Part 5 (1/2)

He released her as abruptly as he'd taken hold of her. ”Don't ever come up here again.” There was nothing soft about his voice this time. Anger glittered in his eyes now. His ploy hadn't worked, and he was mad as h.e.l.l about it.

Victory drew her lips into a smile. ”Noted,” she acknowledged the order and walked away without a backward glance.

Once on the landing outside his door she closed her eyes and drew in a deep, bolstering breath.

That was too close for comfort. She inventoried her body's infernal reaction to the man and cursed herself. She had to find a way to ignore him on that level.

She almost laughed out loud at the foolishness of that proposal as she slowly descended the stairs. Ignoring her responses to him would be about as easy as keeping the sun from rising.

Chapter Five.

Noah sat alone at his desk downstairs and methodically reviewed all but one piece of the day's mail. Tension vibrated inside him. He shoved his chair back from the desk and pushed to his feet. d.a.m.n his lack of control.

Lowell and Blue were having dinner. He had refused to dine with them. And still he could not block her from his thoughts. Like the woman, the idea of her simply refused to vacate his mind. He cursed his uncharacteristic weakness.

He moved across the room...stood at the wide set of windows and closed his eyes, summoning the ocean view beyond the heavily shrouded sashes of gla.s.s. The dense woods, veiled in darkness now. The full moon hanging low overhead, spilling a dim glow over all that lay beneath it. The smell of the Atlantic...the night sounds of the tide...of the leaves swaying in the gentle breeze. The weather forecaster had promised unseasonably cool temperatures tonight, there would be mist in the air, cloud-like forms floating like whispers from the past. He yearned to touch the night...to feel it around him.

But he was no longer alone in his misery.

She would follow him if he left the house.

Never had he met such a determined woman. He opened his eyes and stared at nothing at all. He'd been certain that if his indifference didn't push her away, the threat of physical intimacy would.

It had not.

She was not afraid of him on any level.

He shook his head slowly from side to side.

She had to have a weakness. Everyone had one. He had to find it...and then he would be the one in control.

The scope of his world had been narrowed so much that he felt completely out of sorts if even one aspect was beyond his dominion. She threw him off balance...threatened his ability to maintain absolute authority over all, meager as it was, that his world encompa.s.sed.

He knew a great deal about Maggie ”Blue” Callahan, at least as much as was recorded by her employer. The youngest in a family composed mostly of males, she had strived to make her own mark. She'd done that and more. Noah couldn't help wondering if the former president had been enthralled with her outstanding abilities as a personal protector or with the woman herself. Though he did not doubt her capabilities, Noah's money was on the latter.

Beauty went only skin deep, and she was beautiful and more. The perfect mix of femininity and athleticism made her slender form unforgettable. Long, silky blond hair and heart-stopping blue eyes embellished a face that was an incredible blend of softness and angularity. Being smart and determined only made bad matters worse. But it was the genuine compa.s.sion, the burning desire to succeed beneath all the appealing outer trappings that distracted him the most.

He never doubted for one moment her ability to hold her own in a physical confrontation. He'd seen firsthand her agility and the sharpness of her instincts. She was good. At twenty-eight, he wondered if she had a serious relations.h.i.+p in D.C. or back home in California. He didn't want to wonder, but he couldn't help himself.

She intrigued him as no one else ever had.

That glitch was dangerous to both of them.

General Bonner wanted him dead...wanted vengeance. He would stop at nothing to have it, Noah was certain. That put Blue directly in the line of fire. But then, she was trained for that precise position. Be that as it may, he had a bad feeling that nothing had prepared her for this unexpected attraction. He was no fool. She felt it the same as he did.

Basic chemistry, he understood that. But there were times when even the most elemental chemistry could be volatile. This was one of the times.

His loins tightened at the mere thought of touching her.

”You ruined Lowell's evening, you know.”

