Rain. That1s all it had done from the moment Lieutenant Commander Catherine Fredrickson, Judge Advocate General Corps—JAGC—arrived at the Naval submarine Base Bangor in silverdale, washington. 0ctober in Hawaii meant balmy ocean breezes, mai tais by the pool and eighty-degree sunshine.

In other words she1d left paradise and had been transferred to purgatory.

If the weather wasn1t enough to discourage her, the executive officer, Commander Royce Nyland was. Catherine had never met anyone who irritated

her more. The legal staff stationed in Hawaii had shared a camaraderie that made working together a pleasant experience.

Bangor was a different story, but the contrast was most telling in the differences between Catherine1s

two superiors. she simply didn1t like the man, and from all outward appearances the feeling was mutual.

From the first, Catherine knew something wasn1t right. In no other station had she been required to stand duty so often. For four weeks straight she1d been assigned the twenty-four-hour watch on a Friday night. It was as if Commander Nyland had made it his personal goal to disrupt her entire life.

After a month, Catherine was getting downright testy about it.

"Fredrickson, do you have the files on the Miller case?"

"Yes, sir." she stood, reached for the requested file and handed it to the man who1d been dominating her thoughts for the majority of the day.

Commander Nyland opened the file and started reading as he walked away from her. Catherine1s gaze followed him as she tried to analyze what it was about her he disliked so much. Perhaps he had something against brunettes. Although that sounded crazy, Catherine couldn1t help wondering. Maybe it was because she was petite and small-boned. More than likely, she reminded him of someone he once knew and disliked intensely. well that was just too damn bad. As far as Catherine could see, she1d done nothing to deserve his disdain, and frankly, she wasn1t about to put up with any more of it.

scuttlebutt had it that he was single. Catherine had no trouble believing it. If his behavior toward her was any indication of how he treated women, then this guy needed a major attitude adjustment.

His apparent dislike of her solved one problem. Catherine needn1t worry about anything romantic developing between them. If she were looking for an effective way to end her Navy career, all she had

to do was start fraternizing with a superior officer within the same command. It was the quickest way Catherine knew to be court-martialed. The Navy refused

to tolerate such behavior.

Besides his rotten attitude, Commander Nyland wasn1t her type. Catherine liked her men less rough around the edges and a whole lot more agreeable.

In eleven years of Navy life, Catherine had worked with her share of officers, but no one had ever struck such a strong, discordant note with her.

Nothing she did pleased him. Nothing. The closest she1d ever gotten to praise from her x0 had been a hard nod, as if that were sufficient compliment. A nod1

The crazy part of it was, Catherine had actually gotten excited over it. All day she1d gone around wearing a silly grin.

she needed to get back to Hawaii, and fast.

"Come into my office, Lieutenant Commander."

Catherine glanced up, startled to discover Commander Nyland standing directly in front of her desk.

"Yes, sir," she answered briskly. she stood and reached for a notepad before following him into his office.

Commander Nyland took his seat and motioned for Catherine to sit in the cushioned chair located on the opposite side of his desk.

Catherine glanced around and swallowed nervously. she didn1t like the looks of this. The great and almighty commander was frowning. Not that it was the least

bit unusual. To the best of her memory,

she couldn1t remember him ever smiling.

she quickly reviewed the cases she1d been working on for the past few days, and could think of nothing that would warrant a tongue-lashing. Not that he needed an excuse, of course.

The silence stretched to uncomfortable lengths as she waited for him to acknowledge her. It was on the tip of her tongue to remind him he was the one who1d called her into his office, but she1d be a fool to allow a hint of sarcasm into her voice.

"I1ve been following your progress for the past several weeks." His indifferent blue gaze raked her features. Catherine had never been more aware of her appearance. Her thick, dark hair was coiled in a businesslike knot at her nape, and her uniform jacket and skirt were crisp and freshly pressed. she had the impression if he found one crease, she1d be ordered to stand in front of a firing squad. No man had ever made her feel more self-conscious. He continued to stare at her as if seeing her for the first time. There was no hint of appreciation for her good looks. Catherine wasn1t conceited, but she was reasonably attractive, and the fact the man looked at her as if she were little more than a mannequin was vaguely insulting. 0kay, she was being unreasonable, Catherine mused. If she had recognized a flicker of interest in those cobalt-blue eyes of his, that would have been worse.

"Yes, sir."

