Woman of Innocence Read online

  “Humph. I’ve got to have a soft head to think he’d agree to it. I’m going to have to do a helluva lotta talking to get him, Laura. He’s thirty years old and he will not like baby-sitting a rookie. Hell, Jenny isn’t even that.” Running his fingers through his black hair, he grimaced.

  “Matt knows Spanish. And this is a Spanish-speaking mission,” she reminded him. “And Jenny knows Spanish. She won’t be a problem. Besides, she plans all the missions with you and Mike Houston. Just because she hasn’t spent any real time on a mission, she knows how they work. I think if you tell Matt why, he’ll gracefully capitulate and do it.”

  “I’m not so sure….” Morgan wasn’t. “Grace is not his middle name.”

  “More than anything,” Laura said, “please don’t let Jenny think this isn’t an important mission. Let her think that she’s really contributing—that she’s the best person for the job.”

  “I can’t let Jenny think we’ll do this again, Laura. She’s not qualified and trained in military maneuvers.”

  Holding up her hand, Laura said, “I agree. Tell her that it’s her birthday and that you felt she could handle this mission. You can make it perfectly clear that there will never be another. I really think that if Matt gives her a taste of a real mission, without the danger being there, she’ll quickly lose that romantic veneer she’s put on mercs and missions in the future. Maybe she needs to go on a mission, experience it, simply to help her to understand the rigors and stresses on our people. It could help her be a better assistant as she plans these missions with you and Mike.”

  Nodding, Morgan muttered, “You’ve got sound arguments. Maybe we should put her on a safe mission. I could suggest to Matt to ham it up a little for her benefit. Level ones are usually boring as hell to a merc.”

  Laura sighed. “You’ve got the right idea, Morgan. I feel this will work out to everyone’s advantage. Jenny will fulfill her dream. You’ll get an assistant back that understands mission planning more fully.”

  Chuckling, Morgan said, “Matt’s the only one who isn’t going to benefit from this trip.”

  “Mmm,” Laura murmured as she moved into Morgan’s arms, “Matt’s a big boy. Somehow, I think he’ll roll with the situation. Jenny is cute. And she’s no dummy. He’ll find out very quickly just how smart and resourceful she is.”

  Morgan smiled, pressing his wife closer to him. As she leaned down, rubbing like a feline against him, he murmured, “Let’s set business aside now, shall we?”

  Laura laughed gently and placed her lips against his smiling ones. “I like waking you at 2:00 a.m. in the morning, Trayhern….”

  As her lips glided against his, he felt her smiling. Her body was warm and sensuous as he wrapped his arms around her. “Yeah,” he growled, “no interruptions…”

  “No phones, no faxes…”

  “No children coming in and needing something…”

  Sighing, Laura whispered, “Just the two of us…. Let’s take advantage of it, shall we, darling?”

  “I need a special favor from you, Matt. Have a seat.” Morgan gestured to the leather wing chair that sat at one corner of his massive bird’s-eye maple desk in his private office within the Perseus complex. The merc, Matt Davis, assessed him critically with storm-gray eyes as he sat down.

  “A favor?”

  The door to Morgan’s office opened, interrupting the two men. Jenny came in, bearing a silver tray with coffee, cream, sugar and those delectable Krispy Kreme doughnuts. They were Morgan’s downfall. Luckily, Jenny had put only two on the tray—one for each of the men. Laura had given her strict instructions not to serve the usual half dozen anymore, or Morgan would eat more than his fair share.

  “Come in, Jenny,” he murmured. “You can set the tray on the desk here.”

  Matt rubbed his eyes tiredly. The little blond-haired assistant gave him a cheery good-morning smile, as she had when she’d let him in to see Morgan for his appointment. Her blue eyes sparkled with such life. She brushed by him and he caught the scent of a very faint fragrance; maybe lilacs? He dismissed his distracting thought. Right now, all he wanted was a week or two off and some deep, sound sleep. Still, those large, expressive blue eyes of hers got to him. They reached inside of his armored heart and touched him as if he had no defenses in place. Damn. How could that be? She was all of maybe five foot two inches, and probably weighed a hundred pounds soaking wet. She was built like a bird, Matt thought, and she looked fragile. Like she might break if someone glared at her or said a bad word in her presence. Yet she was all bubbly, light effervescence. Sunshine in their dark hole of a business, he mused. Maybe that’s why Morgan had hired her: she brought light to the murky world they lived in. Matt couldn’t blame him. Jenny was attractive without being a raving beauty. It was her eyes and that constant, soft smile on her full mouth that were her greatest attributes.

