Model Marine

by Candace Havens

  A knot formed in her gut.

  “No. You aren’t going to do this. You both blew off some steam last night. You had a great time. Incredible sex and he was everything a man should be. Now let it go.”

  In the kitchen she poured herself some coffee, the first sip working like a shot of adrenaline to her brain. Everything she needed to accomplish in the next forty-eight hours assailed her.

  She was about to reach for her sketchpad when her cell phone rang. She didn’t know the number but she picked up anyway.

  “Hello?”

  “It’s Will.”

  She couldn’t stifle the grin that slid across her face. “How did you get my cell? Wait, that sounded like an accusation. I promise I didn’t mean it that way. I’m surprised you called.”

  “I got it off your phone last night and left you my number there on the coffee table.”

  So maybe last night wasn’t the end. She was mad at herself about the excitement that thought sent through her body.

  “Oh. So what’s up?”

  “I have to ask you a favor.” He sounded hesitant.

  “Will, you saved my beans yesterday. I would do anything for you.”

  And to you.

  “I wouldn’t have called you for this if it weren’t absolutely necessary.” He sounded so serious.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “The general wasn’t happy about Rafe and me modeling yesterday. There are pictures all over the paper. We explained that we only did it to help you out, that it was sort of an accident, but he wants to talk to you. If I don’t get you to his office before five today, he’s going to throw us both in the brig.”

  “The brig?”

  “It’s the military’s version of a jail.”

  “No, I know what it is, but it seems extreme. I mean, you weren’t wearing your uniforms. I don’t understand why he has a problem with it. You were off duty.”

  Will sighed. “It’s tough for civilians to understand, but you are never off duty when you’re a marine. We are representatives of the U.S. Marine Corps at all times. If you don’t want to do this, I understand.” He sounded so dejected.

  “Of course I’ll do it. I told you I’d do anything for you. Besides, I’d like to give that general a piece of my mind for being so mean to you guys. He should be the one going in the brig.”

  She thought she heard him laugh. “Might be best if you just go in and tell him the truth about how you met us. He isn’t likely to appreciate any kind of confrontation.”

  “I can do that. I need to shower and find something to wear. I can meet you wherever you need me to in about an hour and a half.” She needed most of that time to whip her hair into submission.

  5

  AN HOUR AND A HALF LATER, dressed in her best Chanel suit trying to look like a proper young woman, she was in a conference room at a hotel near the UN. Will was caught up in meetings so Rafe met her in the lobby and directed her to the room. Earlier Will had explained why she had to be here, and she promised she would do whatever it took to help him.

  “The general is…” Rafe looked around the hotel conference room. He pulled out a notepad and wrote is tough. Room may be bugged. “Is a nice guy,” he said out loud. “Captain Hughes told me to tell you not to worry. If there are questions that make you feel uncomfortable, you don’t have to answer. You really don’t have to do any of this. The captain and I are more than willing to take our punishment without dragging you into this.”

  Hannah tore off the piece of paper and stuffed it in her coat pocket. “I’m here to make him understand what really happened,” she said. “And I’m not going home until he does.”

  “That will be all, Lieutenant.” A handsome older man walked in through another door Hannah hadn’t even noticed.

  Rafe saluted. Without saying a word, he backed out of the room.

  The man held out his hand and Hannah shook it.

  “I’m General Holland Hughes. I appreciate you taking time out of your busy day to assist in this matter.”

  Intimidating. If there were one word to sum this guy up, that would be it. He was as big as Will, which was saying something, but he had a few more lines on his face and his light brown hair had white at the temples.

  Hannah stood a little straighter. She was here to help Will and she’d be damned if she’d let this guy do anything to him or Rafe.

  “I’d like for you to share with me your version of what happened yesterday.” The general claimed a seat and motioned for her to do the same.

  Hannah watched him carefully. Then gave him a sweet smile. “I don’t know what you mean by a version of the story. The truth is simple. I was at my wit’s end. My entire business was about to go down the drain because my models were missing.” She didn’t think it would help to mention they were in jail.

  “I went out on the street to find someone who might fit the clothes. It was crowded, but I couldn’t find anyone who was right for what I needed. Desperate, I started crying. Right there in public. A man comforted me, and told me no matter what was going on, that I would be okay. That man was Captain Hughes.”

  Hughes? Wait a minute. That was the general’s last name, too.

  “Are you related to Will?”

  “That’s irrelevant,” he said in a clipped tone.

  Hannah wasn’t exactly known for putting up with bullies. “Are you this rude all the time or is it some kind of intimidation tactic? You remind me of my dad. Even the way you do your eyebrows. As if you disapprove of everyone, no matter what’s going on.”

  As soon as she finished talking, she wanted to slam a palm to her forehead. The last thing Will and Rafe needed was for her to shoot off her big mouth and make the general angrier.

  “Will is my son.” His face didn’t change, but Hannah had a feeling she’d won some kind of battle.

  That bit of information took a second to process. His own father was threatening him with the brig?