"As I was saying," he continued, "I1ve had my eye on your work."

she noted that he made a simple statement of fact without elaborating. If he1d been watching her, then she1d admit, not openly of course, that she1d been studying him, too. He may be disagreeable, and to her way of thinking, ill- tempered, but he was respected and generally well liked. Personally, Catherine found him to be a real pain, but her thinking was tainted by a four-week stint at standing duty on Friday nights.

Politics existed in every office, but there seemed to be more in Bangor than the other duty stations Catherine had been assigned. As the executive officer directly below Captain stewart, Commander Royce Nyland was empowered to run her legal office. He did so with a detached, emotionless ability that Catherine had rarely seen. In many ways he was the best officer she1d ever worked with and, in others, the worst.

It was apparent the man was a born leader. His lean, muscular good looks commanded attention. His office demanded it.

Actually, now that she had an uninterrupted minute to analyze the commander, she was willing to admit he was fairly attractive. Not handsome in the classic sense. Appealing, she decided. Not ordinary.

His features weren1t anything that would cause a woman to swoon. His hair was nearly black. Its darkness coupled with his deep blue eyes was a contrast not easily ignored. He was broad shouldered,

and although she knew him to be of medium height, an inch or so under six feet, he gave the impression of power and strength in everything he did.

Her scrutiny didn1t seem to bother him. He leaned back in his chair, expelled his breath and announced, "I1m pleased to tell you I1ve chosen you as a substitute coordinator of the physical fitness program for the base."

"substitute coordinator," Catherine repeated slowly. Her heart beat dull and heavy before it dropped like

a lead weight to her stomach. It took a second to right itself before she could respond. If there was one after-hours duty she would have done anything to avoid it was that of coordinator of the physical fitness program. It was by far one of the least envied jobs on base.

The Navy was serious about keeping men and women in top physical condition. Those who were overweight were placed on a strict dietary schedule and exercise regime. As coordinator, Catherine would be subjected to endless meetings to chart the individuals1 progress. she1d also be expected to formulate an exercise program designed specifically to meet each person1s needs. In addition, she would be given the painful task of having someone discharged from the Navy if they failed to meet the requirements in regard to weight and fitness.

"I believe you1re qualified to handle this job effectively."

"Yes, sir," she said, biting her tongue to keep from saying more. Tackling this duty, even on a substitute basis, meant she wouldn1t have time to breathe. It was a time-consuming, distasteful assignment. If the executive officer had been actively seeking to destroy any chance she had of developing a social life, he1d done so in one fell swoop.

11Lieutenant 0sborne will meet with you and give you the necessary paperwork at 1500 hours. If you have any questions, you should gear them to him." Already he was looking away from her, dismissing her.

"Thank you, sir," she said, struggling with everything in her not to let her irritation show. she left his office and closed the door with a decided click, hoping he1d believe the wind had caught it. Hell, he was fortunate she didn1t tear the damn thing right off its hinges.

with as dignified a walk as possible, she returned to her office. she set the pad

down a little too hard, attracting the attention of Elaine Perkins, her secretary,

who occupied the scarred desk outside

Catherine1s office.

"Problems?" she asked. As a Navy wife, Elaine was well acquainted with the difficulties of military life.

"Problems?" Catherine echoed sarcastically. "what could possibly be wrong? Listen, do I have something repugnantly wrong with me?"

"Not that I1ve noticed," Elaine was quick to tell her.

"I don1t have bad breath?"

"No."

"Does my slip hang out from under my skirt?" she twisted around and tried to determine that much for herself.

"Not that I can see," Elaine assured her. "what makes you ask?"

"No reason." with that, Catherine stalked out of the office and down the hall to the drinking fountain.

Her hand trembled slightly as she leaned forward and scooped up a generous mouthful, letting the cold water soothe her injured pride.

Catherine wished she could talk to sally. The two were the only women officers in a command of several hundred men, but that wasn1t possible now. 0nce she1d composed herself sufficiently to return, Catherine did so, forcing a smile.

* * *

"I1m pleased to inform you you1ve been chosen as the substitute coordinator of the physical fitness program," Catherine mumbled under her breath as she traipsed toward the running track several hours later. Dusk was settling over the compound, but there was enough time to get in a three-mile run before dark.

Pleased was right. Commander Nyland had looked downright gleeful to assign her the task. The more Catherine thought about it, the more furious she got.

