"I'll eat what you don't. I'm a growing boy."

She started to play with her fork, and the bruising on her knuckles was clear.

"Dammit, Sarah! You could have been really hurt. What were you thinking being alone with him?"

"I was trying to keep our dirty laundry private."

Food forgotten, David replayed the sounds echoing off the walls of the stairwell. That man could have knocked her head into the iron railings or the cement floor before he'd ever had a chance to reach them. Dammit, he should never have stopped to eavesdrop, he should've immediately gone to her. David gently picked up her wounded hand and brushed his thumb over the bruise.

"He didn't deserve that consideration. You were always too kind."

"I wasn't being kind; I was just trying to maintain our reputation. We suspected some things in Nigeria, but it was like he imploded in the last five days. Carys is going to be so pissed off. Or devastated. Probably both." He felt the fine trembling under his fingers. He wanted to wrap her up in his arms, but that was no longer his right.

"I respected your request to not keep in touch. After all, I had to leave the next day, but you never answered my question. Why? Will you tell me now?" Four years, five months and seventeen days later, he wanted to know that answer.

"That's why I wanted to talk to you," she said quietly. "How much time do you have right now?"

"Enough to eat. Enough to make sure you eat."

"Me too, I have to get back to the clinic."

"Bullshit. You've already been there for ten hours, and you intend to go back?"

"I'm used to twenty hour shifts. It's not good out there. Right now the local doctor needed some time with his family. We promised to cover for him until tonight. I shouldn't even be taking this time."

"You eat some food, and I'll drive you. We'll have some time to talk that way. Deal?" He handed her the fork.

"So you're still pushy?" she asked.

"Yep." He watched as she switched hands, and proceeded to eat with her left hand. Damn, she was right handed. They ate in silence. She was obviously hungry because he watched her finish everything on her plate. Apparently, she's not the only one hungry, Sloane. God, she had the prettiest mouth. He didn't taste anything he ate. He was too busy staring at every morsel passing her lips.

"David?"

"I'm sorry, what did you say?"

"I asked what brought you to Las Flores. It seemed odd that an Army MP would be here."

"I got here the day of the earthquake. Two NCO's were charged with assaulting a local police officer. There was also a rumor of drug possession. I came here to sort things out, and before I could talk to them, the quake hit." He looked at her plate, and then his, they were wiped clean. "Do you want me to get more?"

"I couldn't possibly eat another bite. What about you?"

"I really don't have time. I'll just grab a couple of biscuits and some fruit to take with me."

She laughed.

"What?"

"I always loved your appetite. I'm glad to see it hasn't changed."

"Oh, it hasn't changed," he said as he pulled out her chair. Then he cursed himself. Dammit man, she was just assaulted, the last thing she needed was some man coming onto her.

"Sarah, I'm sorry. Look, you need someone coming onto you right now like you need a hole in the head. I wasn't thinking."

She turned and put her hand on his shoulder and looked him dead in the eye. "You're right David. If some unknown man made an overture right now, it would freak me out. But it was you, so it's okay. You've always made me feel protected."

"Thank you for that." He needed answers. It was still dark, and he took her arm as they went to the truck he was driving.

Once they were on they were on the road, silence filled the truck.

"Sarah."

"David."

They both chuckled, as they said one another's names in unison.

"You go first," David said.

"I owe you an explanation. That's why I wanted to talk." A profound sense of relief roared through him.

"I couldn't bear to talk to you back then. It would have been too much. Too little." Well, that cleared up nothing.

"I don't understand."

"Carys and I had been friends for years. She had been asking me to join her at Doctors Without Borders for years. After you left, I finally made the decision to do it."

"That's a huge step? You resigned your commission and uprooted yourself almost overnight. Then you never took my calls or answered my e-mails. Why? You scared the piss out of me, woman. I had to pull in favors to find out what had happened."

"I was fine."

"Sarah, the woman I met. The woman I had in my arms, wouldn't have pulled a disappearing act unless she was in distress. I needed to check up on you."

He looked ahead. There was a spot. The truck bumped over ruts and rubble before he pulled to a stop.

David unbuckled his seatbelt, then hers, and scooched over so they were side by side on the bench seat.

"Can you tell me about it?"

"I don't know why I thought smart and perceptive were attractive traits in a man." She sighed.