  He was probably making an example out of his son. Holding him up to even tougher standards than he probably would for anyone else in this situation.

  And I’m sure I’ve made the perfect first impression. This man hates me.

  “Thank you for telling me,” Hannah said politely as if she hadn’t just blown everything by being an idiot. “As I was saying, I begged Captain Hughes and his friend to help me. At the time, I’m not sure I explained fully what it would entail. I just told them I needed big, strong guys and that my life depended on them helping me.” She took a breath. “If I had any idea that they would be in trouble for helping a stranger, I would have never asked, even if it had ruined my show. They are amazing men. So kindhearted.”

  Her mind flashed to the night before when Will’s hands covered her body. He sure had been amazing then. The way he teased her into oblivion, her body taut with need—

  Stop it!

  She hated when her brain did stuff like that at the most inopportune moments. Twice on the subway here she caught herself grinning like the Cheshire cat while thinking about Will.

  This is not the time to run your personal porno through your whacked-out head. Pray you didn’t have some kind of goofy orgasm face.

  Poor Will, he would go to jail and it was all her fault because she couldn’t tame her libido.

  “They were the hit of the show. With only a few instructions, they performed as if they had been doing it their entire lives. They pushed the show to a new level, and helped to launch my career and my business in a major way. They’re like my guardian angels.”

  That last bit might have been laying it on kind of thick. She decided to stop there. Worried that if she kept talking, she would say something else stupid, she bit the inside of her lip.

  “Are you admitting your business would have been in jeopardy if my men hadn’t helped you?”

  The way he said admitting sounded as though he didn’t believe her.

  Hannah frowned. “Yes. As I said before, the two designs at the end were what really distinguished my li
ne from everything else that is out there. If you aren’t distinctive in some way, they forget about you before they leave the show.”

  The silence sent waves of nausea through her stomach.

  Great.

  “I understand that perhaps some of the photos might have been upsetting to you.” She had to stop talking. “But I promise you those men had the best intentions. When they found out what was required, I could tell they didn’t want to go through with it. But they had promised.

  “I haven’t known either of them for very long, but they are men of their word. What they did was incredibly difficult and perhaps embarrassing for them, but they did it anyway to help out some crazy woman they didn’t even know.”

  There was a knock on the door. “Sir, you have five minutes until the meeting with—” The man seemed to notice Hannah was there. “The meeting, sir.”

  Must have been some top secret meeting the way the general cut the guy down with his eyes.

  But he stood and Hannah did the same. “Again, I appreciate you taking the time to sort this out.” He stuck out his hand and she shook it again.

  Then he turned to leave.

  “Sir.” Hannah wasn’t sure what to say. “You did a good job with Will. He really is an amazing human being.”

  The older man nodded and left.

  She had no idea if she had helped or hindered the situation, but she’d done her best.

  Not sure what she should do next, she left through the door Rafe had brought her in. He was waiting in the hallway.

  “Will’s really sorry he couldn’t be here. I hope the general wasn’t too harsh.”

  Hannah pursed her lips. “It wasn’t bad at all, but he’s a hard one to read. His face never changed, except when his assistant interrupted the meeting. And it might have been nice if you guys had told me they were related.”

  Rafe smiled. “He told you that?”

  “Only after I asked. He told me it was irrelevant, and I told him that he was rude.”

  Rafe stopped walking and faced her with a panicked look on his face.

  “What?” She acted surprised but she knew why he was upset. She’d really done it this time. Poor guys.

  “You talked back?”

  “No, not really. I just called him on his attitude. He was trying to be a tough guy with me and I didn’t appreciate it.”

  Rafe sighed.

  “I caused more trouble for you and Will, didn’t I?”

  Rafe pushed the button for the lobby on the elevator panel. “I don’t know. He’s, well, I don’t know. He’s pretty hard on Will. I’m just a pawn. You showing up probably cleared me. But Will—”

  Her gut churned. “If I did anything else to get him in trouble, I’m never going to forgive myself. I’m sorry to you, too, Rafe.”

  He put a hand on her shoulder and guided her out to the lobby. “You don’t have to worry about me. I was scared as hell last night and I don’t scare easy. But I had a great time meeting everyone. And I had one of the best dates of my life thanks to your show.”

  Hannah’s head shot up. “You did?”

  “One of the models, Micola. She took me out for Indian food and we talked football until the wee hours of the morning. I never met a woman who looked like that and is better at football stats than I am.”

  Her hand around her middle, Hannah laughed. “I had no idea she was into sports, either.”

  “I have no regrets about last night. And like I said before, if the general decides to go hard-core, we can take it. Certainly won’t be the first time for Will. He has to live up to a whole different standard than the rest of us.”

  “I had a feeling that was the case. I’m sorry I didn’t get to see him to apologize again. Will you please tell him for me, Rafe?”

  “He’s cool with it. I promise. He never wanted you to come today. The only reason he called was to keep me out of the brig. We both appreciate you doing this today. No matter what happens. I’ve got to get going.”

