Ruthless Game

CHAPTER 12

“Dr. Lambert is here to check the baby, Rose,” Jaimie McKinley called out, knocking even as she pushed open the door to the living area. “You decent?”

Rose tightened her hold on the gun and threw Kane an anxious look. “Why does he have to keep checking him?” she hissed, indignant. “He’s a normal baby. The man acts like he’s going to grow horns and a tail the way he carries on all the time.”

“Be right out,” Kane called, shifting off the bed. “Sebastian is sleeping peacefully.” He winced a little as he made his way toward the bathroom. “Offer them coffee.” He stuck his head around the door. “But put some clothes on first. I don’t want to have to kill anyone.”

“Offer them coffee,” Rose muttered under her breath and dragged on her clothes as quickly as she could. She was a mess. Seed running down her thighs and milk dripping from her breasts. She hurried to the doorway of the bathroom. “I can’t possibly ...” She broke off, seeing the laughter in Kane’s eyes. He had pulled on a pair of jeans, and he grinned at her, clearly teasing. “You’re so horrible.”

He bent his head to brush a kiss over her upturned mouth as he passed her. “The shower’s all yours.”

She cast an anxious look toward the sleeping baby. “I don’t want them touching Sebastian without me right there.”

His lashes flickered, sweeping down to cover his expression and then up so he was meeting her eyes. “Is trust already going out the window?”

Remorse and guilt nearly crushed her, but she wasn’t going to lie. “I don’t trust them. I know you’ve known them a long time, but I haven’t. Please be patient with me, Kane.”

“Jaimie is family—a sister to me. She’d walk into hell for me—for us. I don’t know Eric well, but he’s always been the doctor to the GhostWalkers,” Kane said. “I don’t expect instant trust for the others on your part, Rose, but I do expect you to have an open mind when it comes to my family.”

She nodded, her fingers clutching the doorjamb until they turned white. She hated that she was disappointing him. “I’ll try.” It was the best she could do. For now, she couldn’t bear Sebastian to be put into the hands of strangers without her present.

She bit down hard on her lip, more agitated than she realized. It hurt to know that she might be letting him down, but she couldn’t bring herself to hand her child over to strangers, even with Kane looking on. He didn’t view them as threats, so it would be easy to kidnap the baby. He wasn’t watching for it.

Kane padded back across the floor, his bare feet making no sound. She watched him come, heart pounding, until he was looming over her. Up close, Kane was intimidating, yet his hands were gentle as he framed her face and bent to brush a kiss across her mouth. “Sebastian is too important to take risks with. If at any time you’re afraid for his safety,

I want you to rely on your instincts. I mean that, Rose. Never be upset because you’re protecting our child.”

She would have thrown her arms around him and hugged him close, but milk was still dripping, and she’d make a mess. “I’ll work on getting to know Jaimie,” she promised.

“I know you will.” The confidence in his voice steadied her. Maybe he really knew her better than she knew herself.

Kane reluctantly allowed his hands to slip from her face, instead of caressing her as he was inclined to do. Visitors could be a major pain, he was finding, when all he wanted to do was worship Rose’s body. And kiss her. He loved her mouth, that soft, shy, velvet paradise he could lose himself in for hours.

He bent over the baby’s bed. Jaimie had found a small crib, and the boy slept peacefully, unaware that his mother was upset over company. He touched the baby’s hand, aware that Rose watched him without moving, waiting to see if he would pick up Sebastian and take him into the other room. She was naked beneath the robe, not the best garb to follow him out of the room, but she made no move, just held herself very still.

“Mommy is a little freaked out, Sebastian. Until she feels comfortable, you behave and don’t be too demanding about seeing visitors.” The little fingers closed around his, and he brushed his thumb over the child’s tiny knuckles. “Isn’t it strange to think we created this little miracle?”

“Yes.”

He shook his head over the idea that he had anything to do with such perfection. “Take a long shower, sweetheart, and don’t worry about anything. I’m closing the door, and no one will disturb either of you.”

Kane left her, strangely proud of her for telling the truth to him about her fears. She wanted to please him, but she didn’t lie or make up excuses. He closed the bedroom door softly and went to greet the visitors.

