That’s when he woke up. Got a clue. Set his sights on a military career. Reliable. Tangible. Doable. He focused on things he could control. And others’ feelings weren’t one of them. Relationships fell last on his list.
Besides, in his experience, he’d seen too many fail, unable to withstand a military schedule. It had happened to his own parents. His mother had left his dad after fourteen years of marriage. Fourteen years. Rachel Wyne claimed she was tired of supporting his career while hers took a back seat. They shared joint custody and got on well; she even attended his father’s second wedding to Brandi’s mother, saying they made much better friends than man and wife. That was fifteen years ago, but Ben still took that lesson to heart. It had shown him, early on, the military and relationships didn’t last.
That was why he was selective with his lovers. They knew a relationship was out of the question. He didn’t want one. Just a warm body and great sex when needed. Nothing serious. Just physical.
Charisse, his current go-to girl, was out of the country representing her company at some trade show. She didn’t expect a ring, or exclusiveness. They called each other up when they felt the need to work off some steam. Perfect set up.
Great sex.
Zero commitment.
Life was good.
Pushing through the front door, he exhaled a breath and noted his shoulders felt a lot lighter than when he’d exited his office a minute earlier.
“Sgt. Wyne. Just the man I wanted to see.”
Ben stopped and silently uttered a curse, tightness returning to stiffen his body once again. He knew without turning around who stood on the sidewalk behind him. He recognized the voice of his superior officer’s superior.
Colonel Dankirk.
The man with the authority to stop promotions, like the one Ben was eligible for at the end of the year.
The man with a wife half his age who continually hit on Ben whenever her husband’s back was turned.
His father’s friend and old war buddy who’d left two messages inviting Ben to his house for the weekend for a small get together with a few officers…and his promiscuous wife.
There was no way to duck the invitation now. Nor could he afford to refuse. Damned if he did, and damned if he didn’t. He knew when his career allowed him to do his own thing, and when he needed to jump through hoops. This was a jump-through hoops kind of weekend.
Pasting a smile on his face, Ben turned around and held out his hand. “Colonel Dankirk, how are you, sir?”
The man shook his hand and cocked his head, gaze direct and sharp as usual. “Fine, Ben, but I’d be better if you’d tell me you’re coming to the house this weekend. It’ll be a mixture of work and play. Mira has her heart set on it. You’ve made quite an impression with my wife. She loves that wit of yours, son. I hate to disappoint her.”
And he hated to be fired. Blackballed. Manhandled. Or caught in a compromising position not of his choosing.
He was screwed.
He couldn’t go.
Couldn’t not go.
And he couldn’t just tell the Colonel the reason. No man liked to hear shit about his girl, even if it was the truth.
Yeah, he was screwed.
“Hey, Ben. Colonel Dankirk. Sorry to butt in.” Lea’s voice carried across the street and he could’ve cheerfully kissed his sister’s best friend for the interruption.
“No worries, my dear.” The colonel transferred his direct gaze to the woman rushing toward them, her blue checkered apron blowing in the wind. “How’s your dad?”
“Misinformed,” she replied, slight quirk to her top lip. Over the years, she’d waited on the two of them plenty of times at Gabe’s, so he wasn’t surprised by her greeting or the colonel’s inquiry. “He thinks if he rushes through therapy, he’ll get back to work sooner.”
His superior chuckled. “Not on your watch.”
“Exactly, sir.” She smiled, then turned her blue gaze on him as she waved at the restaurant. “I saw you from the window and wanted to catch you to let you know I just got off the phone with Jill. We have an appointment at six o’clock tonight to sample wedding cakes.”
Colonel Dankirk reeled back slightly, brows raised, small smile tugging the corner of his mouth. “Congratulations, Ben. Your father didn’t tell me you and Lea were seeing each other.”
“Oh…uh…” Her pretty face turned the exact shade of pink as the Hello Kitty pencil shoved behind her ear. “It’s n-not for us,” she stammered.
