The Marine Meets His Match

by Cathie Linz

  Minutes later the two Marines stared at their “troops” with dismay.

  Rad spoke first. “You females laughed. You do not laugh in tug-of-war.”

  “It wasn’t tug-of-war, it was Granica,” Amy pointed out.

  “It was a game,” Ellie added.

  Serena pointed out the positive. “Each side won once.”

  “Only because you laughed.” Rad’s voice was accusatory. “Otherwise our team would have won.”

  “No way,” Ben scoffed. “Our team would have won.”

  “Did I mention that Marines are very competitive?” Ellie noted to Serena.

  “Daddy…” Amy tugged on Ben’s hand. “You told me that the important thing was to play the game well and give it your best effort.”

  “He was lying,” Rad muttered.

  Serena socked him. It seemed the right thing to do at the time. He responded by taking her hand in his and twining his fingers through hers.

  “That’s right.” Ben bent down to give Amy a big hug.

  “And to have fun. We had fun. That’s why we were laughing,” Amy explained.

  “And because you guys looked so serious,” Ellie added with a grin. “If you could have seen the look on your faces…”

  “I always play to win,” Rad said.

  Serena tried to think of something clever to say, but she was distracted by the feel of his fingers holding hers. This was the first time they’d ever held hands. They’d already kissed but holding hands…was enough to make her go all rubbery-legged. Or maybe that was a result of playing tug-of-war.

  No, she suspected it was Rad. Glancing down, she studied their hands. Her fingers looked so slender compared to his. He had wide palms with long, strong fingers. Even the way he held her hand indicated that this was a man who knew what he was doing, who was confident in his abilities.

  She continued staring at their hands. Why didn’t she feel trapped? She should feel trapped. But she didn’t. Why was that? Was it the soothing rub of his thumb? Was it the loose way he held her? She felt joined with him. What did he feel?

  She glanced up, wondering if he’d even noticed that his fingers were still entwined with hers. But his gaze was on Amy as he teased her about something.

  Suddenly, the enormity of her lie caught up with her. When the rest of the family headed inside for ice cream, Serena held Rad back.

  “What’s the matter?”

  She freed her fingers. She needed to think clearly. She needed to remember that this wasn’t real. “Can’t you tell them the truth?”

  Rad shook his head. “It’s too late now. They already think you’re my fiancée. Trust me, my grandmother would not understand. And she’s not capable of keeping a secret. You’re doing great so far.” He cupped her face, brushing his thumb against her cheek. “Just hang in there.”

  “Do you want chocolate or strawberry ice cream?” Amy called out.

  “Both,” Rad called back with a grin. “And hot fudge and whipped cream on top.”

  An hour later, Serena was in Rad’s car on her way back to her real life. The silence made her feel awkward. “They seem like a really nice couple.”

  “They didn’t always have it easy. Ellie’s brother was under Ben’s command when he was killed by friendly fire. For a long time, Ben held himself responsible even though he didn’t fire the shot. But he believed that her brother had taken a bullet meant for him.”

  “That must have been difficult.”

  “Yeah, but they got over it. What doesn’t kill you makes you tougher.”

  “And you’re all for being tough, aren’t you?”

  “I’m a Marine. It goes with the territory.”

  She knew that. Being tough and being bossy were all part of the deal, part of the package.

  “You have a nice family.” Unlike her own. “I feel badly deceiving them this way.”

  “It’s for a good cause.”

  His calm words irritated her. “Your career in the military?”

  “I was referring to your bookstore.”

  What could she say to that? It was true that she’d agreed to this plan because of her bookstore. But that was before. Before she’d met his grandmother. Before she’d kissed Rad. Before she’d experienced his seductive ways.

  “We have nothing in common,” Serena said abruptly.

  Rad pulled the Corvette into the parking space behind her building before replying. “You wouldn’t know that from the way we kissed earlier.”

  “That can’t happen again.”

