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Woman Of Innocence
Lindsay McKenna


Jenny Wright dreamed of adventure–and longed to be chosen by her boss, Morgan Trayhern, for a true mercenary mission. But no one saw Jenny as anything more than Morgan's mousy assistant. Until the fateful day Jenny got her first assignment–with mercenary Matt Davis as a partner! Matt was a legend in Jenny's mind–until their assignment forced her to go deep undercover as his wife.As the innocent young woman shared close quarters with Matt, she discovered the man beneath the armor–a heart she longed to heal. Now the spirited beauty faced her greatest challenge yet: showing this proud soldier the power of love!









In the doorway, Jenny saw a man, very tall and deeply suntanned.


“Matt, come in,” Morgan called to him. “It’s time you were properly introduced to your new partner.”

Matt moved silently into the room.

Jenny held her breath. Matt Davis. The famous Matt Davis. He was one of Morgan’s best mercenaries. She knew his résumé by heart. Now as she studied his eyes, which glittered with a hard intelligence, her nerves skittered and her pulse raced. With his wide, oval face and jutting jaw, that strong nose and mouth, he was one of the most handsome men she’d ever seen! And he was being assigned to work with her!

Jenny did everything possible to hide her feelings and not stare at him like some lovelorn teenybopper. But how could she help herself? She was going on her first mercenary mission with Matt Davis.

It was more than she ever dreamed of….




Woman of Innocence

Lindsay McKenna







www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)


To Gonzalo E. Abelenda and Ezequiel Caviglia

of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Two young,

handsome white knights who rescued us from

Agua Caliente, Peru, and got us train tickets back to Cuzco.

Thank you! Chivalry, good manners and kindness between

North and South America are alive and well.

You are both, truly, romance heroes of the finest kind.




LINDSAY McKENNA


A homeopathic educator, Lindsay teaches at the Desert Institute of Classical Homeopathy in Phoenix, Arizona. When she isn’t teaching alternative medicine, she is writing books about love. She feels love is the single greatest healer in the world and hopes that her books touch her readers on those levels.


Dear Reader,

Having been in the U.S. Navy, I know there are smart, savvy women who can do things just as well as any man—or better! In this brand-new series, MORGAN’S MERCENARIES: DESTINY’S WOMEN, I honor them by telling their stories.

I believe that every woman is capable of heroic action. Just being a woman in today’s world takes courage, in my opinion. Take Jenny Wright, for example, the heroine of Woman of Innocence. So often I hear from women that they wish they could have more adventurous lives. Most of us are tied to a family and career obligations—like Jenny, who is Morgan Trayhern’s personal assistant. Jenny dreams that some day, she, too, will be handed a mercenary assignment by her boss. She idolizes the men and women who work for Morgan, but she doesn’t believe that she has the “right stuff” to do what they do. However, life has a funny way of showing Jenny that perhaps she’s not so unlike the mercenaries who work for Morgan when she gets a chance to undertake a mission and work with the courageous women of the Black Jaguar Squadron, who will be featured in upcoming books in MORGAN’S MERCENARIES: DESTINY’S WOMEN. Not only does Jenny discover she has the strength to stand side by side with these women, but she also realizes, in the arms of mercenary Matt Davis, that she has the courage to love.

I hope you enjoy Jenny’s story, as well as the three books to come in MORGAN’S MERCENARIES: DESTINY’S WOMEN.

Enjoy,









Contents


Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen




Chapter One


“Morgan, are you awake?”

“…Umphh…”

Laura smiled softly as she gazed at her dozing husband. Thin streams of moonlight filtered into their bedroom on the second floor of their log home. She could smell the scent of pine as a breeze gently blew the diaphanous white curtains beside their brass bed. Snuggling up against his back, she moved her hand in a gliding motion around his rib cage. Though the comforts of living had put a few extra pounds on Morgan, he still worked to maintain the strong, athletic build he’d had as a young man.

Placing her palm against his darkly haired chest, she reached up and placed a kiss against his naked shoulder. “Are you awake?” she repeated.

Morgan stirred. He forced his lids open. Feeling Laura’s small hand against his chest, over his heart, he lifted his own hand and pressed it against hers. “I am now.”

She laughed a little breathlessly and kissed him as a reward. “I know you had a hard day. I should have talked to you about this earlier.”

Morgan liked the feel of Laura’s silky nightgown. The way it flowed against his nakedness made him very aware of her feminine curves. Moving carefully from his side to his back, he brought his wife into his arms. She nestled her blond head into his shoulder, her brow pressed to his jaw. Ever since her kidnapping years ago, the trauma she’d suffered, Laura had changed. Not that Morgan could blame her under the circumstances. He, too, had been changed when he and his wife, as well as their eldest son, Jason, had been victimized during the incident.

“What are you worrying over?” he rumbled as he pressed his lips to her thick soft hair. Inhaling deeply, he savored the sweet scent of kahili ginger that she’d washed her hair with earlier that night, before they went to bed.

Laughing a little, Laura eased away just enough to catch his sleepy looking eyes. Warmed by his sensitivity to her needs, she whispered, “How did you know I was worrying?”

One corner of his mouth moved upward. Her eyes shone with warmth and love—toward him. Squeezing her shoulder gently, he rasped, “Why wouldn’t I know? We’ve been married a long time. We know one another pretty well at this stage, don’t you think?”

“Even at two in the morning you have a sense of humor.” She grinned a little and kissed his jaw. The sandpapery quality made her lips tingle as she sank against him.

Sighing, Morgan said, “Only for you, believe me.” He’d lost count of the times he’d been awakened by a person on duty over at the Perseus headquarters about a mercenary mission. No, he savored a good night’s sleep. Morgan also knew that since the kidnapping, Laura had kept a lot of her emotions in, and had lost some of her childlike spontaneity. Over time, he’d learned how to read her when she internalized things, and he tried to stimulate conversation with her, to find out what was going on inside that intelligent head of hers. Tonight was one of those nights, he realized. Laura rarely woke him up like this. He wondered if she was worried about one of their four children. Jason, their firstborn son, in particular, who was going through a very rough time the last couple of years as a maturing teen.

“What’s bothering you?” he asked quietly. He felt her hand range across his chest, her touch always wonderful. Savoring the feel of her slender, feminine body against his own, he moved his fingers across her shoulder.

Closing her eyes, Laura sighed. “It’s about Jenny.”

His brows drew downward. “Jenny? My assistant?”

“Yes.”

All sleepiness left him as he wondered why Laura needed to discuss the woman who worked for him at Perseus. “What about her?”

“You know how much we both like her,” Laura began.

“Yes…” Where was this leading? Normally, Laura didn’t discuss business at 2:00 a.m. with him. She helped out occasionally on hiring people for Perseus. Otherwise, she had her hands full with their four children, devoting her life and time to them, not Perseus. “She’s become like a fifth child to us,” Morgan agreed.

The fact that Jenny had a lot of Laura’s own traits hadn’t escaped either of them. With her short blond hair and pixie face, Jenny looked more like one of their children than Morgan’s secretarial assistant. Jenny had been abandoned at birth, given up for adoption, and she still didn’t know who her parents were. When Laura had discovered that fact, she’d automatically extended a hand to the young woman of twenty-four, and made her a part of their extended family. Morgan didn’t mind. Jenny was a superb worker, highly intelligent, and had graduated from Bryn Mawr in the top ten percent of her class. She had a degree in psychology, and spoke three foreign languages fluently. Jenny was no ordinary secretary, by a long shot. She was, literally, Morgan’s right-hand person at Perseus. Everything that went on, Jenny knew about. She was reliable, trustworthy and hardworking.

“You know her birthday is coming up in a week? She’ll be twenty-five?”

Rubbing his face, Morgan muttered, “Oh…no, I forgot. Damn…It’s a good thing you reminded me.” He made it a point to remember the birthday of every one of his employees. But Jenny kept the list for him, and knowing her as he did, he realized she’d never tell him her birthday was coming up! She didn’t like to take the limelight or have anyone make a big deal over her. She was almost a shadow, a behind-the-scenes player in all respects.

