Meant to Be (13 page)

Rad stared grimly at the building, but
made no comment other than to give her hand a reassuring
squeeze.

When they stopped in front of the
entrance, Lauren longed for a way to control her heart because it
felt like it was going to pound itself right out of her chest. Not
knowing what to say or do next, she stood there awkwardly until Rad
pulled her gently toward him, his steady gaze searching hers in
silent expectation.

“
I’m an old-fashioned
girl,” she said half-jokingly. “I don’t kiss on the first
date.”

“
I kind of figured that.”
He did not release his hold, but the expression in his eyes was
soothing in its assurance and power of restraint. “The average date
is about two and a half or three hours tops.”

“
Yeah?” She studied him
questioningly and found his expression so intense and galvanizing,
it sent a tremor through her.

“
And we’ve spent
twenty-some hours together.”

“
So?” She still didn’t
know where he was going with his reasoning.

“
So the way I figure it,
we’re well past our sixth or seventh date.”

Lauren smiled. “Oh, I see your point.”
It took only another second for her to decide that this was one of
those times when the present moment was worth anything that might
catch up to her in the future. She had never intended to feel this
attraction, but it was too late to stop it now. “In that case, I
guess you have some making up to do.”

Without giving her a chance to change
her mind, Rad put a strong arm around her waist and pulled her even
tighter, enfolding her securely into the circle of his arms. She
could feel the heat of his body course through the entire length of
hers as he lowered his lips, first in a soft, searching, gentle
kiss, and then with more passion and need.

Lauren was shocked by her own response
to his embrace. She had planned to resist anything more than a
goodnight kiss, but his masterful touch melted her resolve. She
clung to him, feeling the tight cord of muscles in his back and the
strength of his powerful arms surrounding her. Every inch of him
was solid and strong, like a mountain made of granite, yet his kiss
was tender and loving, leaving her breathless and trembling and
confused.

At last she pulled away. “Damn. This
is all your fault.”

Rad blinked and eyed her curiously,
swiping a stray strand of hair from her face. “What’s all my
fault?”

“
You made me have a good
time today.” She stared into his eyes and then looked away, not
wanting to risk getting lost in his gaze. “And now I have to
leave.”

He smiled. “Do you regret
it?”

“
Only the leaving part,”
she said, dejectedly.

“
Well, I’ll take the
credit for making you have a good time, but you’ll have to take the
blame for leaving.”

“
I don’t have much choice
in the matter.”

“
There’s always a choice.”
He pulled her back against him, his touch firm and
persuasive.

Lauren laid her head against his
chest. “Why did you have to be so stubborn and obstinate and not
take no for an answer?”

“
Honey, if I had taken no
for an answer, you would be sound asleep in your bed right now and
wouldn’t have half the memories to take with you.”

She half-nodded in agreement and then
gazed up at him. “Actually, I’d probably be up and packed.” She
glanced toward the hotel. “I really gotta go.”

“
Well, wait a second.” He
dug through his pocket. “I hope you don’t mind. I got you something
for our anniversary.”

Lauren cocked her head. “Our
anniversary?”

Rad nodded to something over her
shoulder, so she turned around and saw the faint glow of the
sunrise. “Don’t tell me you forgot our anniversary. I met you
exactly twenty-four hours ago.”

Lauren turned back with a smile on her
face and noticed he was holding a small red object in his hand.
“It’s not much, but I hope it will keep you from
forgetting.”

She took the small Scopes key chain
and stared through the hole at the tiny piece of her life frozen in
time. In the image, snapped by the photographer on the beach, Rad
was standing behind her with his arms wrapped around her
waist.

“
Hope you’re not
mad.”

“
I
thought you had it deleted.” She didn’t stop looking at the photo
of the two of them together. She had never seen a picture of
herself smiling like that.
Ever
.

She tore her gaze away from the image.
“I don’t like my picture being on file.”

“
I made sure they deleted
it—after they made this. Took care of it myself when I went to get
beer.”

Lauren stared at it again and
sighed.

“
You’re smiling.” He
nodded toward the key chain. “Something I hope to see a lot more
of.”

Thinking of how slim the chances were
of that becoming a reality brought a frown to Lauren’s face. “Yeah.
Well, thanks. That’s really nice.”

Remembering her own gift, she pulled
it out of her pocket. “Here. Funny. I got you something for our
anniversary too.”

“
You did?” He spoke with
childlike enthusiasm as she handed him the tiny bottle she had
purchased the previous morning. “What is it?”

“
It’s a little bottle.
It’s got Ocean City sand in it, and I filled it clear up to the top
with today’s beach air.” Lauren looked down, suddenly shy. “So, I
guess you could say it’s time in a bottle.”

She thought she saw his hand tremble,
which was in stark contrast to his unwavering eyes as he gazed at
her. “I’ll never forget this day as long as I live,
Lauren.”

Normally he had a calm, quiet
unassuming manner and eyes that concealed rather than revealed. But
Lauren had no trouble reading the yearning and devotion in them
now.

His attention finally dropped back
down to the bottle again. “Looks like there’s a piece of paper in
there too.” He shook it and turned the bottle, holding it up to the
dim light. “With a number.” Then his eyes met hers as his mind
grasped what it was.

“
Yeah. It’s my number. You
won.”

Lauren had not intended to give him
her number, but when Wynn had kept Rad busy, and she’d been able to
find something to write on, she’d chalked it up to fate. Why else
would she have bought that bottle this morning and then stuck it in
her jeans when she’d changed clothes? It just seemed like it was
meant to be.