He’d grown up with Jaimie tagging along since she was a little girl. A true genius, she’d caught up with both Mack and him, attending the same school and classes. Her face lit up when she looked up and caught sight of him. Jaimie jumped out of the chair where she’d been waiting and rushed him. He braced himself for the collision. She flung her arms around him.

“Should you be walking without a cane? Are you all right?” She looked past him toward the bedroom and lowered her voice. “Rose won’t leave your side. I think she thinks one of us might try to do you in. I’m a little worried that she doesn’t get any sleep.”

“I told her to watch out for Mack. Was he pissed? He hasn’t lectured me yet.”

“That you got shot? You have no idea. And as soon as you’re a hundred percent, you can pretty much count on him yelling at you. But it’s so exciting that you found Rose and the baby.”

“I delivered the baby.” He’d done it. He may as well have bragging rights.

Her riot of curls bounced all over her head. “No way! Really? Wow, Kane. That’s so incredible.” The smile faded from her sapphire eyes. “You really scared us, you know. Dr. Lambert kept you in a coma for a while.”

“I’m sorry I scared you, Jaimie.” He wrapped his arm around her and dropped a kiss on top of her head. “I’m fine now. A little weak, but ready to start real training again. Physical therapy is wimpy, and I need some real work.”

“Give it another week,” Eric Lambert cautioned. “You nearly died, Kane. You should have died.” He glanced toward the bedroom, and just like Jaimie, he lowered his voice. “I’d give a lot to know what she did to save your life. You should have bled out internally.”

“But I didn’t. And Jaimie, you’re making a fuss when you’ve seen me every day for the past couple of weeks.”

“Mostly in bed,” she defended. “Or with a cane. Nothing that I can remember has ever kept you in bed. It was scary.”

That was going to change. Rose could keep him in bed, but he refrained from saying so. Just the thought of her showering in the next room sent a heated rush through his veins.

Kane forced his mind away from his woman. “I was up.”

“Looking like a ghost.”

He grinned at her, pretending to sway like a ghost. When she rolled her eyes, he stepped all the way back to allow them inside. “Would either of you care for a cup of coffee?”

“Sure,” Lambert said.

Kane glanced at Jaimie. She burst out laughing. “I’ll make it, no problem, and, while I’m at it, I’ll make myself a cup of tea.”

Kane grinned at her and waved his hand at the doctor, indicating for him to sit. The floor plan was open other than the bedroom and bathroom, following the floor plan of Jaimie and Mack’s home two stories up. The space was nice, but Kane had already decided a second bedroom would be needed for the baby. By the time he had it built, he was certain Sebastian would be ready for it.

“Your son was born early and yet he appears to be thriving,” Eric said. “Even without the help of a doctor,” he added pointedly. “He must have amazing genes.”

Kane didn’t react, although his body went on alert. He reminded himself that Eric was a doctor and specialized in gene therapy. Of course he would be interested in Sebastian and his progress. How could he help it? “He was small when he was born, but with Rose feeding him on demand, he began to gain immediately. We put him in a warmer so we could keep his body temperature constant.”

Eric sat back, a pleased expression on his face. “Excellent. Good thinking. Were there any complications that you know of with the pregnancy or birth?”

“Not the birth. Everything went according to the book. You’d have to ask Rose about her pregnancy.”

Eric frowned as he formed a steeple with his fingers.

“Rose is not very forthcoming about anything at all, Kane. I’ve asked her several times, but she simply ignores me.”

“She isn’t quite ready to trust anyone,” Kane said. “Nor should she be. Once she feels safe, she’ll be more likely to answer questions.”

“I’d like to examine Sebastian and do a few blood tests.”

“No.” Rose stood in front of the closed bedroom door, her dark chocolate eyes smoldering with fire. “Absolutely not. He’s not a guinea pig, and he never will be.”

“You misunderstand me, Rose,” Lambert protested. “I’m just here to make certain he stays healthy. I need to see what immunities you’ve passed on to him and ...” He broke off when she resolutely shook her head, appealing to Kane. “It’s necessary for his health and safety.”

“His blood is not going to any laboratory,” Rose decreed.

Kane shrugged. “Sorry, Doc, but Rose has the right to refuse.”

“Neither of you understand. Your DNA is not normal human DNA. You both have extraordinary psychic gifts as well as physical talents. In all probability you’ve passed these traits on to your child. We need to know what we’re dealing with.”