"It was because of me, wasn't it?"

"No," she said at the same time she nodded. She obviously didn't know she had just admitted it was because of him.

"Ah, honey. I'm so sorry."

"Why? You didn't do anything."

"I left," he said quietly. He had left, just like Matt. He might not have died, but he was another man who had abandoned her.

"I was a big girl. You'd made no promises." Her voice was so quiet, her chin trembled. His heart ached.

"I'm so sorry," he said again. And he was. If he could kick his own ass, he would. "But why didn't you take my calls?"

"Do you want me to be honest?" He remembered that question from that night. He answered it the same way.

"I'll always want you to be honest."

"I ended up wanting more than I should have. That was on me. We agreed it was just that night. I knew better. I couldn't have kept it light and breezy, so I cut off all communication. It was for the best. I'm sorry."

He pulled her into his arms. Considering the fact, he remembered the exact date, April seventeenth, Apparently, his heart had been a lot more invested than he had realized.

"I'm sorry, honey. I never meant to hurt you. But I'm not sorry for knowing you, and I'm sure as hell not sorry for that night. You've haunted my dreams. I just feel like crap that I made you pull up roots and give up your career."

"There's nothing to be sorry about. I made the right decision. I've been so happy with DWB. Carys has been a dream to work with these last few years. I'm glad I did it."

"You've accomplished some amazing things. I read that article where you worked with the Liberian government to set up clinics. I was so proud of you."

She blushed, and pushed her face against his chest.

"So you checked up on me, huh."

"Not as often as I should have. I should have chased after you. But after that last e-mail went unopened, I got the message."

"I'm so sorry David. I didn't want to start something that I knew we couldn't finish. I was committed to DWB. You would have been too big of a temptation."

"Was?"

"I'm getting tired. I'm considering coming home. I've had a couple of offers."

"To Georgia?"

"At least to the United States."

His heart started beating faster. He untangled one of his hands to coast it up her arm and rest it along her jaw. She closed her eyes and nuzzled against it.

"So would you take my calls?"

"I'm in this truck with you, aren't I?"

She was. Even though the light of dawn pinkened the sky, her wide gray eyes had turned dark.

"I know the timing couldn't be worse. I don't know if our schedules can possibly dovetail. But can we try to make time with one another?" he asked.

"I'd like that. I don't know how we're going to make that work."

Stay in my room. He didn't say it. She must have heard him because her eyes went even darker, and her arms twined around his neck. "Do you still take kisses?"

"With you. Only with you."

She was gorgeous. He cupped her face, relishing the softness of her skin beneath his palms. He bent forward, and as gently as possible he slid his lips against hers. She was a treasure that he wanted to tempt into following his lead. Gliding his tongue along her lower lip, she opened with a sigh. He felt her smile.

Who was taking who? Sarah's tongue met his and seduced, beguiled, and heat soared. When had his hands moved? Who cared? God, her ass felt perfect. So round and lush, filling his palm like it had been made for him. He squeezed, and she moaned, pressing her breasts hard against his chest. His goddamn dick was going to burst out of his jeans.

Her nails bit into his nape, and she made mewling sounds. She moved, her leg hit his. He hissed in pain.

"David?"

"It's nothing."

Little nurse arched back from him. Reluctantly, he loosened his grip on her butt and stroked.

"Stop that, I can't think," she protested.

"Who asked you to?"

She pushed out of his arms so she was sitting alone on the bench seat beside him. "What's wrong with your leg?"

"It's bruised."

"What happened?"

"Falling debris from the earthquake. I'm fine. It's better than it was."

"Let me look at it when we get to the clinic."

"Honey, I don't have time. It really is fine. I've been clearing debris for the last two days, and it hasn't gotten worse."

She gave him a considering look. "Okay. But when we're alone together, I'm going to examine it."

"When we're alone together, there are other parts of my body I would prefer you examine."

She laughed and hit his shoulder. "I like you, David Sloane." She kissed his chin. "I think when I'm examining your cock, I can manage to examine your thigh as well."

Pulling her into his arms, he kissed the tip of her nose. "As long as you realize which one takes priority." He buckled them up and started the truck.

5.

"Where is he?" David asked again, his voice low, deadly.

The man who had been slouched at the break table shot up and saluted.