Life was short. Love was precious.
Time was a gift.
Please enjoy the following excerpt from Gwen’s Delta by Lynne St. James.
Luke “Merlin” Forest turned off into a parking spot in front of Camelot Rare Books and Antiquities and shut off the engine of his truck. Bone-deep exhaustion covered him like a warm blanket, and he leaned against the headrest and ran his hand through his hair. The guys ribbed him for the grey at his temples, making him look older than thirty-five. Though not as old as he felt. He’d wanted to hug his CO when he announced they had a week off. It couldn’t have come at a better time.
It was ages since he’d been in a bookstore and even longer since he’d been in one that sold old and out-of-print editions. Rare books were his weakness, one he hadn’t shared with many people, including his teammates. They already thought he was too quiet and a little weird.
As Merlin stepped inside, he was enveloped in the scent of old books, instantly transported back to an easier time as a child, wandering through the bookshelves with his grandfather. It was hard to believe he’d ever been that idealistic, so convinced he could save the world.
“I’ll be right with you.” The woman’s Southern drawl sounded more sultry than sweet as she focused on the computer in front of her. He couldn’t see her face. The fall of her auburn hair blocked his view.
“Thank you. But if it’s okay, I’ll just take a look around.”
“Of course.” She looked up from the computer screen. “Oh, I’m sorry. I thought you were someone else.”
As he met her gaze, he sucked in a breath. Her emerald green eyes glowed against her fair skin. When she smiled, her face lit up and ignited a fire that raced down his spine, rooting him to the floor like he’d been struck by lightning.
“Are you okay?” she asked gently.
“Yeah, I’m fine. Just uh…letting my vision adjust from outside,” Merlin replied.
Holy shit. One smile from a beautiful woman and he couldn’t put words together and got an instant hard-on like he was fifteen.
“Okay. Let me know if you need help with anything,” she said with another killer smile.
What the hell just happened? He’d never reacted like that to a woman. The soft echo of her voice sounded in his head; he wanted to hear more of it. Small talk wasn’t his thing. Neither was dating. He’d decided long ago that the Army was his focus, and there wasn’t room for the distraction of family. After seeing how Woof’s and Zip’s concern for their women changed their focus, it only increased his resolve.
Until now.
Ducking out of view, he focused on the book titles, anything to distract him from her eyes and lips. Damn. This wasn’t helping the erection straining against his zipper.
As he contemplated whether he should leave, the murmur of voices back up front caught his attention. They were too low for him to make out from where he stood, so he walked deeper into the stacks. He should feel guilty for listening, but it was a public place with no guarantee of privacy. At least, that’s what he told himself.
“Here, sweetie, you work too hard.” The voice sounded like an older woman.
“Thanks, Grams. You make the best lemonade.”
If he remembered correctly, the store was owned by a family. Was this redhead the granddaughter?
“You think compliments will get me to leave you alone? You need more of a life than this store, Gwen.”
“You can’t fault a girl for trying,” the redhead replied with a giggle.
“What am I going to do with you?”
“Same thing you always do—shake your head and go bake.”
He struggled to stifle his chuckle. Their relationship was close and reminded him of his granddad.
Listening to their conversation, hearing their love, opened a hole in his heart he’d kept patched for years. The need to learn more about her was irresistible.
Merlin didn’t want to startle them, so he approached the desk slowly. When he stopped in front of them, the women turned his way.
As he drew closer, the redhead’s floral scent mixed with the old book smell. Freckles spread across her nose and cheeks and added to his attraction. It was soft, delicate, and now, unforgettable.
“Did you find something?” she asked.
“Yes. No. I mean…umm… I’m not sure. I’ve been looking for an old first edition, one of my unicorns.”
Stuttering? What the hell is wrong with me? This woman was dangerous to his equilibrium. He should have brought one of the guys as their whining about being in a bookstore would have kept his head on straight.
It took all his willpower not to reach out and push an auburn lock behind her ear. Was it as soft as it looked?
“Well, if we don’t have it here, we can try to locate a copy for you,” Gwen replied.
“Why don’t you take a break? You can take this nice man for coffee,” the older woman said with a smile.
“Grams, geesh. Not too subtle.” She turned back to him. “I’m so sorry. You’ll have to excuse my grandmother. I think she’s getting senile in her old age.” A light, peachy-pink color infused her cheeks.
His heart flipped over in his chest. Coffee with Gwen sounded like a wonderful idea. The name fit her—gentle and lovely.
“I don’t know. I can always go for a cup of coffee or four. I’m Merlin, by the way.” He smiled, hoping she’d agree to the impromptu date.
Her grandmother smiled. “See, he wants coffee. And you can talk about books. Is this your first time here, Merlin?”
“Yes, it is. I recently moved to the area.” Since Gwen still hadn’t answered, he added, “I promise I don’t bite, unless you ask, that is.” Merlin waggled his eyebrows. He hoped she’d laugh again.
“Neither of you will give up until I say yes, so I don’t have much choice. But there will be no biting on the first date,” Gwen answered with a smile and her eyes sparkled with mischief.