Laura nodded her head. “A senior moment, sweetheart.”

They both laughed. Now that Morgan was in his mid-fifties, he had found out that his memory wasn’t what it used to be.

“I have a special gift in mind for her,” Laura said enthusiastically. “And that’s what I need to talk to you about.”

Raising his brows, Morgan said, “Okay…whatever it is, get it for her. She treats you like the mother she doesn’t have. You don’t need my okay on it.” He felt Laura laugh and she hugged him.

“Don’t be so quick to agree, Morgan. The ‘gift’ I have in mind is unusual and does require your approval.”

“You’re up to something….”

She laughed liltingly. “You’re slow, Trayhern. Must be the time of morning I woke you up.”

He grinned and squeezed Laura, placing a kiss on her smooth brow. Morgan treasured these special moments they shared. They didn’t have many, not with four kids and the demands of Perseus hanging over their heads all the time. “Why is it the man is always the last to know?” he teased back.

Laura kissed his cheek and then sat up. The sheet fell away and pooled around her hips. She saw the glimmer in Morgan’s dark blue eyes and reached out and skimmed her hand across his massive chest. “That’s why you guys needs us girls around.”

Catching her hand, he pressed a kiss to it. “Okay, I give. What’s going on?” He liked the way the pale peach silk nightgown with the deep V-neckline revealed her slender body. Even after carrying his four children, she was as beautiful and desirable to him as ever.

“I’ve been thinking…”

“Uh-oh…now I am in trouble!”

She giggled and met his smiling eyes and cockeyed grin. Despite Morgan’s overwhelming workload, when he was with her, he was more like a little boy than the serious, conservative military tactician that he was. With her, he let down his walls. He trusted her. He loved her. “Yes,” she whispered wickedly, “I think you are….”

With a sigh, he struggled up into a sitting position. Leaning against the cool brass headboard, he held her hand in his. “Okay, what have you planned for Jenny’s birthday?”

Laura lost her smile and turned slightly, her knees brushing against his thick, hard thigh as she met and held his glimmering eyes. The moonlight was bright, contrasting starkly with the deep shadows in the room. Morgan’s face was square and large. Even in the moonlight the scar on his face stood out, a constant reminder of that fateful day during the Vietnam War so long ago.

“You know how desperately she daydreams of going on a mission with a mercenary.”

Morgan groaned. “Laura…”

She held up her hand. “Hear me out, darling.”

Groaning, Morgan rumbled, “That’s all it is, Laura. She daydreams. She knows she can’t go on a bona fide merc mission. She’s not trained for it.” Scowling, he added, “Jenny is smart, bright, resourceful and creative, but she’s not merc material. I can’t put one of my men at risk to fulfill some romantic dream she has about this business. You know that.”

Sliding her hand along his jaw, Laura whispered, “You’re overreacting, darling. Remember last week, how you mentioned to me that you have a level one mission coming up in Agua Caliente, Peru? You said you needed to assign someone to interview Major Maya Stevenson’s Apache pilots for that top-secret mission that will be going down in Mexico. Jenny’s a psychologist. Who better to interview and help select the right three women for this? A level one assignment means no danger. Why couldn’t you assign Jenny to go along? Make her feel like she’s doing something important? Let her undertake the interviewing and choose the pilots. I really think if you’d do this, she’d lose her romantic visions of the business. As it is now, that’s all she talks about—to be part of one of your merc teams.”

Groaning, Morgan closed his eyes. “Laura…”

“Morgan, it’s a little thing, but it’ll mean so much to Jenny.”

Opening his eyes, he regarded her shadowed face and absorbed her warm, pleading look. She knew he wouldn’t refuse her. He never did. How could he? Loving Laura was his whole life. Their children were proof of that, and their love had deepened and gotten even better over the years. She was his best friend. And she rarely took advantage of their bond as she was doing now.

Morgan knew that Laura felt deeply for Jenny’s plight as an abandoned child. Laura had a habit of bringing in strays all the time. There was that stray kitten down at the grocers, starving, its eyes nearly matted shut, that she’d brought it home and nursed back to health. A pigeon had been hit by a car and was lying on the side of the road, and Laura had stopped and picked it up. She’d put a splint on its broken wing and nursed it back to health. Now that Laura had released it, the dumb bird made its home on the rail outside their bedroom door. Morgan wasn’t very happy about that. The bird messed everywhere.

Morgan’s mind ranged over the many animals Laura had rescued over the years. And he had to admit, if he was honest, that she had rescued him, too. He was a stray. He’d been abandoned in every way possible, yet, she’d opened her heart and her life to him, without question.

Morgan wouldn’t make Laura beg. He respected her too much to play that kind of game. He saw that her velvety eyes were filled with love toward him. Sighing, Morgan squeezed her small hand in his large one. “Okay, okay! So who’s available to go on this mock merc mission?”

Laura released a breath of air, leaned forward and threw her arms around his broad, warm shoulders. “Thank you, darling.” She gave him a quick kiss on his mouth and said, “Matt Davis is coming in from Bosnia tomorrow. He’s been on a level four mission, and I would imagine he’d like something a little safer and quieter.”

Morgan arched one black brow. “Davis? Baby-sitting Jenny? Oh, brother, Laura. That is not a match made in heaven. That’s like putting oil and water together.”

“He’s the only one available,” Laura said, biting her lower lip in thought. “I’ve met him several times. He’s very nice. Good-looking too. And single.”

“Is this all for Jenny’s benefit?”

Laura laughed. “It doesn’t hurt that he isn’t married, Morgan.”

Giving her a dark look, he growled, “You aren’t matchmaking again, are you?” Laura had a penchant for that.

Her mouth twitched. She saw Morgan’s dark, assessing gaze on her. “Me? No. Go look at the database yourself. There’s no one available except Matt. I’m sure if you explain to him the reasons for his being assigned, he’d go along with it. He’s got a soft heart.”

“Humph. I’ve got to have a soft head to think he’d agree to it. I’m going to have to do a helluva lotta talking to get him, Laura. He’s thirty years old and he will not like baby-sitting a rookie. Hell, Jenny isn’t even that.” Running his fingers through his black hair, he grimaced.

“Matt knows Spanish. And this is a Spanish-speaking mission,” she reminded him. “And Jenny knows Spanish. She won’t be a problem. Besides, she plans all the missions with you and Mike Houston. Just because she hasn’t spent any real time on a mission, she knows how they work. I think if you tell Matt why, he’ll gracefully capitulate and do it.”

“I’m not so sure….” Morgan wasn’t. “Grace is not his middle name.”

“More than anything,” Laura said, “please don’t let Jenny think this isn’t an important mission. Let her think that she’s really contributing—that she’s the best person for the job.”

“I can’t let Jenny think we’ll do this again, Laura. She’s not qualified and trained in military maneuvers.”

Holding up her hand, Laura said, “I agree. Tell her that it’s her birthday and that you felt she could handle this mission. You can make it perfectly clear that there will never be another. I really think that if Matt gives her a taste of a real mission, without the danger being there, she’ll quickly lose that romantic veneer she’s put on mercs and missions in the future. Maybe she needs to go on a mission, experience it, simply to help her to understand the rigors and stresses on our people. It could help her be a better assistant as she plans these missions with you and Mike.”

Nodding, Morgan muttered, “You’ve got sound arguments. Maybe we should put her on a safe mission. I could suggest to Matt to ham it up a little for her benefit. Level ones are usually boring as hell to a merc.”

Laura sighed. “You’ve got the right idea, Morgan. I feel this will work out to everyone’s advantage. Jenny will fulfill her dream. You’ll get an assistant back that understands mission planning more fully.”

Chuckling, Morgan said, “Matt’s the only one who isn’t going to benefit from this trip.”

“Mmm,” Laura murmured as she moved into Morgan’s arms, “Matt’s a big boy. Somehow, I think he’ll roll with the situation. Jenny is cute. And she’s no dummy. He’ll find out very quickly just how smart and resourceful she is.”

