Selected praise for New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Brenda Jackson

“Brenda Jackson writes romance that sizzles and

characters you fall in love with.”

—New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Lori Foster

“Jackson’s trademark ability to weave multiple

characters and side stories together makes

shocking truths all the more exciting.”

—Publishers Weekly

“Possibly [the] sexiest entry in the Westmoreland

series … Jackson has the sexiest cowboy to ever

ride the range.”

—RT Book Reviews on A Wife for a Westmoreland

“Jackson’s characters are wonderful, strong,

colorful and hot enough to burn the pages.”

—RT Book Reviews on Westmoreland’s Way

“The kind of sizzling, heart-tugging story

Brenda Jackson is famous for.”

—RT Book Reviews on Spencer’s Forbidden Passion

“This is entertainment at its best.”

—RT Book Reviews on Star of His Heart

Dear Reader,

Wow! It’s time to savor another Westmoreland. I actually felt the heat between Micah and Kalina while writing their story.

Feeling the Heat is a story of misunderstanding and betrayal. Kalina thinks Micah is the one man who broke her heart. A man she could never love again. Micah believes if Kalina really knew him she would know he could never cause her pain. So he is determined that she get to know the real Micah Westmoreland. He also intends to prove that when a Westmoreland wants something—or someone—he will stop at nothing to get it, and Micah Westmoreland wants Kalina Daniels back in his life.

Relax and enjoy Micah and Kalina’s story. And with every Brenda Jackson book it is suggested that you have a cold drink ready. Be prepared to feel the heat!

Happy reading!

Brenda Jackson

About the Author

BRENDA JACKSON is a die “heart” romantic who married her childhood sweetheart and still proudly wears the “going steady” ring he gave her when she was fifteen. Because she believes in the power of love, Brenda’s stories always have happy endings. In her real-life love story, Brenda and her husband of thirty-eight years live in Jacksonville, Florida, and have two sons.

A New York Times bestselling author of more than seventy-five romance titles, Brenda is a recent retiree who now divides her time between family, writing and traveling with Gerald. You may write Brenda at PO Box 28267, Jacksonville, Florida 32226, USA, by e-mail at WriterBJackson@aol.com or visit her website at www.brendajackson.net.

Feeling the Heat

Brenda Jackson

www.millsandboon.co.uk

One

Micah Westmoreland glanced across the ballroom at the woman just arriving and immediately felt a tightening in his gut. Kalina Daniels was undeniably beautiful, sensuous in every sense of the word.

He desperately wanted her.

A shadow of a smile touched his lips as he took a sip of his champagne.

But if he knew Kalina, and he did know Kalina, she despised him and still hadn’t forgiven him for what had torn them apart two years ago. It would be a freezing-cold day in hell before she let him get near her, which meant sharing her bed again was out of the question.

He inhaled deeply and could swear that even with the distance separating them he could pick up her scent, a memory he couldn’t seem to let go of. Nor could he let go of the memories of the time they’d shared together while in Australia. And there had been many. Even now, it didn’t take much to recall the whisper of her breath on him just seconds before her mouth—

“Haven’t you learned your lesson yet, Micah?”

He frowned and shot the man standing across from him a narrowed look. Evidently his best friend, Beau Smallwood, was also aware of Kalina’s entry, and Beau, more than anyone, knew their history.

Micah took a sip of his drink and sat back on his heels. “Should I have?”

Beau merely smiled. “Yes, if you haven’t, then you should. Need I remind you that I was there that night when Kalina ended up telling you to go to hell and not to talk to her ever again?”

Micah flinched, remembering that night, as well. Beau was right. After Kalina had overheard what she’d assumed to be the truth, she’d told him to kiss off in several languages. She was fluent in so damn many. The words might have sounded foreign, but the meaning had been crystal clear. She didn’t want to see him again. Ever. With the way she’d reacted, she could have made that point to a deaf person.

“No, you don’t need to remind me of anything.” He wondered what she would say when she saw him tonight. Had she actually thought he wouldn’t come? After all, this ceremony was to honor all medical personnel who worked for the federal government. As epidemiologists working for the Centers for Disease Control, they both fell within that category.

Knowing how her mind worked, he suspected she probably figured he wouldn’t come. That he would be reluctant to face her. She thought the worst about him and had believed what her father had told her. Initially, her believing such a thing had pissed him off—until he’d accepted that given the set of circumstances, not to mention how well her father had played them both for fools, there was no way she could not believe it.

A part of him wished he could claim that she should have known him better, but even now he couldn’t make that assertion. From the beginning, he’d made it perfectly clear to her, as he’d done with all women, that he wasn’t interested in a serious relationship. Since Kalina was as into her career as he’d been into his, his suggestion of a no-strings affair hadn’t bothered her at all and she’d agreed to the affair knowing it wasn’t long-term.

At the time, he’d had no way of knowing that she would eventually get under his skin in a way that, even now, he found hard to accept. He hadn’t been prepared for the serious turn their affair had taken until it had been too late. By then her father had already deliberately lied to save his own skin.

“Well, she hasn’t seen you yet, and I prefer not being around when she does. I do remember Kalina’s hostility toward you even if you don’t,” Beau said, snagging a glass of champagne from the tray of a passing waiter. “And with that said, I’m out of here.” He then quickly walked to the other side of the room.

Micah watched Beau’s retreating back before turning his attention to his glass, staring down at the bubbly liquid. Moments later, he sighed in frustration and glanced up in time to see Kalina cross the room. He couldn’t help noticing he wasn’t the only man watching her. That didn’t surprise him.

One thing he could say, no matter what function she attended, whether it was in the finest restaurant in England or in a little hole in the wall in South Africa, she carried herself with grace, dignity and style. That kind of presence wasn’t a necessity for her profession. But she made it one.

It had been clear to him the first time he’d met her—that night three years ago when her father, General Neil Daniels, had introduced them at a military function here in D.C.—that he and Kalina shared an intense attraction that had foretold a heated connection. What had surprised him was that she had captivated him without even trying.

She hadn’t made things easy for him. In fact, to his way of thinking, she’d deliberately made things downright difficult. He’d figured he could handle just about anything. But when he’d later run into her in Sydney, she’d almost proven him wrong.

