soft, low tone. Appreciating him even more, Maya whispered, “You don’t have to keep doing this, you know. I’ve been sleeping on this cot for three years straight.”

Dane eased the boot off and set it aside. “Give me the other one.”

Maya did so. Pushing the hair away from her face, she said, “What are
you
doing up so late?”

“Making sure
you
get some decent sleep under your belt.”

Wrinkling her nose, Maya felt the boot slip off. “It’s enough that
I’m
sleep deprived. Don’t take on any of my bad habits.”

Chuckling, Dane straightened. His heart contracted with joy as he watched Maya ease onto the cot and settle on her left side, as she always did. Picking up the blanket from the foot of the cot, he unfolded it and drew it across her form. Her dark hair pooled around her shoulders as she bent her legs up near her body, one hand beneath her cheek. Did Maya know how ex
cruciatingly beautiful she really was? Dane didn’t think so. One day, he wanted to tell her that. He spread the blanket over her shoulders, tucking her in.

“Good night, fairy tale princess,” he whispered. He lifted his hand and stroked her hair. It was the thing he most looked forward to—touching Maya like this. Instantly, he saw the tension around her mouth ease. Her lips parted. She was already asleep.

Dane leaned over Maya and watched the soft rise and fall of her breasts. He’d made an exhilarating discovery three weeks ago when he’d awakened her after she’d fallen asleep while working on the mission reports and flight data. In her drowsy state, Maya was vulnerable. She seemed to
want
his touch, his nurturing as he helped her from the desk to the cot to catch three or four hours of badly needed sleep. The strain and tension was thick around the base since the third Kamov had showed up in Faro’s arsenal. Dane had noticed as he’d take off her boots, pull the cover over her and simply stroke her hair, that all of that tension around Maya would dissolve. Would melt away, just like that.

Smiling tenderly down at her as she slept, Dane realized it was a backhanded compliment that Maya would relax with him so near to her. Her thick, black lashes lay against her golden skin. Her breathing was soft and rhythmic. Dane could see her sinking into a deep, deep slumber. Straightening, he shook his head. He didn’t know how Maya managed to keep going on so little sleep. Dallas assured him that this wasn’t normal, that Maya usually got six to eight hours. She felt it was due to the worry Maya had for her pilots, with the third Kamov being around. Dane couldn’t argue with the X.O.’s logic.

Moving to the door, he closed it partially to stop the flood of light into her quiet office. Outside, the echoing sounds of two crews loading ordnance on the Apaches could be heard faintly. Living in a cave, Dane was discovering, had certain repercussions. Everything echoed. A wrench dropped on the lava floor, a person talking near the outer wall—everything reverberated back through the massive cavern.

Instead of leaving Maya’s office, Dane glanced over his shoulder again. Something pulled him to stay. Hell, he needed sleep himself. He had taken on the responsibility of getting Maya away from her desk and to her cot because Dr. Cornell had mentioned to him shortly after Maya had come back to work that she wasn’t getting enough sleep. The doctor was worried and so was he. Scowling, he looked around the shadowy office. On Maya’s desk were the yellow-and-red orchids that he’d given her. Orchids stayed in bloom a long time, he discovered—four to six weeks. And Maya had appreciated the spikes of orchids he’d given her. It was a daily reminder to him that she was allowing him to remain in her life, to get closer to her.

A sudden idea came to him. The corners of his mouth lifted and he nodded. Yeah, that was a helluva good plan. He’d see Dr. Cornell about it in the morning, and then spring it on Maya, if the doctor gave her approval.

Dane left her office and walked quietly down the hall toward the exit. He wondered how Maya would react to his creative inspiration.

“Maya, I’m officially ordering you to take forty-eight hours of R and R,” Elizabeth Cornell told her sternly.

“What?” Maya sat on her cot, pulling on her boots. It was 0700 and she had overslept. Elizabeth stood before her in her dark green fatigues and white coat, her hands in the pockets, an authoritative look on her face.

“You heard me.” Elizabeth tried to look severe, but it didn’t quite come off as Maya stared at her, a half smile on her face. “And to make sure you do, I’ve ordered Major York to fly you to Cuzco. I had comms make you reservations at the Libertador Hotel.” She shook her finger at Maya, who paused in the middle of putting on her boots and sat there, thighs apart, her hands resting between them. “The major is going to be your bodyguard of sorts. He’ll fly you there in our civilian helo and fly you back. Got it?”

Maya laughed and pulled on the second boot. “Liz, you can’t be serious!”

“Oh, she’s dead serious,” Dane said, coming into the office unannounced.

Looking up when she heard his low, modulated tone, Maya sat back and stared at him. He was dressed in a pair of jeans, hiking boots, a short-sleeved white shirt and a blue-and-yellow Saint Louis Rams baseball cap. The bill was pulled down so that it shadowed his narrowed eyes as they locked with her widening gaze.

“So,” Dane told her smoothly, moving around Elizabeth, who was now looking quite pleased with herself and her prescription, “put these on.” He tossed Maya some civilian clothes. “You need a shower, but I won’t hold that against you. You’ll get one at the hotel. It’s only a thirty-minute hop from here.”

Stunned, Maya picked up the clothes, which consisted of a pair of green nylon slacks and a short-sleeved, pink tank top. Dane handed her her hiking boots.

“Put these on, too,” he told her briskly.

“But—”

“No buts,” Elizabeth said darkly, a threat in her tone. “You’re sleep deprived, Maya. And if you don’t have the good sense to get the rest you need, then I, as flight surgeon, will ensure you do.”

Dane stood there, a silly grin on his face, his hands draped casually across his hips as he looked at the doctor and then at Maya’s nonplussed expression. “I think the doc’s right, Maya.” He looked at his watch. “Meet me down below in ten minutes. I know it doesn’t take you long to change.”