  “Thank you, Jenny,” Morgan murmured as she was about to pour coffee into the delicate white china cups. “We’ll do it.”

  “Sure…” Jenny nodded and turned. As she did, the toe of her sensible brown loafer caught the scarred, dirty hiking boot Matt wore.

  “Oh!” The cry tore from her lips as she staggered forward, off balance, her arms flailing outward.

  Matt saw her trip. Instantly, he was leaning forward, his arm outstretched, to grab her. He was easily able to catch her as she reeled in his direction. In seconds, her light form was in his arms, her shoulder against his chest.

  “You okay?” he asked as he righted her and sat her on her feet. Matt saw her cheeks turn red with embarrassment. Morgan had come halfway out of his chair when he saw her trip, but from where he was, he couldn’t have helped her, anyway.

  “Oh yes…sorry! I’m so sorry, Mr. Davis….” Jenny quickly leaped away from him. She nervously smoothed her tan slacks and gave Morgan a regretful look. “I’m such a klutz. I’m okay, Morgan. Really.” And she held out her hand to stop him from coming around the desk. The look on his face was one of genuine concern. She loved her boss so much. He treated her as an equal, not as some dumb, airhead blonde.

  “You sure?” Morgan asked, halting.

  “Very sure.” Flustered, she ran her fingers through her thick, short hair. “It’s just me.” Flashing Matt Davis a slight smile, she said, “Thanks for saving me from totally embarrassing myself.”

  Matt couldn’t help but smile back. She was such a sprite. More like sunlight dancing on the choppy waters of life than an ordinary woman.

  “Don’t worry about it,” he murmured, and reached for the coffee.

  “I’ll leave you now,” she said and hurried out of the room.

  Morgan picked up a Krispy Kreme doughnut. “You know, these doughnuts are the best in the world.” He eyed it like a jeweler eyeballing an expensive diamond.

  Snorting, Matt poured them coffee. “You eat ’em. I don’t need the sugar today.”

  “Humph, I don’t, either, but…Sure you don’t want the other one?”

  Davis grinned and sipped the hot, fragrant coffee. “Positive.” He patted his hard, flat belly beneath the white cotton shirt he wore.

  Morgan bit into the doughnut, a look of absolute pleasure crossing his face. “This is one of life’s little gifts,” he sighed as he enjoyed every bite. “When I heard they were going to have a Krispy Kreme come to Philipsburg, I knew I was in heaven.”

  Davis chortled a little and sat down, sprawling his six-foot-two-inch length out again, the coffee balanced between his hands. “Better you than me. If I eat bread products of any kind, I gain weight right off the bat. In our business, we don’t need that riding against us.”

  Patting his middle, Morgan said, “I’ve got about five pounds here I don’t need.”

  “Yeah, well you’re in your fifties and I’m thirty. Big difference.” Matt grinned.

  Good humored, Morgan took the second doughnut and sat down. He ate it with the same slow satisfaction as he had the first one. “This will be our secret. Laura thinks I’m getting one
a day.”

  “Our secret,” Matt agreed with a lopsided grin.

  Dusting off his hands on the white linen napkin from the tray, Morgan picked up his coffee and sauntered back around his desk. “Now,” he murmured, “I have a favor to ask of you.”

  Chapter Two

  “Happy birthday, Jenny,” Morgan called to his assistant. He looked fondly over at her as she hurried into the war room, where all assignments were handed out. Laura stood at his side, smiling.

  Jenny came to a halt in front of Morgan, who sat opposite her at the huge, oval table. Her eyes grew huge at the sight of the white frosted cake decorated with yellow roses. “A cake?” she gasped. Her hand flew to her heart when she saw the lit candles—all twenty-five of them. “You didn’t have to do this,” she said, touched. With a lump in her throat, she made a wish and blew out all the candles, while the Trayherns applauded.

