Which was outstanding news for them. If the Ghost were operating in a two- or three-minute window to get in and get out, they reasoned he’d have to eschew fancy circus maneuvers and just make a fast grab at the painting in question. Which also meant they stood a decent chance of nabbing the guy.
Jeff was exultant. Finally, the setup he’d been waiting for to move in and catch this bastard.
Ideally, they’d be inside the mansion for this stakeout, but the Bajan police didn’t trust them that much, flirting or no. And frankly, neither he nor Kat wanted the exposure to suspicion if something went wrong and the Ghost got away. In that event, they’d be left as the only people known to have been inside the house when the painting went missing.
The painting was one of Turner’s smaller landscapes, a brilliant piece. If Jeff were an art collector with ten million bucks burning a hole in his pocket, he’d snap it up in a heartbeat. The art catalog Viper had sent them raved about the piece, claiming it was one of the finest privately owned landscapes in the world. Oh yeah. Their greedy collector wouldn’t be able to resist this tasty morsel.
Jeff retired to take a nap before the night’s festivities began. He slept restlessly, dreaming of dark eyes and ivory skin and silky black hair falling down around him. That girl was a fever in his blood. He thought about her constantly, and none of his thoughts were platonic in nature. How in hell he was going to keep his hands off her for days or weeks to come, he hadn’t the faintest idea. And he suspected this torturous itch would get a whole lot worse before it got better. He wanted her worse than any woman he’d ever laid eyes on.
When he finally got up and went out into the living room, he was startled by the sight that greeted him. Kat had pushed all the furniture back to the walls, and was in the midst of performing a complex and insanely difficult martial arts routine. Oh, Lord. And now he had these images to add to his fantasies of her. The thought of what they could do with a few of her contortions plumb stole his breath away.
He didn’t know whether to be grateful or dismayed when she caught sight of him and froze. He mumbled, “Don’t stop on my account.”
“It’s okay. I just needed to clear my mind.”
He nodded in understanding. “Sweat does wonders for my thought processes, too.” He moved over to the sofa, which was now tucked underneath the window, and flopped down on it. “What style of martial art was that you were practicing?”
“It’s a hybrid form. Part judo. Part kung fu. Part…other stuff.”
“What other stuff?”
She frowned. “Just stuff Hidoshi-san showed me. I don’t know where he got it from.”
“Liar.”
He said the word so calmly it seemed to take Kat a moment to register it. Then she whirled to face him, staring.
He explained, “You’ve studied your whole life, or darned near all of it, to have achieved your level of proficiency. You’re not some casual hobbyist, you’re a martial arts master. And every practitioner with your level of dedication knows the pedigree and sources of his art back as far as it goes.”
“You overestimate my skill.”
“My dear, I think not only I, but also the United States government, have grossly underestimated your skill. Do General Wittenauer or your teammates have any idea what you can really do?”
“Why do you ask such a thing?” she asked sharply.
“Because if anybody knew what you’re capable of, you’d be famous in the Spec Ops community. Hell, you’d be a legend.”
Something approaching panic flitted across her face. “Nobody must know,” she choked out.
“Why not? Why not shout to the heavens about your abilities? Do you have any idea the things you could do for our country?”
Panic flashed openly in her gaze now.
“My vow-” She broke off.
“What vow?”
She shook her head quickly. “I mustn’t speak of it.”
“Let me guess. Hidoshi-san taught you the ancient family fighting form. You’re sworn to silence and mustn’t ever reveal the family secrets.”
“Close enough,” she replied reluctantly.
“And it’s only to be shared with blood relatives.”
That caused a pained look to cross her face, but she made no reply.
“Your secret’s safe with me, darlin’. After all, we’re practically family already. Once we’re married, will you be able to teach it to me? I’d love to learn some of what you can do.”
She burst out, “Will you stop talking like that?”
He surged to his feet and closed the space between them quickly. “I’m serious, Kat. I want you and I’m going to have you. I’ve never met another woman like you. Cupid’s Bolt or not, I’d still go after you full bore.”
She stared up at him in wide-eyed disbelief.
Irritation flooded through him. “What’s so damn hard to believe about that?”
She just shook her head.
Throwing caution to the winds, he grabbed her shoulders in both hands. Thankfully, she didn’t toss him to the floor. He asked low and furiously, “Why won’t you believe me?”
“I don’t…I can’t…”
“Can’t what? Can’t talk to me? Can’t tell me how you feel or what you’re thinking? Can’t-or won’t, Kat? I’m sick to death of this strong, silent act of yours.”
Her mouth quirked wryly. “I thought that was usually the girl’s line.”
“Hah. You’re the ninja in this relationship.”
Kat went completely still. Horror flowed through her and into his hands. What the-
He burst out, “Oh, God. A ninja? Is that what your grandfather trained you to be?” It made perfect sense. The acrobatic things he’d seen her do…the amazing fighting skills…the crazy climbing ability…He swore again under his breath.
It was her turn to grab him by the arms. “Nobody must know, Jeff. Nobody.”
“Why not? My God, think of the training you could give our Special Forces-”
“But that’s the point. That’s not how it’s done. I can’t pick and choose cool pieces of the Way and share them with outsiders. There’s a code…consequences.”
He studied her intently. “You’re really worried about this. Is there some super-secret ninja society that’ll come and get you if you give away their secrets?”
Momentary humor flickered in her eyes. “No, nothing like that. But I took a solemn vow. I can’t break it. It would dishonor Hidoshi-san’s memory.” She threw up her hands. “I know to a Westerner that sounds completely lame. But it’s a big deal to me.”
He captured her restless hands and drew them against his chest. “It doesn’t sound lame to me. Hey, I’m a soldier, too. Honor counts in my world. Promises matter to me. I get it.”
She blinked up at him, suddenly still. “Do you mean that?”
He frowned. “Yes, I mean it. If you don’t want me to tell anyone about your training, I won’t.”
“Just like that?”
He flung her hands away from him and turned to pace the room. “Why do you always question everything I say? Why can’t you accept that I stand by my word? Are we Westerners that weak and untrustworthy in your eyes?”
“I…You…No…”
He stopped prowling and crossed his arms over his chest as she sputtered to a stop. “Darlin’, that was not the most convincing denial I’ve ever heard.”
She huffed. “Fine. I admit it. I don’t generally think too highly of Western promises.”
Ouch. He had to give her credit, though. She didn’t flinch from speaking the truth. “What about your teammates? These Medusas you speak so highly of? Do you trust them?”