What if she died out here without ever having told anyone about the baby? What if Xavier survived and learned the truth only then? He would realize from the timing, from her medical records, that not only had she known, but that the child was his.

She got up from the couch and went to the drawer where she’d seen pens and other supplies. She found a blank notepad in the drawer and returned to the couch. She’d write Xavier a note in case something happened to her before she could tell him. He needed to hear it from her, one way or another.

The wind was far worse than the rain, and the rain was a damn nightmare. Xavier tucked down in the thick shrubs, not to escape the wind, but to listen. The howl of the storm cut through his clothes and covered other sounds. A moment ago, he’d heard a grunt—the sound of someone who’d tripped and couldn’t suppress making a noise.

One thing SEAL training had taught him over the years was patience. He could outwait any non-SEAL in these woods. Minutes passed. He waited and listened. A tango had made a noise. It was only a matter of time before they gave themselves away again.

It had been thirty-six minutes since he left Audrey in the cabin. In that time, he’d covered a scant quarter mile. The price of stealth without night vision goggles was a slow pace. He wouldn’t let fear for Audrey’s safety rush his actions.

Damn. Dr. Audrey Kendrick. Thirty-six minutes later, in the middle of a raging storm, while listening for what he assumed was a mercenary in the woods, and he could still taste her on his lips.

He hadn’t planned or intended to seduce her the night they met. He’d found her simply irresistible.

Wicked smart. An outdoor enthusiast. Fascinating. So very enticing. But they were so different. He’d graduated high school and joined the Navy a week later. He’d passed BUD/S at the age of twenty-one and developed the ego of an elite special operator, but that same ego faltered when it came to higher education.

Even when he’d been at the top of his game, he would have figured a woman with a PhD was out of his league. And when they’d met, he was far from the top of his game. That had been made clear when his girlfriend of two years had dumped him while he was in the hospital. She hadn’t even waited until he was awake. She’d shown up after he finally was flown back from Germany, where he’d had his first surgery. She’d taken one look at his sleeping, bandaged self and turned around and left.