THE MARINE & THE DEBUTANTE Page 8

  He winced.

  "No point in backing down now," she continued, saying aloud what she knew he'd been thinking. "We are who we are, Travis. You're Daniel Boone and I'm … I'm…" She shook her head. "I don't know who I am anymore."

  "Well I do," he said tightly, bending down low so that they were eyeball to eyeball. His voice came in a rush of hushed anger that rolled over her, pushing his words deep inside her. "You're Lisa Chambers. And that's a helluva lot more than I gave you credit for being. You're tough and beautiful and strong and so damn sexy I want you again, right here."

  Her knees wobbled and her stomach pitched.

  "You've pissed me off and you've made me proud," he said, and darned if she didn't feel tears burning the backs of her eyes. She couldn't ever remember hearing someone tell her they were proud of her before. And the words acted like a salve on a wound she hadn't known she carried. She blinked those tears back quickly but apparently not before he'd seen them.

  Straightening up, Travis took a half step back from her, and she wanted to tell him not to go. To stay close. Because when he was around, she felt like the kind of person she used to dream of being.

  "Look," he said, reaching up to shove one hand across the top of his head. "We've been through a lot together, that's all. So don't put yourself down, cause I know better."

  She swallowed hard and wished she could throw her arms around him.

  "And there's something else," he said, making Lisa's breath catch in her throat.

  What? Was he actually going to say something about a future? Would he tell her that he cared? Did she want him to care? Oh yes. Yes, she did. Because as strange a thing as it was to admit, she'd fallen in love with the hard-core Marine with the slow, Southern slide in his voice.

  She wouldn't have thought it possible to love so suddenly. So completely. So surely. But it was there. Within her. Nestled like a nugget of pure-gold knowledge. Travis Hawks was the one man in the world for her. Hopefully, he felt the same.

  "What's that, Travis?" she asked.

  He glanced back down the wide aisle as if to assure himself that his friends were still asleep. When he was satisfied, he turned his gaze back to her and said quietly, "Until I know for sure that you're not pregnant, I'm going to be a part of your life whether you like it or not."

  Every bit of air left her body. Not in a rush. It slipped out, like air leaking from a balloon. And just like that, her tidy little vision of a cozy cottage built for two dissolved.

  Disappointment gave way to anger and anger to rage. In seconds it was pumping through her bloodstream, looking for a way out. How could she have been so stupid? Why was he so stupid? Didn't he see that they belonged together? Didn't he feel the same magic when they touched?

  "That's what you had to tell me?"

  "Yeah," he said, surprise etched on his features as he recognized the fury in her tone. "What'd you think?"

  She hadn't been thinking at all, she told herself. She'd been dreaming. Wrapped up in a ridiculous little dream in which he loved her. Hurt and anger simmered inside until it came to a boil, making every breath a superhuman effort. She trembled with the force of it and still had to fight back tears of disappointment and frustration.

  Which only made her angrier.

  "What I think, Travis Hawks," she said, every word dropping like an icy stone, "is that you are an idiot!"

  "Huh?"

  She pulled her right foot back, then slammed the toe of her brand-new shoe into his left shin.

  "Ow! Hey!"

  He grabbed for his injured leg, and Lisa limped past him as if he were a stone statue. Her toes throbbed, but the pain was worth it. She only wished she'd been able to kick as high as his thick head.

  * * *

  Chapter 9

  «^»

  They were met in D.C. by Lisa's father, a three-star General and of course the media. There were far fewer reporters than Lisa had expected yet more than Travis was comfortable with.

  As the plane's door swung open, cameras flashed frantically in the night. A strobe light effect accompanied Lisa as she walked down the stairway to the tarmac. Her gaze shifted automatically to her father. Alan Chambers impatiently checked the time on his Rolex, then muttered something to the General beside him before starting forward to meet his daughter.

  Right behind her, Lisa heard Travis and his friends taking the metal stairs with hurried steps. Apparently they were more eager to get back to the real world than she felt at the moment.