  To the left of the cake was a blue folder. She recognized the file as a merc assignment. On top of it was placed a bright red-and-silver bow. What stymied her was the fact that her name was on that file. Clasping her hands in nervous anticipation, she asked, “What’s this?”

  Laura smiled fondly. “Your gift, Jenny. From all of us to you. Go on, open it.”

  She saw the smile that Morgan traded with Laura. They looked like they knew the punch line to a joke she wasn’t privy to. Anticipation wound through her. “B-but,” Jenny stammered, gesturing toward the file, “that’s a merc assignment file. Did I not file it correctly?” She took pride in her filing system and had never lost a folder yet.

  “Yes,” Morgan murmured in his deep voice, “that’s exactly what it is. And no, it’s not misfiled.”

  Giving them a confused look, Jenny slid her fingers beneath the bow, then carefully set it aside. Balancing the folder in her hand, she gave them a perplexed look. “It has my name on it. That’s not right. The merc who’s assigned this duty should have his or her name on it….”

  Morgan allowed a hint of a smile. Jenny was truly confused. “Why don’t you open it up and look at the assignment? I think a lot of your confusion will be put to rest.”

  Sitting down, Jenny placed the file in her lap and opened it. Her eyes widened. She gasped. Snapping a look up at Morgan and Laura, she whispered, “This can’t be!”

  “Why not?” Morgan demanded.

  “Why, er, I’m just an assistant to you, Morgan…for Perseus….” She stared disbelievingly at the assignment. It had her name on it as the commander in charge of the mission. Below it was another name: Matt Davis. He was second-in-command. Looking farther, she saw that the assignment was to Agua Caliente, Peru, to a top-secret military installation known as the Black Jaguar Base.

  Her heart began skipping beats as she continued to rapidly scan the information. She was being assigned to interview all volunteer candidates at the Black Jaguar Base who would want to work undercover for Perseus on an upcoming mission along the Mexican-American border. She was to lead this mission! Her! She was to interview all the pilots and then select the three she considered best qualified for the tasks. It was a level one mission, which meant there was no risk or danger to it.

  Morgan traded a warm look with Laura. He turned his attention back to Jenny, whose head was still bent over the file as she read voraciously. She nervously chewed on her full lower lip, and her thin, arched brows worked up and down as she read. She had a very open, readable face, and Morgan enjoyed watching her response.

  “Jenny, we felt that you’ve worked here long enough to undertake a safe, but very necessary mission for Perseus,” he told her in an authoritative voice. Jenny lifted her chin, her full attention on him. Morgan saw tears in her eyes. He felt Laura gently squeeze his shoulder. “We know you’ve dreamed of going on a mission rather than just sitting here behind your desk processing orders and reports. I felt that if you undertook a mission, that would help you understand your job here better. And Laura felt this was a worthy birthday gift to you. Is it?”

  Choking on tears, Jenny fought them back. Her gaze swung from Morgan’s gentle look to Laura’s proud and smiling features. She knew in her heart that Laura had engineered this. “I—I don’t know what to say….”

  “Yes will suffice.” Morgan chuckled indulgently.

  “But…how do you know I’m up for it? I mean, I’m not a trained merc. I have no experience in the military. I’ve never picked up a pistol to fire it….” She suddenly stood up, gripping the file to her chest, and her voice went off-key with anxiety. “Oh, I know I’ve told you a million times I wished for a chance to go on a mission…but I know better. I really do. I know I’m a big ’fraidy-cat, not a hero or heroine like the wonderful people you employ, Morgan. I’m a mouse. A plain, dull little mouse with absolutely no military background like your mercenaries.”

  Laura smiled gently. “Not all missions require military might, Jenny. You have a degree in psychology. We felt that you were the best qualified person for this mission. You’ve been here a year with us and you know the routine. And you’ve also met most of our employees and know the type of people we’re looking for.” Laura pointed to the folder Jenny held in a death grip against her chest. “Major Maya Stevenson has agreed to let you and your partner come down to her base and interview any interested Boeing Apache helicopter pilots who may want to take part in these upcoming missions.”

