Ruthless Game (GhostWalkers #9)(63)
Author: Christine Feehan

“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.

Chapter 13

Rose liked Paul Mangan right away. He looked very young with his freckles and his wide-eyed innocence. It was more than obvious that he was of Irish descent. He looked a bit awkward and blushed every time he snuck a glance at her. He was tall and slender, with fine hands, almost delicate. She couldn’t imagine him as a soldier, let alone him going into combat. While Javier Enderman looked young and could easily pass for a teenager, he had a steely strength about him, and if one looked into his eyes, there was no way they wouldn’t feel a chill go down their spine. The killer was in those cold, flat, very hard eyes. But Paul … He was altogether different. He just didn’t look like he belonged in the Marine Corps, let alone have Special Forces training as well as what it took to become a GhostWalker.

Don’t underestimate him, Rose, Kane cautioned as he came into the room.

She couldn’t imagine that Paul could possibly see to the health of her child. He barely looked her in the eye, but the moment Kane walked into the room, he seemed entirely different. Rose frowned, watching the boy—no—man. He was definitely a man. His face changed very subtly, which told her part of what she saw was an illusion. She knew all about illusions; she could change her looks subtly or even blatantly if need be. Paul obviously had the same ability to a lesser degree, but why would he need to do so there in the safety of Kane’s home?

She studied him as he shook Kane’s hand and turned toward her for an introduction, nearly bowing, blushing redder than ever.

“It’s nice to meet you, ma’am.”

Can he even shoot a gun? She carefully avoided looking at Kane, afraid she’d laugh. “Nice to meet you too. I understand you might be able to look Sebastian over and tell us if he’s truly healthy without his blood leaving our home.”

His father is Sergeant Major Theodore Griffen. He grew up shooting guns. I doubt that the military would have ever been his thing, he’s a gentle man, probably more like his mother than father, but he has an amazing and coveted psychic talent. Whitney would probably kill us both gladly to get his hands on Paul. No one knows about Paul outside of our team.