Morgan smiled, pressing his wife closer to him. As she leaned down, rubbing like a feline against him, he murmured, “Let’s set business aside now, shall we?”

Laura laughed gently and placed her lips against his smiling ones. “I like waking you at 2:00 a.m. in the morning, Trayhern….”

As her lips glided against his, he felt her smiling. Her body was warm and sensuous as he wrapped his arms around her. “Yeah,” he growled, “no interruptions…”

“No phones, no faxes…”

“No children coming in and needing something…”

Sighing, Laura whispered, “Just the two of us…. Let’s take advantage of it, shall we, darling?”



“I need a special favor from you, Matt. Have a seat.” Morgan gestured to the leather wing chair that sat at one corner of his massive bird’s-eye maple desk in his private office within the Perseus complex. The merc, Matt Davis, assessed him critically with storm-gray eyes as he sat down.

“A favor?”

The door to Morgan’s office opened, interrupting the two men. Jenny came in, bearing a silver tray with coffee, cream, sugar and those delectable Krispy Kreme doughnuts. They were Morgan’s downfall. Luckily, Jenny had put only two on the tray—one for each of the men. Laura had given her strict instructions not to serve the usual half dozen anymore, or Morgan would eat more than his fair share.

“Come in, Jenny,” he murmured. “You can set the tray on the desk here.”

Matt rubbed his eyes tiredly. The little blond-haired assistant gave him a cheery good-morning smile, as she had when she’d let him in to see Morgan for his appointment. Her blue eyes sparkled with such life. She brushed by him and he caught the scent of a very faint fragrance; maybe lilacs? He dismissed his distracting thought. Right now, all he wanted was a week or two off and some deep, sound sleep. Still, those large, expressive blue eyes of hers got to him. They reached inside of his armored heart and touched him as if he had no defenses in place. Damn. How could that be? She was all of maybe five foot two inches, and probably weighed a hundred pounds soaking wet. She was built like a bird, Matt thought, and she looked fragile. Like she might break if someone glared at her or said a bad word in her presence. Yet she was all bubbly, light effervescence. Sunshine in their dark hole of a business, he mused. Maybe that’s why Morgan had hired her: she brought light to the murky world they lived in. Matt couldn’t blame him. Jenny was attractive without being a raving beauty. It was her eyes and that constant, soft smile on her full mouth that were her greatest attributes.

“Thank you, Jenny,” Morgan murmured as she was about to pour coffee into the delicate white china cups. “We’ll do it.”

“Sure…” Jenny nodded and turned. As she did, the toe of her sensible brown loafer caught the scarred, dirty hiking boot Matt wore.

“Oh!” The cry tore from her lips as she staggered forward, off balance, her arms flailing outward.

Matt saw her trip. Instantly, he was leaning forward, his arm outstretched, to grab her. He was easily able to catch her as she reeled in his direction. In seconds, her light form was in his arms, her shoulder against his chest.

“You okay?” he asked as he righted her and sat her on her feet. Matt saw her cheeks turn red with embarrassment. Morgan had come halfway out of his chair when he saw her trip, but from where he was, he couldn’t have helped her, anyway.

“Oh yes…sorry! I’m so sorry, Mr. Davis….” Jenny quickly leaped away from him. She nervously smoothed her tan slacks and gave Morgan a regretful look. “I’m such a klutz. I’m okay, Morgan. Really.” And she held out her hand to stop him from coming around the desk. The look on his face was one of genuine concern. She loved her boss so much. He treated her as an equal, not as some dumb, airhead blonde.

“You sure?” Morgan asked, halting.

“Very sure.” Flustered, she ran her fingers through her thick, short hair. “It’s just me.” Flashing Matt Davis a slight smile, she said, “Thanks for saving me from totally embarrassing myself.”

Matt couldn’t help but smile back. She was such a sprite. More like sunlight dancing on the choppy waters of life than an ordinary woman.

“Don’t worry about it,” he murmured, and reached for the coffee.

“I’ll leave you now,” she said and hurried out of the room.

Morgan picked up a Krispy Kreme doughnut. “You know, these doughnuts are the best in the world.” He eyed it like a jeweler eyeballing an expensive diamond.

Snorting, Matt poured them coffee. “You eat ’em. I don’t need the sugar today.”

“Humph, I don’t, either, but…Sure you don’t want the other one?”

Davis grinned and sipped the hot, fragrant coffee. “Positive.” He patted his hard, flat belly beneath the white cotton shirt he wore.

Morgan bit into the doughnut, a look of absolute pleasure crossing his face. “This is one of life’s little gifts,” he sighed as he enjoyed every bite. “When I heard they were going to have a Krispy Kreme come to Philipsburg, I knew I was in heaven.”

Davis chortled a little and sat down, sprawling his six-foot-two-inch length out again, the coffee balanced between his hands. “Better you than me. If I eat bread products of any kind, I gain weight right off the bat. In our business, we don’t need that riding against us.”

Patting his middle, Morgan said, “I’ve got about five pounds here I don’t need.”

“Yeah, well you’re in your fifties and I’m thirty. Big difference.” Matt grinned.

Good humored, Morgan took the second doughnut and sat down. He ate it with the same slow satisfaction as he had the first one. “This will be our secret. Laura thinks I’m getting one a day.”

“Our secret,” Matt agreed with a lopsided grin.

Dusting off his hands on the white linen napkin from the tray, Morgan picked up his coffee and sauntered back around his desk. “Now,” he murmured, “I have a favor to ask of you.”




Chapter Two


“Happy birthday, Jenny,” Morgan called to his assistant. He looked fondly over at her as she hurried into the war room, where all assignments were handed out. Laura stood at his side, smiling.

Jenny came to a halt in front of Morgan, who sat opposite her at the huge, oval table. Her eyes grew huge at the sight of the white frosted cake decorated with yellow roses. “A cake?” she gasped. Her hand flew to her heart when she saw the lit candles—all twenty-five of them. “You didn’t have to do this,” she said, touched. With a lump in her throat, she made a wish and blew out all the candles, while the Trayherns applauded.

To the left of the cake was a blue folder. She recognized the file as a merc assignment. On top of it was placed a bright red-and-silver bow. What stymied her was the fact that her name was on that file. Clasping her hands in nervous anticipation, she asked, “What’s this?”

Laura smiled fondly. “Your gift, Jenny. From all of us to you. Go on, open it.”

She saw the smile that Morgan traded with Laura. They looked like they knew the punch line to a joke she wasn’t privy to. Anticipation wound through her. “B-but,” Jenny stammered, gesturing toward the file, “that’s a merc assignment file. Did I not file it correctly?” She took pride in her filing system and had never lost a folder yet.

“Yes,” Morgan murmured in his deep voice, “that’s exactly what it is. And no, it’s not misfiled.”

Giving them a confused look, Jenny slid her fingers beneath the bow, then carefully set it aside. Balancing the folder in her hand, she gave them a perplexed look. “It has my name on it. That’s not right. The merc who’s assigned this duty should have his or her name on it….”

Morgan allowed a hint of a smile. Jenny was truly confused. “Why don’t you open it up and look at the assignment? I think a lot of your confusion will be put to rest.”

Sitting down, Jenny placed the file in her lap and opened it. Her eyes widened. She gasped. Snapping a look up at Morgan and Laura, she whispered, “This can’t be!”

“Why not?” Morgan demanded.

“Why, er, I’m just an assistant to you, Morgan…for Perseus….” She stared disbelievingly at the assignment. It had her name on it as the commander in charge of the mission. Below it was another name: Matt Davis. He was second-in-command. Looking farther, she saw that the assignment was to Agua Caliente, Peru, to a top-secret military installation known as the Black Jaguar Base.

Her heart began skipping beats as she continued to rapidly scan the information. She was being assigned to interview all volunteer candidates at the Black Jaguar Base who would want to work undercover for Perseus on an upcoming mission along the Mexican-American border. She was to lead this mission! Her! She was to interview all the pilots and then select the three she considered best qualified for the tasks. It was a level one mission, which meant there was no risk or danger to it.