They’d been miles away from home, working together while trying to keep a deadly virus from spreading. He hadn’t been ready to settle down. While he didn’t consider himself a player in the same vein as some of his brothers and cousins, women had shifted in and out of his life with frequency once they saw he had no intention of putting a ring on anyone’s finger. And he enjoyed traveling and seeing the world. He had a huge spread back in Denver just waiting for the day he was ready to retire, but he didn’t see that happening for many years to come. His career as an epidemiologist was important to him.

But those two months he’d been involved with Kalina he had actually thought about settling down on his one hundred acres and doing nothing but enjoying a life with her. At one point, such thoughts would have scared the hell out of him, but with Kalina, he’d accepted that they couldn’t be helped. Spending time with a woman like her would make any man think about tying his life with one woman and not sowing any more wild oats.

When he’d met the Daniels family, he’d known immediately that the father was controlling and the daughter was determined not to be controlled. Kalina was a woman who liked her independence. Wanted it. And she was determined to demand it—whether her father went along with it or not.

In a way, Micah understood. After all, he had come from a big family and although he didn’t have any sisters, he did have three younger female cousins. Megan and Gemma hadn’t been so bad. They’d made good decisions and stayed out of trouble while growing up. But the youngest female Westmoreland, Bailey, had been out of control while following around her younger hellion brothers, the twins Aidan and Adrian, as well as Micah’s baby brother, Bane. The four of them had done a number of dumb things while in their teens, earning a not-so-nice reputation in Denver. That had been years ago. Now, thank God, the twins and Bailey were in college and Bane had graduated from the naval academy and was pursuing his dream of becoming a SEAL.

His thoughts shifted back to Kalina. She was a woman who refused to be pampered, although her father was determined to pamper her anyway. Micah could understand a man wanting to look out for his daughter, wanting to protect her. But sometimes a parent could go too far.

When General Daniels had approached Micah about doing something to keep Kalina out of China, he hadn’t gone along with the man. What had happened between him and Kalina had happened on its own and hadn’t been motivated by any request of her father’s, although she now thought otherwise. Their affair had been one of those things that just happened. They had been attracted to each other from the first. So why she would assume he’d had ulterior motives to seek an affair was beyond him.

Kalina was smart, intelligent and beautiful. She possessed the most exquisite pair of whiskey-colored eyes, which made her honey-brown skin appear radiant. And the lights in the room seemed to highlight her shoulder-length brown hair and show its luxuriance. The overall picture she presented would make any male unashamedly aware of his sexuality. As he took another sip of his drink and glanced across the room, he thought she looked just as gorgeous as she had on their last date together, when they had returned to the States. It had been here in this very city, where they’d met, when their life together had ended after she discovered what she thought was the truth. To this day, he doubted he would ever forgive her father for distorting the facts and setting him up the way he had.

Micah sighed deeply and took the last sip of his drink, emptying his glass completely. It was time to step out of the shadows and right into the line of fire. And he hoped like hell that he survived it.

Micah was here.

The smile on Kalina’s face froze as a shiver of awareness coursed through her and a piercing throb hit her right between the legs. She wasn’t surprised at her body’s familiar reaction where he was concerned, just annoyed. The man had that sort of effect on her and even after all this time the wow factor hadn’t diminished.

It was hard to believe it had been two years since she had found out the truth, that their affair in Australia had been orchestrated by her father to keep her out of Beijing. Finding out had hurt—it still did—but what Micah had done had only reinforced her belief that men couldn’t be trusted. Not her father, not Micah, not any of them.

And especially not the man standing in front of her with the glib tongue, weaving tales of his adventures in the Middle East and beyond. If Major Brian Rose thought he was impressing her, he was wrong. As a military brat, no one had traveled the globe as much as she had. But he was handsome enough, and looked so darn dashing in his formal military attire, he was keeping her a little bit interested.

Of course, she knew that wherever Micah was standing he would look even more breathtaking than Major Rose. The women in attendance had probably all held their breath when he’d walked into the room. As far as she was concerned, there wasn’t any man alive who could hold a candle to him, in or out of clothes. That conclusion reminded her of when they’d met, almost three years ago, at a D.C. event similar to this one.

Her father had been honored that night as a commissioned officer. She’d had her own reason to celebrate in the nation’s capital. She had finally finished medical school and accepted an assignment to work as a civilian for the federal government’s infectious-disease research team.

It hadn’t taken her long to hear the whispers about the drop-dead-gorgeous and handsome-as-sin Dr. Micah Westmoreland, who had graduated from Harvard Medical School before coming to work for the government as an infectious-disease specialist. But nothing could have prepared her for coming face-to-face with him.

She had been rendered speechless. Gathering the absolute last of her feminine dignity, she had picked up her jaw, which had fallen to the floor, and regained her common sense by the time her father had finished the introductions.

When Micah had acknowledged her presence, in a voice that had been too sexy to belong to a real man, she’d known she was a goner. And when he had taken her smaller hand in his in a handshake, it had been the most sensuous gesture she’d ever experienced. His touch alone had sent shivers up and down her spine and put her entire body in a tailspin. She had found it simply embarrassing to know any man could get her so aroused, and without even putting forth much effort.

“So, Dr. Daniels, where is your next assignment taking you?”

She was jerked out of her thoughts by the major’s question. Was that mockery she’d heard in his voice? She was well aware of the rumor floating around that her father pretty much used his position to control her destinations and would do anything within his power to keep her out of harm’s way. That meant she would never be able to go anyplace where there was some real action.

She’d been trying to get to Afghanistan for two years and her request was always denied, saying she was needed elsewhere. Although her father swore up and down he had nothing to do with it, she knew better. Losing her mother had been hard on him, and he was determined not to lose his only child, as well. Hadn’t he proven just how far he would go when he’d gotten Micah to have that affair with her just to keep her out of Beijing during the bird-flu epidemic?

“I haven’t been given an assignment yet. In fact, I’ve decided to take some time off, an entire month, starting tomorrow.”

The man’s smile widened. “Really, now, isn’t that a coincidence. I’ve decided to take some time off, too, but I have only fourteen days. Anywhere in particular that you’re going? Maybe we can go there together.”