Venting some of this discontent seemed like a good idea. Clouds threatened a downpour, but Catherine didn1t care. she1d just received the worst collateral duty assignment of her career, and she needed to vent the frustration and confusion before she headed home to the apartment she rented in silverdale. Taking giant strides, she crested the hill that led to the track, then stopped abruptly. several runners circled the course, but one runner in particular stood out from the rest.

Commander Nyland.

For a long moment Catherine couldn1t keep her eyes off him. There was a natural, fluid grace to his movements. His stride was long and even, and he ran as if the wind were beneath his feet. what struck her most was his quiet strength. she didn1t want to acknowledge it. Nor did she wish to find a single positive attribute about this man.

If there was any justice in the world, lightning would strike him dead. Glancing to the sky, she was depressed to note a touch of blue in the far horizon. Typical. Just when she was looking for rain, the sun had decided to play a game of hide- and-seek with her. If lightning wasn1t going to do the good commander in, then all she could hope for was a bad case of athlete1s foot.

0nce again she grumbled under her breath, seriously considering leaving the base without running. If she did go down to the track, it was likely she1d say or do something that would get her into trouble with the commander.

Evidently she1d done something horrible to warrant his dislike. After he1d ruined four weekends straight for her, he1d topped himself by giving her the least desirable assignment on base. what next? KP?

Catherine started to turn away, then abruptly changed her mind. she wasn1t going to allow this man to dictate her entire life1 she had as much right to run

on this track as anyone. If he didn1t like it, he could

be the one to leave.

with that thought in mind, she stepped alongside the court and went through a series of warm-up exercises. Actually, the more she thought about it, she was downright eager to get onto the track. she was petite, but she was a fine runner. she1d been on the varsity cross-country teams in both high school and college and did a consistent seven-minute mile. If there was an area in which she excelled, it was running.

she did the first lap at a relaxed pace, easily lapping a couple of the overweight men. Commander Nyland didn1t acknowledge her one way or the other, which was perfectly fine with Catherine. she1d hadn1t come out here to exchange pleasantries with him.

The second and third laps, Catherine stepped up her pace. It normally took her a mile or so to fully warm up. As she increased her stride, she noticed that she was never quite able to catch her x0.

The one time she did manage to pass him, he scooted past her seconds later, leaving her to eat his dust. Frustrated, Catherine decided she might not be able to outrun him, but by heaven she1d outlast him. He was fast, but she1d easily outdistance him.

she continued her killing pace until she was sure she1d gone six miles or farther. Her lungs ached, and her calf muscles strenuously protested the abuse. Yet she continued, more determined than ever not to surrender her pride to this disagreeable commander. If she was hurting, then so was he.

she would rather keel over from exhaustion than quit now1 It was more than a matter of pride.

soon fat raindrops fell from the darkening sky and splashed against the dry, gritty surface. still Catherine and the commander ran. what few runners remained quickly dropped out until it was the two of them alone against the forces of nature. Against each other, in a silent battle of wills.

They didn1t speak. Not once. Catherine ran until she thought she was going to be sick, yet she dared not stop. Night fell like a curtain of black satin around the grounds. Catherine barely managed to see her own feet, let alone the distant silhouette of the commander. soon he disappeared from her range of view entirely. It wasn1t until she heard his footsteps coming up behind her that she realized he1d been able to come all the way around to lap her. He slowed his pace until his steps matched her own without breaking his stride.

"How much longer are we going to keep this up, Fredrickson?" he demanded. Damn, he didn1t even sound out of breath, Catherine noted.

"I don1t know," she returned, sounding very much as though she should have

yielded several miles back.

"You1re tiring."

How kind of him to tell her so. "You are, too," she insisted.

"I have to admit you1re a hell of a runner."

"A compliment, Commander?"

she sensed his smile. It made absolutely no sense the way her heart reacted knowing that. It was as if she1d been blessed by an unexpected second wind. By some odd twist of fate, she1d actually managed

to amuse ol1 stone face.

"Don1t let it go to your head."

"No chance of that," she quipped, wondering if she1d heard a hint of amusement in his tone. "I don1t suppose you happened to notice it1s raining." Although she attempted to make light of it, she was drenched to the bone.

"Is that what all this wet stuff is?"

"I1ll tell you what," she said between breaths, "I1ll stop running if you do. we1ll call it a draw."

"Agreed." Royce slowed his pace to a trot, and Catherine reluctantly did the same, not sure even now that she could trust him. After several steps, she stopped and leaned over, bracing her hands on her knees while she struggled to capture her breath.

