He tucked the blankets in around her neck and shoulders, keeping out the cold. He laughed a little, a low chuckle, as he ensured that the blankets were around her as much as possible.

"h.e.l.luva an excuse to hold you, but this is d.a.m.n cold weather."

"It is," Bay agreed, her words coming out in a stutter. She closed her eyes, feeling an incredible sense of safety against Gabe's long, hard body. Her gloved hands were clasped against the vest between them. Something primal flowed through her, even though her teeth kept chattering. He settled down, relaxing with her trapped against him. Gabe weighed a lot more than she did and he had a lot more muscle ma.s.s. That was why Bay felt warm almost instantly. She surrendered to him.

Gabe keyed his hearing. He kept the M-4 across Bay's blanketed body, his hand always near the trigger. Though a.s.sured of their safety, he now worried about hypothermia. He could already feel her begin to relax against him, her soft, moist breath against his neck. The teeth chattering slowed down and she stopped tensing and jerking every few seconds over the next fifteen minutes. The gusts of wind continued, but the layup protected them from the worst of it.

"You can't stay awake all night," Bay whispered, feeling warmth flooding her legs and arms.

"I'll wake you in two hours," he said.

She felt his warm, moist breath near her cheek. His voice vibrated through her like sudden, unexpected heat. His mouth barely grazed her cheek as he spoke. So close. So incredibly close to him.

The Kevlar vests prevented Bay from snuggling even closer, but she was grateful for his lifesaving training. "Okay..." she whispered, closing her eyes. All the fear, the adrenaline had bled out of her earlier, leaving her exhausted. She'd been weary before this mission ever started. The wind howled around them. In her mushy mind just before she drifted off to sleep, she worried about Gabe. How could he handle this kind of freezing cold? She couldn't.

The stars overhead moved like a huge, slow-turning wheel in the sky above. Bay sagged against him, her breathing softening even more. She ached to kiss him. Just being able to rest her warm cheek against his jaw helped lull her to sleep. The wind continued to shriek overhead, as if the earth were exhaling.

A SENSE OF PEACE descended over Gabe. He was holding Bay the way he'd been wanting to ever since he met her. How and where had he fallen in love with her? Gabe closed his eyes for a moment, stunned that he could fall helplessly in love with this woman. And he'd never even kissed her. That was astounding to him. War twisted everything out of proportion. Just feeling her breath, the slow rise and fall of her chest against his vest, the warmth of her breath flowing across his neck, sent a powerful emotional feeling of protectiveness through him.

He wasn't sleepy. He should have been, but Bay was in his arms. She was tall and lanky and she fit against him like some lost puzzle piece he'd always been searching for but had never found until now. Though he wanted to lean over and kiss her breathless, Gabe knew it wouldn't happen. Not here. Not now. Still, as he watched the Milky Way turn overhead, the stillness interrupted by roars of gusting wind, he had a new sense of contentment he'd never felt before.

His mind moved from listening to the sounds around them, to focusing on Bay, who slept soundly in his arms. She trusted him. He'd always known that. There had always been something strong, clean and good between them. He'd admired her from the beginning, and watching her for the past three months, he'd gained an even greater understanding of Bay's courage and her generous heart. She pushed herself to her maximum, never really getting rest in between patrols. His brow furrowed as he considered that reality. Bay was too good at her job as an 18 Delta corpsman. Everyone desperately needed her high level of skills and experience.

Mouth compressing, Gabe decided to tell Hampton about it when they returned to Bravo. She was burning the candle at both ends, unable to tell those who desperately needed medical help, no. It was her nature, a part of what he loved about Bay, but now he was going to step in to protect her.

Above where they lay, Gabe saw a meteorite arc across the sky, its yellow tail long and wide. He wondered what Bay would say about that, because she saw symbols in everything around her. Daily, he was able to devour something new she saw through her eyes or learn about her as a person. One corner of his mouth quirked inward. Maybe the Victorian Era had it all right. A long engagement, at arm's length, to get to know each other over time hadn't hurt their relationship. Nowadays, people hopped in and out of bed like frogs moving from one relationship to another. He'd been one of them where Lily was concerned.