The man definitely didn’t believe in wasting time, Kalina thought. She was just about to tell the major, in no uncertain terms, that they wouldn’t be spending any time together, not even if her life depended on it, when Brian glanced beyond her shoulder and frowned. Suddenly, her heart kicked up several beats. She didn’t have to imagine why. Other men saw Micah as a threat to their playerhood since women usually drooled when he was around. She had drooled the first time she’d seen him.

Kalina refused to turn around, but couldn’t stop her body’s response when Micah stepped into her line of vision, all but capsizing it like a turbulent wave on a blast of sensual air.

“Good evening, Major Rose,” he said with a hard edge to his voice, one that Kalina immediately picked up on. The two men exchanged strained greetings, and she watched how Micah eyed Major Rose with cool appraisal before turning his full attention to her. The hard lines on his face softened when he asked, “And how have you been, Kalina?”

She doubted that he really cared. She wasn’t surprised he was at this function, but she was surprised he had deliberately sought her out, and there was no doubt in her mind he’d done so. Any other man who’d done what he had done would be avoiding her like the plague. But not Dr. Micah Westmoreland. The man had courage of steel, but in this case he had just used it foolishly. He was depending on her cultured upbringing to stop her from making a scene, and he was right about her. She had too much pride and dignity to cause a commotion tonight, although she’d gone off on him the last time they had seen each other. She still intended to let him know exactly how she felt by cutting him to the core, letting it be obvious that he was the last person she wanted to be around.

“I’m fine, and now if you gentlemen will excuse me, I’ll continue to make my rounds. I just arrived, and there are a number of others I want to say hello to.”

She needed to get away from Micah, and quick. He looked stunning in his tux, which was probably why so many women in the room were straining their necks to get a glimpse of him. Even her legs were shaky from being this close to him. She suddenly felt hot, and the cold champagne she’d taken a sip of wasn’t relieving the slow burn gathering in her throat.

“I plan to mingle, myself,” Micah said, reaching out and taking her arm. “I might as well join you since there’s a matter we need to discuss.”

She fought the urge to glare up at him and tell him they had nothing to discuss. She didn’t want to snatch her arm away from him because they were already getting attention, probably from those who’d heard what happened between them two years ago. Unfortunately, the gossip mill was alive and well, especially when it came to Micah Westmoreland. She had heard about him long before she’d met him. It wasn’t that he’d been the type of man who’d gone around hitting on women. The problem was that women just tended to place him on their wish list.

“Fine, let’s talk,” she said, deciding that if Micah thought he was up to such a thing with her, then she was ready.

Fighting her intense desire to smack that grin right off his face, she glanced over at Major Rose and smiled apologetically. “If you will excuse me, it seems Dr. Westmoreland and I have a few things to discuss. And I haven’t decided just where I’ll be going on vacation, but I’ll let you know. I think it would be fun if you were to join me.” She ignored the feel of Micah’s hand tightening on her arm.

Major Rose nodded and gave her a rakish look. “Wonderful. I will await word on your plans, Kalina.”

Before she could respond, Micah’s hand tightened on her arm even more as he led her away.

“Don’t count on Major Rose joining you anywhere,” Micah all but growled, leaning close to Kalina’s ear while leading her across the ballroom floor toward an exit. He had checked earlier and the French doors opened onto the outside garden. It was massive and far away from the ball, so no one could hear the dressing-down he was certain Kalina was about to give him.

She glared at him. “And don’t count on him doing otherwise. You don’t own me, Micah. Last I looked, there’s nothing of yours on my body.”

“Then look again, sweetheart. Everything of mine is written all over that body of yours. I branded you. Nothing has changed.”

They came to a stop in front of what was the hotel’s replica of the White House’s prized rose garden. He was glad no one was around. No prying eyes or overeager ears. The last time she’d had her say he hadn’t managed to get in a single word for dodging all the insults and accusations she’d been throwing at him. That wouldn’t be the case this time. He had a lot to say and he intended for her to hear all of it.

“Nothing’s changed? How dare you impose your presence on me after what you did,” she snarled, transforming from a sophisticated lady to a roaring lioness. He liked seeing her shed all that formality and cultural adeptness and get downright nasty. He especially liked that alteration in the bedroom.

He crossed his arms over his chest. “And what exactly did I do, other than to spend two months of what I consider the best time of my life with you, Kalina?”

He watched her stiffen her spine when she said, “And I’m supposed to believe that? Are you going to stand here and lie to my face, Micah? Deny that you weren’t in cahoots with my father to keep me away from Beijing, using any means necessary? I wasn’t needed in Sydney.”

“I don’t deny that I fully agreed with your father that Beijing was the last place you needed to be, but I never agreed to keep you out of China.”

He could tell she didn’t want to hear the truth. She’d heard it all before but still refused to listen. Or to believe it. “And it wasn’t that you weren’t needed in Sydney,” he added, remembering how they’d been sent there to combat the possible outbreak of a deadly virus. “You and I worked hard to keep the bird-flu epidemic from spreading to Australia, so it wasn’t just sex, sex and more sex for us, Kalina. We worked our asses off, or have you forgotten?”

He knew his statement threw her for a second, made her remember. Yes, they might have shared a bed every night for those two months, but their daytime hours weren’t all fun and games. No one except certain members of the Australian government had been aware that their presence in the country had been for anything other than pleasure.

And regardless of what she’d thought, she had been needed there. He had needed her. They had worked well together and had combated a contagious disease. He had already spent a year in Beijing and had needed to leave when his time was up. Depression had started to set in with the sight of people dying right before his eyes, mostly children. It had been so frustrating to work nonstop trying unsuccessfully to find a cure before things could get worse.

Kalina had wanted to go to Beijing and get right in the thick of things. He could just imagine how she would have operated. She was not only a great epidemiologist, she was also a compassionate one, especially when there was any type of outbreak. He could see her getting attached to the people—especially the children—to the point where she would have put their well-being before her own.

That, and that alone, was the reason he had agreed with her father, but at no time had he plotted to have an affair with her to keep her in Sydney. He was well aware that all her hostility was because she believed otherwise. And for two years he had let her think the worst, mainly because she had refused to listen to anything he had to say. It was apparent now that she was still refusing to listen.

“Have you finished talking, Micah?”

Her question brought his attention back to the present. “No, not by a long shot. But I can’t say it all tonight. I need to see you tomorrow. I know you’ll be in town for the next couple of days and so will I. Let’s do lunch. Even better, let’s spend that time together to clear things up between us.”

