KERWIN ELLIOT THUMPED his index finger on a report lying on his desk. “According to this, Major Trayhern, you’re asking for a helicopter.”
“Yes, sir,” Pete said. “We’re two months into this project and, frankly, having to come to Kabul every two weeks to give progress reports is costing us a lot of time.”
Elliot’s thick gray brows rose. “Oh? I consider these meetings essential to tracking the various projects I’m responsible for.”
Hearing the banked anger in his tone, Pete was glad Cali was with him for support. “Sir, with all due respect, I think we may have lost sight of the mileage to and from Kabul. Ms. Roland and I spend four hours, one way, on a dirt road rough enough to jar a person’s teeth loose. Then we spend another four hours driving back to the site. That kills a whole day.”
“So you’re wanting to add an unbudgeted helicopter to your supplies list? So you can fly here to see me bimonthly?”
“Yes, sir, I do.” Pete felt sweat running down his rib cage.
“I can see the handwriting on the wall, Major. If I give you a helicopter, every other project team will want one. Your request is not within budget, and I can’t authorize it.” Elliot glanced at Cali. “How about you, Ms. Roland? Why doesn’t your company provide a helo, instead?”
Cali stirred. “Because a helicopter was not in our budget, either, Mr. Elliot.”
The man grunted and gave them each a hard look. “What you’re suggesting is a money hemorrhage, as far as my accountants are concerned. Sorry, Major. You’re going to have to bite the bullet on this one.”
Frustration thrummed through Pete. “Sir, I don’t like having our management team spending two whole days away from the site each month.”
Shrugging, Elliot said, “I can’t help it, Major.”
Damn. Pete nearly mouthed the word. “Perhaps we can send our report by courier instead? Or see you once a month instead of twice?”
“Major, these meetings are crucial for my team to follow the various projects. You know that.”
“Yes, sir, I do. But I’m sure you can appreciate my dilemma.”
Elliot gave him a faint smile. “Yes, I can appreciate your concern, but there’s nothing to be done about it.”
“Thank you for your time, sir.” Pete glanced over at Cali. “Do you have anything else to discuss with Mr. Elliot?” He saw her green eyes widen. Strands of red hair dipped rebelliously across her brow. Pete’s heart always took off at an unsteady gait when Cali’s gaze met his.
“No, nothing more, Major Trayhern.” She rose and shook Elliot’s hand. “We’ll see you in two weeks.”
“WHERE ARE WE GOING?” Cali asked as she walked at Pete’s shoulder down the crowded street in Kabul. The afternoon sun was brutal, the July heat unrelenting. Desert-camouflaged Humvees, manned by U.S. Marines, moved slowly up and down the avenue. Horses and donkeys pulling carts clip-clopped along, their heads down, ears twitching. The odors of Kabul were half intoxicating, half revolting to Cali. The refreshing scent of mint warred with the sharp tang of lemons. Both were used in many dishes. Diesel fumes from passing trucks made her choke.
“I’m going to see an old friend of mine,” he said. They wove among streams of women carrying baskets of bread and other items from a nearby market. Children of all ages roamed the streets. Taking a left down a narrow alley, Pete added, “I’m not done trying to find us a chopper.”
Cali grinned. “I didn’t think so.” The walls of the three-story buildings rose around them. The alley was dirty, human and animal fecal matter clearly present. Paper and other debris littered their dusty path. When the fragrant smells of curry and tomatoes filled the air, Cali looked up. A second-story window was open, and a woman was cooking over a brazier on the balcony. A breeze stirred, feeling good against Cali’s damp skin. After wiping her brow, she settled her hard hat back in place.
“While I see my friend, you can do some business at the Roland Construction office down the next street. How about we meet at a little restaurant near here. I found it when I was coming up here on company business while stationed near Kandahar.” He took out a pad and pencil from his pocket and wrote down the name and address. Ordinarily, he’d never suggest such an intimate place, but they’d missed lunch and his stomach was growling with hunger.
“Oh.” Cali hesitantly took the piece of paper. “Dinner?”
“We’ll pay separately, don’t worry.”
She smiled and tucked the paper into her jeans pocket. “Of course. What time, Major?” Cali could spend an hour in the small company office and contact her parents plus hand in some paperwork to the manager who ran it.
“An hour? Will that give you time to handle your paperwork?”
“It should.” Cali almost said, Take me with you, but held back. Blantant curiosity—and possessiveness—flared inside her. Everything about Pete Trayhern intrigued her, but she had to let him be. She lifted her hand and waved. “See you later.”
THEY SAT in Fatima’s Place, an open-air restaurant off the beaten path in Kabul. The sun was low in the sky, causing ribbons of red, orange and gold to streak the western sky. No traffic disturbed them, since the restaurant was not on a main, paved road. Locals came here to enjoy simple meals of basmati rice, kebabs or curried lamb. Cali and Pete ordered Kebab Murgh, chicken marinated overnight in yogurt, turmeric and garlic, with just the right touch of cayenne pepper. The black tea served just before the meal was dark and delicious, with a bit of honey stirred in.
