Read A Question of Honor for Free Online

Who was he, anyway? In her undercover work she met only the worst of men. Noah seemed like a knight in shining armor by contrast, incorporating Pete’s driven quality with a special underlying gentleness. How could she fight this attraction and still do her job as a cop?
    Resting his arms against his long, muscular thighs, Noah managed a slight smile. “I think you’ll find the Osprey a solid vessel. Sometimes when we board the druggie boats, the action can get tight. More than one member of our boarding party has been pushed overboard and had to be rescued.”
    “I guess it can’t be more dangerous than Dade County,” Kit ventured wryly.
    “On a small, cramped boat there’s no place to hide from bullets,” Noah warned, his brows dipping. “You’ll be the DEA representative aboard our ship. We have radio com-nets with the Miami police, the air force, navy, customs and other CG units. Since you speak fluent Spanish, you can be our interpreter when we need one. You’ll also relay info to IOIC—Interdiction Operations Information Center—and help us identify suspects as we pick them up off boats.”
    “Then I’ll be part of the boarding party?”
    Noah firmly shoot his head. “No, you’ll stay aboard the Osprey until we’ve secured the boarding. No rough stuff for you, lady.”
    In a way Kit was relieved. For five years she’d worked undercover without any kind of protection. If she’d carried a pistol, she would have blown her cover and been recognized as a cop. She’d lived by her wits and her ability to survive. “Then all I’ll need is my shoulder revolver.”
    “You won’t need to carry one.”
    Kit gawked at him. Was he crazy? She almost said it but caught herself in time. “Look, you’re painting a pretty dangerous picture. I want to carry a revolver on your ship, just in case.”
    Noah gave her an unruffled look. “The only people who carry weapons on the Osprey are the boarding party. No one else has one. That’s the rule. Besides, I don’t intend to have you close enough to the action to get shot at,” he explained patiently.
    “I hear male chauvinism talking, and I don’t like it. I’m not some helpless female who—”
    “You’re under my command, Kit,” he interrupted firmly. “I intend to make sure you’ll be safe. My crew is specially trained for boarding procedures. You’re along as liaison.” Her gray eyes were glittering angrily and he tried to defuse the tension between them. “What’s the matter, don’t you think I’ll keep my promise?”
    “Experience has taught me to be leery of trusting men’s promises, Noah. They’re capable of breaking their word when it suits them.”
    Noah held on to his disintegrating patience. “As long as you’re under my authority, you’ll have to live with my orders. I’ll make sure you’re properly protected.”
    “I can take care of myself,” Kit gritted out.
    Moving his shoulders to release the accumulated tension, Noah said, “Can’t any man or woman, up to a point?”
    “Don’t play word games with me!”
    Noah slowly sized her up, realizing he was striking at the core of her stubbornness. “You’re so damned independent that you don’t know when to lean on someone for support.”
    Kit reared back as if struck. “That’s your opinion, Lieutenant Trayhern. Just because I’m a woman doesn’t make me less capable of surviving. I learned the hard way that a man can’t even protect himself, much less me!”
    She got up and turned angrily, then marched down the hall. Taking deep breaths, she walked out into the backyard to cool down. Not more than ten seconds passed before Kit heard the back door open and close. She turned, still trembling with anger, her arms belligerently crossed over her chest.
    Noah Trayhern’s features were thundercloud dark as he approached her. Kit tensed, uncrossing her arms, allowing her hands to drop to her sides as he halted inches from where she stood. His eyes were the color of a