“Clear things up between us?” Kalina sneered in an angry whisper as red-hot fury tore through her. She was convinced that Micah had lost his ever-loving mind. Did he honestly think she would want to spend a single minute in his presence? Even being here now with him was stretching her to the limit. Where was a good glass of champagne when she wanted it? Nothing would make her happier right now than to toss a whole freakin’ glass full in his face.

“I think I need to explain a few things to you, Micah. There’s really nothing to clear up. Evidently you think I’m a woman that a man can treat any kind of way. Well, I have news for you. I won’t take it. I don’t need you any more than you need me. I don’t appreciate the way you and Dad manipulated things to satisfy your need to exert some kind of power over me. And I—”

“Power? Do you think that’s what I was trying to do, Kalina? Exert some kind of power over you? Just what kind of person do you honestly think I am?”

She ignored the tinge of disappointment she heard in his voice. It was probably just an act anyway. At the end of those two months, she’d discovered just what a great actor Micah could be. When she’d found out the truth, she had dubbed him the great pretender.

Kalina lifted her chin and straightened her spine. “I think you are just like all the other men my father tried throwing at me. He says jump and you all say how high. I thought you were different and was proven wrong. You see Dad as some sort of military hero, a legend, and whatever he says is gospel. And although Micah is a book in the Bible, last time I checked, my father’s name was not. I am twenty-seven and old enough to make my own decisions about what I want to do and where I want to go. And neither you nor my father have anything to say about it. Furthermore—”

The next thing she knew, she was swept off her feet and into Micah’s arms. His mouth came down hard, snatching air from her lungs and whatever words she was about to say from her lips.

She struggled against him, but only for a minute. That was all the time it took for those blasted memories of how good he tasted and just how well he kissed to come crashing over her, destroying her last shred of resistance. And then she settled down and gave in to what she knew had to be pleasure of the most intense kind.

God, he had missed this, Micah thought, pulling Kalina closer into his embrace while plundering her mouth with an intensity he felt in every part of his body. She had started shooting off her mouth, accusing him of things he hadn’t done. Suddenly, he’d been filled with an overwhelming urge to kiss her mouth shut. So he had.

And with the kiss came memories of how things had been between them their last time together, before anger had set in and destroyed their happiness. Had it really been two years since he’d tasted this, the most delectable tongue any woman could possess? And the body pressed against his was like none other. A perfect fit. The way she was returning the kiss was telling him she had missed this intimate connection as much as he had.

Her accusations bothered him immensely because there was no truth to what she’d said. He, of all people, was not—and never would be—a yes-man to her father, or to anyone. Her allegations showed just how little she knew him, and he intended to remedy that. But for now, he just wanted to enjoy this.

He deepened the kiss and felt the simmer sear his flesh, heat his skin and sizzle through to his bones. Then there was that surge of desire that flashed through his veins and set off a rumble of need in his chest. He’d found this kind of effect from mouth-to-mouth contact with a woman only happened with Kalina. She was building an ache within him, one only she had the ability to soothe.

Over the past two years he’d thought he was immune to this and to her, but the moment she had walked into the ballroom tonight, he’d known that Kalina was in his blood in a way no other woman could or would ever be. Even now, his heart was knocking against his ribs and he was inwardly chanting her name.

Lulled by the gentle breeze as well as the sweetness of her mouth, he wrapped his arms around her waist as something akin to molten liquid flowed over his senses. Damn, he was feeling the heat, and it was causing his pulse to quicken and his body to become aroused in a way it hadn’t in years. Two years, to be exact.

And now he wanted to make up for lost time. How could she think he had pretended the passion that always flowed through his veins whenever he held her, kissed her or made love to her? He couldn’t help tunneling his fingers through her hair. He’d noticed she was wearing it differently and liked the style on her. But there was very little about Kalina Daniels that he didn’t like. All of which he found hard to resist.

He deepened the kiss even more when it was obvious she was just as taken, just as aroused and just as needy as he was. She could deny some things, but she couldn’t deny this. Oh, she was mad at him and that was apparent. But it was also evident that all her anger had transformed to passion so thick that the need to make love to her was clawing at him, deep.

Conversation between an approaching couple had Kalina quickly pulling out of his arms. All it took was one look in her eyes beneath the softly lit lanterns to see the kiss had fired her up.

He leaned in, bringing his lips close to hers. “You are wrong about me, Kal. I never sold out to your father. I’m my own man. No one tells me what to do. If you believe otherwise, then you don’t really know me.”

He saw something flicker in her eyes. He also felt the tension surrounding them, the charged atmosphere, the electrified tingle making its way up his spine. Now more than ever, he was fully aware of her. Her scent. Her looks.

She was breathtaking in the sexy, one-shoulder, black cocktail dress that hugged her curves better than any race car could hug the curves at Indy. There was a sensuality about her that would make any man’s pulse rise. Other men had been leery of approaching her that night in D.C. when he’d first flirted with her. After all, she was General Daniels’s daughter and it was a known fact the man had placed her on a pedestal. But unlike the other men, Micah wasn’t military under her father’s command. He was civilian personnel who didn’t have to take orders from the general.

She surprised him out of his thoughts when she leaned forward. He reached out for her only to have his hands knocked out of the way. The eyes staring at him were again flaring in anger. “I’m only going to say this once more, Micah. Stay away from me. I don’t want to have anything else to do with you,” she hissed, her breath fanning across his lips.

He sighed heavily. “Obviously you weren’t listening, Kalina. I didn’t have an affair with you because your father ordered me to. I was with you because I wanted to be. And you’re going to have a hard time convincing me that you can still be upset with me after having shared a kiss like that.”

“Think what you want. It doesn’t matter anymore, Micah.”

He intended to make it matter. “Spend tomorrow with me. Give it some thought.”

“There’s nothing to think about. Go use someone else.”

Anger flashed through him. “I didn’t use you.” And then in a low husky tone, he added, “You meant a lot to me, Kalina.”

Kalina swallowed. There was a time when she would have given anything to hear him say that. Even now, she wished that she could believe him, but she could not forget the look of guilt on his face when she’d stumbled across him discussing her with her father. She had stood in the shadows and listened. It hadn’t been hard to put two and two together. She had fled from the party, caught a cab and returned to the hotel where she quickly packed her stuff and checked out.