Before Rose could reply, Kane held up his hand to stop her. “Actually, Eric, that’s where you’re wrong. Rose and I need to know what we’re dealing with. Sebastian is our child. You don’t need anything at all. He’s a curiosity, no more to you. He’s our son. While we both appreciate everything you’ve done for us, right now, we’re opting not to take his blood out of this house.”

Eric Lambert frowned, shaking his head. “I don’t understand. Suppose something was incompatible. What if Rose had the Rh factor and neither of you realized it. She didn’t have prenatal care of any kind. There are tests that need to be run for his safety. For his health.”

“Sebastian’s healthy, Doc. We thank you for the concern, but we’ll take care of him.”

Rose leaned against the closed bedroom door, almost sagging in relief. Thank you.

Kane kept his gaze on the doctor. He’s our son. If you’re not comfortable with Eric, we’ll find a doctor you are comfortable with. I know someone I think you’ll like.

“How do you know whether or not I had prenatal care? You didn’t even ask me.”

Kane was startled by the outright hostility in Rose’s voice. Eric was unsettling, he would admit that. He didn’t have the best bedside manner; he was a surgeon and researcher, not a family doctor, but time and again he’d saved the lives of many GhostWalkers.

He saved my life, he reminded as gently as he could. He didn’t pretend to understand women and their peculiarities.

Did he? Rose remained stubbornly where she was, arms crossed over her chest, guarding the door and eyeing Eric as if he was the enemy.

Kane shot her a warning look and held out his hand to her. She hesitated, but her expression softened and she crossed to his side, taking his hand. His fingers closed around hers, and he pulled her down into the chair beside him. Did something happen while I was unconscious?

“I think we started off on the wrong foot,” Eric said, leaning toward Rose. “I’m not always the most social person. I’ve been told many times I should be a little less abrupt in my approach with people. I’m working on that.”

He sounded stiff, and Kane felt a little sorry for him. Eric was an intelligent man—an acknowledged genius in his field if the medical journals were anything to go by—but he had a one-track, very focused mind, as most researchers did. It had to be difficult for such a proud man to work with GhostWalkers, men superior physically and psychically, but without his acute, focused brain. Kane also knew it would be extremely mortifying to have to apologize for anything.

I caught him trying to steal Sebastian’s blood after I told him no.

Rose lifted her chin. “I have trust issues, so I guess we’re both to blame.”

There was nothing grudging in her voice. He felt pride in her blossom, spreading warmth through his body. Rose had no problems meeting someone halfway, and she sounded sincere, but after what she’d revealed, he knew she wasn’t about to let Eric near their son without constant supervision. He brought her hand to his mouth and nibbled.

Have you suddenly developed an oral fixation?

He glanced at her, startled. She was teasing him with company around. It felt—intimate. He grinned at her and bit down on her finger. Yes.

Jaimie returned with the coffee, handing him a cup and then giving Eric one. “I made you tea, Rose. You seemed to prefer that to coffee.”

Rose nodded. “Thank you.”

Jaimie returned with the two cups of tea. “I added milk because I saw you used milk the last time, but if it isn’t enough . . .” “This is fine.”

“This is fine.”

Rose smiled up at her, and Kane could tell it was genuine. He felt his belly settle. He hadn’t even realized he’d been tense until that moment. He wanted Rose happy, and he wanted her to like and accept his family.

Eric took a sip of his coffee as Jaimie settled into a chair. “Where’s Mack?”

Jaimie shrugged. “He’s off doing Mack things,” she replied with a sweet smile.

Kane frowned and glanced between her and Rose. Something had definitely happened while he was recovering. Jaimie had been enigmatic in her answer, something she would never have done had Kane asked the question. Which also raised the question: just what was Mack doing? He felt a little like Rip Van Winkle, waking up and having no clue what was going on.

Eric sighed. “I really don’t have a lot of time. Kane, I have to at least examine the baby before I go, to make certain he’s healthy.”

Rose shook her head. “I believe you examined him yesterday. Do you think his condition has changed between yesterday and today? He’s asleep, and I’m not waking him up to be poked and prodded again.”

A flash of anger crossed Eric’s face. He threw his hands into the air. “I can see you’re not going to be reasonable.” Abruptly he stood up, disgust on his face. “I’ll come back when you’ve talked some sense into her, Kane.”

He turned and stalked out, slamming the door behind him.