  “We’re pretending to be an engaged couple. Kissing comes with the territory.”

  “Not that kind of kissing.” Not the kind that melted her soul.

  Turning, he leaned toward her. His gaze was a clear challenge. So was his slow smile. “Then show me what kind of kissing you prefer.”

  Serena could tell that he thought she’d hop out of the car in outrage. Instead she decided to call his bluff. “This kind.” She meant to bestow a polite kiss on his cheek, but he turned his head at the last moment and her lips met his.

  Chapter Six

  Serena was amazed at how quickly something so innocent could turn so seductive. All it took was the touch of his lips on hers, the thrust of his fingers through her hair as he angled her head to ensure ultimate satisfaction.

  His mouth engulfed hers in a turbulent and erotic game of tongue tag, making her forget all the valid reasons she shouldn’t be doing this. She couldn’t think; she could only feel.

  Excitement surged through her as a whirlpool of sensations sucked her into this forbidden world of dark seduction. The intensity of the pleasure he aroused within her—the edgy need, the wanton desire—consumed her entirely.

  One kiss blended into the next, each one escalating in intimacy, pulling her deeper and deeper into his embrace. Catching her bottom lip between his teeth, Rad drew it into his mouth to suck and nibble until her sighs became moans.

  His talented hands were equally skillful. He braced her head with one hand while allowing his right hand to slide down her throat, past her collarbone. He brushed his thumb against her skin, his touch tantalizingly tender compared to the hunger of his kiss. She rested her hands on his broad shoulders, awed by the sheer bulk of him in these tight confines.

  Serena wasn’t sure how his hand stole beneath her top but it did. Seconds later he was reverently cupping her breast in his palm, teasing her nipple with the tip of his thumb. She shivered at the delicious caress that both inflamed and incited. She was totally swept away by the tidal wave of sensual desire.

  She needed to get closer to him. She squirmed, her derriere sliding against the black leather bucket seat as she tried to erase the space between them. Instead she ended up banging her knee on the gearshift console.

  Gasping she pulled away, tears coming to her eyes.

  “Are you okay?” Rad asked her.

  Serena shook her head. Of course she wasn’t okay. She’d just made out with him in the front seat of his Corvette.

  “Let me help—”

  “Stay away from me!” Dismayed by her lack of control, Serena jumped out of the car. Her knee throbbed as she ran up to her apartment but that was nothing compared to the throbbing in her heart as she realized how quickly her business arrangement with Rad had turned dangerously personal.

  Serena had everything ready for the book signing. She felt confident that today would be a huge success. Customers were lined up outside the door, just waiting to come in and buy books. Lots of books.

  Time to let them in. She punched the code into the security system but nothing happened. Her heart started pounding and so did the impatient people outside, bamming their fists on the glass windows and door.

  Serena’s fingers trembled as she frantically entered the numbers on the keypad again. Nothing. What could be wrong?

  “Discipline!” Rad, in full dress blues, barked from her side. “Discipline is a critical part of being a Marine and of succeeding in life. Without discipline there’s c
haos. Marines do not like chaos.”

  “I’m the radical one in the family,” Rad, in jeans and a white T-shirt, whispered in her ear on her other side. He swirled his index finger around the curve of her ear and down her neck. He undid the lower half of the buttons on her dress while the uniformed Rad efficiently dispatched the top buttons.

  Outside the store, the crowd watched with ogle-eyed anticipation as the two Rads, the officer and the bad boy, caressed her body.

  “I’m Serena Serious,” she told them both.

  “We want Serena Sensuous to come out and play.”

  “I can’t. Not with all these people…”

  A second later the crowd was gone and so were her clothes as Serena found herself in bed with just one Rad. A very naked Rad. “Which one are you?” she whispered while running her hands over his bare chest.

  “The one you want.”

  This was more than mere want, this was had to have right now!