Her father had been the first one she’d confronted, and he’d told her everything. How he had talked Micah into doing whatever it took to keep her in Sydney and away from Beijing. Her father claimed he’d done it for her own good, but he hadn’t thought Micah would go so far as to seduce her. An affair hadn’t been in their plan.

“You don’t believe you meant something to me,” he said again when she stood there and said nothing.

She lifted her chin. “No, I don’t believe you. How can I think I meant anything to you other than a good time in bed when you explicitly told me in the very beginning that what we were sharing was a no-strings affair? And other than in the bedroom, you’d never let me get close to you. There’s so much about you I don’t know. Like your family, for instance. So how can you expect me to believe that I meant anything to you, Micah?”

Then, without saying another word, she turned and walked back toward the ballroom. She hoped that would be the end of it. Micah had hurt her once, and she would not let him do so again.

Two

By the time Micah got to his hotel room he was madder than hell. He slammed the door behind him. When he had returned to the ballroom, Kalina was nowhere to be found. Considering his present mood, that had been a good thing.

Now he moved across the room to toss his car keys on a table while grinding his teeth together. If she thought she’d seen the last of him then he had news for her. She was sadly mistaken. There was no way he would let her wash him off. No way and no how.

That kiss they’d shared had pretty much sealed things, whether she admitted it or not. He had not only felt her passion, he’d tasted it. She was still upset with him, but that hadn’t stopped them from arousing each other. After the kiss, there had been fire in her eyes. However, the fire hadn’t just come from her anger.

He stopped at a window and looked out, breathing heavily from the anger consuming him. Even at this hour the nation’s capital was busy, if the number of cars on the road was anything to go by. But he didn’t want to think about what anyone else was doing at the moment.

Micah rubbed his hand down his face. Okay, so Kalina had told the truth about him not letting her get too close. Thanks to an affair he’d had while in college, he’d been cautious. As a student, he’d fallen in love with a woman only to find out she’d been sleeping with one of her professors to get a better grade. The crazy thing about the situation was that she’d honestly thought he should understand and forgive her for what she’d done. He hadn’t and had made up in his mind not to let another woman get close again. He hadn’t shared himself emotionally with another woman since then.

But during his affair with Kalina, he had begun to let his guard down. How could she not know when their relationship had begun to change from a strictly no-strings affair to something more? Granted, there hadn’t been any time for candlelight dinners, strolls in the park, flowers and such, but he had shared more with her than he had with any other woman … in the bedroom.

He drew in a deep breath and had to ask himself, “But what about outside the bedroom, man? Did you give her reason to think of anything beyond that?” He knew the answer immediately.

No, he hadn’t. And she was right, he hadn’t told her anything about his family and he knew why. He’d taken his college lover, Patrice, home and introduced her to the family as the woman he would one day marry. The woman who would one day have his children. She had gotten close to them. They had liked her and in the end she had betrayed them as much as she had betrayed him.

He lifted his head to stare up at the ceiling. Now he could see all his mistakes, and the first of many was letting two years go by without seeking out Kalina. He’d been well aware of what her father had told her. But he’d assumed she would eventually think things through and realize her dad hadn’t been completely truthful with her. Instead, she had believed the worst. Mainly because she truly hadn’t known Micah.

His BlackBerry suddenly went off. He pulled it out of his pocket and saw it was a call from home. His oldest brother, Dillon. There was only a two-year difference in their ages, and they’d always been close. Any other time he would have been excited about receiving a call from home, but not now and not tonight. However, Dillon was family, so Micah answered the call.

“Hello?”

“We haven’t heard from you in a while, and I thought I would check in,” Dillon said.

Micah leaned back against the wall. Because Dillon was the oldest, he had pretty much taken over things when their parents, aunt and uncle had died in a plane crash. There had been fifteen Westmorelands—nine of them under the age of sixteen—and Dillon had vowed to keep everyone together. And he had.

Micah had been in his second year of college and hadn’t been around to give Dillon a hand. But Ramsey, their cousin, who was just months younger than Dillon, had pitched in to help manage things.

“I’m fine,” Micah heard himself saying when in all honesty he was anything but. He drew in a deep breath and said, “I saw Kalina tonight.”

Although Dillon had never met Kalina he knew who she was. One night while home, Micah had told Dillon all about her and what had happened to tear them apart. Dillon had suggested that he contact Kalina and straighten things out, as well as admit how he felt about her. But a stubborn streak wouldn’t let Micah do so. Now he wished he would have acted on his brother’s advice.

“And how is she?”

Micah rubbed another hand down his face. “She still hates my guts, if that’s what you want to know. Go ahead and say I told you so.”

“I wouldn’t do that.”

No, he wouldn’t. That wasn’t Dillon’s style, although saying so would have been justified.

“So what are you going to do, Micah?”

Micah figured the only reason Dillon was asking was because his brother knew how much Kalina meant to him … even if she didn’t know it. And her not knowing was no one’s fault but his.

“Not sure what I’m going to do because no matter what I say, she won’t believe me. A part of me just wants to say forget it, I don’t need the hassle, but I can’t, Dil. I just can’t walk away from her.”

“Then don’t. You’ve never been a quitter. The Micah Westmoreland I know goes after what he wants and has never let anyone or anything stand in his way. But if you don’t want her enough to fight for her and make her see the truth, then I don’t know what to tell you.”

Then, as if the subject of Kalina was a closed one, Dillon promptly began talking about something else. He told Micah how their sister-in-law, Bella, was coming along in her pregnancy, and that the doctors had verified twins, both girls.

“They’re the first on our side,” he said. Their parents had had all boys. Seven of them.

“I know, and everyone is excited and ready for her to be born,” Dillon replied. “But I don’t think anyone is as ready as Jason,” he said of their brother and the expectant father.

The rest of the conversation was spent with Dillon bringing Micah up to date on what was going down on the home front. His brother Jason had settled into wedded bliss and so had his cousin Derringer. Micah shook his head. He could see Jason with a wife, but for the life of him, considering how Derringer used to play the field and enjoy it immensely, the thought of him settled down with one woman was still taking some getting used to. Dillon also mentioned that Ramsey and Chloe’s son would be born in a few months.

“Do you think you’ll be able to be here for li’l Callum’s christening?”

