shots.”
“Sure, shoot.” Jai grinned at his own little joke.
Rolling her eyes, Emily couldn’t help but smile herself. “Well, I’ve been considering what to have Hawk wear. I guess we have to get a few of him in his dress uniform. But I really want a bunch of pictures in those cute camouflage pants, too.”
“Oh, of course. I totally agree. Camo was all over the runways in Milan and Paris this season.”
“I know!” Excited, it wasn’t until she saw Jai’s smirk that Emily realized he was teasing her.
“Sorry, Em. Couldn’t resist,” Jai offered in answer to her scowl.
When she still wouldn’t talk, he prompted, “Go on. What else did you have in mind?”
Glancing at the death grip Jai had on the steering wheel as another car whizzed past, rocking both them and the vehicle, Emily decided the rest could wait. “Let’s see what we find when we get there. We might get more ideas on site.”
“Looks like you don’t have long to wait now because here we are,” Jai informed her.
Emily put down the folder and saw the high fence of the base coming into view. She felt her heart thud harder.
Oh, my . No, there wasn’t long to wait at all.
Jai slowed the car to a crawl as they neared the two armed, make that very armed , guards at the gate. He stopped and rolled down the window. “Jai Devereaux and Emily Price. We’re here to photograph Staff Sergeant Hawkins. We’re expected, I believe.”
“Yes, sir. IDs, please.”
“Got your passport handy?” Jai looked at Emily expectantly as he passed his own to the guard through the open window.
“Um, oh. Yeah. Hold on.” Emily searched through her large and now rather unorganized carry-on and finally, after a brief moment of panic, found her passport in the side pocket. She handed it to Jai, who gave it to the scary guard for his intense scrutiny.
“I’ll have to ask you both to exit the vehicle.”
Emily froze and whispered to Jai, “What did we do? Are they going to search us?” Oh my god! What if they strip-searched her? Was she wearing nice underwear? She couldn’t remember.
“It’s fine, Em. Just do as they say,” Jai assured, looking much calmer than she felt.
Emily stared at Jai, suddenly unable to move. “But…”
“Em. Trust me. Just get out of the car, please…and try to be quiet,” Jai hissed back as the armed and ready guards waited seemingly patiently for them to get out of the car.
Here was an unexpected wrench in Emily’s fairytale scenario, getting strip searched or shot or thrown in a foreign prison or whatever by the guards at the gate.
The one guard who had moved to her side of the vehicle made her so nervous it took Emily two tries to get the door of the car to open. When he told her to leave her bag inside, she nearly passed out from anxiety. Airport security she was used to. Stone-faced men with machine guns calling her “ma’am” as they ordered her about and searched her belongings was quite another.
Although the sun shone brightly, Emily wrapped her arms closer around herself to ward off both the cold air and the chill of fear.
After the one guard had finished inspecting the front and back seats while the other one stood by and watched with weapon in hand, the first camouflage-clad soldier told Jai, “Pop the trunk, sir.”
While Emily decided men in camouflage uniforms might not be so sexy after all, Jai nodded and reached in to hit the button on the door to open the trunk where they’d stowed their luggage and photographic equipment at the airport.
Just as Emily decided she was going to call Katie as soon as possible and tell her she would never take another military assignment again, a soldier rushed toward them in a light jog. Instinct had her taking a step back, until she noticed he was smiling and had his hand extended in greeting. The fact he wasn’t armed with some kind of machine gun also helped calm her immensely.
“Miss Price.” She shook his hand and then watched as he turned to
“Sure, shoot.” Jai grinned at his own little joke.
Rolling her eyes, Emily couldn’t help but smile herself. “Well, I’ve been considering what to have Hawk wear. I guess we have to get a few of him in his dress uniform. But I really want a bunch of pictures in those cute camouflage pants, too.”
“Oh, of course. I totally agree. Camo was all over the runways in Milan and Paris this season.”
“I know!” Excited, it wasn’t until she saw Jai’s smirk that Emily realized he was teasing her.
“Sorry, Em. Couldn’t resist,” Jai offered in answer to her scowl.
When she still wouldn’t talk, he prompted, “Go on. What else did you have in mind?”
Glancing at the death grip Jai had on the steering wheel as another car whizzed past, rocking both them and the vehicle, Emily decided the rest could wait. “Let’s see what we find when we get there. We might get more ideas on site.”
“Looks like you don’t have long to wait now because here we are,” Jai informed her.
Emily put down the folder and saw the high fence of the base coming into view. She felt her heart thud harder.
Oh, my . No, there wasn’t long to wait at all.
Jai slowed the car to a crawl as they neared the two armed, make that very armed , guards at the gate. He stopped and rolled down the window. “Jai Devereaux and Emily Price. We’re here to photograph Staff Sergeant Hawkins. We’re expected, I believe.”
“Yes, sir. IDs, please.”
“Got your passport handy?” Jai looked at Emily expectantly as he passed his own to the guard through the open window.
“Um, oh. Yeah. Hold on.” Emily searched through her large and now rather unorganized carry-on and finally, after a brief moment of panic, found her passport in the side pocket. She handed it to Jai, who gave it to the scary guard for his intense scrutiny.
“I’ll have to ask you both to exit the vehicle.”
Emily froze and whispered to Jai, “What did we do? Are they going to search us?” Oh my god! What if they strip-searched her? Was she wearing nice underwear? She couldn’t remember.
“It’s fine, Em. Just do as they say,” Jai assured, looking much calmer than she felt.
Emily stared at Jai, suddenly unable to move. “But…”
“Em. Trust me. Just get out of the car, please…and try to be quiet,” Jai hissed back as the armed and ready guards waited seemingly patiently for them to get out of the car.
Here was an unexpected wrench in Emily’s fairytale scenario, getting strip searched or shot or thrown in a foreign prison or whatever by the guards at the gate.
The one guard who had moved to her side of the vehicle made her so nervous it took Emily two tries to get the door of the car to open. When he told her to leave her bag inside, she nearly passed out from anxiety. Airport security she was used to. Stone-faced men with machine guns calling her “ma’am” as they ordered her about and searched her belongings was quite another.
Although the sun shone brightly, Emily wrapped her arms closer around herself to ward off both the cold air and the chill of fear.
After the one guard had finished inspecting the front and back seats while the other one stood by and watched with weapon in hand, the first camouflage-clad soldier told Jai, “Pop the trunk, sir.”
While Emily decided men in camouflage uniforms might not be so sexy after all, Jai nodded and reached in to hit the button on the door to open the trunk where they’d stowed their luggage and photographic equipment at the airport.
Just as Emily decided she was going to call Katie as soon as possible and tell her she would never take another military assignment again, a soldier rushed toward them in a light jog. Instinct had her taking a step back, until she noticed he was smiling and had his hand extended in greeting. The fact he wasn’t armed with some kind of machine gun also helped calm her immensely.
“Miss Price.” She shook his hand and then watched as he turned to
Similar Books
