Hindsight (Kendra Michaels #7) - Iris Johansen Page 0,129

office.” She met his eyes. “Or that you would chime in and tell me that I’m as crazy as she thought I was. Where’s all that cool intellect, Lynch?”

“Doesn’t exist around you. We’ve been together too long, and I know what you can do. Who you are.” He smiled. “If this doesn’t work, we’ll try something else. But I think you’re going to actually pull it off.”

“I’ve got to pull it off,” she said intensely. “Remember when I said that anyone could see what I saw if they concentrated? But I told you they had to do it themselves and I couldn’t lead them. Then I realized that I didn’t have a choice in this. I have to lead them if they’re going to see what I want them to see here. You understand?”

“Of course I understand. But you’re going to hate doing this.”

“Every minute. But I won’t hate the result.” She had a sudden thought. “But it’s going to take a lot of time. I should probably move the music therapy classes with my students from town to a studio up here for six or eight months. What do you think?”

“I think whatever you do will be magnificent, and I’m just sorry I might not be here to see every second of it.” He paused, and then said quietly, “You’ll probably be staying late here tonight and you’ll have to take a Lyft back to the condo. I have to catch a flight to Paris this afternoon.”

She froze, her gaze flying to his face. “Paris?”

“I told you there was always payback, Kendra. I squeezed Laurent very hard and now he wants his pound of flesh.”

“I don’t like that phrase.” She tried to keep her voice steady. “Particularly when it comes from someone in the CIA. A mission? Can’t you just trade him information or something?”

“Not this time. He didn’t get credit for Delgado and he’s pissed off. Besides, he says I’m special. Of course he’s right, but it does have certain drawbacks.” He leaned forward and kissed her gently. “It will be fine. You’ll be so busy you’ll hardly know I’m gone.”

Only every minute. Her mind was running wildly as panic set in. “Where? You told me you’d gone to meet with the CIA in Tangi Valley the day before you left Afghanistan.”

“You have Afghanistan on the brain. I told you that operation is on hold.” He smiled at her from the door. “Try to miss me. Though you’ll probably be too busy. After 60 Minutes, can 48 Hours be far behind?”

He was gone.

She wanted to run after him, stop him.

But there was never any stopping Lynch.

Damn him and he hadn’t actually said that Tangi Valley wasn’t the mission.

She drew a deep breath. He would be fine. Lynch was always fine. She had to believe that.

Forget Tangi Valley.

Concentrate.

She had to call 60 Minutes.

Epilogue

Three Months Later

Woodward Academy

Did you find your billionaire?”

Kendra stiffened and forgot to breathe. “You’re back.” She turned to face Lynch, who was standing in the doorway of her classroom. He was smiling at her, and she wanted to slap him. No, that’s not what she wanted to do. That was only the first impulse you felt to punish someone you loved who had deliberately put themselves in danger. Her second impulse was to dive toward him and hold him with all her strength and make sure he was still alive and hadn’t gotten any new scars while he’d been gone. “Three months and you just come waltzing back in here as if you’d never left. Yes, I found my billionaire. Zed Nasbeth, Silicon Valley, toughest businessman on the West Coast, but who wants to adopt every kid he runs into on the property. You’d know that if you’d texted me where I could reach you. Would you like to tell me where you’ve been?”

“No, not possible. You know how the CIA is about their missions. They don’t trust anyone, even themselves. Truly paranoid.”

“I don’t know because I don’t hobnob with half the secret agencies and foreign governments in the world.” She shrugged. “But I do know I shouldn’t have asked you anything about where you were. It just slipped out from pure shock.” She paused. “Am I allowed to inquire if it was successful?”

“Yes, it was. I’m back in good standing with Laurent whenever you ask me for any other favors. Can we stop talking about it now? It’s done, not important, and a complete waste of time as far as I’m concerned.” He was coming toward her. “All I want to do is look at you. There’s a flush on your cheeks and a glitter in your eyes, and I think you might have missed me or you wouldn’t have made that slip.” He gently touched her cheek. “You’re much too smart and wary to make any mistakes around me.” His fingers moved across her cheekbone. “Because you persist in thinking of me as the enemy.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.” Her cheek was tingling, and she was a little breathless. “You’re my friend and my partner. How could you be my enemy? Look at what you did to help me catch Dietrich. And you probably risked your stupid neck on that mission to do payback for those favors from the CIA. We just disagree on—”

He was kissing her.

Yes.

This was what she’d wanted since he’d walked in that door. Her hands slid around his neck and she was pulling him closer. She was kissing him again and again and again.

“You did miss me,” he murmured, his hands moving down to her breasts. “Maybe that CIA job wasn’t such a waste of time after all.”

“Of course I did.” She kissed him again. “But it doesn’t change anything. It just means I might have moments of weakness when I know you’re somewhere risking that stupid neck.”

“That’s the second time you called my neck stupid. Not kind. I happen to be very fond of it.” He was plucking teasingly at her nipples. “Could we go back to your condo and discuss it? I think you’d get all uptight if we went…in-depth…on the subject here at the school.”

“You bet I would.” She was backing away from him. “Because you’re not listening again. It doesn’t really change anything, Lynch.”

“Except you have moments of weakness. I’ll definitely take that, Kendra. Moments can escalate into hours and days and then I can go for the big time.”

“No, you can’t.”

“Sure I can.” He smiled. “All I’ll have to do is risk my stupid neck on some worthwhile project and you’d fall right into line.”

Her hands clenched into fists at her sides. “Don’t you dare.”

His smile vanished. “No, I wouldn’t. You’d never have to worry about that with me. I’ll find another way.” He cocked his head. “Come to think of it, Griffin called me when I was flying back from Paris and was telling me about a terrorist case that had been thrown at him by the director. Four scientists killed and technology compromised. He thought you might be interested, but you hadn’t called him back.”

“Lynch.”

“I didn’t promise him anything. But wouldn’t you like to save the world?”

“I’d like to teach my students and help save Woodward Academy.”

“Well, that would be included in saving the world.” He stood there grinning at her. “Tell you what, I’ll come to your condo tonight and we’ll have dinner and discuss it.” He added softly, “Partner-to-partner, friend-to-friend, and anything else of a temporary nature that you decide to give. Doesn’t that sound good?”

It sounded too good. She could feel the heat and the sexual tension tingling through her. It was probably a mistake. Just looking at him, she was aware of all that charisma and intelligence and humor that had drawn her to him since the moment they met. She didn’t know if she could handle the kind of delicate balance he was offering. She had an idea it could erupt into the passion of those first days when they’d come together.

But if these last three months had taught her anything, it was that she wasn’t going to be able to handle the anemic relationship that she’d been demanding. He would always be somewhere in danger and she’d always feel as if they were being cheated. Well, work it out. They were both worth it.

“It sounds like you’re manipulating me.” She met his eyes. “And I only let you do that if it suits me. It suits me tonight. You’ll have to find out what else suits me after we have this ‘discussion.’” She made a shooing motion. “Run along. I have work to do. You could start dinner since I might have to worry about saving the world. It seems only fair.”

“It does, doesn’t it?” He threw back his head and laughed. “By all means, anything you want, Kendra.” He winked back at her as he went out the door. “All you have to do is ask…”