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Royce didn't knohat the hell he'd been thinking That was just it He wasn 't thinking Thank God Catherine had the presence of ht If they made love, neither one of them would have been able to continue with the pretense True, Catherine was far h to recognize there would be problems with him, too Major proble across the table for the coood idea"

"Why not?"

Royce wasn't in any hter, and his voice was sharp when he spoke "Because I said you couldn't I don't want any arguments about this, Kelly Catherine is off-linant look, scooted out of her chair and stalked out of the kitchen Just before she reached the doorway, she bolted around and glared at hiht he was bad now, give hi side by side with Catherine, knowing he'd never be able to hold her or kiss her again

"What's with Commander Nyland?" Elaine Perkins questioned when Catherine returned from a session in court early Friday afternoon Catherine had been in and out of the office all week acting as prosecutor on a series of cri other than nor a load of files down on her desk

"If I knew that I wouldn't be asking you He's been in a badunreasonable demands on himself and everyone else You would think once he found out his daughter wasn't badly hurt he'd be in a good otten worse"

"If Co to share it with me" Catherine did her best toether She hadn't talked to him outside the office all week The fact didn't trouble her; they both needed distance to put order to their thoughts

Now that she thought about it, Catherine illing to ad in plenty of hours,too many deone out for any personality awards, nor was he in a popularity contest If that were the case he'd lose hands down

A couple of the other clerks rolled back their chairs "Ever read much about arctic seals, Lieutenant Coathered around the secretary's desk

"No" Catherine wondered what the ather on a floating iceberg The probleer has passed and so a sacrificial seal is thrown into the water If he survives the others know it's safe to leave the iceberg"

Catherine stared at the sathered around Elaine's desk A couple had leaned forward, pressing their hands to her desktop "So?" Catherine de the sounds of this

"We just voted you to be our sacrificial seal"

"What?" If she hadn't been so aht have been concerned Apparendy she hadn't done as good a job as she'd hoped, hiding her feelings for Royce The staff seeerous sign

"It makes sense for you to be the one to approach him," Elaine explained before Catherine could ask why they'd bestowed the dubious honor upon her "Commander Nyland may have all the sensitivity of seaweed, but he's still a man, and as such he's as susceptible as the rest of us to a pretty face"

"And what exactly am I supposed to say to hiure that out yourself Just do whatever it is you do to put a man into a better mood"

"Please do it soon," Seaman Webster added "I've had to type the same paper five times He wants it perfect The last tiht the free world was in jeopardy"

"Sorry, fellows," Catherine said, walking back into her office, ignoring the away from this situation with Royce with a ten-foot pole "You picked the wrong lady to do your dirty work for you If Coether the way you always have Furtherree," Elaine Perkins commented "But we're desperate"

"I said no," she returned crisply "And I , but the staff gradually returned to their desks Elaine Perkins, however, continued to study Catherine "I thought you and the co her best to keep her tone light and unaffected

"I understood that the two of you jogged together most afternoons"

Catherine wondered when she'd heard that and fros"

"Daht be able to talk to hi him There isn't any need to make the rest of us suffer just because he's unhappy about so, Mrs Perkins?" Royce demanded from behind Catherine's secretary in a voice so cold, the words froze in midair

Elaine went pale "No, sir," she answered briskly

"I'h to look toward Catherine "I'd like the Ellison report on ht"

"Yes, sir," Catherine returned just as crisply She was hours fro the report Royce must have known it Apparently she, too, was to receive the brunt of his foul mood, but then why should she be different from anyone else?

With that, Royce returned to his office and closed the door

Elaine slumped back into her chair and released her breath in a slow exercise "He wants you to have that report done by tonight?" she er than she would have liked, but that couldn't be helped

"Do you want me to stay and type it up for you?"

Catherine appreciated the offer, but it wasn't necessary "No, thanks, it won't take "

"Aren't you furious with hiaze leveled on the closed door that led to Royce's office

"No" Maybe she should be, but Catherine had learned long before that Royce's bark was far worse than his bite She said as ht, but you don't see all the tiht about Elaine's coiven her more slack than the other members of his staff? Apparently they'd all felt the brunt of his bad mood in the past several days But if what Elaine Perkins said was true, so had to be done, and quickly

Catherine waited until later that saave hih time to run several laps before she joined him He looked over at her and frowned, his look so dark and uninviting that a shiver of apprehension moved over her "The Ellison report is on your desk"

"Is there a proble a proble his pace