Morgan traded a warm look with Laura. He turned his attention back to Jenny, whose head was still bent over the file as she read voraciously. She nervously chewed on her full lower lip, and her thin, arched brows worked up and down as she read. She had a very open, readable face, and Morgan enjoyed watching her response.

“Jenny, we felt that you’ve worked here long enough to undertake a safe, but very necessary mission for Perseus,” he told her in an authoritative voice. Jenny lifted her chin, her full attention on him. Morgan saw tears in her eyes. He felt Laura gently squeeze his shoulder. “We know you’ve dreamed of going on a mission rather than just sitting here behind your desk processing orders and reports. I felt that if you undertook a mission, that would help you understand your job here better. And Laura felt this was a worthy birthday gift to you. Is it?”

Choking on tears, Jenny fought them back. Her gaze swung from Morgan’s gentle look to Laura’s proud and smiling features. She knew in her heart that Laura had engineered this. “I—I don’t know what to say….”

“Yes will suffice.” Morgan chuckled indulgently.

“But…how do you know I’m up for it? I mean, I’m not a trained merc. I have no experience in the military. I’ve never picked up a pistol to fire it….” She suddenly stood up, gripping the file to her chest, and her voice went off-key with anxiety. “Oh, I know I’ve told you a million times I wished for a chance to go on a mission…but I know better. I really do. I know I’m a big ’fraidy-cat, not a hero or heroine like the wonderful people you employ, Morgan. I’m a mouse. A plain, dull little mouse with absolutely no military background like your mercenaries.”

Laura smiled gently. “Not all missions require military might, Jenny. You have a degree in psychology. We felt that you were the best qualified person for this mission. You’ve been here a year with us and you know the routine. And you’ve also met most of our employees and know the type of people we’re looking for.” Laura pointed to the folder Jenny held in a death grip against her chest. “Major Maya Stevenson has agreed to let you and your partner come down to her base and interview any interested Boeing Apache helicopter pilots who may want to take part in these upcoming missions.”

Stymied, her heart beating hard in her chest because she’d never in a million years believed she’d be given a merc mission, Jenny said in a wobbly voice, “But, Laura, I don’t know anything about the military except what I’ve learned here. I wouldn’t know how to assess the volunteers….” She gave Laura a panicked look.

Morgan cleared his throat. “That’s why Matt Davis has been assigned. He’s ex-Navy SEAL. He knows the military and he also knows what we’re looking for on this mission. He can help you with the type of questions you might want to pose to the volunteers, as well as guide you in your selection. Of course, you are the team leader and he’s your assistant. In the end, your judgment, your choices, are the ones we’ll go with.”

“Oh dear…” Jenny quickly sat down before she fell down from the shock of it all. What a birthday gift! Going on a merc mission. It was one of those silly, idealistic dreams she held secret within her heart, one she never believed would come true. Shaking her head, she muttered more to herself than to them, “All my life, I’ve dreamed of doing something heroic…something that would help others….”

“We felt you deserved this opportunity,” Morgan said genially. He grinned as Jenny looked over at him. Her large blue eyes were huge with shock and wonder. “Will you accept your birthday gift so we can get on with cutting the cake?”

Laughing breathlessly, Jenny leaped from the chair. “Of course. Wow! I’m in shock. I mean, I really am! I never dreamed of this…oh, I mean I did, but I never thought my dream would come true.” And she smiled bashfully at them. Putting the file aside, she picked up the serving knife and pulled a white china plate with gold trim from the stack at her elbow.

Chuckling, Morgan said, “You’ve earned the chance, Jenny. And you can cut me an extra large piece, please.”

“Morgan,” Laura warned lightly, “you’re trying to watch your waistline, darling. Remember?”

Giving the white frosted cake a fond look, he said, “Just a little larger than usual? Chocolate cake is my favorite.”

With a short laugh, Jenny sliced him a large piece. Dropping it onto the plate, she said, “Listen, you deserve a big piece for giving me this chance. I promise you I won’t let you down—I really won’t.”

And yet, as she cut Laura a much thinner slice of the cake at her request, Jenny was already feeling deep angst. Could she do this? How? She’d never done anything like it before. Yet there wasn’t a day that went by when she didn’t yearn, heart and soul, to take off on a mission with a merc.

Oh, she had such fantasies! Most of the male mercs were young, in their twenties, and they were such good-looking men! Jenny, being single, had a tough time not staring boldly at them like a dog slavering over a nice, big, juicy T-bone steak at times. It took everything she had to keep her eyes on her work, remain professional and not stare like a love-struck teenager at some of the handsome hunks who came through the office.

Her respect and admiration for the women mercs, all of whom had come from the military, was equally high. They were all so poised, and confidence radiated from them like strong rays from the sun. How many times had Jenny ached to have an ounce of their self-assurance and poise? In comparison, she saw herself as little more than a scared mouse underfoot. They were all intelligent, too. She knew because she often, in her spare moments, pored over their résumés. The names of the colleges, universities and military academies, were a stunning tribute. Most had graduated from the top ten schools in the United States—a fact that made Jenny that much more respectful and admiring of them. And unlike her, these women were not afraid of anything. They were simply amazing, and Jenny wished many times she had just a little of their courage, their heroism, the guts and brains they had that made their missions successful.

As she cut several more pieces of the cake, she felt her foundation shifting beneath her like quicksand. And yet she had to look strong and appear as if she could pull off this mission. Above all, she couldn’t disappoint Morgan. Or Laura, who often patted her on the shoulder and told her how much she was like the women mercs who came through their office. Jenny couldn’t see any comparison. What did Laura see in her that she didn’t see in herself?

Biting her lower lip, she looked up. Morgan was already digging gingerly into his piece of cake. Laura had sat down next to him and was spreading a linen napkin across her lap.

“Would you like me to distribute the cake to the rest of the office?” Jenny asked.

Morgan shook his head. “No, you just sit down and enjoy your cake with us. I’m going to ask Roy to come in and do that. Today is your day, Jenny. Besides, you’re no longer my assistant. You’re a merc on a mission now.”

With a smile she didn’t feel, Jenny tried to sit there and concentrate on eating the cake. She tasted none of it, because her stomach was filled with fluttering butterflies and her heart beat erratically. Her emotions skidded from euphoria to sheer terror. Oh, what if she failed at this? She couldn’t stand disappointing Morgan or Laura.

Roy came in, somber and respectful, and wished Jenny a happy birthday. She responded with a smile and thanks as she watched the tall, silver-haired man troop back and forth with plates in hand for the rest of the hard-working office staff outside the doors of the war room. Jenny saw a man, very tall, deeply suntanned, come to a standstill in the doorway after Roy had left with a final piece of cake for himself. It was Matt Davis, she realized, recognizing him as he scanned the room with storm-colored gray eyes. The very merc she’d tripped all over the other day in Morgan’s office!

“Matt, come in,” Morgan called, and waved him in. “You’re just in time.” He pointed to the last plate with a slice of cake on it. “Come and have a piece of Jenny’s birthday cake. It’s time you were properly introduced to your new partner.”

Nodding, Matt moved silently into the room. He closed the door quietly behind him. His eyes smarted and burned. Right now, he didn’t want to be here. All he wanted was twenty-four hours of uninterrupted sleep. “Yes, sir,” he murmured, and turned toward the long, oval table.

Jenny held her breath. Matt Davis. The famous Matt Davis. He was one of Morgan’s very best mercs—a level four. She’d known his résumé by heart even before he’d come to meet with Morgan. Now, as she studied his eyes, they glittered with a hard intelligence, making her nerves skitter and her pulse race. With his wide, oval face and jutting jaw, that strong nose and full mouth, he was one of the handsomest men she’d ever seen. And he was being assigned to work with her!