These past three months had helped Gabe see clearly that Bay was a woman of immense strength, incredibly kind and sensitive to others. She gave new meaning to the word compa.s.sion. And it had opened up his scarred heart. She had breathed new life, new hope, into his soul. How badly he wanted to tell her just that.

Gabe remembered his torrid five-day affair with Lily. They'd met like two dogs in heat, spent five days in bed and decided to get married. It was the stupidest thing he'd ever done and all for the wrong reasons. He'd wanted a family-something good, clean and healthy, unlike his own upbringing. And where had it gotten him? Gabe learned his lesson. It wasn't about s.e.x. It was about finding a partner who complemented him, who could be a friend, lover and confidante.

Bay had become all of those facets except as a lover. There wasn't a morning that went by that he didn't look forward to meeting her at the chow hall for breakfast. Sometimes they sat together but most times not. When they did, their conversations were deep and wide-ranging. She fed his soul.

Did he want to love her? h.e.l.l yes. In the worst of ways. But he wasn't going to go against the no-fraternization rule in the team, with women coming into their squads. Team cohesiveness was absolutely essential. He would never risk any member of his team for any reason. Not even for love. Taking a slow, deep breath, Gabe told himself their time alone would come. And then...the gloves came off. He would get to know Bay under far less threatening circ.u.mstances and not be breaking any rules that held the team together.

CHAPTER NINETEEN.

"BAY?"

Gabe whispered her name softly, his lips almost brushing against her cheek. He squeezed her just hard enough to wake her without scaring the h.e.l.l out of her.

Instantly, Bay jerked awake. Disoriented, she looked at the steel grip of his arm around her shoulders holding her in place. "Easy, baby..." he said rea.s.suringly.

Starting, Bay blinked the heavy, drugging sleep from her drowsy eyes, her heart leaping into a pound, adrenaline pouring through her. But then she recognized the low, coaxing tone. They weren't in danger, but they needed to move.

"The Night Stalker helo is coming in. They'll be here in about fifteen minutes. We need to get out of this lay up and head south for about five hundred feet," he said.

"Okay," she mumbled, sitting up. Bay rubbed her eyes, trying to orient herself. She noticed a hint of grayness on the eastern horizon. "What time is it?" she whispered, looking around. The winds seem to be lower, but it was incredibly cold, her breath white vapor as she spoke.

Gabe eased up to one knee, gathering the blankets from around her. "O four hundred, four a.m."

Shoving the severe tiredness away from her, Bay got stiffly to her knees, helping him gather up the blankets. "And the Taliban?"

"All of them went south. Even the ones that came over the mountain earlier. The BUFFs, B-52s are on racetrack station above us. The Taliban are now far enough away from the village and the bombing's going to start just before the Night Stalkers pick us up. LT and Chief wanted a diversion so the helo could come in and not take fire."

Relief fled through Bay. "That's good news." She handed him one of the rolled-up blankets. "Thanks for keeping me warm."

"You kept me warm, too." He smiled a little. Bay didn't realize just how much real pleasure he'd gotten out of those four hours of holding her. "You feel warmer?"

"Much," she said, getting her M-4 and putting it over her left shoulder. "I don't remember anything. I was dead to the world."

"That you were," Gabe murmured, easing the ruck back over his shoulders. Looking in both directions, he said, "Let's get going. Follow me."

Positioning the NVGs over her eyes and turning them on, Bay watched him silently rise into a crouch and move without a sound out of their layup. She tried to be equally quiet.

Gabe took the goat trail the Taliban had taken earlier. Looking around, her rifle in her hands and ready to use, Bay realized why they were going lower. Chances were, a Black Hawk helicopter would be picking them up. The blades were long, and if it had tried to land in the hide area, they would have struck the rocks above them, splintering the blades and causing the bird to crash.

Gabe mentally counted off the elevation and halted on the trail. He knelt down and signaled Bay to come and crouch beside him. She wasn't as quiet as he was, but she hadn't been taught how to walk soundlessly, either. When she knelt down beside him, inches between them, he said into his mic, "The bombs have been dropped."