  Rad fueled that flame by erotically touching her, there…where she ached, where her body was moist and welcoming. His sliding fingers created a glorious friction that had her gripping the bedclothes. Seconds later she transferred her hold to his wide shoulders as he lowered his mouth to her bare breast. Slivers of sheer bliss pinwheeled out of control as he swirled his tongue over her nipple while brushing his thumb over her feminine treasure trove. She exploded, her entire being pulsating in a never-ending series of contractions.

  She gasped for breath…and woke up.

  She was alone in her bed. It had all been a dream. An incredibly powerful dream.

  She closed her eyes. Maybe it would come back….

  A second later, the buzzing of the alarm dragged her back to reality before she even had a chance to bask in the afterglow.

  This was what she got for kissing a sexy Marine and then staying awake half the night brooding about it while reading the Sexual Goddess’s latest book before falling asleep. Specifically, the chapter on Finding Sexual Satisfaction.

  So she’d dreamt that Rad had made love to her. So what? It didn’t mean anything.

  This was just another lie heaped on top of all the rest.

  “Where do you want the rest of these chairs?” Clay asked her two hours later. They’d already transformed one corner of the store over by the benched alcove into a seating area for forty people. Folded chairs stood at attention, ready to do their duty.

  Great, now even the chairs were getting military overtones. Serena tried not to let her thoughts wander that way. “I think we can fit one more row back here if we move this display rack.”

  Clay took care of that. “You’re expecting a lot of people to come to this thing today?”

  “I hope so.”

  He nervously tugged on his Blink-182 T-shirt. “What about that girl who was in here the other day?”

  “Which one?”

  “The awesome one. Dark hair, bodacious eyes.”

  “I have no idea if Heidi will be here.”

  “It’s possible though, right?”

  “Anything is possible where Heidi is concerned.”

  “Who’s Heidi?” Kalinda demanded as she set a glass punch bowl filled with lemonade on a table nearby.

  “No one,” Clay muttered before setting up the remaining chairs.

  Serena had borrowed them from the church a few blocks away. In return, she did book sales for their special events.

  A tap at the still locked door got Serena’s attention. All she saw was a gorgeous array of flowers. It had to be Jane from the florist shop next door.

  Serena opened the door, trying to ignore the memory of her dream of herself standing before this very door with Rad undoing her dress. She licked lips that had suddenly gone bone dry. “Uh, you and Hosea have really outdone yourself this time.” Hosea, Jane’s husband, was also her partner in the business. He was also incredibly talented, creating some of the most memorable floral designs that Serena had ever seen.

  This one certainly ranked right up there. Filled with splashes of her favorite colors—reds and yellows and oranges.

  “Yes, we did. But this isn’t for your book signing.” The store did the arrangements at a discount, and in return Serena handed out discount coupons for a bouquet of flowers. It was a way for the two businesses to complement one another and both increase business.

  “So you just brought these over to show them off? I can understand why. They are outstanding.”

  “They’re for you.”

  “But you just said—”

  “That they weren’t for the signing. That’s right. Hosea is still working on that arrangement. It’s much smaller than this one. These are for you personally.”

  “You guys shouldn’t have…”

  “We didn’t. The flowers were sent to you by an admirer.”

  While Serena and Jane had been talking, Kalinda had cleared a space for the terra cotta container. “Set them here. There’s a card,” she added for Serena’s benefit. “Aren’t you going to open it?”

  Serena eyed the small white rectangle as if it were Pandora’s box and opening it would result in all her inner sexual fantasies pouring out. “Later. I’ll…uh…open it later.”

  “Don’t you want to know who they’re from?” Kalinda prompted.

  “Probably from the publisher,” the pragmatic Clay stated. “Thanking you for all the work you’re doing for this signing.”

  Serena laughed at herself for being such a fool. Clay was probably right. The flowers were from the Sexual Goddess’s publisher. Not from the inciter of Serena Sensuous.

  Serena opened the card. She instantly recognized the bold slash of the letters. She’d seen them before. In Rad’s signature on the contract he’d offered her.