He was toast…
*
Be sure to pick up the next book book in the Delta Team Three series, Gwen’s Delta by Lynne St. James.
Author’s Note
I hope you’ve enjoyed Destiny’s Delta! If you haven’t read the rest of the books in the series, I’ve included the links for all five stories.
Nori’s Delta by Lori Ryan
Destiny’s Delta by Becca Jameson
Gwen’s Delta by Lynne St. James
Ivy’s Delta by Elle James
Hope’s Delta by Riley Edwards
You may have also noticed that Destiny’s Delta is the launching pad for my next series, Open Skies! Yep, all those flight attendants you met have their own happily ever afters with their own sexy Deltas.
Open Skies:
Layover
Redeye
Nonstop
Standby
I’m including the first chapter of Layover to whet your appetite! Mwahaha
“That one,” Libby whispered as she set her elbows on the high-top table where the two women stood and leaned in closer to Christa, her breath hitching.
Christa glanced at Libby and then followed her line of sight. “The tall one?”
“They’re all tall. You think it’s a requirement or something?” she joked, sitting up straighter. “Maybe there’s a height requirement for men who enter the military.”
Christa rolled her pale blue eyes and tucked a lock of blond hair behind her ear. “There is no height requirement for the military.”
Libby shot her a goofy glance. “I was kidding.”
“You’re not wrong though. It seems like all of Trent’s friends are tall. And built. And…do these guys ever eat junk food?”
The man Libby had her sights on glanced their direction. When he turned his body, she licked her lips. He had on khaki dress pants, a pale-blue, button-down shirt, and loafers. Casual but stylish. Like the rest of the wedding party at Destiny and Trent’s rehearsal dinner.
Libby smiled at him. And then she melted a bit when he returned the smile
.
Christa jerked her gaze downward and muttered, “Shit. He caught us ogling.”
“Ogling? We’re downright staring, and I don’t care if he did catch us. Me in particular. I hope he’s single.”
Christa lifted her gaze back to face Libby. Her cheeks were pink, which happened often considering how pale Christa’s skin was and how easily she embarrassed. “Does it even matter? If all you care about is a one-night stand with one of these guys, what difference does it make if he’s single or not?”
Libby gasped in mock horror. “I’m not stealing some other woman’s man.” Destiny, one of her best friends and the star of this weekend, hadn’t mentioned any of her fiancé Trent’s friends being married or even in serious relationships. So Libby wasn’t too worried. She was on a mission. Her goal for the night was to choose a willing, handsome, buff guy and then flirt mercilessly with him.
Tomorrow night was when she intended to strike, after the wedding itself. Tonight would be too obvious in this more intimate gathering in the reserved room at the back of an Italian restaurant. Besides, it would be awkward tomorrow if she slept with one of the groomsmen and then had to face him at the wedding.
She was pretty sure the man she’d singled out who was now glancing at her yet again was named Jason Nixon. It was nearly impossible to keep up with any one of Trent’s friend’s names since half the time he called them by their last name, and the other half of the time he referred to them by their team nickname. But she’d heard them refer to this tall, broad, breath of fresh air as Hatch.
“I don’t know how you can possibly set your mind to having sex with a stranger before you’ve even met him,” Christa continued, her voice low, her eyes darting around as if the mention of the word sex might cause eyebrows to rise.
“Girl, do you have any idea what kind of men I’ve dated? I’m twenty-eight years old. My mother has set me up with half the Guatemalan men anywhere close to my age in a thirty-mile radius. Every one of them has been a failure.”
Christa giggled. “Your mom is persistent.”
“That’s an understatement. She doesn’t seem to grasp that since I was born and raised in Dallas, I spent my life exposed to a far more diverse culture than she’s from.” Libby glanced at Christa. “The guys she sets me up with are always cocky and macho. They may act perfectly polite when they’re around my parents, but as soon as we’re alone it’s like they puff out their chests and start some sort of mating dance.” Libby shuddered at the reminder.
Christa laughed harder. “Don’t forget, I’ve been with you on a few double dates. I’ve seen this mating dance in action. Your description is hilarious but spot-on.”
Libby sighed as she glanced again at Jason. “I want to know what it feels like to be with a man who’s more interested in me than himself. That guy…” She nodded once again toward the man who’d grabbed her attention, “…makes me squirm. I like the way he smiles at me. It doesn’t hurt that he’s rock hard, muscular, and tall.” Libby sighed dramatically.
“Not gonna lie. He looks pretty cocky himself.”
Libby shook her head. “No. It’s different. He looks confident. Alpha, but not in a macho sort of way,” she mused. “I’ve always had a bit of a thing for men in uniform. I’m dying to roll around between the sheets with one of them.”
“And you think if you sleep with one of these guys, you’ll get it out of your system? Seems like a risky idea.”
Libby nodded. “That’s my plan.”
“What are you going to tell your mom when you end up falling for him?”
