Iris Johansen - Star-Spangled Bride

"And just who are the 'rest' of the men in your life?"

The edge was back in his voice, she noticed. "You're not really interested." She made a vague gesture with her hand and changed the subject. "This is a great camera. I've had it for four years and the lenses are-"

"I'm sure your camera is superb and I don't give a damn about your lenses." He forced her to meet his gaze. "I'll let you back away from this confrontation, but I want to make a few things clear. First and foremost, I am not your father and I have no intention of acting like one. Second, I am not in the habit of going to bed with women 'to take the edge off' or to try to win an argument. I've always thought sex was the purest form of pleasure and should be performed with the greatest thought and skill and drive. I haven't had a woman in over a year and I'mhorny as hell, but I don't want one of Fatima's women. I'll wait until I can have the partner I do want." He paused. "Shall I tell you what's going to occur when I have that partner?"

She couldn't seem to look away. The intensity in his face was holding her mesmerized. Her heart was beating like thunder.

"A celebration," he said quietly. "One hell of an erotic celebration." He glanced over her head. "Hello, Fatima."

She hadn't heard the door open behind her, but her relief at the interruption was so strong it almost made her dizzy. She jumped to her feet and whirled to face Fatima, who stood in the doorway, her arms piled high with garments. "Oh, clothes. That's great."

"Speak for yourself," Gabe murmured.

"Will you lie down?" Gabe asked impatiently. "You've been striding around the room for the past hour. You're going to wear a hole through those floorboards."

"Evan paid Fatima enough so she can afford to replace them." She continued to pace. "I'm restless."

"Obviously."

"And you won't let me take any more shots of you."

"You've taken enough footage already to paper Radio City Music Hall."

"Well, you never can tell when you're going to lose a cassette. Once in Kuwait I lost an entire camera bag full of film. If I hadn't stashed a few tapes away in another place, I would have been up a creek."

"How did you lose your bag?"

"Iraqi military. They caught me shooting something they didn't want filmed."

"Military emplacements?"

She shook her head. "Torture of civilians."

"My God, were you crazy? Those pictures would have been like a loaded gun pointed at die head of every officer on the squad." He paused. "And there's no way they'd simply let you walk away."

She shrugged. "I was lucky. They just shoved me into prison. The war started a month after that and they kind of forgot about me."

"You're lucky they didn't take you out and shoot you. Where was Jed? Having another baby?"

"Don't be silly. He hadn't met Ysabel then. He was in Washington. He didn't even know Iwas in Kuwait. I told you I was free-lance. This was my job."

"I didn't see any of that film on Jed's program."

"I didn't send them to Jed."

"Why not?"

"That wasn't why I was- Why are you asking me all these questions?"

"Why didn't you send him the film?"

He wasn't going to give up. "Because I sent it to the Human Rights Commission to use as evidence. I was afraid if it appeared on the air, it might lessen the value to the prosecution at a war trial." She burst out, "And I wasn't being noble or soft or quixotic. It just seemed to be the thing to do at the time. Well, maybe a little soft. I'd just gotten out of a Kuwait hospital and I was probably under the weather."

"You don't have to make excuses," Gabe said quietly. "There are times when we all have to make decisions about our priorities."

"But it would have been such a great story." She couldn't help sounding wistful.

"It's still a great story. We just may never see it on television." He leaned back against the headboard. "If you were so lucky, how did you end up in a hospital?"

"Malnutrition. They didn't feed us much during the war." She bit her lower lip. "And I got a little nervous."

"Nervous?"

"I hate being shut up. I get claustrophobic. It's always driven me crazy. I don't know how you stood being a prisoner for a year."

"It's all in the mind-set. After a while it became a game."

She looked at him in wonder. "How could it be? The walls close in on you and the darkness is terrible. There were times when I'd lie there in all that blackness and be afraid I'd smother before morning came."

"You knew you'd react like that and you still took the chance?"

"I thought I'd get away. I did plenty of times before. I almost did that time too." She held up her thumb and index finger. "I was that close."

"And even closer to getting chopped," he said grimly. "For God's sake, stop pacing and come to bed. It's almost three and you're going to need your strength tomorrow."

"I'm not tired. I told you I-" She drew a deep breatlh. "You're right. I'm not being sensible and I'm keeping you awake. You need your rest."

"Right." He patted the bed. "And so do you."

She lay down on the far side of the bed and curled up into a tight ball. "You can turn off the light now."

"We'll leave it on. The light doesn't bother me."

Relief poured through her. No smothering darkness tonight. Her nerves were stretched so taut she had not known whether she could bear it. "You're not just saying that? I'm almost over it, you know. The doctor said it would take a little while, but that was years ago and now I'm-"

"A chatterbox," he growled. "Don't you ever stop talking?"

"Sorry." She remained quiet a moment. "You're sure it doesn't bother you?"

"The only thing that bothers me is your talking." He rolled over and threw an arm over her body. "Now go to sleep."

She hadn't thought she could be more tense, but she had been wrong. "Why… are you doing that?"

"I'll sleep better. There's nothing worse than being alone with your fear."

"You're afraid?"

"I'd be an ass if I wasn't."

She felt the stiffness ease out of her. It was all right to give in, to reach out for comfort if shehad something to give in return. She nestled back against him and closed her eyes. "It's going to be okay. You don't have to be afraid. I've planned everything. I've set up a helicopter pickup with your people from the station. They're waiting across the border in Sedikhan for me to radio them that I've got you."

"Oh, you've got me all right."

"I've stashed a radio in a cave in the hills above the Sedikhan border. We'll call for help from there. You should be in safe territory by tomorrow night. Maybe sooner."

"That's comforting." His hand stroked her hair. "This stuff feels like stubby duck feathers."

Nothing could have been less casual than the comment, but his hand stroking her hair was magically soothing. For the first time tonight she felt safe. "I have to keep it short." She yawned. "Long hair isn't practical when you're on a job."

"No, I can see how it might get in the way when you're crawling through those damn pint-sized drainage pipes."

She chuckled. "But you fit, didn't you? And we made it here." Her words sounded slurred even to herself. "Don't be scared. Everything is going to be fine."

"If you ever shut up and let me sleep."

"Sorry. Jed says I'm a motormouth. Did I tell you… I don't remember what I was going to say. But sometimes it helps to talk…"

"Shh…" His deep voice reverberated in her ear. "I know. But not now, Ronnie."

"No, not now…"

Lord, he hated this damn light.

For six weeks during the first period of his captivity, brilliant lights were kept constantly shining in his face, making sleep impossible. Darkness had become a comfort and a blessing.

But it was no blessing to Ronnie Dalton.