think those are all the questions we have for you right now, Ms. Westlake. I know you’re probably anxious to get some more rest before you leave. The information you’ve provided has been very useful.”
Slightly dazed and confused, Lena exited the meeting room. The FBI agent just had to be wrong when he insisted that Steven’s remains hadn’t been found. It didn’t make any sense. Why would AnSawar take precious minutes to hide away Steven’s body when the SEAL Team attacked?
No, they would not do that. It just was not rational. Steven’s remains had to be somewhere inside of the facility. Or maybe one of the bodies had been erroneously identified. After all, mix-ups happened all the time, didn’t they? One of the agents must have a mistake somewhere down the line. Soon she would receive a call telling her that Steven’s body had been recovered. And then they would be able to give him a proper burial. She believed that. She had to believe that.
As soon as the transfer boat arrived, she would be leaving the carrier express for Namibia. Then she could finally begin to come to grips with maelstrom that had transpired over the past few weeks. She could start to make sense of this new emotional reality, which still felt as though she were reading pages from someone else’s life. Or more specifically, pages from someone else’s nightmare.
She was so lost in thought that she didn’t see the Titanesque soldier walking in her direction until she collided solidly with his rock hard chest. Only the sheer strength of his arm wrapping tightly around her waist prevented her from completely tumbling to the floor.
“Whoa there. Sorry about that, ma’am. That was my fault. I should’ve been watching where I was going. Are you okay?”
It was the soldier from last night, the same one who’d rescued her. With midnight-black hair, dimples, tanned skin, and green eyes he looked like every girl’s dream man. The amazing smile he flashed at her should have come with its own warning label. Caution: the most handsome, rapture-inducing man you’ve ever met is about to throw a blinding, bone-melting, one thousand megawatt smile your way—try not to slip into the abyss.
Much to her surprise and gratitude, Lena was able to hold his steady gaze without giving in to the urge to blush. Suffice it to say, in her book, he was perfect. The peculiar reddish-brown hue of his eyebrows was the only thing out of place along with a smattering of freckles across the bridge of his nose that brought out the boy in him.
But in case Lena was operating under the mistaken impression that he was anything other than a full-grown man, she was disabused of that notion as soon as her gaze traveled to his shoulders. His shoulders were about a mile wide, and he towered over her as tall as a skyscraper. It was a wonder that he could even navigate through the tight corridors of the ship without constantly cracking his head against the low-hanging ceiling. His arm muscles were so well-defined that they seemed to be in a constant state of flex. He looked impossibly strong, like he could easily handle any challenge that came his way. She could clearly recall the feeling of those same brawny arms around her as he carried her out to the boat that had escorted her to safety.
Her rescuer’s facial features had been impossible to make out last night, but she was positive that it was the same man because of the sound of his voice. He had this deep, velvety timbre. The strength and sincerity in his voice moved over her in wave after delicious wave. And when the world became too cold to bear alone, it was the type of voice that she would want to wrap herself up into like a warm blanket.
“I’m fine. But please, call me Lena,” she said, taking a self-conscious step away from him.
Again, he flashed a confident smile at her, his emerald eyes shining. The unabashed smirk made him look young, carefree, and even more handsome.
“Right, Lena. So uh...your