Free My Spy by Christina Skye Page A

sensed it was all she would get. Sighing, she bent closer, massaging his back. “Always fighting,” she muttered.
    “Like I said, it's what I do best.” His hand rose, cupping her hip through her cotton nightgown. “
Almost
the best.” There was a faint curve to his lips.
    Annie stiffened. Did he expect personal services along with the therapy?
    She looked down, ready to set him straight. “There's another rule you should know about.” She caught his hand and set it on the bed, but the second she let go, he moved it back. “Sorry, but this one's nonnegotiable.”
    No answer.
    “Sam?”
    His hand opened, and his breath came low and regular. He was already asleep.

    I ZZY FOUND HER AT THE KITCHEN TABLE TWENTY MINUTES LATER, picking glass splinters out of her feet.
    “I saw the light,” he explained when she waved him inside. “What happened?”
    “Sam woke up. I finally got him settled and changed the dressing at his shoulder.”
    Izzy frowned at her feet. “Looks as if you had a tussle in the process.”
    Wincing, Annie drew out a particularly nasty sliver of glass. “I heard a noise and I raced to his room. By the time I realized he'd knocked over and broken a glass, it was too late to put on slippers.” She dropped another sliver into the saucer beside her. “Do you think this qualifies me for hazardous-duty pay?”
    “I wouldn't hold out hope. Your resort fees aren't exactly cut-rate.” Izzy pointed to her heel. “Need some help with that?”
    “I'm almost done.”
    “In that case I'll take a look at our hero before I shove off.”
    When Izzy returned, he looked at Annie curiously. “The man's dead to the world. Pain pills?”
    “He agreed to take half.”
    “Whatever your secret is, keep it up.” He watched Annie position a bandage over her right heel. “How was he when he woke up?”
    “Definitely disoriented. Very determined to push himself.”
    “That figures. Did he say anything else?”
    Annie pressed a bandage on her other foot, then sat down. “He mentioned having a recurrent dream, something about being on a road and hearing a noise behind him, but not being able to see what it was. He was lucid enough to describe the dream, but he's afraid he's missing something.” Annie frowned. “Whatever it is, it feels darned important to him.”
    Izzy drummed lightly on the table.
    Annie waited, trying to read his face. “Was there a project he was working on, something that he left hanging?”
    “If there was, the Navy didn't give me any details.”
    “Maybe you need to find out. Something's gnawing at him, and eventually he's going to need answers.” She glanced at the clock and stood up. “I didn't realize it was so late.” She suppressed a yawn.
    “You want me to take a shift here? I can bunk on the couch in Sam's bedroom.”
    “No, I'll finish out the night.” Annie felt intensely protective about Sam, though she didn't want to explore the reasons why.
    “In that case, I'll come by at seven. Anything big happening tomorrow?”
    “Things should be fairly quiet since most of our regular guests are gone. My major headache is the new cedar whirlpools, which don't heat properly. The company is sending a troubleshooter to check out the problem.”
    “You want me to handle that for you?”
    Annie nodded, only too glad to leave the problem to Izzy. If he fixed her computer, he could probably fix a whirlpool, andshe was getting tired of fighting a battle to make the manufacturer take responsibility. “Next on my list is trying out some new mud wraps. Care to volunteer?” She had to laugh at his instant expression of distaste. “What, not interested?”
    “I'll definitely pass on
that
assignment.”
    “Your pores will never forgive you.” She grimaced as she walked him to the door. “I guess I won't be running for a few days.”
    “Just as well. I can't watch Sam and tag along with you at the same time.”
    “Are you saying I can't run alone while Sam is here?”
    “Only the