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her face. She wasn't surprised by Drake's outburst; she expected no less since he had raised holy hell years ago when she'd gotten assigned to be a female part of the Recons. Trevor and Ashton had
    en okay with that decision but Drake had felt that when it came to down-in-the-trenches-type covert activities, a woman had no place amidst that kind of danger.
    Tori had heard his raised voice before she had reached Casey's office and had recognized Drake's immediately. At first she had almost staggered, lost her balance when she realized they were about to come face to face after all this time. She had paused outside the door to get her bearings and probably would still be standing there if Lucille hadn't been watching her curiously before asking if something was wrong. With all the strength she could muster, she knew she had to play it cool and get through this somehow.
    It seemed while walking upright and not lying flat on his back in a hospital bed, very little about Drake had changed, definitely not in the way he could throw his shoulders back so damn arrogantly, and tilt his head with such overbearing pride while looking at you with deep dark eyes that always had such an alluring effect. And then, just like now, there was so much power and masculine strength contained in his
    well-built body.
    But she had to admit that there was a hardness about him now that wasn't there before and it was apparent in his features. Gone were the laugh lines beneath his eyes and there were no signs of a dimpled smile. Now she saw tension and
    anger.
    She would always remember the first time he had approached her in boot camp. Instead of formally asking her out, he had merely informed her where he would be taking her that night, and had looked at her like she'd lost her mind when she had told him in a nice way that she wasn't going anywhere with him and that he could go to hell.
    She had discovered early that the best way to handle Drake's brash attitude was to respond likewise. He hadn't been able to handle a cocky, smart-ass, streetwise woman who could hold her own with him; especially one who almost, and she meant almost, could best him in martial arts. And from the way he was now acting, it seemed she to bring him down a notch again.
     
    She held Drake's gaze and her heart began beating furiously within her chest. She took a deep breath as she tried to calm her breathing as every emotion she possessed suddenly centered in the depth of her heart. Only someone who'd been as close to him as she had could read his emotions. There was curiosity in his gaze as well as the anger, but she also felt something else; it was something that made a heated sensation flow lower through her body. Attraction.
    She felt it deep in her bones. Drake Warren was attracted to her as a woman. She didn't misread the desire she saw in the dark depths of his eyes or the way his nostrils flared in heated lust. It only proved that he was still a man who appreciated what he perceived as an attractive woman. A part of her couldn't help but feel good about that but another part made her cautious.
    Although he didn't recognize her physically, being in close proximity with him for any amount of time might trigger something where he would make mental comparisons between her and Sandy. Although she had worked on changing her mannerisms, she knew from experience that Drake was a very observant man.
    "I don't understand what's going on," she finally said to both men. She watched out of the corner of her eye as Drake moved across the room to stand at the window. Instead of staring out of it, she felt the intensity of his gaze focused on her.
    And for the first time in five years, her body was responding to the interest of a man.
    For the next few minutes Drake listened as Casey briefed Victoria Green on the situation. Drake tried like hell to keep "is expression neutral while doing a slow study of her.
     
    While her full attention was on Casey, Drake's full attention was on