Behind Enemy Lines by Cindy Dees Page A

fingertips. She guided the left sleeve over his cast and greedily devoured the sight of his back as the fabric fell away.
    Despite the many times she’d seen his body, the sight of all that muscle never failed to impress her. And to see it moving, bending and twisting in all its supple grace, stole her breath clean away.
    Then she noticed he was looking over his shoulder at her.
    “Uh, the cuts on your back have healed up nicely. You can barely see the scars.”
    He shrugged. “I never cared much about having a perfect body. Another scar or two doesn’t matter one way or the other.”
    She refrained from mentioning that his body was as close to perfect as she’d ever seen. Instead she asked, “Speaking of scars, where did you get this one?” She touched a small round scar under his right shoulder blade with her fingertip.
    He sucked in his breath, and she jerked her finger away.
    “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
    He turned to face her. In the tight confines of the bathroom, they were only inches apart. His voice was little more than a husky whisper. “You didn’t hurt me.”
    She stared up at him, startled by the sudden intensity of his gaze. The attraction between them flared, hot and thick. Slowly, as if against his will, his arms came up and surrounded her, drawing her close.
    Ohmigosh. It was all she could do to keep her hands at her sides, not to lean into him, and most especially not to return his embrace.
    “That’s an old gunshot wound,” he murmured. “A woman gave it to me.”
    “A woman shot you?” Annie asked breathlessly.
    “She led me into a trap, and her father’s men shot me.”
    “That sounds horrible,” Annie whispered, her heart aching for all he’d suffered in his career. First a trap and a gunshot wound, and now multiple broken bones and a possibly career-ending injury. No wonder he didn’t like working with women.
    His husky voice drew her back to the present. The very steamy present.
    “I like it when you touch me, Annie. Do you like doing it?”
    “Uhh,” she cleared her throat, “sure.”
    “Good. Then here’s your first order. Do it some more.”
    She replied nervously, “I don’t think that qualifies as a lawful order under the Uniform Code of…”
    His finger stilled her lips. “Remember what I told you about following orders?” he murmured. “Don’t think about it. Just do it.”
    Despite herself, she smiled. “Make it a request, not an order, and I just might.”
    He smiled back, slow and smooth. “Touch me, please.”
    Her hands settled on his lean waist. Pure, sexual pleasure shot through her. This was wrong. Really wrong. But did he ever feel good.
    “You have me at a disadvantage, Annie. You’ve had your hands all over me already, but I don’t know the feel of you at all.”
    His hands began to move, roaming gently over her back. His fingers kneaded the muscles along her spine, melting her will to stand up. Only the knowledge of his injuries kept her from sagging against him.
    She mustered enough strength to murmur, “Your bath’s going to get cold.”
    He drew her closer and spoke against her temple. “Sweet Annie, there’s always more hot water. Besides, I may be needing a cold soak, anyway.”
    She buried her face against his shoulder. “We’ve got to stop this.”
    “Why?”
    “Because you’re in the middle of a mission and don’t need distractions, and we’ve got to work together.”
    He sighed. “You’re right.” He set her away from him, but his hands lingered on her shoulders. “But holding you makes me feel alive.”
    His hands slid down her arms, and with a final caress of her fingertips, fell away from her.
    “Did you know there was a time in the hospital when I thought I had died?”
    She shook her head in the negative.
    “When I first saw you, I thought you were an angel, and I couldn’t figure out how I’d ended up in Heaven.”
    “Me an angel? Not a chance.”
    “To me you were one. Every time you came to