Free A Question of Honor by Lindsay McKenna Page A

silently stared up at him. Noah gave her stability, and something more. “Wh-what time is it?”
    “Almost 9:00 p.m.”
    “Nine?” Her eyes widened and she struggled into a sitting position. It dawned on her that she was wearing a revealing gown with a low-cut neck, and heat rushed into her cheeks. What was he doing in her bedroom? And then, with a pang, Kit realized she hadn’t shut the door, so how could he knock and announce his presence? She pulled her knees upward. Sudden shyness gripped her when she saw the undisguised hunger in his eyes.
    Noah placed himself in check. Gone were all of Kit’s defenses. She sat shyly before him like a child-woman just awakening from a wonderful dream. Grimly he forced himself to step away from the bed.
    “I wanted you to get something to eat before we tucked you in for a good night’s sleep,” he told her, his voice gruff.
    “‘We’?” Kit asked, her voice husky.
    Noah gestured to the foot of the bed. “The cats slept with you.”
    Kit laughed. It was a clear, uninhibited laugh, straight from her heart. And the rich sound coming from her filled her with an inexplicable joy. Her eyes crinkled as she met Noah’s green gaze. “I don’t believe this, Noah. I feel as if I’m in some kind of dream. Your animals are like little guardians.” Her smile died on her lips as she searched his shadowed face.
    “You’re coming out of a five-year tunnel of darkness.”
    “I’m just beginning to realize how badly I buried myself in my work. You’re right. It was a horrible tunnel.”
    “Life doesn’t have to be a dark, moody scene, Kit. There can be light and laughter in this crazy-quilt world of ours.” He managed a smile. “There can be light even in the worst sort of darkness.”
    Kit shut her eyes and turned her head away. “At first I thought you were just like Pete.”
    Noah shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans. “Oh?” What she thought of him meant more than he cared to admit.
    Kit rested her cheek against her drawn-up knees and stared blankly at the wall. “You’re driven just as he was. And you have something to prove because of your family tragedy. Pete was always striving to prove he was better than anyone else. His work was his entire life.” Releasing a broken sigh, Kit raised her head and gazed up at Noah. “Maybe I’m wrong about you to a degree. This house is lived in and cared for. All the plants are healthy and trimmed. I noticed you had a bunch of seedlings on the windowsill in the kitchen…. Your officer image doesn’t fit the Noah Trayhern who lives in this house.”
    Relieve to hear she didn’t think he was another Pete Collins, Noah grinned. “Don’t take my officer image too lightly. Remember, I come from a family with a two-hundred-year tradition of military service.”
    Although hungry for information about him, Kit quelled her curiosity. Even in the shadows, Noah had a kind face when he allowed that officer’s mask to slip. The man who stood relaxed in front of her was her boss. Kit couldn’t still the suffused happiness that surfaced unexpectedly within her. “Let me put my robe on, and I’ll join you in a few minutes,” she promised.

Chapter Five
    K it shuffled into the kitchen. Hands thrust deeply into the blue velour pockets of her robe, she stood uncertainly at the entrance. Noah had just placed a seafood salad at the table, and he motioned for her to come and sit down.
    He saw a smile light her eyes, erasing the tension around her mouth. “Come on in,” he invited.
    “Somehow,” Kit commented, sitting down and picking up the royal blue linen napkin, “I think I’ve got the better end of our deal. This is more than a safe house. This salad looks pretty good.”
    Pouring her some coffee, Noah sat down opposite her. Funny, how Kit made the house feel warm and comfortable with her quiet presence. “My mother made all three of us kids learn how to cook,” he noted wryly.
    Smiling, Kit picked up the fork. Suddenly