Bay heard nothing. She knew the B-52s were probably at thirty thousand feet, undetected. As she focused into the darkness south of them, she listened as the Night Stalker pilot contacted Gabe. In five minutes, they would arrive. Shivering again, she was glad to be getting off this icy coffin of a mountain.

The first bombs splashed into the earth, erupting in arcing red, orange and yellow tentacles of fire. The booming sounds rolled and reverberated throughout the valley, the thunderous sounds careening off the slopes of the mountains where they crouched. Bay could literally feel the invisible concussions of the bombs ripple through her body. She heard a helicopter nearing them.

"Exfil," Gabe told her, turning on his heel and standing up.

The Black Hawk helo rose slowly up and over the ridge above them. Gabe threw out three green chem lights to show the pilots where they could safely touch down. Then he pulled Bay down next to him and waited. The rotor wash was powerful, nearly knocking her backward if not for Gabe's hand gripping her shoulder.

Behind her, the booming sound of bombs. .h.i.tting the hills continued in a rhythmic dance. The vibrations rocked through her. She watched as the Black Hawk lowered its wheels and barely grazed the rocky earth close to where they were crouched. The door opened and a crewman gave them the signal to come aboard.

Relief was sharp through Bay as the crewman grabbed her hand and hauled her upward. Gabe leaped into the doorway, rolling into the helicopter. Instantly, the crewman slid the door shut, telling the pilots to lift off.

Bay scooted to the other side of the helicopter, her rifle in her right hand. Gabe slid next to her. She pushed up her NVGs, incredible relief tunneling through her. They were safe! Through the window of the climbing, shaking, shuddering Black Hawk, she saw the bombing continue.

Closing her eyes, resting her helmeted head against the skin of the chopper, Bay felt such deep weariness beginning to sap her of the energy. Safe. They were safe. How she looked forward to getting back to Camp Bravo.

CHIEF HAMPTON MET with them after they'd landed, gotten out of their gear and gone to the chow hall for an early breakfast. He wanted to make sure they were all right. Bay felt as if her bones were breaking, the night spent in that rocky depression making her stiff and sore. Gabe had his usual grace, as if completely unfazed by their brutal night. It served to tell Bay how much suffering the SEALs took in stride, expecting to be in pain or discomfort when out on patrol.

Entering into the HQ near 0600, Gabe went directly to the coffee machine and poured them each a mug of coffee. Bay thanked him and they walked into Hampton's small office. The dawn was barely breaking, and she felt almost normal after nearly freezing last night. In no small part, she'd survived, thanks to Gabe. She saw his eyes were bloodshot, exhaustion lining his strong face.

"Nice job," Hampton congratulated them as they ambled into his office. He gestured to the two chairs. "We're going to send out a patrol at 0800, and you two aren't going. The drone is reporting the bombs did their work. We're going to do a sensitive site exploitation. We need to get men in there to look for identification, maps and anything else they can find on those bodies."

Bay was silently glad she didn't have to go. She gratefully sipped the hot coffee, both her hands warmed around the mug. Hampton looked absolutely elated over the developments.

"The call for a medevac," Gabe said, "was a trick to get us to fly in."

Hampton scowled and leaned back in his chair. "Yes, it was. No one could have known. It's a d.a.m.n shame that medevac crew died."

"Was there any way we could have known?" Bay asked, her voice husky with emotion. "Five of us were put at risk. Three guys died. Could it have been prevented?"

"We're looking into it," Hampton said, his voice sad over the turn of events. "The LT and I are going into the village in a couple of hours to talk with the leader. He's the one that made the call."

"Don't you think the Taliban told him that if he didn't make the call, they'd kill his pregnant wife? Maybe kill a lot of the people in his village? He had no choice."

"Probably," Hampton agreed, frowning. "We'll get the details." He looked over at Bay. "How are you holding up?"

