Rogue Soldier Read Online Free Page A
Author: Dana Marton
their reunion in detail. It hadnât looked anything like this.
He had deluded himself into thinking their breakup was temporary, that she would come back or that, if she didnât, he would go after her and charm her back to him. But heâd barely been in the country in the past few years. The odd week here and there heâd spent tracking her down as sheâd moved around, and by the time heâd found her, it was time to leave again, without a chance to actually contact her.
He had never for a moment figured that by the time they hooked up again, it would be too late.
âListen, about the women⦠They were there for Shorty.â And heâd trounced Shorty good afterward for his role in the breakup, before he realized it wasnât Shortyâs fault. He had the right to whatever entertainment he chose. Mike was the stupid idiot whoâd thought his worries for Tessa would be best drowned on the bottom of a whiskey bottle.
âI swear to God,â he said. âWe went out with the guys and I drank a little too much. I was worried about you. I went back to the room and passed out. I wokeup five seconds before you came in. Shorty must have brought the girls back. Can you believe heâs married now?â He tried to change the subject. âCaught in the net. Never thought Iâd see that happen.â
She didnât look amused.
âIâm telling you the truth. Iâve been telling you the truth from the beginning.â
âI didnât believe you then, and I donât believe you now.â The steel in her voice told him she had made up her mind a long time ago.
Frustration pumped up his volume. âThatâs your problem, babe. Maybe if you trusted me more we would have lasted.â
Â
H IS WORDS HUNG in the musky air of the tent. Tessa wrapped her arms around herself. This couldnât be real.
He couldnât be here. She was dreaming. The pain she had gone through after sheâd left Mike three years ago, the long months sheâd spent miserable without him, on the verge of going back and forgiving everything against all reasonâshe couldnât have made it through all that for nothing. She couldnât go back there. She had enough need for self-preservation to save herself, didnât she?
âIf the weather doesnât hold us up too long, we can be a third of the way to the village by tonight. Starting out at first light, weâll definitely make it by noontomorrow, the latest,â she said in a matter-of-fact voice, glad for the darkness that hid her face.
âThat eager to get rid of me, huh?â
He didnât know the half of it. Because as much as she had convinced herself over the past couple of years that she was over him, his reappearance in her life made one thing Alaskan-air clear: she wasnât even close.
âWe werenât good together then, we wouldnât be good together now. Nothingâs changed.â
The wind picked up and roared like a grizzly bear. Winter was coming. The faster they were out of here, the betterâfor a multitude of reasons.
âHow can you say that?â Anger laced his voice. âWe were great together. You left me the first time everything didnât come off perfect.â
The accusation hurt.
Everything about Mike McNair hurt. It wasnât right. Love shouldnât be this painful. And she wasnât even in love with him anymore; the part of her heart that had held him once had been beaten numb.
They sat in silence until the wind stopped outside. She pulled up a corner of their cover, struggling with the weight of the fallen snow. âBetter get moving.â She looked out, holding her breath against the biting cold that met her. It wasnât snowing anymore, the wind had pushed the clouds to the east. The sun waslow on the horizon, as always this time of the year, even at noon. They had about two hours of daylight leftâstill enough time
He had deluded himself into thinking their breakup was temporary, that she would come back or that, if she didnât, he would go after her and charm her back to him. But heâd barely been in the country in the past few years. The odd week here and there heâd spent tracking her down as sheâd moved around, and by the time heâd found her, it was time to leave again, without a chance to actually contact her.
He had never for a moment figured that by the time they hooked up again, it would be too late.
âListen, about the women⦠They were there for Shorty.â And heâd trounced Shorty good afterward for his role in the breakup, before he realized it wasnât Shortyâs fault. He had the right to whatever entertainment he chose. Mike was the stupid idiot whoâd thought his worries for Tessa would be best drowned on the bottom of a whiskey bottle.
âI swear to God,â he said. âWe went out with the guys and I drank a little too much. I was worried about you. I went back to the room and passed out. I wokeup five seconds before you came in. Shorty must have brought the girls back. Can you believe heâs married now?â He tried to change the subject. âCaught in the net. Never thought Iâd see that happen.â
She didnât look amused.
âIâm telling you the truth. Iâve been telling you the truth from the beginning.â
âI didnât believe you then, and I donât believe you now.â The steel in her voice told him she had made up her mind a long time ago.
Frustration pumped up his volume. âThatâs your problem, babe. Maybe if you trusted me more we would have lasted.â
Â
H IS WORDS HUNG in the musky air of the tent. Tessa wrapped her arms around herself. This couldnât be real.
He couldnât be here. She was dreaming. The pain she had gone through after sheâd left Mike three years ago, the long months sheâd spent miserable without him, on the verge of going back and forgiving everything against all reasonâshe couldnât have made it through all that for nothing. She couldnât go back there. She had enough need for self-preservation to save herself, didnât she?
âIf the weather doesnât hold us up too long, we can be a third of the way to the village by tonight. Starting out at first light, weâll definitely make it by noontomorrow, the latest,â she said in a matter-of-fact voice, glad for the darkness that hid her face.
âThat eager to get rid of me, huh?â
He didnât know the half of it. Because as much as she had convinced herself over the past couple of years that she was over him, his reappearance in her life made one thing Alaskan-air clear: she wasnât even close.
âWe werenât good together then, we wouldnât be good together now. Nothingâs changed.â
The wind picked up and roared like a grizzly bear. Winter was coming. The faster they were out of here, the betterâfor a multitude of reasons.
âHow can you say that?â Anger laced his voice. âWe were great together. You left me the first time everything didnât come off perfect.â
The accusation hurt.
Everything about Mike McNair hurt. It wasnât right. Love shouldnât be this painful. And she wasnât even in love with him anymore; the part of her heart that had held him once had been beaten numb.
They sat in silence until the wind stopped outside. She pulled up a corner of their cover, struggling with the weight of the fallen snow. âBetter get moving.â She looked out, holding her breath against the biting cold that met her. It wasnât snowing anymore, the wind had pushed the clouds to the east. The sun waslow on the horizon, as always this time of the year, even at noon. They had about two hours of daylight leftâstill enough time
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