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Like now

She waited across the tarar where he’d received his inoculations Herher, eyeing the planes But she kept her distance froht line as ordered

She wore her customary black dress, today with a yellow scarf The tail over her shoulder fluttered like a kite in the wind

Da out what ridiculous scarf she would choose from the minute he announced a chow break And double dahty little ways and dry sense of hu to wear him down like sand in his boots on a hundred- he could do

Apparently he needed to listen to his own lecture about conflict of interest since this woes

He ,

"Colonel Cullen" She fell into step behind hi the asphalt while her words carried on the dry wind "If I could just have awe really need to discuss"

"You’ll have to check with eant about my schedule"

"I have noticed you are reluctant to speak withstrides and her shorter ones "Could it be because you are attracted to me?’’

Drew stopped Pulled an about-face Choked on a cough and wondered if the sun was baking his brain "Good God, wo her wasn’t working But no way did he intend to have this conversation out in the open when God only knehat she ar for aHe gave her guard a high sign, relinquishing hiripped Yasmine’s arar "Why in the hell would you think I’ed for a LifeSaver "--attracted to you?"

She stared at hih an extended silence broken only by a bird flapping around the webbing of metal beams overhead In her eyes he could read theBefore that, of her backing into hi to will away

Daht little botto back into a world of want He’d never been rateful for his DCUs that kept hiht women over here were sheltered"

"We are That doesn’t norant And of course I had an Ahter made--what do you call the her head to the side How the hell anyone could look regal in a yellow scarf with goddaled his mind "Well, there’s no decision to beme"

"I understand that this physical reaction of yours makes you uncomfortable around me Of course women are lucky that when they experience such a physical reaction it is not as obvious"

Physical reaction? She couldn’t be flat-out referring to his

Shit She was He did not intend to stand here and discuss hard-ons with this woainst a wall until he passed out and woke up to find this conversation never happened He executed a sharp ht

"It is okay, you know" Her voice dogged hi-term from you I understand that men can not control when it happens for them"

What the hell did she know about ht faded until he saw red Thoughts blasted into his head, harsh i the worst so-called humans could inflict on the helpless

Hand on his ed back to her His other hand thuar beside her as if already erecting a wall between her and any threat "Has soer bleay his frustration, gelling into a cold-core call to protect "Assaulted you? Sexually"

Her eyes widened with her gasp "No! No"

Tension unwound inside him His arm fell back to his side

"But thank you for your concern for ht back to an overwound spring

"I’d be concerned about anyone It’s all a part of ruffer than he intended, but for the best

She winced "I realize that"

He’d hurt her feelings, and he ignored remorse Now maybe she would back off He could have some peace offor her every ti

Or another bowl of goat slop

She relaxed against awhen you had your daughter How old is she again?"

"Twenty-one"

She smiled "So I am older"

"By only two years Now this conversation is over" Why didn’t he tell her he was a grandfather?

"Men in my country have many wives"

The W-word

A curse in his vocabulary he’d given up long before becorandfather and a conversation he knew damned well to avoid "So I hear around the water cooler"