  Stymied, her heart beating hard in her chest because she’d never in a million years believed she’d be given a merc mission, Jenny said in a wobbly voice, “But, Laura, I don’t know anything about the military except what I’ve learned here. I wouldn’t know how to assess the volunteers….” She gave Laura a panicked look.

  Morgan cleared his throat. “That’s why Matt Davis has been assigned. He’s ex-Navy SEAL. He knows the military and he also knows what we’re looking for on this mission. He can help you with the type of questions you might want to pose to the volunteers, as well as guide you in your selection. Of course, you are the team leader and he’s your assistant. In the end, your judgment, your choices, are the ones we’ll go with.”

  “Oh dear…” Jenny quickly sat down before she fell down from the shock of it all. What a birthday gift! Going on a merc mission. It was one of those silly, idealistic dreams she held secret within her heart, one she never believed would come true. Shaking her head, she muttered more to herself than to them, “All my life, I’ve dreamed of doing something heroic…something that would help others….”

  “We felt you deserved this opportunity,” Morgan said genially. He grinned as Jenny looked over at him. Her large blue eyes were huge with shock and wonder. “Will you accept your birthday gift so we can get on with cutting the cake?”

  Laughing breathlessly, Jenny leaped from the chair. “Of course. Wow! I’m in shock. I mean, I really am! I never dreamed of this…oh, I mean I did, but I never thought my dream would come true.” And she smiled bashfully at them. Putting the file aside, she picked up the serving knife and pulled a white china plate with gold trim from the stack at her elbow.

  Chuckling, Morgan said, “You’ve earned the chance, Jenny. And you can cut me an extra large piece, please.”

  “Morgan,” Laura warned lightly, “you’re trying to watch your waistline, darling. Remember?”

  Giving the white frosted cake a fond look, he said, “Just a little larger than usual? Chocolate cake is my favorite.”

  With a short laugh, Jenny sliced him a large piece. Dropping it onto the plate, she said, “Listen, you deserve a big piece for giving me this chance. I promise you I won’t let you down—I really won’t.”

  And yet, as she cut Laura a much thinner slice of the cake at her request, Jenny was already feeling deep angst. Could she do this? How? She’d never done anything like it before. Yet there wasn’t a day that went by when she didn’t yearn, heart and soul, to take off on a mission with a merc.

  Oh, she had such fantasies! Most of the male mercs were young, in their twenties, and they were such good-looking men! Jenny, bei
ng single, had a tough time not staring boldly at them like a dog slavering over a nice, big, juicy T-bone steak at times. It took everything she had to keep her eyes on her work, remain professional and not stare like a love-struck teenager at some of the handsome hunks who came through the office.

  Her respect and admiration for the women mercs, all of whom had come from the military, was equally high. They were all so poised, and confidence radiated from them like strong rays from the sun. How many times had Jenny ached to have an ounce of their self-assurance and poise? In comparison, she saw herself as little more than a scared mouse underfoot. They were all intelligent, too. She knew because she often, in her spare moments, pored over their résumés. The names of the colleges, universities and military academies, were a stunning tribute. Most had graduated from the top ten schools in the United States—a fact that made Jenny that much more respectful and admiring of them. And unlike her, these women were not afraid of anything. They were simply amazing, and Jenny wished many times she had just a little of their courage, their heroism, the guts and brains they had that made their missions successful.

  As she cut several more pieces of the cake, she felt her foundation shifting beneath her like quicksand. And yet she had to look strong and appear as if she could pull off this mission. Above all, she couldn’t disappoint Morgan. Or Laura, who often patted her on the shoulder and told her how much she was like the women mercs who came through their office. Jenny couldn’t see any comparison. What did Laura see in her that she didn’t see in herself?

  Biting her lower lip, she looked up. Morgan was already digging gingerly into his piece of cake. Laura had sat down next to him and was spreading a linen napkin across her lap.

  “Would you like me to distribute the cake to the rest of the office?” Jenny asked.

  Morgan shook his head. “No, you just sit down and enjoy your cake with us. I’m going to ask Roy to come in and do that. Today is your day, Jenny. Besides, you’re no longer my assistant. You’re a merc on a mission now.”