“That went well,” Kane said and took another drink of fortifying coffee. He looked from one woman to the other. “You want to tell me what’s going on?”

“Not really,” Jaimie said and winked at him.

Both women burst out laughing.

Kane glared at them. “I see how it’s going to be around here. You two are planning on sticking together.”

Jaimie shrugged. “Obviously we’re outnumbered. We have no choice.”

“Tell me anyway. And where’s Mack?”

“Mack is scouting around the neighborhood, looking for anything that might threaten his nephew. He’s gone all protective. A freighter came in yesterday, and all sorts of unsavory characters have been frequenting the bars and shops around here. You know Mack. He and Javier are out gathering information.”

Kane’s warning system went off. Jaimie was being casual for Rose’s benefit. Her sapphire eyes met his steadily, conveying her worry. His heart constricted. Things had certainly changed in his life. He would have felt an adrenaline rush at the first sign of danger. Even an eagerness to go meet it, but now he had so much to lose. Rose. Sebastian. He wanted to wrap them up and keep them safe forever.

“You’re not going to be ready for action for another couple of weeks, soldier,” Rose said.

He had to grin at her. Damn. Nothing got by the woman. “So how bad is the threat, and how credible is it?”

Jaimie threw Rose an apologetic look. “I didn’t want you to worry, Rose. You’ve been through so much.”

Rose shrugged. “This is my life, Jaimie. I chose to come here. Kane and I have Sebastian, and we know they’re going to keep coming at us to get to him. I’m prepared mentally for that. You don’t have to try to protect me.”

Jaimie nodded. “Whitney knows Rose is here.”

Kane reached down and rubbed the tattoo on Rose’s ankle. “We knew he’d track us here. We’re hoping you and Javier can do something about his little homing device.”

“We’ve got that covered already,” Jaimie said. “But Mack says no matter when we disrupted the satellite transmission, he would have known you would bring her back here. He just can’t track her movements anymore.”

“He won’t be happy about that.”

Jaimie shrugged. “It’s Whitney. He’s strange. He gets all excited when the GhostWalkers are able to outwit him or foil his little attempts to retrieve them. I think he pats himself on the back, and it just reinforces how clever and brilliant he is. We are, after all, his creations.”

Kane scowled at her. Jaimie held up her hand. “Hey. That’s a quote from one of his reports. I don’t hack into his computer often, but Flame found a way in, and she passed it on to me. We’re careful, but we monitor him. We just give him a lot of room. We’re lucky he doesn’t trust anyone, so he does all his own computer work. He’s just not as good as he thinks he is with security. He doesn’t keep up on the latest and greatest because his entire world has become DNA and psychic research.”

“So did your warning come from his computer?”

“He’s very anxious to get his hands on the baby. He sent his ‘representative’ to ‘acquire’ him. I kid you not. It’s right there on his computer. He was furious that Rose and the baby escaped him. He’s determined. Apparently he feels we’re far more vulnerable here. The stronghold in the

Wyoming mountains has become nearly impenetrable, and he doubts if he will be able to acquire the children kept there. Once again, he seemed pleased that the teams banding together had managed to not only keep themselves but their women and children safe from not only him, but all outside threats. Again, that’s pretty much a quote, Kane.”

“We’re doing the same thing here.”

“True, but we’re more exposed because we don’t have the ability at this time to clean things up as fast should there be an attack on us.”

“But we’re getting to that point,” Kane said hastily. “We’ve managed to purchase five of the seven buildings we need to secure the entire area. Rose, if you want to take Sebastian and go to the stronghold in Wyoming, I can arrange it. The teams settling there are excellent. This building is secure, but we haven’t set up for street surveillance ...”

Jaimie looked smug. “Bite your tongue, Kane. Javier and I have been working night and day. We’ve got the street covered down two full blocks, the roof on three of the buildings as well as this one, and the water side.”

“I’m fine with you,” Rose said. “I’ll help out here. I can work.”

“Mack’s got weapons and ammo stashed everywhere. We could take on an army. We’ve got a helipad on the roof of this building, and it’s got all the necessary permits. That’s how we managed to transport you directly here after your surgery,” Jaimie added.

“I knew that was in the works, but didn’t know it had come through.”

“Where is all the money coming from?” Rose demanded.

