The Midnight Hour - Brenda Jackson [20]
Then after joining the marines and meeting Drake, she had fallen in love with him. Setting his arrogance aside, his rough-and-tough exterior had reminded her so much of
Grampa Kenny. During his time in the marines, her grandfather had tried several times to be a Recon and had never made it. And a part of her felt he'd been disappointed that her father, his only child, hadn't been interested enough to join any branch of military. But she had, and he had died unexpectedly of a heart attack a week after she had graduated from high school. She hadn't had time to tell him of her decision to enlist.
Bringing her thoughts back to the present, she met Drake's stare and tried not to remember that before her stood the only man she had ever slept with and the only man she had ever loved. Even now she could vividly recall his kisses and especially how his strong, hard body felt on top of hers, inside of her, while sending her soaring in unadulterated pleasure.
She lowered her gaze as a sharp pain of despair tore through her and she felt instant regret for everything she had lost in her lifetime that had meant so much to her-her grandfather, her true identity, the right to still claim the man she loved.
"What's wrong, Tori?"
Lifting her gaze back to his, she asked softly, "What?"
"There was a look in your face that…"
When he didn't complete the sentence, she lifted a brow. "That what?" He didn't answer quickly enough and she demanded again impertinently, "That what?"
For just a moment, Drake allowed his gaze to take in everything about her; every angle of her face, every feature, before saying, "That was filled with sadness and pain. It seems that I'm not the only one who's lost someone that they care deeply about, Tori."
For just one millisecond, there was a softness in Drake's gaze that touched her deeply. "Yes, I've lost someone," she said quietly. "The man I had planned on marrying one day."
Drake nodded. "Was he also an agent?"
Tori sadly shook her head. "No, it was years ago and he was in the marines."
Drake nodded, hearing the pain in her voice while thinking that the two of them had something in common. They both had lost the people they had loved who'd been marines. He was about to say something, just what he wasn't sure, when the sound of one of the boat's crewmen interrupted him.
"Cut the motor," the man called out.
For just a moment, Drake and Tori's gazes locked. Moments later they turned to look out into the night. Looming ahead in the darkness was the military ship that would carry them to their final destination.
Tori turned back and met Drake's deep stare. Adrenaline flowed through them and they both felt it. Pending danger was just as much her element as it was his and she knew he'd finally realized that. But realizing and accepting were two different things. "I can take care of myself, Drake," she said as she began nervously fiddling with the ammunition belt around her waist.
She heard his quick intake of breath and looked up. It was then that she remembered those had been the last words Sandy had spoken to him that ill-fated day moments before disobeying his order. Without saying anything, he turned and walked away.
CHAPTER 3
For the past three hours, Drake and Tori had silently made their way through the jungle when Drake swore under his breath just seconds before quickly pulling Tori beneath a bevy of large low-hanging trees. The smell of smoke was in the air and up ahead voices could be heard, which meant they had come upon a camp.
"Don't say anything, let alone breathe," Drake whispered close to her ear as he eased their bodies into the huge hollowed indention of a tree trunk