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warning of an assassination try until the coup attempt was made in Ahmed's home country. And by
then the terrorists were already in position here and making their move. Now that we know what's
afoot, we're ready, too."
"We're on it. We'll handle this. How about Miss Shannon?" Wayne asked Steven. "Can you get her out
of town?"
"I can," Steven agreed. "But what if they find out that she and I are engaged again and make a grab for
her, where she's totally unprotected?"
The smile vanished from Lang's face. "You're engaged again?"
Steven nodded.
Lang exchanged a long glance with Wayne. "That changes things. We'd better keep her in town. But
she can't know why," he emphasized.
Steven just nodded, because Wayne had already told him that. He could break their confidence, of
course, but now that the house and his car and God knew what else was bugged, he couldn't tell Meg
anyplace that they wouldn't overhear. He was going to have to watch what he said altogether. And the
complication was that he not only couldn't tell Meg that, but he wouldn't be able to touch her without
being overheard. He could have groaned out loud.
Meg was home alone that afternoon. David was still at work.
Steven drove up to the Shannon house just a few minutes after quitting time, casually dressed in jeans
and a knit shirt, topped off with a suede jacket.
He smiled at Meg when she opened the door, approving the pretty blue sundress that complemented
her fairness. She'd left her hair down, and he ached to get his hands in its silky length.
"Give me your hand," he said without preamble.
She lifted the left one, and he slid the sapphire and diamond engagement ring he'd given her four
years ago smoothly onto her ring finger. It was a perfect fit.
He lifted the hand to his lips and kissed it very gently.
"Oh, Steve," she whispered, reaching up to him.
He caught her wrists and stepped back, painfully aware of surveillance techniques that could pick up
heavy breathing a mile away. He laughed a little shortly, trying to ignore Meg's shocked, embarrassed
expression.
"How about some coffee?" he asked.
She faltered a little. "Of course," she said. "I'll, uh, I'll just make some." She was near tears. They'd
made love, they'd just gotten reengaged, and suddenly Steven couldn't bear her to touch him!
He followed her into the kitchen, grimacing at her expression. He couldn't tell her everything, but he
had to tell her this, at least.
As she turned on the faucet to fill the drip coffee maker, Steve reached over her shoulder and took the
coffeepot away, leaving the water running just briefly.
He bent to kiss her, whispering under his breath, "We're on Candid Camera."
She let him kiss her, but her wide eyes stayed open. He drew back, shutting off the faucet.
She was suddenly very alert. She looked around the room.
"Achoo?" she whispered.
"Gesundheit!" came the deep, chuckled reply.
Meg went every shade of scarlet under the sun as she looked at Steven. She gasped in horror.
"It's all right," he said quickly. "They've only just done it!"
She chewed the ends of her fingers as the flat statement finally began to make sense and she relaxed.
"Oh, thank goodness!"
The back door opened and the big, dark agent entered, a finger to his lips.
He whipped out a pad and pencil and wrote something on it, showing it to Meg and Steve. He'd
written: Our team wasn't the only one wrangling bugs around here this afternoon. Watch what you say.
Do they have cameras? Steve scribbled on the paper.
The agent shook his head, grinning. He made a sign with two forked fingers like someone poking
eyes out.
Steve gave him a thumbs-up sign. The agent put away his pad and pencil and looked at the coffeepot
longingly.
Meg held up five fingers. He grinned and started back out. Then he glanced at the two of them and
made a kissing motion followed by a firm shaking of his head. Meg stuck her tongue out at him. He
smothered a laugh as he let himself back out the door.
Meg busied herself with the coffeepot, worried about living in a goldfish bowl. It would be like this
from now on, she was sure, until they caught the people who were responsible for the attack at the
restaurant.
"Cream?" Steven asked when she poured coffee into two cups.
"I'll get it."
She handed it to him, carrying a cup of black coffee to the back door. A huge hand came out and
accepted it. She peered around the door, eyebrows raised. The agent made a sign with his thumb and [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]