Jenny did everything possible to hide her feelings and not stare at him like a lovelorn teenybopper. But how could she help herself? He looked more handsome today than ever, dressed in a pair of comfortable dark brown chinos, a charcoal gray polo shirt beneath a buckskin suede sport coat and black leather cowboy boots. His hair, a raw umber color, was closely cropped in typical military tradition, and the conservative cut emphasized his rugged features. He moved like a prowling cougar across the room toward them, with a sense of tightly coiled energy surrounding him. His assessing eyes never left hers. How did he feel about working with her? Judging from the harsh slant of his mouth, he didn’t like it one bit. Jenny cowered within herself, clutching the plate in her lap as if it were a liferaft on a storm-tossed sea.

“Matt, meet Jenny, your boss and teammate for this upcoming mission,” Morgan said with a genial smile.

Matt halted in front of blond-haired Jenny. She could barely meet his gaze, she seemed so shy. What a tiny thing she was. He remembered her from the other day in Morgan’s office when he’d come to Perseus to receive his next assignment. Hell, she wasn’t a merc. Even now she was cowering before him and struggling to look confident. Her chin trembled, tearing at his heavily guarded heart.

“Good to meet you again,” Matt rumbled, and he stuck out his hand. Jenny blushed at his reference to their earlier meeting.

Morgan had warned him not to make waves or let Jenny know he really didn’t want this assignment with her. She was not a professional merc. She wasn’t even in the military.

Jenny gathered her rapidly dissolving courage, lifted her chin and forced herself to stare up into those large, glittering gray eyes of Matt Davis. After all, he wouldn’t want a coward for a partner. His hand was so large! she thought as he enfolded it around her petite one. Nevertheless, she accepted his firm, yet careful grip. Cringing inwardly, she knew her own hands were cool and damp with nervousness. His flesh was hard and warm and dry. He wasn’t nervous at all.

For a brief, flitting moment, Jenny saw an unknown emotion glint in his assessing eyes. What was it? Disdain? Did he want to curl his lip because she wasn’t really a merc? Not a military trained person, but a secretary fulfilling a romantic dream?

Anxiously, she searched his face for some sign of his true feelings toward her and this mission. She saw nothing except that one flicker of emotion in his gray eyes, which were focused on her. As she shook his hand, the plate containing her cake slid off her lap.

“Oh!” she cried. Leaping up, she instantly released his hand. In leaping, she misjudged the space and bumped into the table with her hip, tottering off balance. Strong, warm hands caught her by the shoulders, lifted her off her feet and set her down again.

Gulping, Jenny couldn’t look up at Matt. He must be laughing at her. She was such a klutz! “Thank you,” she whispered, completely humiliated once more in his presence. As Matt released her, Jenny crouched down to begin the process of sweeping the cake and frosting off the tightly woven, wheat-colored carpet and putting it back on the plate. Her flesh tingled wildly where his roughened fingers had touched her. Heat swam through her, and she felt a bit dizzy after unexpected contact with him. Matt had lifted her up as if she were a feather.

Laura came around the table and helped her pick up the rest of the errant crumbs. “Accidents happen, Jenny,” she whispered gently. “It’s okay. Let me help you.”

“I’m so sorry,” Jenny breathed apologetically. “I’m so clumsy….”

Chuckling, Laura said, “Don’t worry about it.”

Matt walked around the two women and went over to the sideboard, where a pot of coffee was kept warm. He picked up one of the white mugs in preference to the flowery china cups. Giving Morgan a sideways glance, he saw his boss smile slightly. Matt knew that look and that smile. It was a nonverbal order for him to say nothing—and to be kind—and patient with Jenny.

After pouring the coffee, Matt turned and stood with cup in hand and watched the two women clean up the mess on the carpet. Jenny was petite, like a fine-boned bird. He saw her hands tremble slightly as she got to her feet. Touching her flaming red cheek, she unwittingly deposited a splotch of white frosting on her face. Jenny reminded him of a rabbit—a creature without defenses, completely vulnerable. But then, Matt warned himself, no woman was defenseless. He’d learned that lesson the hard way.

Jenny rushed out of the room and down the hall to the rest room, where she dampened some paper towels. Matt Davis was so tall, so strong and silent. She could feel him watching her every move. Oh, why had she wished for a mission? This was just awful. She’d embarrassed herself in front of everyone, when she desperately wanted them to think she was in command of her life and confident. Now she looked like the bumbling klutz she’d been all her life. Matt wouldn’t respect her for that. Not at all.

Reentering the room, she saw that Laura had sat back down next to Morgan. She was smiling maternally toward her, and it made Jenny feel a tad better. But not much. Morgan gave her a look that said: relax. Matt was looking at her as if she was an alien that had stepped off another planet. She felt like a bug beneath his dark gray microscope gaze. What must he think of her? He had to be silently laughing at her.

Getting down on her hands and knees, she scrubbed the frosting off the carpet. To her surprise, she saw a pair of thick, chino-clad thighs sink down very close to her—Matt, crouching beside her.

“Here, you missed a spot.”

His deep voice vibrated through her as Jenny rocked back on her heels to meet his gaze. Wet paper towels clutched in her hands, she looked up…up into warm gray eyes that made her feel suddenly weak and wonderful. When he used his callused thumb to brush away a smudge of frosting from her left cheek, she inhaled sharply, not expecting this kind of intimacy or care from him. A tender smile lurked at the corners of his mouth as he held up the offending frosting on his thumb.

“Oh…dear…it’s all over me, too…” Great! She couldn’t even say anything intelligent, much less coherent. She sounded like a breathless, starstruck teenager who’d been touched by her Hollywood idol. Well, hadn’t she been? Hadn’t she had a crush for Matt Davis for the whole year she’d been here? Yes…but the three times he’d come to her desk for assignment details, he’d treated her coolly, without smiling. Certainly, he hadn’t recognized her as a flesh and blood person sitting behind that desk. And the other day she’d practically landed in his lap!

Now, he seemed different. She saw the amusement, the warmth lingering in his eyes as he held his thumb up with the offending white frosting on it. Heat soared up her neck into her face.

“That came off me?” How had it gotten here? Her mind whirled. She was blathering, something she did when she was truly stressed. She was making an utter fool of herself in front of her boss and Matt. Jenny wanted to disappear into thin air.

It didn’t happened.

“I admit you’re a beautiful birthday girl, but I don’t think you need this frosting.” Matt gave her a slight, one-cornered smile because he could see how mortified Jenny had become. She was as red as the worst sunburn he’d ever seen. Her blue eyes, luminous and huge, reflected fear, humiliation and embarrassment at his gesture. And where had his words come from? He wasn’t given to making compliments toward women. The sky blue of her eyes seemed to become dappled with gold flecks as his words registered with her. For the first time, Matt saw a tinge of hope mingle with the terror and humiliation in her eyes. It was just a simple compliment, no big deal. But he could see it affected her profoundly.

Licking his thumb, he tasted the sweet frosting. Then he grinned a little to try and relieve her of her embarrassment. “See? All gone. Not bad tasting, either.” Getting to his feet, he held his hand down toward her. Jenny looked at it woodenly. She appeared frozen by his gallant gesture. When she lifted her chin and gazed up at him, he was once again struck by the childlike trust that emanated from her. Yet she was a twenty-five-year-old woman. And she’d always conducted herself with prim efficiency as Morgan’s assistant. Today he was seeing a completely new side to her.

“I don’t bite.”

Jenny grimaced. Her hand shot out and she gripped his callused fingers. With ease, he brought her to her feet. Instantly, she pulled her hand from his, as if burned. Gripping the wet, sticky paper towels, she whispered unsteadily to all of them, “Excuse me. Let me go get rid of these. I’ve got to wash my hands…. I’ll be right back.”

Matt raised his thick eyebrows as the door shut. He cast a questioning look at Morgan. “Are you sure you want her heading up this mission?”

“I’m positive, Matt. Sit down and have some cake. Jenny’s just rattled, is all. She’ll settle down if you give her some space.”