"I'm good," she said, lying. She wasn't sure she should tell the chief about their night in the layup. Understanding that team integrity and no fraternization was demanded of all of them, she wasn't sure Hampton would understand what Gabe had done to keep her from going hypothermic.

Bay noticed that Hampton gave Gabe a glance, but she couldn't exactly read it.

"Well, you two get back to your tents and get some well-earned sleep. When you wake up, come over and write up your reports."

Bay stood along with Gabe. "Yes, Chief."

On the way back to their area, Bay saw the light in the east becoming stronger. It was still cold at eight thousand, but nothing like the night on that mountain slope. Gabe walked at her side, his hands in his cammie pockets "Thanks for what you did last night, Gabe. I was afraid to tell Chief Hampton we were pinned into that hide next to each other."

"Don't worry about it. He knew."

"How?" Bay frowned.

"He knows how cold it is up there. He knew we were going on a medevac call and didn't have cold-weather gear on us." Gabe saw her eyes widen with worry. "When you write up your report, avoid the details of me holding you."

"Would that get you in trouble?"

Shrugging, Gabe smiled a little. "No, but it's a.s.sumed by command we slept together because in cold-country missions, that's what SEALs do. It's not out of the ordinary, Bay. It just happens that this time, it was a man and a woman together. Not two men."

Taking a deep breath, she whispered, "Okay."

Gabe slowed as they made the turn that would take them down to their avenue of tents. "How are your hands and toes?"

"Good to go, thanks to you." She met and held his dark gaze for a moment. "There's so much I want to say to you, Gabe...." Her heart opened with powerful emotions toward him, but at that same moment his mouth compressed.

"Same here, Bay." He moved his shoulders and looked around. "Soon, we can lead normal lives...."

Understanding, she nodded. "I'm looking forward to it." Bay tucked her lower lip between her teeth for a moment. She wanted time to get to know him, kiss him and yes, make love with him. She saw all that in his eyes as he gazed at her. The hardness normally on his face had vanished. Now she just felt his desire.

"Last night, when I held you in my arms, I felt like the luckiest man in the world, Bay. I watched the stars silently turn above us, felt you breathing, your warm breath flowing across my neck. I realized that anything worth having was worth waiting for." He halted in front of his tent, a gritty warmth in his voice for her alone. "Just hold the dream of you coming to my condo. We'll talk. We'll explore each other. We'll have the time, place and s.p.a.ce to do it. We won't be breaking any rules that way." His mouth curved faintly as he held her tender gaze. "You're worth waiting for...."

BAY WAS SAYING goodbye to all the SEALs in the platoon who were going home to Coronado. Their last month had sped by. In the cold early dawn air, the team was scheduled to leave for Bagram and then home to San Diego, California. She'd already shaken the LT's hand and saw how happy he was to be going home. Both other officers had to stay behind to brief the new platoon that was coming in this afternoon. Chief Hampton remained behind to make sure everyone got out of here on time to meet the CH-47 waiting on the ap.r.o.n at Ops for them.

Some of the SEALs were married. The excitement in their faces was evident. They were going home. Some of her joy for them was dampened by the fact she wasn't going home with them. Orders had come down from General Stevenson that she was to hook up with a Special Forces A team at Camp Bravo for the next two months. That was part of her commitment to Operation Shadow Warriors. Every female volunteer had to spend six months in a black ops team, depending on circ.u.mstances. And then they would rotate for six months back in the States, getting more education in their skill set area.

Her heart was heavy because as she hugged each of the SEAL shooters, telling them goodbye, they were like extended family to her. Bay considered them brothers she'd never had. Gabe had been the first to say goodbye to her and it was so hard to treat him like the other SEALs, but she did.

They exited the large planning room, heading toward Operations where a Chinook helicopter was going to carry the platoon on to Bagram. From there, an Air Force C-5, the largest transport plane in the U.S., would take them to Rota, Spain. They would land at Andrews Air Force Base near Washington, D.C., on the final leg of the trip. Another hop on a C-130 transport would land them at NAS North Island and they'd disembark and be home.

Swallowing her sadness, Bay finally walked over to Hammer, who was the last SEAL shooter to leave the place. Chief Hampton was in his office, finishing up last minute details before he left.