Jaimie glanced a little apprehensively at Kane. “Lily Whitney-Miller. She inherited billions, and she shares with all the GhostWalkers.”

Tell me. It was a demand, nothing less. Rose was naturally suspicious of such generosity.

“She’s Dr. Whitney’s adopted daughter,” Kane explained. “He experimented on her as well. She was raised with quite a few of the girls.”

Jaimie leaned forward, staring into Rose’s eyes. “Do you remember her? She was with you in the beginning, when Whitney first took you all. You were in a big house, and he kept you in a dormitory. You were never allowed out of the laboratory.”

Rose nodded. “It’s impossible to forget that time. Lily was always like a mother to the rest of us. He treated her better, and she tried to get privileges for us.”

“She put aside money for each of the other women she was raised with as well. You’ve got that money, Rose,” Kane said. There was a hard knot in the pit of his stomach. Money could change things. She might decide to take the money and vanish.

Rose moistened her lips, her little pixie face very sober. “Do you trust her completely?”

“Yes,” Kane said. “She’s done too much for all of us to be anything but the real deal, Rose. She just had a baby. And Jack Norton and his woman had twins. They have three babies up there in the mountains. Sebastian isn’t the only child at risk.”

“Do you trust Eric completely?”

Kane almost nodded and then stopped himself. Did he trust the doctor the same way he trusted Lily? Eric was the official GhostWalker surgeon, and he always came through when needed. Why hesitate? What was the difference between Eric and Lily? Was he prejudiced simply because Eric wasn’t a GhostWalker and had no real idea of what they went through? Kane didn’t like the idea that he might in any way be prejudiced, but the truth was, there was a hesitation for whatever reason.

“I don’t know. He’s so intense about research. Maybe that creeps me out a little.”

“That’s all he’s really interested in,” Rose said. “I didn’t leave him alone with Sebastian. The doctor was so insistent about taking his blood, and I knew once it was out of here, at a laboratory, it would be vulnerable. Whitney would pay a fortunate for Sebastian’s blood. I told the doctor that, but it was obvious he didn’t care. Taking his blood from this house clearly wasn’t in Sebastian’s best interests, but for the doctor the research came first. I just don’t trust that, Kane.”

He nuzzled the top of her head. “I can understand, Rose. You’ve been an experiment your entire life. You don’t want that for Sebastian.”

“Exactly, but the doctor can’t see beyond what he might learn from studying Sebastian’s blood.” She sighed, her small teeth biting at her lower lip. “I know a doctor should examine him more fully just to make certain he really is as healthy as we believe, but it isn’t safe.”

“We happen to have just the man that will help you,” Jaimie said, glancing at Kane for permission.

Kane nodded in agreement. “I was going to suggest you meet him, sweetheart. His name is Paul. He joined our team recently, so I didn’t grow up with him as I did all the others, but he’s got an amazing talent when it comes to healing skills. I trust him.”

Rose swallowed hard, but she nodded. “If you’re certain, Kane. But his blood can’t leave our home.”

“It won’t have to,” Kane assured. “Paul doesn’t work like other doctors.”

“You can’t ever talk about him to anyone,” Jaimie cautioned. “If Eric comes back, you can’t tell him that Paul examined the baby.”

“We have to protect one another’s abilities. Whitney would take Sebastian apart to study him,” Kane said. “He would Paul as well. Do you understand?”

Rose jumped up and paced across the room. “You’ve had what? Five years, seven years, maybe ten years of experience with Whitney? I’ve had my entire life. You don’t need to tell me what he’s like. We all protected one another from him, and we learned very fast to keep our abilities hidden.”

“I know, sweetheart,” Kane soothed. “It’s just that Paul is ...” He broke off, unable to explain.

“Has a rare talent,” Jaimie supplied. “He’s sent out into the field a lot. Whitney would find a way. You’re part of our family now, Rose. Paul is family; that’s all we’re saying.”

Rose nodded. Kane could feel her agitation, although there was little expression on her face. The idea that anyone would study her son was abhorrent to her, but she was trying to be accepting. She knew Sebastian needed a doctor and that they would need help with him. The only thing he could figure to do to help ease her mind was to introduce his family to her, one member at a time.

“Who have you met so far?” He kept his voice gentle.

“One they call Gideon and, of course, Javier. Jaimie and Mack.” A faint smile touched her mouth, but failed to light her eyes. “They hover over you.”

