Athena Force: Deceived Part 21

She'd found her place among these women, and she shared their common goal in finding out what had happened so many years before at the Athena Academy and discovering the secrets of Lab 33.

She slid into bed and tried to blank out the neon buzz of the motel sign just outside of her room, the noisy tick of the clock on her nightstand and the sound of water running in another one of the units.

As she quieted the noise of her mind, she heard Nick's deep, sweetly familiar voice telling her that all she needed to do was call him and he'd wait for her.

He hadn't been far from her thoughts throughout the day. Even as she had listened to the women talk about mysteries and potential siblings and danger, Nick had remained in the back of her mind.

She had no idea what the future held. She had no idea where the winds of fate might carry her. She certainly didn't need Nick in her life.

But she wanted him. Eventually, hopefully, the answers they sought would be found, the mysteries all solved and Rainy's children reunited.

It would be nice if she and Nick could pick up the pieces of what they'd only just begun-a relationship that had felt good and right and wonderfully real.

Magic. That's what he'd told her they'd had, a magic they had just begun to explore when she'd had to say goodbye.

She thought of his smile, that slow, s.e.xy grin that warmed her from the inside out. He'd listened to her like no other person had listened in her life. Her opinions and thoughts had been important to him.

He'd asked her to stay, but when she'd made it clear that she had to go, he hadn't tried to change her mind. He'd cared enough about her to let her go. He'd allowed her wings, and she'd known that he hoped eventually those wings would bring her back to him.

She sat on the edge of the bed and stared at the telephone. It was after ten here in New Mexico, which meant it was after midnight in Florida. Too late to call him, she thought, even as her hand reached out for the phone receiver.

She didn't realize she'd memorized his number until she punched it in. She held the receiver tight against her ear as she waited for him to answer.

It was possible that the words he'd spoken to her had been spoken in the heat of the moment, with the adrenaline of Jonas's escape still rushing through him. It was possible now that he no longer needed her to put Jonas behind bars, that he would realize he hadn't meant what he'd said.

If that were the case, she would survive. She had learned in the past couple of days that she could survive many things and, if she had to, she would survive the loss of Nick.

His deep voice filled the line. "h.e.l.lo?"

She gripped the receiver even tighter, surprised by the depth of emotion that swept through her at the sound of his voice. "Nick? It's me. I know it's late..."

"Lynn. I've been hoping you'd call. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. I'm not sure why I called."

"Because you miss me?"

She smiled, her heart warming. "Yes, because I miss you."

"I miss you, too."

"Has Jonas been arrested? Did they find him?" This wasn't why she'd called him, wasn't really what she wanted to hear from him.

"So far he's managed to elude us, but that's not important right now. What's important is that you know that my bed isn't the only lonely place right now. My life is lonely without you in it."

She gripped the receiver so tightly she was afraid she might shatter it. This was what she had wanted to hear.

"I don't know any more now than I did this morning. I don't know when I'll be back to Miami or when I'll see you again."

"Lynn, honey, I don't know what demons are chasing you, but you slay them, then you come back to me."

She closed her eyes, her love for him filling her up. "Thank you, Nick. For believing in me."

"I told you, you're an amazing woman. I'm a patient man, Lynnette, when it comes to things that matter to me. You matter. I'll wait."

In those simple words Lynn knew whatever her future held, it definitely included Nick.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR.

Carla Ca.s.sidy.

Carla Ca.s.sidy is an award-winning author who has written more than 55 books. In 1995 she won Best Silhouette Romance of 1995 from Romantic Times Magazine for Anything for Danny. In 1998 she also won a Career Achievement Award from Romantic Times Magazine for Best Innovative Series, and her 1998 release, Pregnant With His Child, was both a nominee for Best Silhouette Romance from Romantic Times Magazine and a RITA nominee in the Best Traditional category.

She has been a professional cheerleader, an actress, and a singer/dancer in a show band before settling into her true love...writing.

Carla loves to order items she'll never use from catalogs and believes all exercise should be banned. She lives in the Midwest with her husband, Frank, and their dogs, Sabra and Spooky. She believes the only thing better than reading a good book is creating a good story.

end.