Never one to look a gift horse in the mouth, Ben quickly slipped an arm around Lea’s shoulders and drew her close, a little surprised at how soft she felt. “Yeah, it’s for my sister’s wedding next month. Lea and I aren’t rushing things. We’re taking it slow, sir.”
She stiffened against him, and for a moment, his heart stopped. Damn. The last thing he needed was for her to push away. But she must’ve heard his silent message, or noted the pleading in his gaze, because she suddenly relaxed and melted against him.
The colonel nodded. “Smart man.”
A moment later, Lea really got into character. She slid a hand around his waist and snuggled closer, reminding him once again she was no longer a little girl. The plump softness of her breast pressing into his side alerted him of that fact. Shit, he did not need to know she felt that good. Or that she was that stacked. And, oh hell yeah, she was stacked if he could feel her breast through the thickness of his ACU jacket.
“That he is,” she said, resting her head against his shoulder while she patted his chest. “But he still has a few things to prove to me first, don’t you, snookums?”
He swallowed a curse. She did not just call him that in front of his superior.
Colonel Dankirk laughed. “Good for you, Lea. Make him squirm.”
Oh, he was squirming all right.
“Hey, Ben.” The colonel turned to him, wide smile on his face. “Why don’t you bring Lea with you this weekend? The others are bringing their ladies. I know Mira would love to meet your girlfriend, too.”
“Thank you, sir,” he replied, relishing the fact he’d found his buffer, and that his girlfriend had stiffened again as he glanced down at her. “We’d love to.”
Blue eyes stared up at him, and he grinned, doing his damndest to keep from laughing. He didn’t think he’d ever seen her look so shocked. Not even when she’d walked in on him and Gwen making out in the Gablonski’s basement the night before he left for basic training.
She lifted her chin, a devilish gleam entering her gaze before she turned her attention to the colonel, and left him shaking in his combat boots not knowing what the hell was about to come out of her pretty mouth...
Chapter Two
“Yes, sir. We’d love to,” Lea replied, adrenaline, confusion and a few other ‘uns’ running through her body, taking turns increasing and decreasing her temperature. “Benny promised to row me around his lake, but so far he hasn’t found the time. I know there’s a small one next to your property. Maybe he can finally take care of me this weekend.”
“Absolutely, young lady.” Colonel Dankirk nodded, casting a stern glance at Ben who blinked down at her.
She clenched her teeth to keep from laughing. Poor guy hadn’t looked that shocked since she’d walked in on him and her sister going at it hot and heavy in her basement the night before he left for basic training.
The confusion clouding his green eyes suddenly cleared and her heart leapt in her chest when his gaze gleamed a deep emerald. “Perfect, because you deserve to be taken care of, sweetheart.”
One octave. That was it. A single octave lower was the difference between innocent and trouble. And holy crow, his voice had dropped an octave with that phrase.
Her stomach fluttered, and neglected good parts tingled. Damn.
She was in trouble.
“Wonderful. I’ll expect you both at eighteen hundred Friday night.” Their future host pivoted around and strode toward the parking lot on the side of the building before either of them
had a chance to reply.
They must’ve stood that way a good four minutes until the colonel’s car disappeared down the street. During those four minutes, Lea soaked it all in. The hard muscles under her palm. The solid strength in the arm surrounding her. The promise of heat in the hand caressing her hip. She inhaled two, three—five times, enjoying the pure male scent that was Benjamin Wyne. The sexiest man alive. The man holding her close.
In the middle of the sidewalk.
In broad daylight.
Across from her father’s restaurant.
The one with customers pressing their faces to the window, smiling at them, hoping to see who knows what.
Ben must’ve noticed, too, because he stiffened, released her and stepped back so quick and rigid she half-expected him to go straight into an about-face and march away.
But the sexy sergeant stood there and gave her a firm nod. “Thanks, Lea.” The palm with the heat she could still feel on her hip skimmed across his head after he momentarily removed his cap. “Sorry to drag you into this.”