Laura cleared her throat and got Matt’s attention. “Be kind to her, Matt. Jenny is a wonderful, open and helpful person. I feel if you can gently guide her, she’ll do just fine on this interview mission.”

Reaching for the slice of cake on the plate, he picked up a fork and said, “This is like baby-sitting my kid sister—not that I ever had one. Jenny’s clumsy. And she gets rattled too easily.”

Frowning, Laura said, “I know this isn’t the kind of mission you wanted, Matt, but you were the only merc available. Jenny is an open book. She gets her feelings hurt very easily, and she’s supersensitive. She reads body language like a pro.”

“Great,” he muttered, eating the cake. Not only would he have to watch what he said to her, he’d have to carefully mask his reactions as well.

“There’s no danger to this mission,” Morgan noted. “You can sort of consider it a minivacation to Peru. Enjoy the country and its people. Just be there for Jenny, support her and let her know she can handle it.”

“Well,” Matt drawled as he took another forkful of cake, “at least she’s nothing like my shark of an ex-wife.” His mouth twisted downward. “At least I’m saved from that on this mission.”




Chapter Three


Matt tried to ignore Jenny, who wriggled like a happy puppy next to him in the first-class section of the Condor Airlines flight they were on. They’d taken a local hop from Montana over to Seattle, Washington, and gotten the international flight down to Lima from there. Jenny reminded him of the frothy, bubbly champagne. And as if sensing he didn’t want to talk, she tried her best not to engage him too often in conversation. Instead she focused her attention on her laptop computer, creating questions for her interviews.

Feigning sleep, he had his eyes closed, wrapped his massive arms across his chest and spread out his long legs. Even though there was a wide arm between the tobacco-colored leather seats, he could feel her restlessness. Oh, maybe he was being too harsh toward her. Jenny was in constant movement. Maybe like a butterfly instead of a wriggly puppy. Yes, she was definitely butterfly material. Laughing to himself, Matt derided his protective instincts, which made him want to reach out and soothe Jenny’s fractious, ongoing state. She was almost manic. In the airport she had clutched her large, black leather briefcase as if someone was going to steal it from her. Matt had tried to reassure her that this was a level one mission, and no bad guy was going to come out of nowhere to swipe it from her. She’d given him a dirty look that said she didn’t believe him.

The corners of his mouth lifted. Jenny was on high alert as they passed through each airport facility, always looking about and studying people around her as if one of them might be “the enemy.” Matt didn’t have the heart to tell her that wasn’t the way spies worked. This was her fantasy—being on a dangerous, undercover mission. Let her have it. Still, he couldn’t remove that warmth that was lingering stubbornly around his heart every time he thought of her and her clumsiness or her breathy laughter. Her delft-blue eyes shone with such life. He wondered obliquely how someone like her, at age twenty-five, had escaped all of life’s hard knocks.



She behaved as if the world were a wonderful place to be and live in. It wasn’t, of course. Never had been. Never would be.

“Mr. Davis? Are you asleep?”

He stifled a chuckle as he felt Jenny’s tentative tap on his upper arm. Prying one eye open, he looked at her.

“I’m not now,” he rumbled.

“I, uh…well, I thought I’d like to discuss the upcoming interviews with the Apache helicopter pilots.” He was looking at her as if she was a bug to be flicked off because he was bothering her. Gulping, Jenny mustered her courage and swept her hand toward the tray in front of her that held her computer. “I’m not in the military,” she said, keeping her voice very low so they couldn’t be overheard. No telling who might be sitting in front, beside or behind them. Glancing around and giving everyone a suspicious look, she leaned toward Matt as he opened both his eyes and uncrossed his arms.

“I just feel…well, really awkward about heading up this mission, Mr. Davis. I know I’m not military, and yet, Morgan wants me to interview the military pilots down there.” She gave him a frown. “Over the past two hours I’ve been putting together some questions we might ask them. I really need your input. I’m nervous about this and don’t want to mess it up.” Jenny gave a short, insecure laugh. “And believe me, I can screw things up royally. If you could just take a peek at my questions?”

She picked up one page of handwritten questions and waved it in his direction. She saw his brows dip. He sat up and rubbed his face savagely. Jenny cowered inwardly, knowing he was tired. But in five hours they’d be landing in Lima, and she didn’t want to try and formulate her interview questions then. She’d be tired by that time!

Matt looked at the tray in front of her. It was filled with neat piles of handwritten notes beside her laptop. Looking down, he saw at least fifteen wadded-up pieces of paper, like popcorn balls, littering the area around her small, dainty feet. Trying not to smile, he saw that she’d pushed off her practical dark brown shoes. For the flight she had dressed in a dark purple silk suit that brought out the color of her eyes and her burnished gold hair. Now he saw she had a pair of dark purple cotton socks on her feet. He’d meant to tell her how pretty she looked, especially with the dainty gold-and-amethyst earrings and matching choker, which held a teardrop-shaped amethyst pendant around her slender throat. With little effort, she looked both professional and feminine at the same time.

“Let’s see what you’ve come up with,” he muttered.

The male flight attendant came by and asked if they’d like anything to drink. Both said no.

Jenny sat there chewing on her lower lip, her eyes flicking from Matt’s hard, unreadable face to his compressed mouth. He had a beautifully shaped mouth. She sighed inwardly and tried to contain the excitement and trepidation she felt as he went over her questions. Moving restlessly in the seat, she could barely contain herself.

“Well?” she ventured, concealed fear in her tone. “I know they’re probably pretty awful, being that I’ve never been in the military….”

Glancing at her, Matt saw the worry and anxiety written all over her oval face. Such angst in someone her age…what had set her up to respond like this? Had she been overly criticized in her family? Had her parents been perfectionists when she was a child? Even the way Jenny held herself, so erect and stiff, as if expecting a physical blow, made him scowl.

“No…these questions are good. They’re insightful.” He tapped the paper with his index finger. “I like the fact that you’re asking questions on a human level, rather than a military one.”

Gawking at him, her mouth fell open. “You do? You mean you like them? They aren’t awful?”

Setting the paper down in his lap, he focused his full attention on her. “Jenny…may I call you that? Or do you prefer Ms. Wright?”

“Er…no, call me Jenny, please. I hate standing on formality, if the truth be known….”

Nodding, he forced a sliver of a smile for her benefit. He was finding out Laura had been right about Jenny’s ability to read body language big time. “Fine. Call me Matt, okay?”

She nodded hesitantly. Old habits died hard. At the office, he was always Mr. Davis. Jenny never called any of the mercenaries by their first names. When she saw his mouth curve faintly, relief shot through her. Even his gray eyes warmed a bit as he looked at her. It was much easier to deal with than his focused inspection.

“Good,” he murmured. “I need to know a little about you. About your background. That will help me to help you in formulating your base questions.”

The sincerity in his voice shook her, and the earnestness in his slate-colored eyes warmed her to her quaking, cowardly soul. Jenny had never expected that her questions would be worthy of the interview, much less meet with Matt Davis’s approval.

Choking, she looked at him in disbelief. “You…want to know about me?”

With a nonchalant shrug he said, “Why not? You’re my partner on this mission.”

“I see….”

“You know, for all your friendliness and helpfulness, you’re a closed book.”

Wincing, Jenny looked down at the handful of papers in her hand. “I’m afraid I haven’t led a very exciting life…Matt, and I really don’t want to bore you with my life story.”

Such a cream puff. And a delicious one. Matt stopped himself from reaching out to stroke her hair, which looked deliciously mussed. Jenny wore no makeup and the way her blond hair fell soft and straight around her face made her look like a pixie. She looked so young. Yet he saw pain in her eyes and he wondered why. “Want to play twenty questions, then?”

She managed a weak smile. “No, you don’t have to dig. I’ll tell you. But I warn you, you’ll probably be snoring like you were five minutes before I woke you up.”

His brows raised. “I was snoring?”

Chuckling shyly, Jenny said, “It wasn’t loud or anything. Your head was tipped back, was all. A person’s tongue relaxes when they sleep, and I’m sure yours was up against your windpipe, which was why you were snoring.”