Micah shook his head. Now, that was another one it was hard to believe had settled down. His cousin Gemma had a husband. She used to be a real pistol where men were concerned, but it seemed that Callum Austell had changed all that. She was now living in Australia with him and their two-month-old son.

“I plan to be there,” Micah heard himself saying. “In a few weeks, I’ll have thirty days to kill. I leave for Bajadad the day after tomorrow and I will be there for two weeks. I’ll fly home from there.” Bajadad was a small and beautiful city in northern India near the Himalayan foothills.

“It will be good seeing you again.”

Micah couldn’t help chuckling. “You make it sound like I haven’t been home in years, Dil. I was just there seven months ago for Jason’s wedding reception.”

“I know, but anytime you come home and we can get everyone together is good.”

Micah nodded. He would agree to that, and for Gemma’s baby’s christening, all the Westmorelands would be there, including their cousins from Atlanta, Texas and Montana.

Moments later, Micah ended his phone conversation with Dillon. He headed for the bedroom to undress and take a shower. The question Dillon asked him rang through his head. What was he going to do about Kalina?

Just like that, he remembered the proposition she’d made to Major Rose. And as he’d told her, he had no intention of letting the man go anywhere with her.

And just how are you going to stop her? His mind taunted. She doesn’t want to have anything to do with you. Thanks to her daddy’s lie, you lost her. Get over it.

He drew in a deep breath, knowing that was the kicker. He couldn’t get over it. Dillon was right. Micah was not a quitter, and it was about time he made Kalina aware of that very fact.

Micah was pulled from his thoughts when his cell phone rang again. Pulling it from his pants pocket, he saw it was an official call from the Department of Health and Human Services. “Yes, Major Harris?”

“Dr. Westmoreland, first I want to apologize for calling you so late. And secondly, I’m calling to report changes in the assignment to India.”

“And what are the changes, Major?”

“You will leave tomorrow instead of Monday. And Dr. Moore’s wife went into labor earlier today so he has to be pulled off the team. We’re going to have to send in a replacement.”

Micah headed the U.S. epidemic response team consisting of over thirty epidemiologists, so calling to let him know of any changes was the norm. “That’s fine.”

He was about to thank her for calling and hang up when she said, “Now I need to call Dr. Daniels. Unfortunately, her vacation has to be canceled so she can take Dr. Moore’s place.”

Micah’s pulse rate shot up and there was a deep thumping in his chest, close to his heart. “What did you say?” he asked, to make sure he’d heard her correctly.

“I said Dr. Daniels will be Dr. Moore’s replacement since she’s next in line on the on-call list. Unfortunately, her vacation was supposed to start tomorrow.”

“What a pity,” he said, not really feeling such sympathy. What others would see as Kalina’s misfortune, he saw as his blessing. This change couldn’t be any better if he’d planned it himself, and he intended to make sure Kalina’s canceled vacation worked to his advantage.

Of course, when she found out she would automatically think the worst. She would assume the schedule change was his idea and that he was responsible for ruining her vacation. But it wouldn’t be the first time she’d falsely accused him of something.

“Good night, Dr. Westmoreland.”

He couldn’t help smiling, feeling as if he had a new lease on life. “Good night, Major Harris.”

He clicked off the phone thinking someone upstairs had to like him, and he definitely appreciated it. Now he would have to come up with a plan to make sure he didn’t screw things up with Kalina this time.

Kalina paced her hotel room. What was she going to do about Micah?

She came to a stop long enough to touch her lips. She’d known letting him kiss her had been a bad move, but she hadn’t been able to resist the feel of his mouth on hers. She should have been prepared for it. She’d seen the telltale signs in his eyes. He hadn’t taken her off to a secluded place to talk about the weather. She’d been prepared for them to face off, have it out. And they’d done that. Then they’d ended up kissing each other senseless.

As much as she would like to do so, she couldn’t place the blame solely at his feet. She had gone after his mouth just as greedily as he’d gone after hers. A rush of heat had consumed her the moment he’d stuck his tongue inside her mouth. So, okay, they were still attracted to each other. No big deal.

Kalina frowned. It was a big deal, especially when, even now, whirling sensations had taken over her stomach. She knew with absolute certainty that she didn’t want to be attracted to Micah Westmoreland. She didn’t want to have anything to do with him, period.

She glanced over at the clock and saw it was just past midnight. She was still wearing her cocktail dress, since she hadn’t changed out of her clothes. She had begun pacing the moment she’d returned to her hotel room. Why was she letting him do this to her? And why was he lying, claiming he had not been in cahoots with her father when she knew differently?

Moving to the sofa, she sat down, still not ready to get undressed, because once she got in bed all she would do was dream about Micah. She leaned back in her seat, remembering the first time they’d worked together. She had arrived in Sydney, and he had been the one to pick her up from the airport. They had met a year earlier and their attraction to each other had been hot and instantaneous. It had taken less than five minutes in his presence that day to see that the heat hadn’t waned any.

She would give them both credit for trying to ignore it. After all, they’d had an important job to do. And they’d made it through the first week, managing to keep their hands off each other. But the beginning of the next week had been the end of that. It had happened when they’d worked late one night, sorting out samples, dissecting birds, trying to make sure the bird flu didn’t spread to the continent of Australia.

Technically, he had been her boss, since he headed the government’s epidemic response team. But he’d never exerted the power of that position over her or anyone. He had treated everyone as a vital and important part of the team. Micah was a born leader and everyone easily gave him the respect he deserved.

And on that particular night, she’d given him something else. He had walked her to her hotel room, and she had invited him in. It hadn’t been a smart move, but she had gotten tired of playing games. Tired of lusting after him and trying to keep her distance. They were adults and that night she’d figured they deserved to finally let go and do what adults did when they had the hots for each other.

Until that night, she’d thought the whole sex act was overrated. Micah had proven her wrong so many times that first night that she still got a tingling sensation just remembering it. She’d assumed it was a one nightstand, but that hadn’t been the case. He had invited her out to dinner the following night and provided her with the terms of a no-strings affair, if she was interested. She had been more than interested. She was dedicated to her career and hadn’t wanted to get involved in a serious relationship any more than he did.

That night they had reached a mutual agreement, and from then on they’d been exclusively involved during the two months they’d remained in Sydney. She was so content with their affair that when her earlier request for an assignment to Beijing had been denied, it really hadn’t bothered her.