Frowning, Maya looked from one to the other. “You two are in cahoots on this. I can tell.”

Elizabeth smiled triumphantly and traded a fond look with Dane. “You have two friends who care deeply about you, Maya. Listen to them for once, will you? It’s not going to hurt anything if you leave this base for forty-eight hours. You’ll be in constant contact, anyway. Dane, here, is just going to make sure you get the shut-eye you need.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Dane murmured to the doctor. “If I have to put a padlock on her room at that five-star hotel and bring her room service, it will be done. You can roger that.”

Giving them both a dirty look, Maya muttered, “Okay, okay…I know when I’m outgunned. Get out of here. Let me change my clothes in peace.”

Someone knocked softly at her hotel room door. Maya made several muffled sounds of protest and slowly lifted her head from the feather pillow. It was dark in her room, but sunlight filtered in around the edges of the draperies. What time was it?

The knock came again. “Just a moment…” Maya called sleepily, and forced the covers off her. As she sat up, she felt the dregs of sleep still pulling at her. Stumbling to the door, she fumbled for the knob. Opening it, she squinted in the bright light coming from the hall, holding up her hand to protect her eyes.

Dane smiled. Maya was dressed in a wrinkled, pale pink cotton nightgown that fell to her knees. Her hair was in utter disarray. When she dropped her hand, he saw the puffiness beneath her eyes. “You’ve slept for eighteen hours. I thought I might wake you and get some food in you.”

“Uhhh…” Maya frowned, looked down and then back up at him. Dane was dressed in a bright red polo shirt, tan chinos and his hiking boots. He looked devastatingly handsome. “What? Eighteen hours? You’ve got to be kidding!” She looked at the aviator’s watch on her wrist, and was stunned to find out it was 8:00 a.m.

Dane saw several tourists coming down the hall toward them, speaking German. He didn’t think Maya would want to be seen in her nightgown by strangers. “Let me come in for a sec,” he coaxed. “Company’s comin’ down the hall.” And he eased her back into her room and closed the door quietly behind him. “Eighteen hours?” Her voice was thick and scratchy. Maya looked at the watch again. “I don’t believe it….” She stumbled off toward the bathroom.

Dane smiled sympathetically and pulled up the covers on the bed, then sat down. Picking up the phone, he ordered breakfast for both of them. It wasn’t long before Maya came back. Her eyes were barely open, and they were still puffy. She was holding her hand
against her brow as she walked toward him. He got off the bed and moved aside.

“I can’t believe this…eighteen hours. I feel like I’ve been hit by a Mack truck.” Maya sat down on the edge of the bed.

“You needed the sleep,” Dane told her. Going to the bathroom, he found her hairbrush on the counter. Coming back, he followed his intuition and settled down next to her.

“Turn around,” he told her, and guided Maya so that she sat with her back toward him. “This is something I’ve been wanting to do for a long time….” And he took the brush and began to pull it through the silky, thick strands of her hair.

Maya made a purring sound as he eased the brush across her scalp. The sensation was delicious. Surprising. And wonderful. Without thinking, she leaned back, and was glad when Dane allowed her to relax against him. He continued to draw the brush gently through her hair. When he was done, Maya allowed herself the luxury of simply being held by him. Pressing her head against his neck, she sighed.

“That was wonderful…thank you….”

Dane’s heart was pounding. “You deserve a little care,” he told her, his voice husky. He wanted to take Maya into his arms, press her back on the bed and kiss her until they melted into one another. Placing a choke chain on those desires, Dane absorbed the feel of having her tall, graceful form resting against him.

Maya’s lips parted. With every moment that passed, she entrusted herself more and more to Dane and his strong, caring arms. How long had she wanted this to happen? Ever since she’d made peace with him over their past. He smelled of lime, probably from his shav
ing cream. Smiling a little, Maya absorbed his strength and the way he pressed his jaw against her hair.

“I never knew…” Maya whispered, her eyes closing.

“Knew what?” Dane held himself in check, fearful of doing something to scare Maya out of his arms. She was a woman who demanded respect, and he knew that if he overstepped the boundaries, she’d fly away like a startled dove. The sound of her voice was soft and faraway, as if she were still half-asleep.

“That a man could be so caring…”

“Even a man like me, eh?”

Maya laughed softly. “Especially you. I would never have guessed….”

Dane closed his eyes. He felt like a starving wolf having Maya in his arms. If she could read his mind, he was sure she’d run screaming away from him. His heart was pounding. His lower body was in a tortured knot of boiling heat and need. How badly he wanted to kiss her. Just kiss her. What would Maya’s lips feel like? How many times had he thought about kissing her?

“I’m full of surprises,” he joked softly.

“So am I.”

“You? Naw. You’re pretty predicable,” he teased and smiled. Taking a risk, Dane pressed a small kiss on the top of her head.

Maya felt his mouth come to rest upon her hair. A delicious sensation, an awakening, flowed through her. She felt him laugh. The feeling flowed through her warmly. When he tightened his arms around her briefly, Maya felt incredibly safe. No one had ever given her that sense of safety before. Dane was a natural-born leader, and he had confidence to burn. In the
past three weeks, since looking at him differently, Maya realized that Inca had been right: they were more alike than she’d ever realized. He’d worked hard to keep that connection with her. And she’d reciprocated.

It was loco, Maya decided—crazy magic. Somehow, the intense healing Inca had given them had opened up their hearts and their eyes, and now they saw one another differently. Better. More provocatively. Maya stirred in Dane’s arms, her eyes still closed. Inhaling the male scent of him, she followed her own primal instincts. Shifting in his arms, she lifted her face to him and looked into Dane’s hooded eyes. They were a smoky blue color.