  Good luck today. Thinking of you, Rad.

  “What does it say?” Kalinda asked. “Who are they from?”

  Serena was saved from answering that question by the arrival of their first group of customers as Kalinda unlocked the door. Because of the more adult content of today’s program, Serena had opened the store for attendees only, opening to her regular customers afterward. She was surprised to find that Rad’s grandmother was the first person in line. The older woman hadn’t said anything about actually attending today’s event.

  “Are we too early?” Wanda asked. “I didn’t want to get here too late to get a seat.”

  “You’re fine. As you can see, we still have plenty of room.” She didn’t know what else to say.

  “My, those are lovely flowers.”

  “Yes.” Serena stuffed the card in the pocket of her dress.

  Seeming to take pity on her flustered boss, Kalinda distracted the newcomers by offering them paper cups of lemonade and cookies. Serena hurried away to finish other preparations. By the time she’d returned several minutes later, a majority of the seats were taken.

  Despite all the publicity and the ads in the paper she’d placed, Serena never knew if a signing would be successful or not. She was relieved that this appeared to be a hit.

  “Serena?”

  She turned to find Ellie Kozlowski standing by the lemonade. “I hope you don’t mind us coming. I brought along some of my friends.” She pointed to two women in the third row seated beside Wanda. They waved.

  That’s not all they did. After Amelia Smith aka the Sexual Goddess completed her presentation and asked for questions from the audience, Wanda was the first to comply. “My grandson Rad has just gotten engaged to Serena here.” Wanda patted Serena’s arm. “Do you have any words of advice for the young couple?”

  Serena could only stand by, a silent observer of her own train wreck as all her loyal customers cheered and clapped their congratulations.

  The news of her fictional engagement was like the small snowball that rolled into a huge avalanche, gaining momentum and speed until it consumed everything in its path.

  When she’d first agreed to this plan, only a few days ago yet a lifetime away, she’d warned Rad that things could get complicated. Bu
t not even she had anticipated the news spreading so that her professional life would be affected.

  The first hug came from Kalinda. “Why haven’t I met this guy yet?”

  “I was trying to keep my private life private.”

  “Not with this crowd.”

  “Words of advice?” Amelia the author said. “Communicate. Talk to each other. The more comforting, positive, humorous, loving words you use, the better. But there are times when you just want to live in the moment, and savor it, without over-thinking things. You’ve heard the phrase never go to bed mad? It’s right. And if your schedule allows, you may want to make love in the morning, when the male testosterone level is at its highest.”

  “Okay, then.” Serena smiled brightly, even though she could feel her cheeks burning. She couldn’t believe she’d just been told when to make love while Rad’s grandmother listened in. “Let’s break for some refreshments and so that you can get your own autographed copy of Amelia Smith’s book.”

  Serena tried but she didn’t get away quickly enough. Her exit was blocked by two women, the two that Ellie had indicated earlier were friends of hers. “Hi, I’m Latesha.”

  “And I’m Cyn. We’re Ellie’s friends. Latesha is a newlywed so she can give advice. I’m still looking for that perfect man.”

  “In all the wrong places,” Latesha shot back. “What were you thinking dating that guy from the strip club?”

  Cyn just grinned. “I was thinking that he looked mighty fine in a jock strap.”

  “Just be glad you don’t have these two planning your bachelorette party,” Ellie told Serena as she placed an arm around both friends’ shoulders. “They held mine at a male strip club and invited my future mother-in-law. She was a good sport about it, but I thought I’d die.”

  Latesha rolled her eyes. “Ellie is such a drama queen.”

  “And since she’s happily married to that fine-looking Marine of hers, she’s gotten even more impossible,” Cyn noted with a fond grin. “And now you’re engaged to a fine-looking Marine of your own, Serena. Lucky you! We saw Rad at Ellie’s wedding. He caught the garter just a few months ago when Ellie and Ben renewed their vows for their first wedding anniversary.”