Sorry, he said. I didnt mean to bring up bad memories.
No, it wasnt that, she began, but the car had stopped and the doors were opening and Easton Kirby was already on the move. She followed, kicking herself for not knowing how to draw men into casual conversation.
They exited into what appeared to be a large foyer. East punched in a series of numbers on the security panel beside the door and then turned the knob.
Your home away from home, he said, leading the way inside. I hope your stay will be comfortable. He set her suitcase down in the bedroom, then handed her the key and a card. The security code is written on the back. My number is on the front. If you need anything at any time of the night or day, all you have to do is call me.
She took the key and the card and slipped them into her pocket. Thank you, Mr. Kirby.
Youre welcome, Ms. Corbin, and pleasecall me East.
If youll call me Ally, its a deal, she said, offering her hand.
When he took it, she felt as if shed been treading water all of her life and someone had just offered her a line to safety. This womanly, helpless feeling was so foreign to Ally that she didnt know how to react.
Well then, she said, quickly releasing his hold. Now that were supposed to be friends, does this mean I dont have to tip you?
East threw back his head and laughed. A deep-from-the-belly kind of laugh that sent shivers up Allys spine. She grinned, pleased that shed gotten some sort of positive response from him.
Still chuckling, East shook his head. No, you dont have to tip me and we start serving dinner around seven. The restaurant stays open until midnight so remember, if you need anything
Yes, I know, she said, patting her pocket where shed put his card. Ill use Ma Bell to reach out and touch.
His smile stilled as he gave her a dark, unreadable look.
Touching is good, he said quietly, and headed for the door, leaving Ally to put her own interpretation on what hed just said.
A shudder racked her as she watched him leave. What on earth had she gotten herself into? Then she gritted her teeth and headed for her suitcase. The least she could do was unpack. There were a good four hours of daylight left and a beach to explore.
Something told her that this operation was going to take time. Easton Kirby didnt strike her as malleable. As she went to the closet with an armful of clothes, she couldnt help wondering why Jonah hadnt just ordered this man back to active service. What sort of scenario could possibly have occurred that Jonah would allow a mans personal life to interfere with his duty?
As East was dressing for dinner, he caught himself thinking of Ally Corbin again. It wasnt the first time it had happened since her arrival, and something told him it wouldnt be the last. There was something about her that intrigued him. She was such a mixture of contradictions. Naive, yet tough. He knew what it took to become an agent for SPEAR, so he respected that her skills equaled his own. Yet there was an innocence about her that surprised him. He had no way of knowing that naivete came in not knowing herself. She was beyond book smart, but she didnt have the vaguest idea of how to live a normal life. Shed never been in love, shed never even made love. Had he known, it might have changed his attitude completely. But all he saw was a beautiful and intriguing young woman who had endured and survived, and was here to heal.
He debated with himself about wearing a tie, then decided against it, opting for the casual look. For some reason, his mind slipped to Jonah, wondering if hed found someone else to help him out. It had been a week since hed gotten the call, and he hadnt slept well one night since. Then he reminded himself that was part of his past and he couldnt let it matter.
With a last glance in the mirror, he grabbed his sport coat and exited his apartment. It was time to make an appearance in the dining room.
The Condor Resort ran on schedules, not unlike those of a cruise ship, and sitting at the captains table, or in this case the managers, was considered an honor. It was something the previous manager had instigated and East had simply followed suit. Tonight he was actually looking forward to the event because hed sent a note to Allys room earlier with an invitation for her to join him. There was nothing personal about it. It wasnt as if shed be the only one there. There would be six others, not counting himself, and a good reason for her not to eat alone. If she was as troubled as hed been when he came, he knew she would need to focus on something besides herself. And there was no better way to achieve that than to sit at a dinner table with six perfect strangersseven counting himand remember that there was a world outside the realm of SPEAR.
He told himself he was just doing his job. And he believed it, all the way to the dining room and right up to the point when Ally entered the room.
It was the traditional, little black dresssimple in style, skimpy in fabricand on Ally Corbin, pure dynamite. East knew he was staring, but he couldnt seem to stop. It wasnt as if he never saw beautiful women, because he diddaily. And it wasnt as if he didnt have opportunities to enjoy their company. It was that he usually chose not to. But this time it was different. There was an urgency within him to connect with her on something other than this ephemeral, holiday basis. He kept thinking that if he let her leave without pursuing this desire, he would regret it for the rest of his life.