She cleared her throat, doing her best to sound nonchalant. “Exactly what is this, Ben?”
“This is me asking you to pretend to be my girlfriend, just for the weekend,” he replied, jamming the hat back on his head. “I hope you didn’t have work at the museum this Sunday.”
“No,” she replied. “I would’ve said something to the colonel if I had.” She only worked one weekend a month at the anthracite museum, and she’d already put her hours in this month.
He nodded, relief easing the stiffness from his shoulders. “I need, you, Lea. Your help, I mean.”
She heard it. Really, she did. She heard his added clarification, but latched on to the I need you, Lea part and oh Lordy, her body basked in the rush of heat his words created. Words she’d longed to hear practically half her life. “S-sure, no problem. But I have to admit, I find it hard to believe you need a pretend girlfriend.”
He laughed, and dammit, the sound warmed her from the inside out. “Thanks. Colonel Dankirk was pressing me to stay at his place this weekend.”
“Which is horrible. I know, what with his estate being so big and all.” She made a tsking sound with her tongue as she shrugged.
This won her a smirk. “Smart ass. I needed a buffer from his wife and wouldn’t have asked you, but Charisse is out of the country, so I needed a substitute and fast.”
Oh, swell. She was a substitute. A stand in for his goodtime girlfriend.
Still, Lea couldn’t bring herself to feel bad. For two whole nights and three days she was going to be Sgt. Benjamin Wyne’s girlfriend. Which meant she had to touch him and cuddle with him, and show signs of affection in public.
Yeah, sucked to be her.
Four and a half hours later, Lea was in the middle of a Skype call with Brandi and her bridesmaids, Jordan, Kerri and Shayla, discussing the cakes she’d just sampled with Ben, when the truth in that earlier statement hit her for the first time.
It did suck to be her.
“Okay, I know that look,” Brandi stated, her pretty face moving closer to the screen. “What did Ben do now?”
Darn woman really was too astute. “Nothing. Not really.”
“Explain.”
“Gosh, you’re so bossy,” she said with a laugh.
“I’m a Wyne. We can’t help it,” Brandi stated. “Now, stop changing the subject and spill it. What is going on with you and my brother?”
“Ooh, are you seeing the sexy Benjamin Wyne? Do tell.” Jordan moved closer, brown gaze alight with mischief.
“No. I wish.” Pretty please with sugar on top. Now was probably not the best time to entertain thoughts of licking sugar off the man’s ripped torso. Twice.
“But…? Come on, tell us,” her friend urged.
“Yeah, we want the scoop,” Kerri said, gathering close, along with a nodding Shayla.
Darn. She knew when she was busted. “It’s nothing really.” She sat back in her chair and petted Marlow, her dad’s black cat currently curled up on her lap. “I’m just pretending to be his girlfriend while we’re at Colonel Dankirks this weekend.”
A dawning lit Brandi’s eyes, turning them the same shade as her namesake. “To keep Mrs. Dankirk at bay.”
“Exactly.”
“Do you have to share a room?” Shayla smiled.
“I-I don’t know. Maybe.” She hadn’t even thought to ask. Something fluttered in her belly, but Lea wasn’t sure if it was excitement or dread. It would suck to be so close to the man and not be able to be close to the man.
“Probably,” Brandi answered. “I went there once with Ed, and each of the couples had their own room.”
The fluttering increased to double time in her stomach, robbing her of breath. She would be sharing a bedroom with Ben the whole weekend. What should be considered a dream come true left her worried.
“I’m not gonna make it.” She palmed her face.
“What do you mean?” Kerri asked.
She dropped her hands and shook her head. “I don’t think I can be cooped up with the man that long without, you know, touching him.”
Jordan shrugged. “Then don’t.”
This turned Lea’s nervousness into laughter. “Don’t share a room? I don’t think I can request another.”
“No, I mean don’t resist touching him,” the brown-eyed, long brown-haired beauty clarified.