The rain continued to pound down with a vengeance. while they were jogging, it was a simple enough matter to ignore the downpour. Now it wasn1t so easy. Her hair, which had once been neatly secured at her nape, was plastered to her cheeks like wet strings. A small river of rainwater was navigating over her neck and down to the small of her back.

"Go home, Fredrickson," Royce said after a moment.

Catherine bristled. "Is that an order?"

He paused. "No."

He started to walk away from her, then unexpectedly turned back. "Before you leave, satisfy a curiosity. You requested a transfer from san Diego several years back. why?"

Catherine knew it was all part of her personnel file, but his question caught her off guard. Her response was quick, light-hearted, almost flippant. "who wouldn1t want to live in Hawaii?"

"That wasn1t the reason you wanted out of san Diego." His voice was deceptively unconcerned, as if he knew far more than he was letting on. "You wanted that transfer and you didn1t care if you got Hawaii

or Iran."

"There were personal reasons," she admitted reluctantly. Catherine couldn1t understand why he1d chosen to ask her these questions now. The man continued to baffle her.

"Tell me the truth."

Catherine tensed, disliking his casual tone. Nor was she pleased with the way he implied she was lying. By mentally counting to ten, she willed herself to remain calm.

"That is the truth. I1ve always wanted to live in Hawaii."

"My guess is that a man was involved."

Catherine1s stomach knotted. she didnft often think about Aaron. For the past three years she1d done a superb job of pretending they1d never met. Leave it to Royce Nyland to harass her battered heart with memories of her former fiance. All right, that was a bit strong. He wasn1t exactly tormenting her, and her heart wasn1t all that scarred.

"what makes you think my request had anything to do with a man?" she asked, making light of his comment. she increased her strides, wanting to get this interrogation over with as soon as possible.

"Because it generally is."

That wasn1t the least bit true, but Catherine wasn1t going to stand in the rain and argue with him.

"A change of scenery appealed to me at the time." she needed to get away from san Diego for fear she1d run into Aaron. she wouldn1t have been able to bear seeing him again. At least that was what she told herself. 0ver time, she wasn1t nearly convinced that was true. she1d fallen head over heels in love with him much too quickly. Then she1d flown out as a defense attorney for trials aboard the Nimitz and returned several weeks later to learn Aaron hadn1t exactly been holding his breath waiting for her.

The first minute she was back, Catherine had rushed to her fiance1s apartment to find him lying on the sofa with the young blond divorcee who lived next door. Aaron had scrambled off the davenport in a rush to explain while the red- faced divorcee hastily rebuttoned her blouse. It had all been innocent fun, Aaron claimed. Hell, how was he supposed to amuse himself while she was away for weeks on end? He advised Catherine to be a sport since he and the blonde had only indulged in a little entertainment.

In thinking back over the episode, Catherine was surprised by how completely emotionless she1d remained. The solitary diamond on her finger suddenly weighted down her hand. That much she remembered with ease. she1d stared down on it and then wordlessly slipped it from her finger and returned it to Aaron. For several moments he was paralyzed with shock. Then he1d followed her to the parking lot and pleaded with her to be more understanding. If it offended her so much, he1d make sure it didn1t happen again. There was no need to overreact this way. None whatsoever.

In retrospect Catherine had come to realize that her pride had taken far more of a beating than her heart. she was almost relieved to have Aaron out of her life, only she hadn1t realized that until much later.

"Catherine?"

Royce1s deep, masculine voice pulled her back into the present. To the best of her knowledge it was the first time he1d ever used her name. Until then it had been Lieutenant Commander or Fredrickson, but never Catherine. This, too, had a curious effect upon her heart.

"There was a man involved," she announced stiffly, "but that was several years ago now. You needn1t worry my former engagement will affect my work for

you. Now or in the future."

"I1m pleased to hear it."

"Good night, Commander." They crested the hill where Catherine1s bright red GE0 storm was waiting

for her.

"Good night."

Trotting, Catherine was halfway down the hill when Royce stopped her.

"Catherine."

"Yes?" she turned around to face him, brushing the wet curls from her cheeks. "Are you living with someone?"

The question took her by complete surprise. "That1s none of your business."

Royce said nothing. He stood several feet away from her, his harsh features illuminated by the streetlight. His face was tight, as if he were holding himself in check. 11Trust me, I have no interest in your love life. You can live with whomever you please or be engaged to five men at once for all I care. what does concern me is the legal department.

