“What will you do when your family finds out that you’re working with me? It will come out eventually. My missions aren’t secret from the VIA and they’re not secret from Marcello.”
His hand tightened lightly on her cheek, then he let go. “Does that mean you don’t mind having me around?”
“I never mind having you around, no matter the situation.”
He kissed her. “I’m glad. As for my family, I have a pretty good idea how they’ll act. Marcello will get pissed off and threaten me in all kinds of fun ways, my parents and siblings will be pissed and also threaten me some more, and the Navy…well, they know what I’m doing and that I’m not exactly reporting it, so there will likely be some repercussions there, too. In the end, though, my family is just worried about me and they’ll get over it after the first shock has passed. They just need to realize I may be the youngest of the family, but I’m not a kid anymore.”
She didn’t know his family, but she did know him, so she trusted his assessment of the situation. Yet she had to ask one of the other questions swirling in her head, even though she wasn’t sure she wanted the answer. “What about me? What will your family do when they find out about me?”
He was silent for a second, and her heart started beating faster as the worry flowed through her.
“I don’t know. It would be one thing for me to date an actress, another to date an agent, yet another to date an agent thatIbecame an agent to work with. In the interest of full honesty, I don’t know if they will accept you right away. But you should know that whatever they decide at the beginning, they’ll come around. You make me happy, and that’s all that will matter to them in the end.”
Though his words filled her with hope, she couldn’t let them sink in yet. “My job won’t be done for years yet, Ethan. Once Envision invites me in—something I’m sure they’ll do at some point if my acting star keeps rising—I’m there until the end, whatever end that is. If you’re there, you’ll be stuck there with me. Is that something you’re honestly willing to do?”
“For you? Yes. Don’t doubt me when it comes to you, my Anda. You’re coming to mean everything to me.”
She tried to push him away again, just one more chance for him to let go. “We may not even work well together. You may have started all this for no good reason.”
He brushed her hair back and leaned down to give her a kiss between her brows. “When it comes to you, there’s always a good reason. I’m with you, my Anda. Always.”
His love was like a lovely light scorching through her, consuming her, drowning her in all that was good and decent.
They reached for each other at the same time, her hands curving into his hair, his gently curling around her shoulders, their lips barely touching…
…when the med bay phone rang.
He stared at her for a few moments and through two more rings before he let go and went to answer it. Since they were locked inside the bay, it might have been the Admiral and Ethan could never ignore that call.
“This is Doctor Santoro… I see… Yes, of course.” He glanced back at her during a pause in the conversation and then looked away when it picked up again. “Marcello?”
Shit!
She scrambled to sit straighter in bed. Was he calling about her? He would have known about her mission and its location, but did he suspect something else since she was once again on Ethan’s ship?
“Oh my God.” Ethan froze, his entire body still as a statue, not breathing for three seconds before he started shouting out questions. “When?… This morning! Why didn’t you call me?… Fuck the blackout! You know you could have reached me faster than this… What the fuck! Papa and now Arianna, too?… I’m on a fucking ship, what do you expect me to do right now?”
Something was horribly wrong.
She eased out of bed, wincing the first time she tried to put weight on her injured leg. Ethan, consumed by his call and worrying his fingers through his hair and pacing, wasn’t paying her any attention.
“It’ll be hours before we’re near Masillia… No, I can’t. I’ve got a patient on board that I can’t leave. I have to get them settled on land first.” Now he did look over, then jerked at the sight of her on her feet.
He shook his head, but she continued to hobble towards him, using the wall and different furniture for support as she did. When she reached him, she put a hand to his cheek and the other to his heart.
He sighed and leaned into her. “Where do you want me?… My decision? How the fuck do you expect me to choose between my father and my sister?”
He brought her in closer and took a deep breath. “All right. Fuck. Alex wants what?… Okay. I’ll visit Papa first, then I’ll head to Arianna… Shit! I’ve got to go. I need to talk to the Admiral and get leave… You already did? Thanks, man. How’s Mama? Everyone?… Mmmhmm… Mmmhmm… The wedding?”
Ethan wove his fingers through her hair as he continued talking; she sensed it was calming him because his heart was slowing down now, that initial rush of adrenaline fading.
“All right. I’ll let you know once I’m on my way. Thanks, Marcello. Love to everyone.”
He hung up and pulled her in close, then picked her up in a bridal hold and carried her back to bed.
“What happened?”
He checked her leg then tucked her in. “My father’s had a heart attack, and my sister, who’s pregnant with the potential heir to Brazenbourg’s throne, was also rushed to the hospital with complications.”