"Hey, Hammer," she said, throwing her arms around his meaty shoulders, "you be good when you get back to Coronado."

He grinned and hugged her hard. "Don't worry, Doc, I'll never be good. You know that." Hammer lifted her off the ground and then set her back down, releasing her. "You know what? I thought a woman coming in here would be a b.i.t.c.h, but I was wrong." He lifted his ruck and threw it over his left shoulder. "You're a professional, Doc. In every way." Hammer lowered his voice and whispered, "After I got over my hissy fit of you being a.s.signed here, you've actually been a nice addition to our platoon. Take care of yourself out there, okay?" He shook his head. "SF guys just aren't as good as we are, so you gotta watch your six."

Bay chuckled and took a step back. "I hear you, Hammer. Bye..." She lifted her hand, her heart breaking with sadness. She'd come to love these SEALs. Every man was a hero. They'd eventually accepted her, making it far less stressful on her. For that, Bay was more than grateful.

The door closed after Hammer left. She stood in the silence, looking around, remembering the many good times here in this room. Good memories. Some of them funny. Some serious.

"Doc?"

She turned toward Hampton's office. He had his briefcase in hand, his M-4 slung over his left shoulder, ready to leave. "Yes, Chief?"

"Just wanted to say thank you," he said, walking over to her. "You've been an a.s.set to our platoon in every way." He smiled down at her, searching her upturned face. "Frankly, I was worried about fraternization."

Nodding, Bay said, "I know you were."

"You acquitted yourself well, Doc. I can speak for the officers and myself in saying we appreciated the way you conducted yourself here among us."

He didn't know the heartbreak she felt. Gabe was gone and it would be a minimum of two months before they could see each other. In a way, Bay felt tortured emotionally by all of it, but the chief didn't want to hear about her personal pain.

"It wouldn't have worked any other way," she agreed in a quiet tone. "I wanted to fit in and become a member of your platoon. I know I'll never be a SEAL, but I didn't want to cause more upset by working among you. I would never be a distraction. That can get people killed, and frankly, my conscience couldn't stand it if that happened."

He smiled. "You fit in well, Doc." Hampton gestured toward his office. "Do me a favor?"

"Of course." She saw a glint in Hampton's eyes she couldn't decipher. A slow grin came to his face.

"There's one more person you need to say goodbye to. He's waiting for you in my office." Hampton became serious and reached out and touched her upper arm. "Stay safe out there with those SF boys."

Confused by his request, Bay felt him squeeze her arm and release it. What was going on? She'd said goodbye to everyone in the team. Hadn't she? "Okay, Chief. I will. Thanks..." She watched him turn and leave the building. Bay frowned and moved toward the empty office.

Her breath caught as she saw Gabe leaning lazily against the desk, smiling over at her. "Gabe! What are you doing back here?"

Rising to his full height, he walked over and shut the door behind her. "Chief suggested I go into stealth mode in order to give you a real goodbye."

Stunned by the turn of events, Bay couldn't help the rush of excitement as he pulled her into his arms. This time, there was no Kevlar between them. This time they were alone. And then she realized what the chief had done for them, joy tunneled through her.

"Oh, Gabe!" She threw her arms around his broad shoulders, feeling his arms slide around her waist, hauling her hard against him. Gabe's mouth curved hotly against hers. It was the first time they'd ever kissed, and Bay absorbed the scent of him as a man, the strength of his mouth against her own. Bay tasted him, tasted the coffee he'd recently drunk, and moved her mouth in celebration against his. Gabe skimmed his hand down the length of her spine, his long, strong fingers memorizing every inch of her. b.r.e.a.s.t.s pressed tightly against the span of his chest, her whole body tingled wildly in the unexpected moment.

Gabe couldn't get enough of her soft, pliant mouth sliding wetly against his own. Touching her tongue, he felt her tremble violently in his arms. His breathing turned ragged as she moved her hands around his neck, celebrating their union. She smelled of jasmine soap, her hair loose and free around her shoulders.