“Heck of a day, huh?” Cali said to Pete as they were served their food. The round table was covered with a red-and-white-checked cloth. To add to the ambience, a small alcove housed clay pots filled with brightly colored flowers, and a small fountain spewed out erratic jets of water.
“Yeah, but a good one, I think.” He sipped his tea and gave her a triumphant look.
“You look pretty happy. Something happen?” she ventured, savoring the spicy seasoning on the well-cooked chicken breast.
“Do I look happy?” Pete was surprised, since he prided himself on keeping his emotions off his face. As Cali watched him, he tried to stop dwelling on her glistening lips. He forced himself to pay attention to cutting up the fragrant chicken on his plate.
“A little. Pleased, maybe?”
“Do you always mind read?”
“Only when I have to.”
“Now I am in trouble.” Pete chuckled, then looked down at his food again. Did Cali realize how beautiful he found her? How perfectly shaped her mouth was?
“Relax, Major. I’m a great keeper of secrets.”
He chewed thoughtfully and allowed himself to meet her sparkling green eyes. “You are. We’ve been working together for some time now, and I know very little about you.” God knew, he wanted to know everything. When she raised her hand gracefully to wipe her lips with her napkin, he swallowed hard. Beauty in motion.
As she debated how much to tell him, Cali saw the interest in his eyes. Was it professional or personal interest? She didn’t want to misread him as she had Russ. And she didn’t dare show Pete how nervous she was. “Well, I don’t play golf. I know a lot of execs do, but I find chasing a little white ball around on a green silly.”
“Finally we agree on something.” Pete grinned. Their jobs at the site had them at loggerheads on a daily basis. He had come to respect Cali’s way of resolving problems.
“Red-letter day.”
“Possibly. So, you don’t like golf. I know you like to ride horses.”
“I grew up riding.”
“Why do you enjoy it?” Pete wanted to know so much more.
“It gives me a sense of freedom. I love nature. I like being out in it, rain or shine. I notice you like to ride, too.” Although he never rode with her, Cali had seen Pete riding with Hesam’s security almost daily. He was good at forging loyalty with Hesam’s men, who obviously felt the major was one of them.
“Two things we agree on.”
Shaking her head, Cali finished off her chicken. “Frightening, isn’t it?” Squelching laughter, she looked up to see his eyes gleaming with merriment. For just an instant, Cali found herself wishing they didn’t work together. Why couldn’t she have met him somewhere else?
“Don’t let it go to your head, Ms. Roland.”
“Not likely,” she answered dryly. The waiter came over to their table, dressed in baggy, dark red pantaloons and a white shirt and apron. Cali handed him her plate and thanked him in Pashto. The young man bowed and removed Pete’s plate. A minute later he was back, serving them steaming coffee and dessert.
Pete dipped his spoon into his firni, a custard pudding flavored with cardamom and rose water, and topped with ground pistachios. “I got us a helicopter.” He didn’t mean to sound as if he was gloating.
“What? You did? How?” Cali’s eyes widened.
“An ex-gunny sergeant of mine, Joe Hazeltine, married a local woman here in Kabul. He runs a garage and is the world’s best scrounger. I told him about our problem of time and distance, and he said he knows of a Canadian merc team that has a helo. He said they’re crazy as loons, but he can talk them into letting us hitch a ride a couple times a month. They work up in the north as well.” Pete smiled. “I won’t tell you what the deal was, but he said they’ll go for it.” In case the matter ever became public, Pete wanted to protect Cali and her company. This idea was his alone, and if Elliot found out about it, he’d be damned unhappy.
“Wow,” Cali whispered, impressed. “You scrounged around among the locals and came up with a Band-Aid fix.”
“Something you’ve done many times on jobs yourself, I’m sure.”
Cali grinned and sipped her coffee. “Construction in foreign countries often makes for strange bedfellows. Yes.”
“I like the idea of not wasting two days of our time twice a month,” he growled. He watched as a soft breeze lifted strands of hair across her smooth brow. His hand fairly itched to reach out and thread his fingers through them. Cali was all-business. There was no flirtation, no come-hither looks. And hell, maybe what he felt was just an unfulfilled daydream on his side of the aisle. After his disastrous history with women, why the hell would he want someone as powerful and confident as Cali Roland to return his fevered yearnings? He had to be crazy. Or maybe lonely. Yeah, that was it.
“You look like you’re daydreaming,” Cali said. “A penny for your thoughts?” She saw Pete’s cheeks turn a dull red. Oops. Had she stumbled onto some of his secrets? Mouth curving, she asked, “Are they X-rated? If so, you can plead the Fifth.”
“I’ll take the Fifth.”
Cali decided to hell with it. “You look lonely. Maybe you have a significant other waiting at home?” She had no right to be nosy, but her curiosity was eating her alive. Someone as good-looking and intelligent as Pete Trayhern had to have someone. Heart beating strongly in her chest, Cali held her breath waiting for his answer.
Turning the cup slowly in his hands, Pete murmured, “No, no one. Relationships aren’t my thing.”
