Until Joe Hennessey popped back in.
All those for bid den feelings Hennessey had aroused three months ago had suddenly reawakened when he waltzed back into her small world with this assignment.
Elizabeth closed her eyes and let the volatile mixture of heat and desire spread through her. He made her want to embark onto that emotional limb of love again. How could she be so dumb when all those diplomas hanging on the walls proclaimed her intelligence?
A light tap on her closed door dragged her away from the disturbing thoughts and back to the harsh reality that she was once more at square one, alone in her office at the end of the day with no place to go and no one with whom to share her successes or her failures.
She forced her eyes open. “Yes.”
The door cracked far enough for Dr. Newman, one of her partners, to poke his head into her office. “You busy?”
Elizabeth tacked a smile into place. “Not at all. Come in, Dr. New man.” As long as she’d known Robert Newman—they’d worked closely for four years—they had never moved be yond the professional formalities. She suddenly wondered why that was. He was a very nice man. Safe, quiet, bookish, all the traits she should look for in a companion. That she admired and respected him was icing on the cake. Just another prime example of her inability to form proper social relationships.
His lab coat still looking pristine after a full day of seeing patients, he shoved his hands into his pockets and strolled up to her desk. “Do you have dinner plans?”
Now that startled her. Was he asking her out to dinner? They’d attended the same work-related social functions numerous times, but never as a couple. She blinked, tried to reason whether or not she’d misunderstood.
Had she some how telegraphed her misery through the walls? Was this a pity invitation?
He cleared his throat when she remained speechless be yond a polite pause. “I thought you might not have had time to shop since you’ve gotten back. Your cupboards are probably bare.”
Oh, yes, this was definitely a dinner date invitation.
Now she knew for sure just how little attention she’d paid to the men around her. If she’d had any question, the hopeful look in her colleague’s eyes set her straight.
How could she have missed this? She’d had absolutely no idea.
“You would probably be right,” she confessed, well aware that any continued stalling would be seen as not only a rebuff but rude. She reached deep down in side and retrieved a decent smile. “To be honest, I’m beat. I think I need a vacation to recover from my vacation.” It wasn’t until that moment that she realized how much her affiliation with the CIA had changed the dynamics of her other professional relationships. How many times had she lied to her colleagues about her where abouts?
Don’t go there. Not tonight.
She pushed up from her chair, glanced around her desk to en sure she hadn’t forgotten any thing that wouldn’t wait before meeting Dr. New man’s gaze once more. Disappointment had replaced the hope. “But I’d love a rain check.”
Some of the disappointment disappeared. “Sure.”
After a brief exchange of war stories about the day’s patients, Dr. New man said good-night and was on his way.
At that moment Elizabeth realized just how very exhausted she felt. A long, hot bath, a couple glasses of wine and a decent night’s sleep, she decided, would be her self-prescribed medicine.
After rounding up her purse she headed for the rear exit. She’d already called Agent Dawson and let him know she was ready to go. When she reached the parking lot he waited only steps from the clinic’s rear entrance. He would follow her home and then maintain a vigil out side until around nine o’clock and he would be replaced by Stark.
As she slid behind the wheel of her Lexus she regarded the necessity of this measure once more. She hadn’t really felt that the added security was necessary but Director Calder had insisted. She’d finally relented and agreed to one week of surveillance. If he felt that strongly, how could she ignore the possibility that he might be right? After all, ferreting out intelligence and analyzing risks was his business.
The drive to her brown stone was uneventful. Before leaving her car at the curb she couldn’t go in side with out asking Agent Dawson if he’d prefer to come in side. She’d spent the past three weeks holed up with Joe Hennessey; spending time alone with Dawson would be a breeze.
But Agent Dawson declined her offer.
She’d known he would. Dawson was far too much of a stickler for the rules.
Un like Hennessey.
Or David.