The sound of her voice dragged his reluctant attention around to the other side of the room. She stood in the doorway looking annoyed and impatient. He suddenly wondered how a simple pair of off-the-rack blue denim jeans could mold so perfectly to the human form. How a rather nondescript navy blouse that b.u.t.toned down the front, could look so utterly feminine and tailor-made to fit her torso? There was no reasonable explanation for the direction of his thoughts other than the fact that he had not touched a woman in five long years. And this one was here-right in front of him-vibrant and attractive, determined to barge into his life at his every turn.

She moved toward him, her head inclined, studying him as if she could read his thoughts. ”Dinner was fabulous. You do have to eat.”

His body tensed as she surveyed him from head to toe. He wore what he always did, black jeans and a black T-s.h.i.+rt. His closet contained nothing else. But she looked at him as if seeing him for the first time...as if taking his measure. The breadth of his shoulders. His fingers curled into fists as her gaze moved over his torso, paused strategically, then moved down the length of his legs.

She continued moving toward him until she was only a few feet away. Her gaze returned to his, approval glimmered there. ”You look healthy enough, but I'd like you to stay that way...at least while you're under my watch.”

It was at that exact moment that Noah knew beyond a shadow of a doubt just how much of a threat she represented to his hard-won peace with himself.

Five endless years it had taken him to find this elusive plateau...this place where he could survive above the bitterness and anger and without looking back and wondering what might have been had he made different choices. He'd even found an outlet for his need to accomplish something. Now, in barely twenty-four hours, she had shaken the foundation of all he was. All it had taken was a look, a touch...the sound of her voice.

”I'm not a child, Maggie Callahan. I know when to eat.”

He didn't miss the slight tightening of her jaw. She didn't like it that he referred to her that way. She wanted him to accept her presence and call her Blue as her friends did, but he would not. He would use whatever means available to maintain the distance between them until he discovered a weakness of hers that would put him back in control.

”If you're planning a stroll, I'd appreciate it if you let me know. I need to be aware of your location at all times.” She folded her arms over her chest and dared him to argue with her order.

He considered the weapon strapped to her shoulder. ”Your protection is not required during the night hours.” He leveled his most intimidating gaze on her. ”No one can touch me in the dark.”

Memories of the moments they'd spent together near the old chapel last night tumbled through her head. He didn't have to be a mind reader to know, the slight widening of her eyes, the catch in her breath gave her thoughts away.

She lifted her chin a notch and glared at him defiantly. ”So, you're at home in the dark. That's great. But it changes nothing. Where you go, I go.”

He nodded once, conceding the point. It would be in his best interest to keep her close by. There was only one way to determine a person's weaknesses and that was to acquaint oneself well with that person. Five years ago he would not have considered the job a hards.h.i.+p. Things were different now, and he recognized the risk involved. He didn't want to know her that well. He didn't want her here at all.

Well, want actually had nothing to do with it.

If he could not intimidate her into leaving, then he would make the situation work to his advantage. The past five years had taught him one thing if nothing else, he could learn to live with anything if he set his mind to it.

”I received another letter today,” he said offhandedly.

The announcement took her by surprise. ”Where is it? I'd like to see it.”

She followed him to his desk where the white envelope lay untouched. He'd recognized it immediately and set it to the side. He'd first considered throwing it away. If no more letters were reported then perhaps Rothman would see the uselessness of having her here. But then he'd decided against that course of action. Though he resented the intrusion of her presence, he resented being stalked even more. Bonner clearly knew Noah's every move, but this pointless game was so unlike him.

Callahan opened the envelope and unfolded the single page inside. She looked at it for a long, a.s.sessing minute, then pa.s.sed it to him.

I'm closer than you know. She won't be able to stop me.

Just as he had suspected, she was in the direct line of fire from whatever source this threat came. ”You understand that you will be a primary target now?” he asked her, his gaze searching hers. He needed to know that she understood fully the ramifications of her continued presence in this house.

”I understand. I understood it yesterday when those punks took shots at me.”

He frowned. ”What punks?”