An Officer and a Princess by Carla Cassidy Read Free Book Online Page B

him painfully. And because no wreckage had been found, speculation was that Admiral Jonathon Sinclair and the two pilots had sold out to foreign interests.
    Rumor had it that the billion-dollar state-of-the-art plane was now hidden away on foreign soil and that the three men who had been in the plane were now sitting on some sunny beach enjoying millions of dollars…the price paid for treason.
    But, Adam knew the real price of treason was a pain that broke the heart and a shame that seared the soul.
    â€œI really don’t know what happened,” Adam said. His heart ached with a torturous depth of pain.His father had always been his hero, and Adam wasn’t sure which was worse—believing him gone forever, or believing him a traitor. “But, I’ll tell you this…there are really only two possibilities. Either my father is alive and a traitor, or he’s dead.”
    He was surprised by the thick emotion in his voice. He cleared his throat, uncomfortable to realize how close he was to losing it…closer than he could remember being for a very long time. He forced a smile. “I hope you’ll get a happier ending when we find your father.”
    â€œOh, Adam. I’m so sorry.” Her eyes shone with a deep empathy. Before he could guess her intent, she stood, then sat on his lap. With a deep sigh she wrapped her arms tightly around his neck.
    She laid her head against his shoulder and held on to him with a fierceness that surprised him. It was as if she believed if she held him tight enough, she could keep him from falling into the black abyss of his emotions.
    And to his surprise…it worked.
    Â 
    Twenty-four hours before, Isabel never would have crawled onto Adam’s lap to offer him comfort. But now she felt as if she were merely reciprocating the tenderness and caring he had shown her when they’d first gotten out of the cab.
    For the past two months he’d been doing everything he could to help her find her missing father,to support her through the ordeal. And all the while he’d been burdened by the heartache of his own father’s disappearance.
    She wanted to tell him that she’d assigned a couple of investigators to continue to delve into the mystery of the vanished plane and the men aboard, but she was afraid of giving him false hope. It was possible Adam would never have any answers. She tightened her grip around his neck.
    â€œIsabel.” His voice was soft, and she felt his heartbeat thudding a pace that seemed too frantic to be normal.
    â€œYes?” she replied without moving.
    â€œWe should probably get down to the bar, see what information we can gather.” He didn’t move either and she wondered if he liked holding her as much as she liked being held by him.
    â€œIsabel.” This time his voice held a distinct edge of irritation. He stood without warning, forcing her to her feet. His features were taut, his eyes expressionless chunks of granite. “We need to get back to work.”
    Heat flushed her neck and face, the heat of humiliation. “Of course,” she said briskly. “Let’s get back to work.”
    A few moments later she followed Adam down the stairs to the tavern, a lingering embarrassment sweeping through her. What was wrong with her?What had she been thinking? To curl up in his arms and hug him with such abandon.
    The answer was that she hadn’t been thinking at all. Since the moment in the cemetery when she’d recognized Pam Sommersby among the mourners, Isabel had been functioning on sheer emotion, which was not only uncharacteristic, but also foolish.
    Just because Adam Sinclair was handsome as sin and had beautiful, sexy eyes that melted her insides, just because they were playing house at the moment and shared a common concern for their missing fathers, didn’t mean there was anything personal between them.
    She would not make the mistake again of trying to make it personal.