"We both are."

He left her then, hurrying across the room to make his excuses and gather his own coat. Catherine didn't linger. Within a few moments she was outside, searching through a sea of parked cars for Royce's.

Before she could spot his black Porsche, he pulled to a fast stop directly in front of her.

The passenger door opened, and Catherine slipped inside. She had barely had time to sit down when Royce reached for her chin, directing her mouth to his for a surprisingly brief, but thorough kiss.

"Royce," she cried, alarmed. "What are you doing?"

"Kissing you." He took advantage of her open mouth by giving her a fleeting taste of his tongue. Despite the fact there could be several important people watching them who wouldn't take kindly to this public display of affection between two officers, one subordinate to the other, Catherine found herself drifting toward him.

"Hold on," he said, shifting gears so hard and fast they ground angrily. The car shot forward. Royce didn't take her far. Just to the other end of the parking lot where it was dark and private. "There's no need to be so impatient," he said, reaching for her even as he spoke. "You're going to have the opportunity to make love to me every night for the rest of our lives."

Chapter Eleven

"Have you gone out of your mind?" Catherine demanded with a free-flowing happiness that refused to be contained.

Royce eased to a stop at the red light, leaned over and kissed her soundly. Once more he used his tongue to tantalize and tease. His eyes were closed when he pulled away. "I am crazy," he murmured, unwilling to deny it, "crazy in love with you."

Catherine felt as though she were in a haze. "I can't believe this is happening."

"Believe it."

The light changed, but Catherine was convinced that, had it stayed red much longer, Royce would have reached for her a second time.

"Just where are you taking me?" The joy seemed to bubble out of her like fizz from an expensive bottle of champagne. If Royce had claimed he was headed for the moon, she would have held on for the ride.

"My house," he told her without hesitating. "Your house," she repeated slowly. "Kelly's going to want to be in on this. If we wait until morning to tell her, she'll be furious." Royce's gaze momentarily drifted away from the road, and his rugged features relaxed into a coaxing smile. "I'm convinced Kelly knew there was going to be something between us even before we did."

Catherine sighed and rested her head against the hard cushion of Royce's shoulder. It felt so incredibly good to be with him, so incredibly wonderful. There was nothing in this world to describe it.

A couple of minutes later, Royce eased his Porsche to a stop in his driveway. He turned off the engine and in one smooth movement reached for her. He kissed her hard and fast, and Catherine kissed him back with every ounce of her being.

Royce moaned as he deepened the contact. His tongue dipped to hungrily drink from her love. His hands were in her hair, and when he drew himself away, it was as though he were forcing himself to walk away from the gates of paradise.

"Let's go inside," he suggested, as though they'd best do it soon or else pay the piper.

Catherine nodded. At the moment, formulating words was beyond her passion-drugged brain.

The baby-sitter, a neighborhood teenager, was slouched across the sectional in the family room, watching television and drinking Pepsi. She looked mildly surprised to see Royce home so early. Her gaze left Royce and rested with candid curiosity on Catherine.

"Kelly's asleep," the teenager explained, her gaze drifting away from Catherine long enough to speak to Royce.

"Fine, thanks for coming, Cindy," Royce said, pulling out the money to pay her. He walked her to the door, opening it for her. "Goodbye, now."

"Bye." Cindy peeked around the door at Catherine one last time. She raised her hand. "Bye," she said, directing the comment to her.

"Bye," Catherine said, raising her fingertips.

Royce eased the door closed and locked it after the teenager. When he turned back, his smile was gone. He murmured something Catherine couldn't understand. "I apologize for not introducing you, but there's a very good reason I don't want Cindy to know who you are." He rammed all ten fingers through his hair in an exercise of ill-gained patience. "Although heaven knows she's probably already guessed."

"Don't worry about it." Catherine stepped forward and pressed the tips of her fingers over his mouth. It didn't take long for her to figure out that Cindy was the daughter at someone who could make trouble for them "I'm not going to let anything or anyone rain this night."

Gripping her by the shoulders, Royce braced his forehead against hers. "Have I told you how much I love you?"

"Yes, but I'd be willing to listen to it again if you're inclined to tell me."

"I'm inclined," he murmured, his mouth brushing hers. "Get ready because it's going to take me a lifetime to say it properly."

They kissed again. The moment was gentle and sweet, so sweet that Catherine had trouble believing everything that was happening between them was real.

"I better get Kelly." Royce said, unwillingly easing himself from her. "While I still have the strength to pull away from you."

Catherine didn know who found it more difficult, Royce or her.

"Wait here," Royce said, positioning her at the bottom of the carpeted stairs. "I'll be back in just a moment." He kissed her once more and raced up the stairs, taking them two and three at a time. Catherine could hear Royce talking to Kelly, but as far as she could tell the conversation was strictly onesided.