“I’ll bet Mack did his fair share of swearing.”

“You must have heard him,” Jaimie said, astonished. “He’s been here every day. A few times you were awake.”

“I must have been doped up. I don’t remember much.” Other than Rose’s warm body snuggled next to his. He remembered her kisses, along his mouth and throat, her soft murmurs of reassurance. He remembered feeling safe because she was there. At times he’d woken to the sound of Sebastian crying, and he could pry his eyes open just enough to see her moving around the room, changing and then breast-feeding the baby, singing softly to him. He’d felt—complete.

Jaimie grinned at him. “You were doped up, all right. We’d get you to sit up and you’d just slide down again and go to sleep.”

Rose regarded him with troubled eyes. “You scared me. You nearly died, Kane.”

He was weak, although he didn’t want to acknowledge it. Bits and pieces of the last couple of weeks were coming back to him now. Jaimie crying. Mack gruff as hell, always a bad sign. Javier and Gideon standing over him. Always, Rose watching them all, one hand free, obviously ready to defend him.

“I’m sorry, honey, I won’t do it again.”

“Damn right you won’t,” Rose said, flashing him a fierce look.

His body hardened, a brutal punch of need. She was sexy as hell when she went all commando on him with her little pixie face, so fragile and beautiful. Her eyes too big and her hair all tousled as if they’d just spent hours between the sheets. He knew his gaze went all hungry and predatory by the way her face flushed. Her eyes met his steadily. A soft consent in them that shook him. She’d just had a baby and she’d made love with him; she had to be sore, but she was willing to give herself to him again because his body demanded her.

I can behave myself, he assured.

You don’t have to. You never have to. I love your hands on me. Your mouth. I love your body inside mine.

If she meant to soothe him, her words had the opposite effect. He wanted her with every single cell in his body. He took a breath, and pain flashed through him, reminding him he was flesh and blood, not a machine.

Well, maybe not a sex machine, she’d caught his last thought. Laugh lines appeared around her eyes, and her dimples flashed at him, taking the ache in his groin up another notch.

He glared at her, one hand pressed to his aching side. That’s not funny.

“If you two need to be alone,” Jaimie said, “I could always leave.”

He threw the couch pillow at her. “You don’t need to be putting in your two cents. You and Mack are disgusting.”

She laughed at him. “So true. He’s magic.”

Kane groaned. “You’re my sister, Jaimie. You can’t put those kinds of thoughts in my head.”

“I see. You have that double standard going. It’s okay for you and the boys, but not me.”

“Exactly. There are rules, girl. Rules. Follow them.” He held out his coffee cup. “I wouldn’t mind another.”

She took it. “Not a chance, bro. You’re on sick leave, which means you eat and drink nutritiously. One cup limit.”

He gave a fierce scowl. “You are not going to boss me around, Jaimie.”

“No”—she smiled sweetly at him and handed Rose the empty mug—“but Rose is.”

Kane studied Rose’s fine-boned features. That same determined expression she got, stubborn as hell and so appealing to him he knew he was a lost man, was right there on her face. Whenever she got that look, he knew he wasn’t going to win. He kept his mouth shut. There were other ways to get around his woman, and he was going to find every one of them.

“By the way, Rose. I have put all your necessary papers into the system. Social. Birth certificate. Concealed weapons permit. Driver’s license. Everything you’ll need here on the outside. The baby’s birth certificate states he was born in a military hospital. I’m establishing his records there now. Everything should be coming in the mail soon. Mack’s talking to Sergeant Major about compensation for being on the team.”

“Wait a minute,” Kane said. “You’re moving a little too fast. What the hell does that mean?”

“I’m a soldier, Kane,” Rose pointed out. “That’s all I’m trained for. I’m good at it, just as you are. You don’t want out. If I’m part of this team, they can’t break us up.”

He shook his head. “You can wait a little while. We haven’t even discussed this.”

“Would you discuss this with me?” Rose asked quietly. “If your time was up?”

“It’s not the same thing.”

She smiled at him, that serene, sweet smile he was coming to know meant really bad things for him. “You know better. And it’s added protection for Sebastian. I’m serving our country just as Whitney wanted. I’m more apt to bring up our son as a soldier, another thing he wants. He knows I’ll teach Sebastian everything I know, just as you and every member of this team will, and he’s more apt to leave us alone to see how Sebastian does under a full team’s tutelage.”

