The Unseen Read Online Free PDF Page B

feel worthy. “Why don’t you come in and sit down?”
    Rebecca strode across the dull gray carpet and stood in the middle of the room, wringing her hands before reaching up to tug on a strand of dark hair that framed her face.
    Her presence brought the dreary room to life. “Please, will you just relax and sit?”
    She plopped down in a rickety rattan chair.
    Kent took a tentative step toward her, worried she’d run off if he got too close too soon. “I’m sorry I treated you like shit. It was the worst twenty-four hours of my life.”
    Rebecca covered her face with her hands and gripped locks of her long dark hair so tightly, her fingers paled. Her voice and body trembled when she spoke. “I don’t know if I can ever forgive you, Kent. No one’s ever made me feel as worthless as you made me feel last night. And having someone I thought loved me—when I loved you so much, look at me so coldly, like all we shared never happened—I can’t endure anything like that again.”
    Kent stepped closer, his jaw clenched. Hearing her speak of their love in past tense physically hurt. He felt like a huge fist had grabbed his internal organs and twisted them into knots. “I can’t watch you suffer like this without trying to make it better. Please just take my hand.” He reached for her.
    She released her grip on her hair and took his hand. He clasped it and pulled it toward his face. He closed his eyes, relishing the sensation of his beloved’s soft skin against his hand. “You won’t ever have to endure something like that again because I love you. And I want you in my life for as long as you’ll put up with my company.”
    “You do?” Rebecca looked up at him, her eyes wet with tears. “But I thought—”
    He covered her mouth with a finger. Her lips felt so plump and moist, he longed to trace their contours. “Yes, I love you and I want to be with you. More than anything.” He reached for her face, brushing her tears away with his thumbs. “Now please don’t cry. Let’s make plans to see each other when I get back to the States and then I’ll drive you to the airport.”
    She shoved his hands away and angry lines creased her face. “No, Kent. Didn’t you hear what I said? I said I want to be with you. And you just said you want me in your life.”
    Doesn’t she realize the terrible risk she’s taking? “Please, baby, I do want you in my life more than anything, but I can’t have you in the middle of this.”
    “Right. If you envision leaving me in some safe sanctuary for weeks or months while you go out and risk your life—it’s not going to happen. I won’t sit around waiting to hear someone tell me you’re dead.” Shards of silver glittered in her green eyes as they pleaded with him to see things from her perspective.
    Kent rubbed the top of her hand with his thumb and drew her hand to his lips. Her fresh scent and the sensation of her soft skin tickled his nerve endings. “I love the idea of you traveling with me under normal circumstances, but not when we’ve got a military operation underway. This mission is likely to have a body count.”
    She tugged on his hand, pulling him closer. “I don’t want you near all this violence either, but I can’t force you to walk away any more than you can force me to leave. I’m staying with you whether you want me here or not.”
    He knelt in front of her chair and grasped her other hand. “Okay, fine. You stay.” He hoped he wasn’t in for more surprises. “But please tell me Amanda and Bunny aren’t here, too.”
    She bit her lower lip and swung her gaze away. “I wish I could.”
    Kent pushed himself to his feet and scratched his chin. “Oh, no. They are here, aren’t they?”
    Rebecca nodded as a guilty blush stained her cheeks. “Once Amanda suspected Tom wasn’t really visiting his sick mother, she decided to stay. She cares about him a lot, plus the two of us tend to stick together in tough times. As for Bunny, she had no choice.