Royce appeared at the top of the stairs a few moments later, a sleeping Kelly draped over his shoulder. The youngster had on her robe, one patterned with the faces of her favorite rock group, and her feet were dangling with hastily donned fuzzy slippers.

"Kelly?" Catherine coaxed softly. "Your father and I have something important to tell you."

Yawning, the sleepy-eyed girl slowly lifted her head from her father's shoulder. "Catherine?"

"I told you she was here," Royce reminded his daughter.

Rubbing her eyes with small fists, Kelly straightened. "But you said Catherine couldn't come over anymore. I'm not supposed to phone her or even say her name unless you tell me it's all right first."

Royce looked downright chagrined. He cast an apologetic glance to Catherine, cleared his throat and explained, "Your name came up far too often."

"No, it didn't," Kelly denied, placing her head back down on Royce's shoulder as he carried her down the stairs.

"That's all going to change," Catherine told the youngster. "Real soon."

"I asked Catherine if she'd marry me, and she's agreed," Royce said. A brilliant smile sat contentedly at the edges of his mouth.

Kelly's head came off Royce's shoulder so fast it was downright comical. "You're going to marry Catherine?" she cried, then squeezed her dad around the neck. Royce's shining eyes met Catherine's, and he stuck out his tongue as though he were in danger of being strangled.

"Oh, Catherine, I'm so happy." Kelly broke away from her father, twisted around and reached for Catherine, squeezing her equally hard. "I can't believe it! This is the happiest day of my whole, entire life. I'm not dreaming, am I?"

"No, sweetheart," Royce said, sharing an intimate look with Catherine, "this is very real." He set a squirming Kelly down on the carpet.

"This is great. This is really great." Kelly slapped her hands hard against the sides of her legs. "What I want to know is what took you guys so long?"

"Ah..." Catherine hesitated.

"I realize there were a few minor problems, but as far as I could see you both stretched everything way out of proportion. Heaven knows how long it would have taken you to come to your senses if it hadn't been for me."

"That's true," Royce agreed, looking to Catherine and poignantly rolling his eyes. He moved to her side and slipped his arm around her shoulder with a casual easiness that suggested he'd been doing so for a good long while. "The thing is, sweetheart," Royce said, his eyes dark and serious, "we're going to have to keep this a secret. Understand?" The entire wedding would need to be handled discreetly.

Kelly nodded, then pretended to zip her lip closed.

"When?" Kelly demanded.

Royce's gaze caught Catherine's. "Soon, I hope."

"Great. No, listen, we don't have a whole lot of time to waste with this." The ten-year-old stalked into the living room, sat down and crossed her legs. "Well, come here," she said, gesturing for them to follow her.

Catherine and Royce stared blankly at each other.

"Come here," Kelly repeated when they hesitated. "We don't have all night, you know."

"Exactly what is it you want to talk to us about?" Royce demanded.

"What else is there to discuss?" Kelly cried. "My baby sister!"

"Ah..." Catherine's gaze darted to Royce, who did a good job of looking as stumped as she. Children. Kelly wanted to discuss enlarging their family when they hadn't decided on a wedding date. Good heavens, Catherine had yet to figure out how they were going to pull this whole shenanigan off without anyone from the base finding out, and Kelly wanted to discuss a baby sister.

Royce's arm circled Catherine's waist as they moved into the formal living room. "What's the matter, darling, has the cat got your tongue?"

"A baby sister," Catherine repeated slowly, thoughtfully. She didn't want to burst Kelly's bubble; but at the same time the ten-year-old needed to be aware that there were several things to consider before they discussed a pregnancy.

Catherine sat down on the bronze velvet sofa. Royce sat slightly behind her, his arms circling her waist. "I was hoping we could talk about other matters," Catherine suggested, thinking of a tactful way of changing the subject.

"We could." Kelly was willing to concede that much. "I can be the flower girl, can't I?"

"Anything you want." Catherine hadn't gotten around to thinking that far ahead, but she certainly didn't have any objections if that was what Kelly wanted.

"I was thinking pink."

"Pink?" Royce repeated as though he'd never heard the word before. "Pink what?"

"For the wedding colors, of course." Kelly tossed him a look that suggested his presence wasn't at all necessary, at least not right then. "You look real pretty in pink, Catherine, and it's a nice omen."

"Omen?" This time it was Catherine who couldn't find her way,around Royce's fast-talking daughter.

"For my baby sister."

"Of course, how silly of me." Catherine was beginning to feel that Kelly wasn't so much interested in gaining a mother as she was looking for a vehicle to deliver her long-awaited sibling.

"What if we have a son first?" Catherine wanted to know. She should find out these things just in case Kelly intended to boot her out of the family for having delivered something other than the specified request.