Libby cringed. “Not gonna happen. My parents would have a coronary if I dated a man like that cool drink of water. He has so many strikes against him, she’d drop dead. He’s full-blooded American for one thing, and white.”
“Might I remind you that you’re full-blooded American too,” Christa pointed out. “It’s not a race.”
Libby laughed. “To my mother it is. ‘Guatemalans must stick together,’” she began in her mother’s authoritative tone. ‘It’s time for you to find a nice man from our country and settle down. I’m not getting any younger. I need grandbabies.’”
Christa winced. “Yeah, your mom does kinda sound like that.”
“And the crazy thing is that she was born in the US too. I guess the fact that she lived in a less diverse community growing up caused her to absorb more of the traditional Guatemalan ways of thinking. I thought maybe she would lighten up after her parents passed away, but noooo. If anything, she lays it on even thicker.”
“Shit. He’s coming this way,” Christa whispered.
Libby sat up straighter, smoothing her hands down her dress, over her thighs. She hoped her makeup looked okay. She hadn’t reapplied lipstick since they’d finished dinner.
Suddenly, she felt a bit silly and presumptuous. It wasn’t like her to pick out a man from across a room and set her sights on him. She honestly hadn’t dated many white guys, and none as formidable as this one.
His gaze was definitely set on her as he approached, his swagger slightly cocky, his lips tipped up almost in a smirk. Maybe he was no different than the macho guys she was used to, but somehow he had a different vibe. Her body had come alive more and more throughout the evening. By now, she was buzzing with arousal. Most of the men she’d dated made her cringe and shrink away from them within minutes. Not this one. By the time he reached their table, Libby was no longer breathing. She had to tip her head way back to meet his gaze.
He turned toward Christa. “I haven’t had a chance to meet you two yet.” He held out a hand. “Jason Nixon.”
At least Libby had his name right in her head.
Christa shook his hand in her small pale one, barely managing to murmur, “Christa Boyce.” She took a step back, pointing over her shoulder. “I’m just gonna go get a drink.” She fled so fast it was a wonder a breeze didn’t hit Libby in the face.
Jason turned his attention toward Libby once again and took her hand next. “And you are?”
“Libby. Libby Garcia,” she stammered, loving the feel of his firm handshake. His hand was darn near twice the size of hers. Granted, everything about her was petite. She was four eleven and proportionately dainty. Most of the time that fact drove her crazy, and she worked hard to make up for her size with personality. With Jason, she suddenly didn’t mind. He seemed huge and powerful, and she liked it.
“Libby. Is that short for Elizabeth?”
She shook her head and cleared her throat. “No. Libertad.”
“Ah, Hispanic. Libertad. Liberty. I love that.” His accent was nearly perfect.
Her eyes widened. For one thing, no one ever loved her weird name. And for another thing, Jason Nixon apparently spoke at least enough Spanish to correctly pronounce and translate Liberty. Interesting. “Thank you,” she managed to murmur as he released her fingers.
“Nice to meet you, Libby. Save a dance for me tomorrow night?”
She nearly choked as she stared at his raised eyebrow. She was not going to chicken out. She was so totally going to lay it on thick with this hunk. “Absolutely. Looking forward to it.”
If you’d like to read more, here is the link for Layover, Open Skies, Book One.
Also by Becca Jameson
Open Skies:
Layover
Redeye
Nonstop
Standby
Canyon Springs:
Caleb’s Mate
Hunter’s Mate
Corked and Tapped:
Volume One: Friday Night
Volume Two: Company Party
Volume Three: The Holidays
Surrender:
Raising Lucy
Teaching Abby
Leaving Roman
Choosing Kellen
Pleasing Josie
Project DEEP:
Reviving Emily
Reviving Trish
Reviving Dade
Reviving Zeke
Reviving Graham
Reviving Bian
ca
Reviving Olivia
Project DEEP Box Set One
Project DEEP Box Set Two
SEALs in Paradise:
Hot SEAL, Red Wine
Hot SEAL, Australian Nights
Hot SEAL, Cold Feet
Dark Falls:
Dark Nightmares
Club Zodiac:
Training Sasha
Obeying Rowen
Collaring Brooke
Mastering Rayne
Trusting Aaron
Claiming London
Sharing Charlotte
Taming Rex
Tempting Elizabeth
Club Zodiac Box Set One
Club Zodiac Box Set Two
The Art of Kink:
Pose
Paint
Sculpt
Arcadian Bears:
Grizzly Mountain
Grizzly Beginning
Grizzly Secret
Grizzly Promise
Grizzly Survival
Grizzly Perfection
Arcadian Bears Box Set One
Arcadian Bears Box Set Two
Sleeper SEALs:
Saving Zola
Spring Training:
Catching Zia
Catching Lily
Catching Ava
Spring Training Box Set
The Underground series:
Force
Clinch
Guard
Submit
Thrust
Torque
The Underground Box Set One
The Underground Box Set Two
Destiny's Delta (Special Forces: Operation Alpha) (Delta Team Three Book 2) Page 18