That contentment had lasted until she’d returned to the States and discovered the truth. Not only had her father manipulated her orders, but he’d solicited Micah’s help in doing whatever he had to do to make sure she was kept happy in Sydney. She had been the one left looking like a complete fool, and she doubted she would forgive either of them for what they’d done.

Thinking she’d had enough of strolling down memory lane where the hurt was too much to bear, Kalina got up from the sofa and was headed toward the bedroom to change and finally attempt to sleep, when her cell phone rang. She picked it up off the table and saw it was Major Sally Harris, the administrative coordinator responsible for Kalina’s assignments. She wondered why the woman would be calling her so late at night.

Kalina flipped on the phone. “Yes, Major Harris?”

“Dr. Daniels, I regret calling you so late and I want to apologize, because I have to deliver bad news.”

Kalina frowned. “And what bad news is that?”

“Dr. Moore’s wife went into labor earlier today so he has to be pulled off the epidemic response team headed out for Bajadad. I know your vacation was to start tomorrow, but we need your assistance in India.”

Kalina drew in a deep breath. Although she hadn’t made any definite vacation plans, she had looked forward to taking time off. “How long will I be needed in Bajadad?”

“For two weeks, beginning tomorrow, and then you can resume your vacation.”

She nodded. There was no need to ask if there was someone else they could call since she knew the answer to that already. The epidemic response team had thinned out over the past few years with a war going on. And since the enemy liked to engage in chemical warfare, a number of epidemiologists had been sent to work in Afghanistan and Iraq.

“Dr. Daniels?”

Resigned, she said. “Yes, of course.” Not that she had a choice in the matter. She was civilian, but orders from her boss were still meant to be followed, and she couldn’t rightly get mad at Jess Moore because his wife was having a baby. “I’ll be ready to head out tomorrow.”

“Thanks. I’ll send your information to your email address,” Major Harris said.

“That will be fine.”

“And Dr. Westmoreland has been notified of the change in personnel.”

Kalina almost dropped the phone. “Dr. Westmoreland?”

“Yes?”

She frowned. “Why was he notified?”

“Because he’s the one heading up the team.”

Kalina’s head began spinning. No one would be so cruel as to make her work with Micah again. She drew in a deep breath when a suspicion flowed through her mind. “Was Dr. Westmoreland the one to suggest that I replace Dr. Moore?”

“No, the reason you were called is that you’re the next doctor on the on-call list.”

Lucky me. Kalina shook her head, feeling anything but lucky. The thought of spending two weeks around Micah had her fuming inside. And regardless of what Major Harris said, it was hard to believe it was merely a coincidence that she was next on the call list. Micah was well liked and she knew all about his numerous connections and contacts. If she found out he had something to do with this change then …

“Dr. Daniels?”

“Yes?”

“Is there anything else you’d like to know?”

“No, there’s nothing else.”

“Thank you, Dr. Daniels, and good night.”

“Good night, Major Harris.”

Kalina hung up the phone knowing she couldn’t let her feelings for Micah interfere with her work. She had a job to do, and she intended to do it. She would just keep her distance from him. She went into the bedroom and began tugging off her clothes as she became lost in a mix of disturbing thoughts.

The first thing she would do would be to set ground rules between her and Micah. If he saw this as a golden opportunity to get back in her bed then he was sadly mistaken. She was not the type of woman to forgive easily. Just as she’d told him earlier tonight, there was nothing else they had to say to each other regarding what happened between them two years ago. It was over and done with.

But if that kiss was anything to go by, she would need to be on guard around him at all times. Because their relationship might be over and done with, but the attraction between them was still alive and well.

Three

Micah saw the fire in Kalina’s eyes from ten feet away. She glared as she moved toward him, chin up and spine stiff. She meant business. He slid a hand into the pocket of his jeans, thinking that he was glad it was Sunday and there were few people around. It seemed they were about to have it out once again.

This morning, upon awakening, he had decided the best way to handle her was to let her assume he wasn’t handling her at all, to make her think that he had accepted her decision about how things would be between them. And when he felt the time was right, he would seize every opportunity he could get and let her know in no uncertain terms that her decision hadn’t been his.

His gaze swept over her now. She was dressed for travel, with her hair pulled back in a ponytail and a pair of comfortable shoes on her feet. She looked good in her jeans and tank top and lightweight jacket. But then, she looked better than any woman he knew, in clothes or out of them.

He continued to stare at her while remembering her body stretched out beneath his when he’d made love to her. Even now, he could recall how it felt to skim his hands down the front of her body, tangle his fingers in her womanly essence while kissing her with a degree of passion he hadn’t been aware of until her.

His heart began racing, and he could feel the zipper of his pants getting tight. He withdrew his hands from his pockets. The last thing he needed was for her to take note of his aroused state, so he turned and entered the private office he used whenever he was in D.C. on business. Besides, he figured the best place to have the encounter he knew was coming was behind closed doors.

By the time she had entered the office, all but slamming the door behind her, he was standing behind the desk.

He met her gaze, and felt the anger she wasn’t trying to hide. As much as he wanted to cross the room and pull her into his arms and kiss her, convince her how wrong she was about him, common sense dictated he stay put. He intended to do what he hadn’t done two years ago. Give her the chance to get to know him. He was convinced if she’d truly known him, she would not have been so quick to believe the worst about him.

“Dr. Daniels, I take it you’re ready to fly out to Bajadad.”

Her gaze narrowed. “And you want me to believe you had nothing to do with those orders, Micah?”

He crossed his arms over his chest and met her stare head-on. “At this point, Kalina, you can believe whatever you like. For me to deny it wouldn’t matter since you wouldn’t believe me anyway.”

“And why should I?” she snapped.

“Because I have no reason to lie,” he said simply. “Have you ever considered the possibility that I could be telling the truth? Just in case you need to hear it from me—just like I had nothing to do with your father’s plan to keep you out of Beijing, your orders to go to Bajadad were not my idea. Although I embrace the schedule change wholeheartedly. You’re a good doctor, and I can’t think of anyone I want more on my team. We’re dealing with a suspicious virus. Five people have died already and the government suspects it might be part of something we need to nip in the bud as soon as possible. However, we won’t know what we’re dealing with until we get there.”