  Hannah waved goodbye. Outside, snow fell but she didn’t care. Even though she was wearing her favorite Marc Jacobs booties. Twice she almost slipped, but she managed to stay upright on the sidewalk.

  Never had she been so disappointed in herself. All she had to do was be polite to the general. She had grown up around people like him and she knew what was expected. But she couldn’t keep her mouth shut for ten minutes to make that happen.

  Then she thought about the past few weeks. How hard she’d been on the staff. No question she’d become a designerzilla the past few days. After years of working for people like that, she’d sworn she would never act that way. Designers as a whole were mercurial at best. One time Leland had screamed at her because he didn’t like the color of belt she had chosen to accent one of his designs. She knew she would never act like that. Leland, when he wasn’t working, was a dreamboat, but when he was designing or before a show, he was nothing short of evil. And he wasn’t the only one.

  I thought I was above all that.

  Obviously she wasn’t. The monster in her had risen to the occasion. She’d used people. Done whatever it took to manipulate them to do what she wanted. She was no better than any other designer she’d ever complained about. In fact, she was even worse. The staff she put together worked with her because she was usually fair and kind. But in the end she’d used them.

  Did she have to take advantage of everyone she met? Anne Marie, Jesse, Will and Rafe. They were all being helpful and professional and she—

  I’m selfish. The words hurt but they were true. She was used to doing whatever it took to get what she wanted, by whatever means, and she didn’t always think about the consequences for the other people involved. That would change.

  The very idea that she’d forgotten a promise made her realize how far she’d traveled to the dark side. Years ago she vowed to take care of Anne Marie but she’d been working the poor girl to death. Her friend was always in the studio when she arrived in the morning and when she left at night. There had been some days when it seemed Anne Marie never left. She was so dedicated, and Hannah had thanked her by acting like a complete moron.

  What would it be like to put someone’s needs first? She wasn’t an awful person, but it was time for her to grow up.

  Will. He made her want to be a better person. And she was damn sure going to try and prove to him that she could be.

  That was, if he ever spoke to her again.

  6

  “CAPTAIN. A WORD.” His father’s gruff voice stiffened Will’s spine.

  For the past hour and a half Will did his best to avoid the man’s glare. If anyone deserved to be angry it was Will. His father had made the situation personal when he called in Hannah. Then the old man made it so he couldn’t protect her. There hadn’t been any meetings scheduled this morning and then suddenly, during the time when Hannah would be downstairs, there was a strategy meeting called. The general was up to his tricks again.

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Follow me.” On the elevator ride up to his parents’ suite not a word was said. There were others in the elevator and whatever was about to happen, his father wanted privacy.

  What did Hannah say?

  Earlier the text Rafe sent said:

  She’s still alive.

  He had no idea what that meant. The general could be a real hard-ass when he wanted. He’d be surprised if Hannah ever spoke to him again.

  His father had a small suite and he motioned for Will to sit down on the sofa in the living area. His mother was in town, but had probably gone out shopping. She had mentioned to Will that she thought it was exciting that he had been in the fashion show. But she would never tell his father that.

  “I talked to the young woman who rooked you into that fiasco.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “She explained the situation. The investigation is over. I would suggest in the future you think about how you are representing the corps before you do something that will embarrass us all.

  �
�And that woman. She obviously has feelings for you. I suggest you break that off as quickly as possible. You don’t need that kind of distraction, especially now. There is too much at stake. Your priorities must be your special detail.”

  “Sir. Are you speaking to me as the general or as my father?” Will’s voice was tinged with anger. He couldn’t help it. Now the man who had told him what to do all of his life said that he couldn’t date Hannah.

  “Both, young man. Watch your tone.”

  “As my father, sir, I can take care of myself. Hannah is a very nice woman and I don’t appreciate you telling me who I can see socially.”

  “I never said she wasn’t nice but she is a distraction. One you can ill afford at this point.”

  He hated that the man was right. He’d been thinking about Hannah all day. Twice during the meeting his superiors had to repeat things because he was worried how his father might be treating her.

  There was also the fact Hannah was a woman who deserved the best. He couldn’t give her that. She had come from enormous wealth and lived in a different world. Thanks to his investments, he wasn’t exactly a pauper but he couldn’t afford a loft in New York City. He also didn’t have the time to even try to convince her that he was good boyfriend material. Two weeks and he’d be out of here, off to God knew where. “Are we finished, sir?”

  His father eyed him carefully. “Yes.”

  Will stood and saluted.

  His mother walked in as he reached the door. He opened it and took the bags from her.

  “Hello, sweetie. I’m so happy to see you. Can you stay for lunch?”

  After setting the bags on the entry table, Will kissed her cheek. “No, ma’am. I’m sorry. I have another meeting in about twenty minutes.” Will gave her a tight smile.

  She looked at him and then his father.

  “What did you do, Holland?”

  “Why do you blame me? He’s the one who plastered himself all over the newspapers half-naked.”