Giving her a look of respect, he said, “You’re just a font of information, aren’t you?”

Touching her cheeks, which were heating up beneath his dark, unrelenting inspection, Jenny felt her heart beating erratically. Did the man know he could charm even the meanest snake with those eyes of his? She wanted desperately to drown in his warm gaze. Just the hint of one corner of his mouth lifting upward sent her heart soaring with unaccountable joy. When he smiled, that hard mask fell away and she got a look at the real Matt Davis. She blossomed beneath his attention, especially when he gave her that crooked smile.

“One of my foster mothers always said I was a jack-of-all-trades and master of none,” she began ruefully in answer to his question. “I know just enough about a lot of things to be dangerous, I guess.” Waving her hands nervously, she added, “I have such a problem sticking with one thing and finishing it. I’m a Pisces, you see. My moon’s in Gemini and I have Libra rising. I’m full of air and water, and the two don’t mix very well, so I’m always at odds with myself. At least, that’s what she said.”

Foster mother? Matt scowled at how nervous Jenny was now. He saw the worry in her eyes, and the way the corners of her soft, delicious mouth pulled in. “I don’t know much about astrology,” he admitted.

“You’re a Scorpio!” She blurted the words before she could stop herself. Slapping a hand over her mouth, she gazed at him wide-eyed as he tilted his head and regarded her in the silence.

“You got my birthdate from my personnel record?”

She nodded, her stomach sinking.

“I see.”

Allowing her hand to drop from her lips, she said in a breathless tone, “Don’t worry. The information won’t go anywhere. I know Scorpio people want their privacy. And they don’t like people who talk about them to other people, either. They’re very, very intense. Very focused. That’s why you’re so good at being a merc. You’re a natural warrior. You know how to gauge people. Your perceptions are rarely wrong, either.”

“I’m impressed. You almost make me sound like a good guy.” He saw her frown and then shift restlessly in the leather seat. “So what about yourself? How about your growing-up years? Where were you born?”

Jenny’s mouth quirked. Her stomach tightened. She knew Matt had come from a very prestigious and rich family. He’d been at the Naval Academy and finished in the top five percent of his class. He’d earned medals as a SEAL during the Gulf War. He’d been the head of his team until he’d quit to come and work for Perseus. She also knew, from the personal history in his file, that his parents had been married for over thirty years: the Davises were a happy family, no doubt. Matt had an older sister, a medical doctor who had graduated from Princeton University with honors. Jenny’s hands hands fluttered helplessly as she answered his question. “I was born in Medford, Oregon.”

“Oregon’s a nice place. I’ve often fished for trout up in the Cascade Mountains above that little town.” Somehow, Matt found himself wanting to alleviate the tension around her lovely mouth and erase the fear from her eyes. “Did you ever go fishing in Klamath Lake, which is near there? Or fish for steelhead trout on the Rogue River?”

She shook her head and looked out the plane window. The sky was a bright blue, with high, filmy cirrus clouds. “Uh, no…”

“Not a fisherperson?” he teased. She refused to look at him. Now her hands were clenched, white-knuckled, in the lap of her dark purple skirt.

Softly, she answered, “No…I don’t like hurting anything. It pains me to even think of putting a sharp hook into a poor, defenseless little worm. It has no way of protecting itself from us…what we might do to it. Humans are a lot stronger, and sometimes brutal….”

Matt scowled. He heard a lot of pain in Jenny’s voice. In fact, he could barely hear her, her voice had gone so soft. Her face had drained of color and she was pale. Very pale. And now she was sitting very, very still. His gut crawled with trepidation. Realizing he was stepping into very raw territory regarding her personal life, he said in a rasping tone, “Don’t mind me. Sometimes I’m like a damn bull in a china shop. I don’t know when to stop asking questions. My ex-wife will confirm my dazzling skills in that regard.”

Turning her head, she met and held his stormy eyes. Once again, Jenny was seeing him without that armorlike mask in place. Now he was searching and unsure of himself. She’d never have thought anything could rattle the heroic Matt Davis, decorated navy hero. Especially something she said. Her. A mouse. A ordinary person who had never accomplished anything of note in life. Except to be a great assistant to Morgan Trayhern. And she had also gotten a degree in psychology. She was proud of that accomplishment, too. But it wasn’t the same as saving lives, like Matt did.

“My life,” Jenny began quietly, “isn’t anything to write home about.” Shrugging, she opened her hands and said, “I was taken from my mother, who was a crack addict, when I was born. She died when I was a year old. I don’t really remember anything about her…. I was turned over to the state, and over the next eighteen years, I went through five foster homes.” She saw his brows gather grimly. And she saw sympathy reflected in his eyes. Heartened that he wasn’t going to make fun of her, or tell her that she was less worthy in his view, she added, “I guess maybe that’s why I went into psychology—to try and understand myself. I was hyperactive in kindergarten. I couldn’t sit still. I disrupted the class. They said it was because my mother was a drug addict. But I never touched drugs—never wanted to. After I left my last foster home, I went to Bryn Mawr and worked to get a degree. I had to do something to prove to myself I wasn’t totally a worthless human being.”

She tapped her head. “I still have ADD—attention deficit disorder. When I was a kid they tried to drug me up to my eyeballs, in an attempt to calm me down. I just have a different way of working and thinking than most people. I thought becoming a psychologist would help me…to try and figure out who I am…or what I could be…. Oh, I know I’m a scaredy-cat. I screech if I see a spider…or a snake.” Jenny shivered, placed her arms around herself and made a face. “I really do leap up on a chair if I see a mouse. I’m such a coward. After all, I’m much bigger than any tiny little mouse or teeny spider or other creepy-crawly.” She sighed sadly. “I’m such a mess.”

“There’re plenty of people who’ve come from broken homes,” Matt said. “And they go on to make something of themselves in life. That’s nothing to be ashamed of, Jenny. You weren’t the drug addict, your mother was. You were the innocent in all this.” Without thinking, he lifted his hand and gently stroked her small, slumped shoulders.

Matt’s touch was magical. As his strong fingers moved across her tightly knotted shoulders, she closed her eyes. His touch was healing. She felt the warmth of his hand, the strength, but also the tenderness of his touch. Amazed that such a large man could be so gentle, she released a long, pent-up sigh. Opening her eyes as his hand lifted away, she managed a sliver of a smile.

“You’re being very kind. Thank you. I know you don’t have to be. You’re a hero ten times over. You don’t have to put up with little people, like myself.” Her mouth quirked and she avoided his gaze. “I’m sure you didn’t want this mission with me. Oh, not that anyone’s said anything….” Jenny lifted her hands. “You’re probably doing this because Morgan asked you to. I know how he sometimes puts pressure on a merc, to get them to team with someone they’ve never worked with before.”

Just the flittery look in Jenny’s narrowed blue eyes made Matt’s heart wrench. “Whoa!” he murmured. “Slow down, will you?”

“I know…I talk a mile a minute. It’s that Gemini moon of mine. We Geminis blather all the time. People like me don’t know when to shut up.”

“I’m interested in what you’re saying, but you’re running along at Mach 3 with your hair on fire, and I can’t get a question in edgewise.”

Laughing, Jenny nodded. “Fair enough. Okay, I’ll shut up and you ask what you want.” She couldn’t believe that he didn’t think less of her because of her background.

As Matt sat up, the look in his eyes set her heart palpitating for no reason. Maybe it was his unexpected touch. She would never forget that wonderful feeling of his hand sliding across her shoulders. Even now her flesh tingled.

Looking down and studying her questions more thoroughly, he murmured, “For someone who has ADD, you’ve done a very nice, disciplined and thoughtful job creating these questions. Looking at your work, I wouldn’t ever think you had attention problems.”