“Easy for you to say. You’re competent and gorgeous. Did I mention gorgeous? I’m just…” She paused to wave at her average body. “…boring me.”
Brandi narrowed her gaze and shook a finger at the screen. “You are far from boring, Lea Gablonski. And you’re practically the fantasy of every soldier in that armory.”
Now she was laughing outright. “You are so full of shit, Brandi.”
“I’m serious. You forget I’ve been around those soldiers. They were always talking about you with your silky, dark hair, light blue eyes and killer body.” Her friend was laying it on thick. “Half of them think you should be modeling next to Gwen.”
That sobered Lea up real fast. “What?” She blinked, but her friend’s smug face didn’t change. “They did not.”
“Yes, they did. Including my brothers.”
“Why wouldn’t they?” Kerri frowned. “You’re so beautiful. It’s time you believed it. Because, trust me, once you believe in yourself, the world changes for the better.”
“Amen.” Shayla nodded, brilliant smile lighting her happy face.
“So, you’re saying Ben thinks I should be a model?”
“Something like that. I doubt he’d want you to be, though. He just agreed you’re beautiful enough to model.”
Ben thought she was beautiful…
A rush of warmth settled over Lea, leaving her feeling all kinds of tingly. Then reality set in. “Too bad he thinks of me as his little sister.”
“Then this weekend is the perfect time to change his outlook.”
“Change? How?”
“I have one word for you,” Jordan cut in, that mischievous grin consuming her gaze. “Negligee.”
“Negligee?” Her heart dropped to her ribs and rolled around. “I-I don’t own any.”
“Buy some,” Brandi stated with the bridesmaids all nodding in agreement.
“I can’t do that. It feels dishonest. Like entrapment or something.” Besides, she didn’t have the guts. What if he turned her down? She’d die. Simply die. No, she couldn’t do it.
Could she?
As she silently argued with herself, the girls discussed what style and color would work best for her. It was all too surreal. Time to change the subject.
“So, back to the cakes,” she said, regaining her best friend’s attention. “They were all excellent, but…”
“The chocolate one, right?” Brandi eyed her closely.
Lea slapped a hand on her chest and moaned. “It was orgasmic. Jill mixed in Belgium chocolate. Pure bliss.” Just thinking about it had Lea closing her ey
es and sighing. “It was so good I finished my slice, and then Ben’s.”
Right from his fork. He just blinked at her, mouth dropping open as he watched her lick her lips. Poor guy. A flash of fear skittered through his mossy green eyes.
“It takes a smart man to know better than to get between a woman and her chocolate,” Kerri stated.
She opened her eyes and nodded.
“Unless the man is covered in chocolate.” Jordan winked.
“Yeah.”
“Amen.”
“Yeehaw.”
The women snickered. Lea balked. They were killing her. In stereo.
She hadn’t been with a man in, well, almost a year. She’d dated a few guys while in college, and last year, she’d even had a fling while penthouse sitting for her sister. Gwen had asked Lea to watch the place while she was in Cairo for a shoot. The freedom, the energy of the city had been great, but she’d been most at home at the library. It was huge and inviting, and the big, stone building itself had been so full of history she felt right at home. That’s where she’d met a handsome professor, and soon their daily lunches and friendly discussions had turned to nightly rendezvous…until she’d discovered the jerk was married.
Even now, her stomach soured just thinking about it. She shivered as a wave of distaste rolled through without mercy. Since then, she’d learned to be more selective. Though, no need. There hadn’t been anyone else.
Her sex life was dead in the water.
Sure, guys glanced her way and smiled, a few of the customers even flirted, but for some reason, they never asked her out. And she got to wondering if maybe they’d been smiling at her for other reasons. Like maybe she had jelly on her butt or some other form of food. It’d been known to happen. She was always brushing up against the stack of dirty dishes while rushing around the kitchen.
Wyne and Dine (Citizen Soldier Series Book 1) Page 3