  "Lisa." Her father's booming voice came, loud enough to be picked up by the television cameras cordoned off more than thirty feet away.

  She flicked a quick glance at the reporters, then looked back at her father. Tall, black hair streaked with gray, Alan Chambers was an imposing figure. At least, he'd always intimidated her. Not that he didn't love her, she thought, defending him. He did. In his way. But he was a busy man, with his sights set on a seat in the Senate.

  "Hi, Dad," she said as he came close enough to wrap her in a brief, tight hug. She inhaled his familiar scent: fine cigars, breath mints and woodsy aftershave. And just for a minute she wished that hug would go on. That her father would hold her and tell her everything would be all right. That she wouldn't miss Travis even before he was gone.

  But he patted her back awkwardly, then stepped away, holding her at arm's length, where, she thought with an inward sigh, he'd always kept her. Still, his smile was warm and his eyes shone as he said, "Honey, how are you?"

  "I'm fine. Really." A little bruised around her heart, but at least it didn't show.

  "I can't tell you how worried I was," he was saying, his gaze lifting to look at the Marines assembling behind her. "No more shopping trips for a while, okay?"

  She gave him the smile he expected, even though he wasn't looking at it. "Good idea." Then, steeling herself, she half turned and said, "Dad, I'd like you to meet Travis Hawks. He's the man who brought me out of the desert."

  Travis stepped forward and shook the man's hand, barely glancing at Lisa. "Sir."

  "Sergeant, good to meet you." Her father's gaze drifted past Travis to the others. "Good to meet all of you. I want to thank you for rescuing my wayward daughter."

  Travis frowned slightly but was careful not to show it. He'd expected Lisa's father to be just a bit more glad to see her. But then, Mr. Chambers might be the private type, preferring to do his celebrating out of the glare of the media. Travis couldn't blame him any for that. The continuous flicker of camera lights was annoying.

  "Marines," the General spoke up next. "Well done."

  "Thank you, sir," Jeff replied, snapping to and returning a salute.

  "Indeed," Mr. Chambers said. "The General, here, informs me that you've all been given two weeks of leave."

  The men grinned.

  "And to make sure you understand how grateful I am, I'd like you all to be my guests at the Sheraton. Take some time to relax, enjoy yourselves."

  Lisa's gaze shot to Travis, and he felt the power of it slam home to his gut. Two more weeks with her. Was that a good or a bad thing? Probably a little of both.

  "Thank you, sir," Jeff said, glancing at Deke and J.T., "but if it's all the same to you, I think the team would rather take the two weeks with their families."

  Mr. Chambers looked shocked for a second or two, as if he was a man not used to hearing the words no, thanks. But to give him his due, he recovered quickly enough, nodding sharply at Jeff before fixing a steady stare on Travis. "I'm disappointed," he said, "but of course I understand. However, I would appreciate Sergeant Hawks staying in town a few days at least. As the man most directly responsible for my daughter's rescue, I'd like to thank him personally."

  Travis opened his mouth to turn him down. First off, he didn't answer to Alan Chambers. Second, he didn't want or need thanks for doing his job. Besides, staying in D.C. meant staying near Lisa, and that probably wasn't a good idea. Leaving now would be for the best, he knew.

  No point in hanging on to somethi
ng that was already dead and buried, right? But then his gaze caught Lisa's. In those lake-blue eyes he read regret and goodbye. A jolt of something sad and sweet pinged around his insides. Before he could stop himself, he said, "Be happy to, sir."

  "Excellent," her father crowed.

  Her eyes softened just a little, but before Travis could figure out exactly what that meant, her father had grabbed him and turned him toward the flashing cameras. Dropping one arm around Travis's shoulder, Mr. Chambers drew Lisa in close on his other side. Then he gave them each a squeeze and ordered, "Smile now, you two."

  Travis felt like a bug under a magnifying glass. And the ache in his heart could have been the pin, jammed through his body, keeping him in place.

  * * *

  How easy it was to slip back into old patterns.

