NOCB 070 - Time Raiders - Delilah Devlin - The Warrior's Touch by Nocturne

numb for him to lift his arm. With grim acceptance, he tried one last time to save himself, digging his heels into the ground to buck.
    As though in slow motion, the dagger arced toward him, then slipped from Centaurian’s grasp. All expression drained from him as he slumped to the side.
    Fari stood over them both, a large rock held in her hands.
    “A rock? You had a damn ax and you used a rock?”
    She shrugged. “I was afraid it would glance off him.”
    In the distance, they heard the pounding of hooves. Within moments the Amazons would be upon them.
    Caleb came up on his good side. “Got the belt?”
    Fari bent to swipe the object from the ground. “Got it.”
    “Now activate that damn cuff— ma’am .”
    Fari’s gaze held his for a long moment, then one corner of her mouth quirked up. “Ladies first?”

Chapter Six
    Fari knocked on Professor Carswell’s office door and poked her head inside. Caleb was there, pulling a brown army T-shirt over his head.
    She cleared her throat. “How’s the shoulder?”
    He gave her a crooked smile. “Good as new. You were right. No use holding on to a souvenir.” Turning, he unbuttoned his camouflage pants and tucked his shirt into the waistband.
    How awkward was this? She knew every inch of his body, but now, back in the present, neither of them seemed comfortable with the intimate knowledge they shared. Since the moment they’d returned, everything had been back to business. They’d been led away separately to be debriefed. Last night, she’d slept alone in her assigned quarters. This was the first time she’d had a chance to catch Caleb alone.
    Fari leaned against the door frame, striving to appear casual, while she gave his body secret glances, committing every line and bulge to memory. “The alien hieroglyphics on the medallion are pointing toward Salerno, Italy. Another team’s being prepped for a jump.”
    “Seems like we’re done here.”
    “Yeah.” She wet her lips. “Look, Caleb…”
    He gave her a wink, but shook his head in warning. “I’m not good at goodbyes, Lieutenant.”
    Anger kindled, burning like a match to black powder. “Putting words in my mouth now?” she asked, lifting her chin and stepping closer. “Do you think that’s what I wanted to say? Goodbye?”
    “Just tryin’ to make the moment easier for you, sugar,” he answered softly.
    “I don’t need anyone making anything easy for me. By the way, it’s ma’am to you.”
    “Yes, ma’am.”
    But the way he said it, like warm, sticky syrup, doused her anger. She swung away to keep him from reading too much from her features. “I have a month’s leave. Time accrued. General Ashton arranged with my unit for a little R and R.”
    “Me, too,” Caleb said, his tone neutral.
    Stealing herself against rejection, she glanced over her shoulder. “Have any plans?”
    “Depends.”
    “On…?”
    “Whether you’re into breaking some rules,” he said softly.
    Her heart stuttered and then hammered faster. “I hardly ever do.”
    “I would have guessed never. I read your military record, too, Farideh.”
    “Oh, so you know.”
    “That you’re Military Intelligence and assigned to a spec-ops unit where you routinely accompany small tactical teams, to shield them while they perform key extractions? Yes.”
    His staccato delivery revealed how much he didn’t like the idea.
    “So you know why I don’t like sticky relationships.”
    His hands fisted on his hips. “Probably for the same reasons I don’t,” he said, his gaze hard as steel. “Who wants to leave someone behind?”
    Did she still feel that way? She wasn’t so sure anymore. Fari took a deep breath. “I made a mistake.”
    Caleb dropped his hands and stepped closer. “Don’t you dare call what happened between us a mistake.”
    Forced to tilt her head, she fought feeling vulnerable, but couldn’t help the sudden welling of tears that blurred his face. “That’s not it. I don’t have a single regret. You