Peyton sat at the picnic table down by the lake, her laptop open, staring at the words on the page. The pitiful few words on the page. She was glad she wrote electronically instead of on paper or she would have wasted reams of it by now. She couldn't count the number of times she'd written the damn first chapter, only to delete it and start again. She finally, finally had a concept in her head, but she couldn't seem to make it come out on paper in a way anyone would want to read. Too much of it was still swirling around in her brain.She had truly believed this week would be a turning point. Lord knew it was one of the best weeks of her life. During the day, Dix jogged his gazillion miles then did his long swim in the lake while she sat outside and read. After lunch, they fished or went into town, and she showed him all the places that were still there from when she was a kid. And, at night, they had the most incredible sex she had ever imagined. She couldn't call it making love. That

"You're good to go, Dix." His CO looked up from the medical report he was reading. "I have to say I wasn't completely convinced you could do it, but the doctor said your thigh is fine. Won't give you any problems.""I wouldn't go out on an op if I thought differently," Dix pointed out."I know that." He met Dix's gaze. "I know how badly you want to lead this op, but I want you to remember two things." He held up one finger. "The screw-up last time wasn't yours. The politician who compromised the information has been dealt with, and the number of people on the need-to-know list for this one has been reduced to the smallest number possible. And no congressmen."Dix blew out a breath. "Good. That's good."The man held up a second finger. "You have nothing to prove, so just focus on the mission itself. I know you can do it.""Thank you, sir. I appreciate that.""One change, though. No target extraction this time. The order is to kill the fuckers dead.""Yes, sir." Dix had to force himself

Peyton curled up in a corner of the couch, cell phone to her ear, smiling."So you like it?" she asked Grace."Like it?" The woman's voice practically shrieked in her ear. "I love it. My god, Peyton, I think this is going to be the best thing you've ever done. Maybe I should send all my authors for a month at a cabin in the Maine woods."Peyton laughed. "First of all, it was a cottage. Secondly, it was at a lake, not in the woods.""Close enough. Someday, you'll have to tell me what it was that flipped your switch up there."Maybe, maybe not. Dixon Amendola was a memory she would hug close to herself, her thoughts and feelings confined in her own private world. She knew she'd never see him again. He'd made it very plain before their very first kiss that anything permanent was not happening. The SEALs were his life, and although other men had combined the dedication with family, apparently Dix didn't feel he could take the chance.That was okay. She'd taken all her thoughts and feelings