Kane bared his teeth at her. He hated that it was sound reasoning. His dream of the little woman sitting at home waiting for him was about to shatter. “We’ll talk this out before you commit.”

She arched an eyebrow at him. “Does that mean you’ll talk until I agree with you?”

“At least give me the chance to persuade you. Jaimie doesn’t go out on missions, and she contributes.” He was grasping at straws and he knew it.

“Jaimie has a very specific set of skills I don’t have. My skills are all in the field, Kane. I’ll be an asset to you there, not sitting here at home.”

Jaimie bent and kissed his jaw. “I think this is my cue to leave. Mack’s going to be down later with Paul, and he’ll tell you everything he’s found out.”

Kane watched the two women walk to the door together. He wanted them close but not conspiring against his wishes. He’d seen Rose in combat. She was fearless and didn’t hesitate, as good or better than any soldier he’d worked with, but didn’t she want to stay home and be a mother? What was wrong with that? His mother hadn’t wanted to stay home either. What the hell was wrong with women these days? Didn’t they understand someone needed to be in the home with the children, keeping the family together? Having dinners together? Do all the family things he’d envisioned but never had?

Rose closed the heavy door and turned to lean against it, regarding him soberly. They lived in a renovated warehouse, a massive building with large doors, and draped against it that way, she looked smaller than ever. It was difficult to imagine her in combat, yet he’d seen her, and she was too damned competent, with nerves of steel, for him to pretend she wasn’t.

“Damn it, Rose.” He pressed his fingers to his suddenly aching eyes. He hadn’t even noticed that his head was pounding and his gut hurt like hell. Maybe he was just tired. “You should have at least waited to discuss this with me.”

He felt the weight of her stare and looked at her. It was impossible to read the expression on her face. Not breaking eye contact, she pushed herself off the door and walked over to him. Her feet were bare, small and delicate, like the rest of her, making no noise on the floor as she came toward him. She was short enough that with him sitting, they were almost staring directly into each other’s eyes.

“You’re right, Kane, I should have. We’re a team, and I should have given you that courtesy.”

“I don’t want to be a team. I want you to be my wife. Mine. Wholly mine. Not part of this big team, a soldier. I want the woman.”

She smiled and very gently brushed at the hair tumbling across his forehead, tenderness in her touch. “You have both the woman and the soldier, Kane. They aren’t separate.”

“Damn it, I know that.” He knew that. He did. “It’s just that ...” He trailed off, feeling damned stupid. He wasn’t a little boy or even a teenage boy. He’d grown up hard and fast, and maybe that was the problem. He didn’t want that for his son. He shook his head and looked away from her. “I’m tired, Rose. I think I’ll lie down for a while.”

“Look at me, Kane,” she ordered softly.

He did, dropping straight down into those large, fathomless, melting chocolate eyes that threw him every time he fell into them.

“Tell me. I want to know.”

He shoved a hand through his hair, betraying agitation when, with anyone else, he would have remained absolutely stoic. “I just always had this idea—this fantasy—about coming home to my wife, to dinner, to her waiting there for me. To her being a mother to my children. It’s stupid, I know, but when I looked at the possibility of a family, that was it—not our son being left to fend for himself.”

She framed his face with her hands. “I don’t even know what family is, Kane. I had my ‘sisters’ when I was young, but even then we were often kept apart and used against one another. I’m learning as I go along, and I’m counting on you to help me with that. I’ll do my best for Sebastian. I’ll love him and I’ll protect him, but quite frankly, I’ve never cooked a meal in my life. You’re going to have to give up your dream of the wife having dinner waiting for you.”

She leaned forward and brushed her mouth over his. “I don’t want to disappoint you, but I can only be who I am.”

He wrapped his arms around her and drew her onto his lap, cradling her close with a wry smile. “I suppose I could always be the girl and stay home.”

Her eyebrow shot up. “Girls stay home?”

“If I lied, would that count?”

She nuzzled his neck. “No. I’m your woman. All of me, Kane, and that includes the soldier. My advice is to learn how to cook if you don’t already know how.”

He was happy just holding her. Maybe a stay-at-home mother wasn’t as important as he’d first thought. “Fortunately, I’m a damned good cook.”

She kissed him.