Making a frustrated noise, Jenny wrinkled her nose. “I was so afraid that Morgan wouldn’t hire me when I told him I had ADD. People like me often make a thorough mess of everything, Matt.” She gestured nervously toward the notes he held. “My mind works differently. I see things—letters and words—differently from the normal population. I’ve had to retrain and reteach myself how to think and do things your way, not mine.” She managed a small smile of triumph. “It was hard, but I really wanted to do it, to fit in, you know?”

“Growing up, did you stand out at school?” Matt saw the instant anguish in her eyes. Jenny avoided his incisive gaze and clenched her hands in her lap again. He was discovering that when he hit a painful nerve in Jenny, she would naturally assume that cowering position.

“It was awful,,” she admitted softly, her voice wobbly with tears. “I was put back into a remedial class. A lot of kids made fun of me. They called me stupid. A geek. And it got so bad I just hid. I ran from them in the halls when I saw the cliques coming toward me to tease me.” She nervously touched her hair. “I wasn’t pretty. I was such a stick compared to the other girls…and no boy would ever look at me. They called me Fraidy Cat. That was my name in school. The boys would put plastic spiders and bugs in my chair, or they’d throw them in my hair, or the girls would drop one on my tray in the cafeteria….” Sighing, Jenny forced herself to look up at Matt. His face was thundercloud dark with anger. At first she thought he was angry at her. But when he unexpectedly reached out and gripped her hand, and she felt his gentle strength around her clammy fingers, Jenny knew different.

“Kids can be brutal,” he growled. “No wonder you’re so jumpy as an adult.”

Matt didn’t want to let go of her hand. He saw Jenny’s eyes grow tender as he held and gently squeezed her damp, cool fingers. Every protective instinct he owned rose to the surface. With the pieces of information she was divulging to him, he could understand why she was excruciatingly nervous and flighty. Her ADD made her restless, so that she could never sit still for long periods of time. And he’d mistaken that for manic activity. It had never crossed his mind that Jenny might have ADD. Giving her fingers another squeeze, he forced himself to let go of them.

“Listen to me, Jenny. Will you?”

“Sure.” She sat quietly, her fingers tingling in her lap. Oh, how she enjoyed his touches! Never in a million years would Jenny have thought Matt Davis, military hero, would have such a tender side to him. She felt like a wilted flower thriving beneath the sunlight of his care and concern. Her heart flooded with such joy that it took her breath away. Trying to sit passive beneath his scrutiny, she waited for him to speak.

“You know what? I like you just the way you are. It makes me respect you a lot more knowing what you’ve gone through.” He tapped the papers in his hand. “These questions are excellent. They cut to the heart of the matter, reach the core of the interviewee. You couldn’t create insightful questions like this if you didn’t have intelligence and a very good grasp of the human condition. As a merc, I strive to maintain similar qualities because it keeps us alive out in the field. You’ve got the right stuff, Jenny. It shows here.” He tapped the papers again. “You’re very good at what you do. Even if you have to hang off chandeliers and do it upside down, what does that matter? What counts is the product. And it doesn’t bother me that you’re restless or that you talk fast. I like to hear your thoughts, what’s in that big heart of yours, and how you see the world.”

Matt saw her eyes widening at every statement he made about her. Then her face went rose-red as she blushed to the roots of her blond hair. “And as for being a ’fraidy cat, well, let me share this with you. I’m afraid all the time. The only thing that might be different between us is that I don’t overreact in the moment. I try to handle my fear and keep thinking clearly through it.” He managed a slight smile. “Where we’re going, there’s going to be a lot of bugs and spiders because it’s jungle. But my bet is that you can use this situation to work through your fear and try to keep thinking, despite how you feel. I have faith in you, Jenny. And you know what else? I think Morgan picked the perfect person to head up this mission. I wouldn’t have been able to create the questions you have. I don’t have the training. I’m not a psychologist. You obviously know people, know how to touch them on a very deep, core level.”

Choking back a lump that was forming quickly in her throat, Jenny stared at him. She was in shock. Finally, she whispered, “I—I’ve never had anyone give me so many compliments all at once. Are you sure you mean them? You aren’t just saying that because you feel sorry for me?”

To hell with it. Matt reached out and grazed her flaming red cheek with his thumb. Again her eyes went a soft, velvet blue, and he knew his touch had a positive and magical affect on her. It was impossible not to touch Jenny. And it had been a helluva long time since he’d wanted to touch a woman like he was touching her. Maybe it was her vulnerability that brought out his own vulnerable side, which he’d carefully hidden from the world.

“As you get to know me better, Jenny, you’ll know I’m not the most diplomatic person around. I am honest, though. To a fault. And sometimes—” Matt grimaced “—sometimes my shoot-from-the-hip honesty hurts the other person unintentionally.”

“Honesty is good. Truth never goes out of style.” She nodded and looked away. “You really think I’m cut out for this mission? I’ve had such angst about it. I worry you won’t think I can carry my end of things. I worry that you’ll think I’m nothing. Worthless. And I worry that you think you have to baby-sit me because Morgan twisted your arm.”

Breaking out into quiet laughter, Matt raised his eyes upward. “You are a worrywart, Jenny. No doubt about it.” When he saw her wince, he added gently, “I can handle your worry. What you have to do is put to rest all those other items. None of them are true. I’m glad I’m on this mission. And yes, Morgan did twist my arm—a little. And no, I didn’t think you had what it took until I saw your questions and got more info on you as a person. Adding it all up now, I’m very confident about the mission, and you. Morgan was right—you need to be in charge. I’ll be here to support you when you ask for my help. Frankly speaking, I think you’re going to do a helluva good job. I think you’ll be able to pick the right three volunteers for those missions.”

Jenny sat there, astonishment flowing through her. The sincerity in Matt’s voice and that incredible warmth in his slate-colored eyes filled her with a happiness she’d never, ever experienced before. He believed in her. And in her heart she knew he wasn’t lying. Her self-esteem got a big boost. Because of his belief in her, she felt the first trickle of actual confidence in herself and the mission.

Impulsively, she reached out and slid her hand against his sandpapery cheek. Though he’d shaved early this morning, that five o’clock shadow was there, making him look even more dangerously handsome. She saw his eyes narrow instantly as she briefly caressed him. Her heart pounded when she recognized the look in his eyes: the look of a hunter stalking his prey—her. Jenny didn’t know what to think or say. She’d never seen a man look at her like Matt Davis was right now—with desire. Blatant, raw desire.

A warmth stirred deep within her, and that took her off guard, as well. Now her whole body was responding to his smoldering, dark look. Egads, what was going on? She felt unsure of herself in so many ways.

Jerking her hand away from his cheek, she quickly tucked it back in her lap and looked away.” “I never expected this…. You’re so kind and caring….”

It took everything Matt had not to sweep Jenny into his arms and hold her. Simply hold her. That’s what she needed. She needed someone to praise her. To tell her that she was a good person, capable of intelligent work. Stiffening his arms at his sides to make sure he didn’t do anything he might regret, he rumbled, “You bring all this out in me. It’s you.”




Chapter Four


Jenny tried to swallow her surprise as they stood in the office of Gringo Bill’s Hostel with the owner, Margerite Kaiser.

“You’re in room 35, Senor Williams. You and your wife will be on the top floor, with a complete view of the plaza, not to mention beautiful Machu Picchu.”

A short woman with a cloud of curly black hair, Margerite smiled as she lifted a key from the box on the wall, her brown eyes sparkling.

Jenny gulped. Wife? Was that what the woman had called her? Frantically, she searched her sleep-deprived brain for this detail of their mission, but came up empty. They had landed at Lima at 4:30 a.m. and caught the first flight out to Cuzco, at 5:20. From there they’d taken the Inca train down to Agua Caliente. Now, as she watched Matt lean over the desk and sign a fictitious name, she tried to recall if he or Morgan had mentioned they would be traveling as man and wife. All undercover agents went by fictitious names, but posing as Matt’s wife? And then Jenny remembered reading somewhere in the back of the report that Matt and she would pose as a couple, tourists from North America—Matt and Jenny Williams. She was no longer Jenny Wright, single woman from Montana.




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