He watched as her whole demeanor changed in the wake of the information he had just provided. Her stiffened spine relaxed and her features became alert. No matter what, she was a professional, and as he’d said, she was good at what she did.

“What’s the point of entry?” she asked, moving to stand in front of the desk.

“So far, only by ingestion. It’s been suspected that something was put in the water supply. If that’s true, it will be up to us to find out what it is.”

She nodded, and he knew she completely understood. The government’s position was that if the enemy had developed some kind of deadly chemical then the United States needed to know about it. It was important to determine early on what they were up against and how they could protect U.S. military personnel.

“And how was it detected, Micah?” she was calm and relaxed as she questioned him. He moved to sit on the edge of his desk. Not far from where she stood. He wondered if she’d taken note of their proximity.

He wished she wasn’t wearing his favorite perfume and that he didn’t remember just how dark her eyes would become in the heat of passion. Kalina Daniels was an innately sensuous woman. There was no doubt about it.

“Five otherwise healthy adults over the age of fifty were found dead within the same week with no obvious signs of trauma,” he heard himself saying. “However, their tongues had enlarged to twice the normal size. Other than that, there was nothing else, not even evidence of a foreign substance in their bloodstream.”

He saw the look in her eyes while she was digesting what he’d said. Most terrorist groups experimented on a small number of people before unleashing anything in full force, just to make sure their chemical warfare weapon was effective. It was too early to make an assumption about what they would be facing, but the researcher who was already there waiting on them had stated his suspicions. Before 9/11 chemical weapons were considered a poor man’s atomic bomb. However, because of their ability to reach millions of people in so many different ways, these weapons were now considered the worst and most highly effective of all forms of warfare.

“Have you ever been to Bajadad?” she asked him.

He met her gaze. “Yes, several years ago, right after the first democratic elections were held. It was my first assignment after leaving college and coming to work for the federal government. We were sent there on a peace-finding mission when members of the king’s household had become ill. Some suspected foul play. However, it didn’t take us long to determine it hadn’t been all that serious, just a contaminated sack of wheat that should never have been used.”

He could tell by the look in her eyes that she’d become intrigued. That’s how it had always been with her. She would ask a lot of questions to quench that curiosity of hers. She thought he’d lived an adventurous life as an epidemiologist, while, thanks to her father, she’d been deliberately kept on the sidelines.

In a way, he was surprised she was going to Bajadad. Either the old man had finally learned his lesson or he was getting lax in keeping up with his daughter’s whereabouts. He knew her father had worked behind the scenes, wielding power, influencing his contacts, to make sure Kalina had assignments only in the States or in first-world countries. He’d discovered, after the fact, that her time in Sydney had been orchestrated to keep her out of Beijing without giving her a reason to get suspicious.

Micah stood and decided to shift topics. He met Kalina’s gaze when he said, “I think we need to talk about last night.”

He watched her spine stiffen as she once again shifted into a defensive mode. “No, we don’t.”

“Yes, we do Kalina. We’re going out on a mission together, and I think it’s going to be important that we’re comfortable around each other and put our personal differences aside. I’d be the first to admit I’ve made a lot of mistakes where you’re concerned, and I regret making them. Now you believe the worst of me and nothing I can say or do will change that.”

He paused a moment, knowing he had to chose his words carefully. “You don’t have to worry about me mixing business with pleasure, because I refuse to become involved with a woman who doesn’t trust me. So there can never be anything between us again.”

There, he’d said it. He tasted the lie on his tongue, but knew his reasons for his concocted statement were justified. He had no intention of giving her up. Ever. But she had to learn to trust him. And he would do whatever he had to do to make that happen.

Although she tried to shelter her reaction, he’d seen how his words had jolted her body. There was no doubt in his mind she had felt the depth of what he’d said. A part of him wanted to believe that deep down she still cared for him.

She lifted her chin in a stubborn frown. “Good. I’m glad we got that out of the way and that we understand each other.”

He glanced down at his watch. “Our flight leaves in a few hours. I would offer you a ride to the airport, but I’m catching a ride with someone myself.”

She tilted her head back and looked at him. “No problem. I reserved a rental car.”

Kalina looked at her own watch and slipped the straps of her purse onto her shoulders. “I need to be going.”

“I’ll walk out with you,” he said, falling into step beside her. He had no problem offering her a ride if she needed one, but he hadn’t wanted to appear too anxious to be in her company. “We’re looking at a twelve-hour flight. I’d advise you to eat well before we fly out. The food we’re going to be served on the plane won’t be the best.”

She chuckled and the sound did something to him. It felt good to be walking beside her. “Don’t think I don’t know about military-airplane food. I’m going to stop and grab me a sandwich from Po’Boys,” she said.

He knew she regretted mentioning the restaurant when he glanced over and saw the blush on her face. Chances were, like him, she was remembering the last time they’d gone there together. It had been their first night back in the States after Australia. He might not recall what all they’d eaten that night, but he did remember everything they’d done in the hotel room afterward.

“Whatever you get, eat enough for the both of us,” he said, breaking the silence between them.

She glanced over at him. “I will.”

They were now outside, standing on the top steps of the Centers for Disease Control. “Well, I guess I’ll be seeing you on the flight. Take care until then, Kal.”

Then, without looking back, he moved to the car that pulled up to the curb at that very moment. He smiled, thinking the timing was perfect when he saw who was driving the car.

He glanced up at the sky. He had a feeling someone up there was definitely on his side. His cousin, Senator Reggie Westmoreland, had called him that morning, inviting him to lunch. Reggie, his wife, Olivia, and their one-year-old twin sons made Washington their home for part of the year. It was Olivia and not Reggie who’d come to pick him up to take him to their house in Georgetown. She was a beautiful woman, and he could just imagine the thoughts going through Kalina’s mind right now.

Kalina stood and watched Micah stroll down the steps toward the waiting car. He looked good in a chambray shirt that showed the width of his broad shoulders and jeans that hugged his masculine thighs, making her appreciate what a fine specimen of a man he was.

He worked out regularly and it showed. No matter from what angle you saw him—front, back or side—one looked just as good as the other. And from the side-glances of several women who were climbing the steps and passing by him as he moved down, she was reminded again that she wasn’t the only one who appreciated that fact.

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