The work is demanding and the schedule grueling. I like to know where I stand with my staff and try to avoid causing unnecessary complications in their lives."

Catherine didn1t respond right away. "since you find it so important, then I might as well confess I am shacked up with someone." From the distance Catherine couldn1t tell if she got a reaction or not. Most likely he was telling the truth and he didn1t care one way or the other. "sambo."

"sambo?" he repeated frowning.

"You heard me correctly, Commander. I live with a cat named sambo." with that, she gave a cheerful laugh and was gone.

Royce found himself smiling in the dark, the rain pelting down around him in a great torrent. His amusement, however, vanished quickly. He didn1t like

Catherine Fredrickson.

"No," he muttered aloud, retracting the thought. That wasn1t true. He did like her. There were any number of admirable traits about the Lieutenant Commander he couldn1t help but respect.

she was dedicated and hardworking, and she1d fit in easily with the rest of his staff. she wasn1t a complainer, either. Before he1d left the office that evening, he1d checked over the duty roster and was surprised to note that he1d assigned Catherine duty every Friday for four weeks running. He hadn1t realized his mistake. Anyone else would have pointed it out to him, and rightly so. Her name had drifted easily into his mind when he learned Lieutenant 0sborne was going on sea trials and a substitute coordinator was needed to take over the physical fitness program.

He knew Catherine wasn1t overly pleased by the assignment. Her eyes had flashed briefly with rebellion, but that was the only outward sign she1d given that she wasn1t thrilled with the added responsibility.

That woman had eyes that would mark a man1s soul. Normally Royce didn1t pay much attention to that sort of thing, but her eyes had garnered his attention from the first moment they1d met. They shimmered, and seemed to trap pieces of light. But more than that, they seemed warm and caring.

He liked her voice, too. It was rich and sweetly feminine. Female. Hell, Royce mused, he was beginning to sound like a romantic poet.

Now that thought was enough to produce a hearty laugh. There wasn1t a romantic bone left in his body. His wife had squeezed every ounce of love and joy out of him long before she went to the grave.

Royce didn1t want to think about sandy. Abruptly he turned and walked toward his car, his strides hurried, as if he could outdistance the memory of his dead wife.

He climbed inside his Porsche and started the engine. His house was on the base, and he1d be home within five minutes.

Before long, however, it was Catherine who dominated his thoughts again. He wasn1t overly thrilled

with the subject matter, but he was too damn tired to fight himself over it. when he arrived home, his ten-year-old daughter, Kelly, would keep him occupied. For once he was going to indulge himself and

let his thoughts wander where they would. Besides, he was curious to analyze his complex reaction to Catherine Fredrickson.

Not that it was important. Not that he needed to know anything more about her than he already did. He was simply inquisitive. He supposed when it came right down to it, he didn1t feel one way or the other about her.

No, that wasn1t true, either. she intrigued him. He didn1t like it. He didn1t understand it. He wished he could put his finger on exactly what it was about

her that fascinated him so much. Until that afternoon,

he hadn1t even been aware of it.

she wasn1t that much different than the other Navy women he1d worked with over the years. Not true,

he contradicted himself. she had a scrubbed-clean look about her, a gentleness, a gracefulness of heart and manner that piqued him.

Another thing he1d learned about her this evening. By heaven that woman was builheaded. He1d never seen anyone run with cursed stubbornness the way she had. It wasn1t until it had started to rain that Royce recognized the unspoken challenge she1d issued. Absorbed in his thoughts, he hadn1t noticed she was on the track until she1d zoomed past him and then smugly tossed a look over her shoulder as if to announce she1d won. Hell, he hadn1t even realized they were in

a race.

As if that wasn1t enough, she wouldn1t stop. They both had reached their physical limits, and still that little spitfire continued and would have, Royce was convinced, until she dropped.

He pulled into the driveway and cut the engine. His hands remained on the steering wheel as a slow smile spread across his features. Woman, he mused, thy name is pride.

The drape parted in the living room, Kelly1s head peeked out. Just the way the drape was tossed back into place told him the ten-year-old was angry. Damn, Royce wondered, what the hell had he done this time?

Kelly usually ran outside to greet him. Not tonight. whatever it was must have been a doozy. His daughter could be more stubborn than a Tennessee mule. This must be his day for clashing with obstinate women.