No more dwelling on yesterday. Time to move forward.
Elizabeth hesitated at the door, pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose and took a long, deep breath.
“Your future begins now,” she whispered.
With out looking back, Elizabeth pushed through the door and into the laundry room of the safe house.
The smell of Chinese cuisine alerted her to the time. Lunch. Stark must be on duty. When ever he was the agent in charge of bringing in meals, his food of choice was Chinese. Not that she minded, she liked fried rice, a lot.
Agent Stark looked up as she entered the kitchen section of the large living space. “You’re just in time, Dr. Cameron.”
She inhaled deeply. “I noticed.”
“I see you made it back, Doc.”
Elizabeth looked up at the sound of Hennessey’s voice. Her chest seized and her eyes widened in disbelief. She closed her eyes and reopened them in an effort to clear her vision. It was still him…David.
“I started wearing the contacts,” he said as he tapped his right temple. “The change in eye color definitely put the finishing touch on the look.”
He said the words so nonchalantly. She blinked again, told her self to breathe. She couldn’t. Managing a nod was the best she could do.
Hennessey gestured to the counter. “You hungry?”
He moved like Hennessey. He spoke like Hennessey. But no matter that she told her self that what she saw was an illusion she, her self, helped to create, she just couldn’t get past it. Pain twisted in her chest, radiated out ward, en compassing her entire being.
“I’ll…” She swallowed against the lump in her throat. “I’ll have something later.”
She rushed past him, couldn’t bear to look a moment longer. This felt so wrong…so damned wrong.
Taking the stairs as fast as she dared she made it to her room in record time. She closed the door and slumped against it.
A full minute was required for her to catch her breath, to slow her heart rate. To form a coherent thought.
She should have been prepared for this moment. David’s face had emerged a little more each day. She’d watched the features move from discolored and distorted to smooth and glowing with the tint of health.
All those things she’d expected…she’d been prepared for. But this…
It was the eyes she hadn’t been fully equipped to see…to look into.
David’s eyes.
As dark as a moonless night.
She’d gotten lost in them so many times. Not once had she been able to read his intentions. Whether it was the deep, murky color or just his skill at evasive tactics she couldn’t be sure. But the mystery had been part of the at traction. He’d drawn her in so easily.
How in the wide world could she have believed she could do this?
Elizabeth closed her eyes and blocked the tears; forced away the images.
She couldn’t do this.
And why should she?
She’d done her part.
There was no reason for her to stay a minute longer.
A light rap on the door behind her made her breath hitch again. She pressed a hand to her chest and reached for some semblance of calm.
She had to get her composure back into place.
All she needed to do was tell Agent Dawson she was ready to go home. Her work here was finished.
No one could argue that infinitely valid point.
Steeling her self against the turmoil of emotions attempting to erupt in side her she straightened away from the door, then turned to answer it.
It would be Hennessey.
It would be tough.
But she was strong.
She smoothed her damp palms over her skirt and pulled in another much needed breath.
Then she opened the door.
David’s eyes stared down at her.
Not David, she reminded her self.
Hennessey. Agent Joe Hennessey.
“We should talk about this.”
She looked away, let his voice be her buoy. Hennessey’s voice. Low, husky, shimmering with mischief just beneath the surface. Not the slow, deep cadence of David. Why was it she’d never realized how very calculating his voice had been? It wasn’t until she’d come here with Hennessey that she’d understood what sexy really was.
David hadn’t been sexy…he’d been bawdy.
Elizabeth squared her shoulders and did what she should have done days ago. “Agent Hennessey, clearly I’ve contributed all to this operation that I have to offer. I’m certain you won’t be needing my services any longer. With that in mind, I’m sure you’d understand if I chose not to have this discussion.” She braced to close the door. “Please let Agent Dawson know I’ll be ready to go in ten minutes.”
She had expected him to argue.
She’d even expected him to try to stop her.
But the last thing she’d expected was for him to kiss her.
He took her face in both his hands and pulled her mouth up to meet his.