Rad’s lips curled into a half-cocked
grin as he took her back into his arms. “Yes, I definitely won,” he
whispered in her ear.

“
I can’t promise you’ll
reach me with that.” She pulled away. “It’s a sat phone, but still,
like I said, I—”

“
Yeah, I got it.” His
smile was contagious. “It’ll be a week or two until I get settled
in and can use it, just so you know.”

Lauren nodded and took a deep breath,
knowing she had to be the one to turn and walk away.

“
Oh, I almost forgot.” She
started to take off his shirt. As well-worn and comfortable as it
was, she knew it must be one of his favorites.

“
No. Keep it.” He stopped
her. “You can give it back next time I see you.”

How generous and thoughtful
he is
, went through her mind as she gazed
up at him. And how comforting it would be to have him in her life,
strong and in control—and always there.

Lauren found herself
blinking back tears when she thought about where she was going and
what she faced. “Okay. If you say so,” she said, even though it did
not seem possible to her that she would ever be coming back.
Why does he have to make this so hard?

Rad pulled her into his arms again and
kissed her slowly, sensually, as if he had all the time in the
world and wanted to remember every detail. And then he stopped, but
held her even tighter, seemingly to emphasize to her what she would
be missing when she eventually turned and walked away. The feel of
his embrace, the comfort and security it provided, was almost
unbearable in its intimacy. Lauren’s emotions whirled and skidded
as she tried to resist the feelings that coursed through
her.

But the tangible bond between them was
too compelling to try to fight it. Lauren remained riveted to the
spot, enjoying the feel of his heartbeat throbbing against hers
with a similar erratic tempo. She knew her feelings for him had
nothing to do with reason because she was incapable of logical
thought. How could she think reasonably and rationally when all she
wanted to do was feel like this forever? Who would have guessed
that this raw emotion coursing through her—both exhilarating and
terrifying in its intensity—would leave her breathless and wanting
more?

As emotions continued to roll over her
in one euphoric wave after another, Lauren remained silent and
still, breathing in the scent of him and trying to memorize the
feel of him. That’s when it hit her that she, Lauren Cantrell, was
standing on the Boardwalk with her arms wrapped passionately around
the neck of a man she had just met this morning. No, actually
yesterday morning, she told herself, as if that made all the
difference in the world. And then she decided it didn’t really
matter when she had met him—because she knew she would never forget
him.

Lauren took a deep breath and then
reluctantly pulled away. “I gotta go. Goodbye, Rad.” She turned to
leave, then hesitated and turned back around as she remembered the
fortune-teller’s prediction.

“
Miss me already?” he
teased.

She smiled. “Yes, and I want you to
know…to understand.” She stopped and bit her lip. “That no matter
what happens in the future, I had a really good time
today.”

He put her face in his hands. “So did
I.”

She looked down. “That’s
all.”

“
See ya, Lauren,” he said
as she started to walk away. “And don’t forget.”

She turned her head around and eyed
him quizzically. “Forget what?”

“
There’s no place like
home.”

“While all secrecy requires deception, not
all secrets are meant to deceive.”

—
Sissela Bok

Chapter 11

Rad tried to get
comfortable in the cargo hold of the C-130. He’d popped two Ambiens
for the long plane ride even though he knew his body should be able
to rest without them. But even with so little sleep and the pills,
his mind raced with images of the previous day and night. He wanted
it to stop—but he didn’t want to forget a thing—so he just closed
his eyes and tried to memorize every detail.

“
You thinking about
what’s-her-name at the beach—Lauren?”

Rad opened his eyes and looked over at
Wynn, who was staring at him with a serious expression.”

“
Why?”

“’
Cause you’re smiling
like a damn love-sick schoolboy, that’s why.”

He shrugged. “Maybe.”

Wynn moved closer and talked in a
whispered voice, trying not to disturb the others who were
attempting to relax and rest. “How long have you known her anyway?
I never heard you talk about her before.”

Rad glanced at his watch. “Hmm,
thirty-some hours now.”

“
You got to be fucking
kidding me.” Wynn’s voice grew loud, which caused a few grumbles
around the plane, so he whispered again. “You two seemed like old
friends.”

Rad leaned back and closed his eyes
again. “I know. Kind of crazy, but it felt like we
were.”

“
You get her
number?”

Rad smiled and nodded but didn’t
bother to open his eyes.

“
Da-a-a-mn, man,” Wynn
said. “You’re good.”

“
Good… or lucky, I guess.”
Rad never had any trouble attracting women, which was why he was
known by the guys as the “babe magnet” when they went to bars. He
found this natural magnetism to be an annoyance and a curse. His
buddies called him the luckiest sonofabitch alive.

But Lauren stood out in stark contrast
to the women who usually accosted him. Rad wondered if she thought
he was crazy, or worse yet, a stalker. Heck, he probably would have
if he were in her shoes. He’d never acted like that with a woman,
and he wasn’t sure why he’d been so bold—or trusting for that
matter—with her.

One thing for sure. She wasn’t like
most women he’d met. She was distant and reserved, yet at the same
time, down-to-earth and real. For some reason he found her detached
and distrustful personality intriguing. He had felt an instant
chemistry the moment he’d laid eyes on her, but had no idea if the
feeling was mutual. Much as she thought he could read her mind,
he’d found her extremely difficult to assess.

Rad continued to replay the events of
the day in his mind like a mini-motion picture. He had not taken
his eyes off her from the first moment he’d noticed the
long-legged, slender form standing at the water’s edge. The lone
figure had appeared as just a dark shadow when he was still some
distance away, but as he’d drawn closer, the graceful frame and
athletic stance had come into focus.