  After more than two weeks in a desert, where Lisa's strength of will had been her greatest weapon in the quest to stay alive, she was right back where she started. Here, in this mint-green room, her will wasn't needed or wanted. Here she was what her father expected her to be.

  "Thank you, Patti," she said as the maid set a breakfast tray down on a nearby table. Amazing. A few days ago she had been crouched in a cave eating a snake. Today there was steaming coffee and toast on a silver tray.

  "Oh, you're welcome, ma'am," the woman said on her way out the door again. "We're all so glad you're back home safely."

  Lisa forced her lips up a notch or two into what she hoped would pass as a smile. It was simply the best she could do at the moment. Fatigue dragged at her. Through snatches of sleep, Travis's image had haunted her. His eyes, his smile, his touch. And finally, staying in that wide, empty bed had just been too much for her.

  From her vantage point on the plush window seat, she'd watched the sun rise, brushing pale color across the sky as it wiped away the last of the stars. In the desert, the sunrise had been followed by quiet, the promise of blistering heat and a day spent in hiding. Here, the city was coming to life, cars and people rushing down the avenue, everyone in a hurry to get somewhere they would hurry home from in a few hours.

  And tomorrow would be the same. Within a few days her life would return to normal. She'd pick up the threads of her everyday routine and go on as if nothing had ever happened to disrupt it. Travis would be gone, back to duty. And she would be … here.

  She should be happy. Or at least relieved. She was safe. Home. Frowning to herself, she stood up, crossed to the tray and poured herself a cup of coffee. Holding the cup between her palms, she walked back to the French doors leading onto the small balcony. Stepping outside, she shivered as an early-morning breeze sailed past, tugging at the hem of her sapphire-blue silk robe. She took a sip of the hot coffee, walked to the rail and stopped.

  Restlessness clawed at her. The familiar felt strange now, and she found herself thinking fondly of that desert trek. Here she was what she'd always been. Alan Chambers's daughter. An attractive woman who knew how to throw a good party.

  With Travis she'd discovered another Lisa. A Lisa she'd thought had faded away years ago. There in the desert, when they were struggling to survive … counting on each other … helping each other … she'd felt alive for the first time in way too long.

  And in Travis's arms she'd discovered what it was like to really love.

  But now it was over, and the man who'd touched her as no one else ever had was probably counting the minutes until he could get away.

  Setting her coffee cup down on the wide railing, Lisa gripped the scrolled metal in both hands. The cold of the black iron seeped into her bones until she felt as chilled outside as she did within. Pulling in a long, deep breath, she threw her head back and stared at the lightening sky as she tried to adjust to the heaviness in her heart.

  "You'd better get used to it," she muttered. "Once Travis is out of your life, that feeling's going to be with you a long time."

  Hearing the words aloud made her question them, though. Frowning, she thought, why should she let him go? Who said she had to go back to being the woman she'd been before all this started? Slowly, thoughtfully, she straightened up, shifting her gaze back to the stream of cars out on the avenue. Blindly she watched as motorists flicked off their headlights in deference to the brightening sun. But she wasn't seeing the traffic at all. Instead, she looked inward and found the memory of a pair of chocolate eyes that watched her with desire and admiration.

  Her heart twisted, and a slow, sweet ache unwound through her. She missed him. She missed who she was when she was with him. And darn it, she didn't want her old life back. She wanted a new life. A new start. With Travis.

  "I'm not going to lose him," she said, her tone strengthening with each word. "I won't." Her grip on the railing tightened until she wouldn't have been surprised to find the cold black metal snapping in her hands. Resolve filled her. Excitement fluttered in the pit of her stomach. And anticipation dried her mouth and made her heart beat wildly.

  She could do this.

  She could convince Travis that they belonged together.

  Sure he was stubborn. But she could be just as hardheaded when it came to something she really wanted. All she'd need was time. But all she had were a few short days.

  * * *

  "This was a mistake."

  Travis slapped one hand against the wall and leaned into the wind rushing past him through the opened window. Air-conditioning might be popular with most people, but he was a man who needed fresh air. It kept his head clear and helped him focus. And God knew, he needed all the help he could get at the moment.