“I see.” Cali nearly choked on the cooling coffee. Furthermore, she knew she was blushing. Oh, would she ever get over that teenage trait? “I don’t know of any relationship that’s easy.”
Shrugging, Pete said, “I seem to draw women who like to betray me.”
Placing her cup on the table, Cali tried to tread lightly. “Betrayal? As in lying to you?”
“Yes, that.” Pete scowled. “Go figure. One of the things I value most in life is the truth. So what do I do? I get involved with women who lie to me.”
She heard the hurt in his tone even though he was trying to be flippant about it. “You tell the truth and they lie?”
“Yes.” Pete fought against the softness that came to Cali’s green eyes. He had to resist, dammit. But the hard walls around his heart weakened as he drowned in her compassionate gaze. His words came out haltingly, as if torn from him. “When I was in Annapolis, I fell in love with someone, a midshipman in my class. Her name was Barbara. We agreed to get married when we graduated, but after graduation, she told me that she loved someone else. I asked her how long the other relationship had been going on.” Pete shook his head. “Barbara had been seeing the other guy for six months and I never knew it, never caught on.”
“Ouch.”
“Really.”
Cali saw the wounded look in his eyes. “People can fall out of love. Maybe she was afraid to tell you?”
“No, not Barbara. She was—is—an opportunist. I finally figured that out about a year after we split. The other guy’s father was a corporate multimillionaire. She was after money. She wanted to marry power.”
“Well, my track record isn’t much better,” Cali admitted.
“I was wondering if you were married.”
“Me? No.” She gave him a sour look. “I’m a global tumbleweed. There aren’t many men who want to give up their careers for mine.”
Relief, sharp and deep, moved through Pete. Finally, he’d found out that Cali Roland was single. “Surely you have someone waiting at home for you.”
“Home?” She snorted softly and looked around. “This is my home, Major. Wherever I am, that’s home. I’m married to my job. At least it’s honest and doesn’t lie to me.” Cali wanted to add, Like Russ Turner lied to me and used me. But she bit her tongue.
“I imagine it’s tough being a woman in a business like this.” Yet his heart was jumping for joy because she wasn’t married. Pete tried to tamp down his excitement. It was a stupid reaction, but oh so real. He simply could not imagine Cali without a man in her life, someone completely in love with her—mind, body and soul. She was so unique and rare.
“It can be,” Cali said. She really didn’t want the conversation to go in this direction. Her loneliness had gotten her into so much trouble that she’d sworn it never would again. Not ever.
“Well, we’re a fine pair,” Pete said. “Reasonably intelligent, well-off and not bad looking, and without a serious relationship.”
She fought the desire to reach over and comfort him. Touching him would be so dangerous. “Maybe it was just as well you found out about Barbara’s lies. You wouldn’t want to be married to someone like that, would you?” Cali stared at the dark hair that covered his forearms. Would Pete feel as strong and firm as she suspected? Her entire hand tingled. And then there was the sad look on his face…No matter how much Cali wanted to be a robot without feelings, it was impossible. And this unexpected personal sharing made her even more vulnerable to him. Fingers curling into her palms, she fought her own inner demons on this issue. She didn’t want Pete to mistake her intentions. Uneasy and confused, Cali didn’t know how to show her compassion for his pain. Judging from the look in his gray eyes, he appeared caught up by the past in that moment.
“You’re right. I’ve more or less made my peace with Barbara.” Pete reluctantly glanced at his watch. “Thanks for listening. I didn’t mean to delve into ancient history.” He didn’t, but something about this woman made him want to spill out his wounded heart to her with an abandon he’d never experienced before. Stymied, Pete saw her give him that soft, understanding look she usually sent everyone but him. Warmth flowed through him, erasing his pain.
“I hear a lot of stories,” Cali told him, her voice husky with feeling. “Men get lonely out here. Their wives and families aren’t nearby. Sometimes I think our work exaggerates our wounds. We have a lot of time to think about them, without much ‘real life’ around to distract us.”
“Truer words were never spoken,” Pete agreed. “Our work is lonely.” He was damn lonely. And Cali was single. And available.
Refusing to admit he was lonely for her insightful company, he said, “It’s time we go.” He rose.
Cali was glad he wanted to leave, since she was so close to reaching out and grazing her fingertips across his arm. Pete Trayhern had somehow gotten through her defenses. “I think we’d better hail a cab and get back to our Land Cruiser parked at Elliot’s office.”
Pete settled his utility cap on his head. “We can probably get one down on the corner.” He saw what he thought was regret in Cali’s green eyes. Was it? Unsure, he paid his part of the bill. Cali laid money on the table, as well. Dammit, he didn’t want to leave the quiet, personal space they’d created with one another. But he had to. Already, he’d made a mistake in having such an intimate dinner with her.
Pete wished they could spend the whole evening here, talking and exploring one another’s pasts. But that wasn’t going to happen. He saw Cali settle the white construction hat back on her head. Back to business.
It was the last thing he wanted right then. Even after being repeatedly burned by women who had betrayed his trust, Pete found himself in the uneasy position of wanting Cali Roland. What was he going to do? How did a man stop himself from wanting something he could never have?