  He had to figure out how to dig himself out of the hole he'd leaped into.

  The quiet of his hotel room strained on his nerves. But he was in no mood for the artificial company of the television set. If Jeff and the guys had stayed in town, it might have been easier to stay distracted. But as it was, all he could think about was Lisa. And that wasn't going to do him any good.

  He glared down at the stream of traffic on the streets below and envied the people in those cars. At least they were on familiar turf. Going about their business. Getting things done. Not him.

  "Nope," he muttered. "Travis Hawks should be hightailing it back to Texas, but instead he's hanging around to spend time with a woman he might have made pregnant."

  But even as he said it, he knew that wasn't the only reason he was still here, where he so clearly didn't belong. He wasn't thinking about some phantom child. It was Lisa's face that stayed in the front of his mind. Her laughter. Her touch. Her sharp tongue and hard head.

  His gut tightened and his breath clogged in his lungs. This was his own damned fault. He'd let her in. Allowed her to become important. To matter. Pregnant or not, Lisa Chambers had made her way into his heart and he didn't have the first clue about how to get her out.

  The worst of it was, he wasn't at all sure he wanted her out. Oh, he knew there was no future for them. They were miles apart in every way imaginable. And if he hadn't known it before, he would have had to acknowledge it the moment he'd seen the media greeting their return from El Bahar. Her father was news. And by association so was she.

  She hadn't grown up with a silver spoon in her mouth. Hell, she'd had the whole damn set of flatware. They were from different worlds. She'd never be satisfied with his, and he had no interest in trying to belong in hers.

  "And that," he muttered daddy, "is that."

  Nodding sharply, he pushed away from the window, stalked over to his duffel and grabbed a red T-shirt with the USMC emblem emblazoned across the front. Yanking it on, he shoved his arms through the sleeves, pushed the tail of the shirt into the waistband of his jeans and headed for the door.

  Now that he'd made up his mind, all that was left was to tell Lisa. He owed her that. He owed himself that.

  He'd go see her right now. Tell her to her face that he was leaving. No doubt she'd agree. Hell, she'd probably been thinking about this all night, too. Now that she was back where she belonged, he was sure she'd come to the same conc
lusions he had. So it was best to get this whole thing over with and behind them as quickly as possible. Of course, he'd call in a couple of weeks to check out the pregnancy threat. But God willing there would be no baby and they could simply fade from each other's lives.

  And maybe in a few dozen years he'd be able to look back on his time with her and not suffer the ache that pounded through him with every beat of his heart.

  Travis grabbed the brass knob and gave it a vicious twist. He pulled the room door open and instantly forgot every last one of his well-intentioned plans. Instead he stared into a pair of lake-blue eyes and felt himself drowning in them.

  "Hello, Travis," she said, her voice skating along his spine.

  And just like that, the roller-coaster ride that was Lisa Chambers, took off again.

  * * *

  Chapter 10

  «^»

  One look into his eyes was all it took. Her knees wobbled and her stomach pitched and rolled. Lisa took a long, deep breath and hoped for balance. It didn't come. Just looking at him was enough to turn her insides to oatmeal.

  "What are you doing here?" he asked, and his voice sounded a shade less than welcoming, despite the gleam in his eyes as he looked at her.

  She swallowed back her disappointment. Somehow she'd half expected him to sweep her up into a romantic embrace and kiss her the way he had at the oasis. But his stony expression told her that was a vain hope. It was all right, though. Because no matter what he said, she felt his desire for her shimmering in the air between them. He couldn't disguise it any more than she could. And that was something to hang on to.

  "Well, it's nice to see you, too." Without waiting for an invitation—because heaven knew it might not be forthcoming—Lisa slipped past him and into the room. She heard him close the door behind her and, just for a moment, she indulged another hope that he'd come up behind her, wrap his arms around her middle and pull her flush up against him. She wanted to feel his warm, solid strength again. Needed to recapture the sensations she'd experienced all too briefly in that faraway desert.