Her Sexy Marine Valentine (5 page)

Twenty minutes later they were pulling into the picnic area where the event was taking place. A large canopy had been set up with tables. There was beach volleyball and little kids were running all over the place.

She'd been so worried about getting ready, she hadn't thought about how she would interact with these people. There were a lot of families with teenagers and young kids—how would she relate?

“I'm nervous,” she said. It was silly. She could talk to most anyone. Part of her job as a designer was to convince her potential clients why she was the best person for the job. But that was her world, this was something very different.

Brody took her hand in his and squeezed it. “If it makes you feel better, I am, too. I live by a code and I don't like the idea of lying to my CO. But I keep telling myself it's worth it if it means avoiding Carissa. She's not a bad person or anything, but getting tangled up with her is the kiss of death. The last guy who had my job dated her for two weeks and then dumped her. I'm not sure where he was transferred to in the end.”

“She's a grown woman, surely your CO wouldn't do something as vindictive as that?”

“He's tough about most things, which is why I don't understand all this pretend goodwill. You bond when you're deployed and when you're training, you're training. Like I said, I just don't get it. When I was a fresh recruit, I had to make it on my own. You have to be able to think clearly and rely on yourself. Sure, you always have your platoon's back when you're out in the field, but not like this.”

“I've never done what you do, but I have had my share of bad bosses, or tough ones. And the truth is, you and I
are
friends. So, technically you aren't lying. You're still within your code. And you got me out of the house on a weekend, which has to be some kind of public service. If not for you I'd be bent over a paint bucket, or worse, dealing with the floorboards.” She squeezed his hand and tried to ignore the heat sizzling through her body from his touch.

“I can't believe I had to rook you into this because of clingy Carissa.”

“I'm doing you one favor; you've been there for me all week, Brody. And in a way that no one else I know has. You've quickly become one of my greatest friends, and not because you've worked so hard on the Victorian, but because you care. Trust me, it matters. But tell me the truth. Would you rather be with Carissa right now, or at my house helping me?”

“Hanging with you is definitely more fun.”

That pleased her, probably a little more than it should have.

5

M
ARI
TOOK
A
deep breath and stared out the windshield at all the people milling around the picnic area. She and Brody were in this together she reminded herself. “Let's do this! The faster we get out there, the sooner we can get back to the house and get those floors down in the kitchen.”

He laughed. “You do have a one-track mind.”

“Hey,” she said as he got out and opened her car door. “I'll be able to cook real dinners for you once the kitchen is in place.”

He held a hand out to assist her from the vehicle. “I like the dinners you make on the hot plate. I can't imagine how good the food will be in a real kitchen.”

She smiled. He was so sweet. She'd made him stew the other night in the Crock-Pot and he'd talked about it for an hour. The guy really needed some decent meals. As for her ex, she couldn't remember a single time he'd thanked her for putting a meal on the table, even though she'd done so every night and they both worked long hours. But Brody was super-thankful, even if she presented him with nothing more than a sandwich.

“Brody, I'm glad you made it.” The CO's daughter stood in front of his truck. Mari recalled her right away from the grocery store.

She snuck up on us
.
I wonder what she heard
.

Carissa wore a white shirt tied at the waist and skinny jeans with heels. Mari had no idea how she walked on the sand in those things.

“Hey, Carissa, you remember my girlfriend, Mari,” Brody said quickly. He leaned down and kissed Mari's cheek. Heat from his lips sent tingles through her body.

Down, girl
.
Down
. She had to be careful or Brody would have to get a fake girlfriend to keep her away.

Mari waved at Carissa.

“Oh, almost forgot the potato salad,” Brody said. “This is Mari's special recipe. I almost didn't bring it so that I could have it all for myself.”

He grabbed the big bowl. She'd made the potato salad the night before, boiling the potatoes on the hot plate, which had been an experience since the pot she used was twice the size of the small burner. The recipe was actually her mom's and it always tasted better after sitting in the fridge for twenty-four hours. She'd had Brody taste-test it, and then she'd had to send him home before he ate the whole bowl.

“I had to hide it from him,” she said truthfully.

“Um, okay then.” The other woman didn't seem pleased or impressed with their closeness.

Whatever
. Maybe her little scam with Brody was working and the other woman was finally getting the message. As in, back off. Even though Brody wasn't hers.

You need to keep reminding yourself of that
.

“Food goes on the long table under the tent. Dad was looking for you,” Carissa said, gesturing them toward the big tent. “He's out where they set up the croquet court.” Then she swished away with what Mari thought was quite an exaggerated sway of her hips.

At the mention of the CO, Brody's shoulders had stiffened.

Poor guy. If the CO was anything like his daughter, Mari didn't blame him for being wary.

“It's okay,” Mari whispered. And she took the bowl from him. “I'll go and set this down. You find your boss and I'll meet you out there.”

“Nah. He probably wants to meet you. We'll go out there together.”

“Big, bad Brody, are you scared?” she teased.

“Nope. I have you by my side, I can do anything.”

He sounded so sincere. She almost tripped on her flip-flops as they headed toward the tent.

She deposited the potato salad on a large buffet table, uncovered the bowl and went with Brody to find his boss.

Brody put his arm around her as they neared a group of people standing by the edge of the water. It was a sunny day on the gulf, but the ocean would likely be cool given the time of year. The temperature had been cooler for sure.

Maybe I should have brought a sweater
. Brody's warmth from his arm around her helped. She grinned.

“Sir,” Brody said as they approached the group.

“Hello, Lieutenant. Introduce me to your friend.”

“Yes, sir. This is Mari McDaniels. Mari, this is Commander Gray.”

“It's nice to meet you, sir. Brody's told me so much about you.” She held out her hand to shake his.

“I wonder if any of it was good,” the CO said. His eyebrow cocked.

She laughed. “Always. He talks very highly about all the people he works with, though I have to admit I'm terrible with names. And even worse at remembering ranks and things. So if I say something wrong today, please don't see it as a sign of disrespect. Brody's doing his best to teach me.”

She wasn't sure why, but she hadn't imagined Commander Gray would be so young or distinguished, especially since his daughter was in her early twenties. He couldn't be more than thirty-five, maybe forty, and that would be pushing it.

“Nice to meet you, Mari. You can call me Brenton. Are you trying to calculate how old I am?”

“I was thinking more along the lines of asking you to share your skin-care secrets.”

The men around them chuckled, as did the CO. “Love a woman with a sense of humor,” he said as he let go of her hand. “Carissa is my adopted daughter. When my sister and her husband were involved in a fatal car accident, I took responsibility for her. And, well, the rest is a long story for another day.” Pain flitted across his face before he forced another smile.

“That explains it. I didn't mean to pry.”

“No worse than the twenty questions you're going to get today,” he said. “This is the first time Brody has brought someone special to one of our events. I have a feeling everyone is going to be curious.”

Mari hoped they weren't too curious. She and Brody had only known each other a short while. If folks were too probing about what she knew about his past, she was sunk. And vice versa.

Whenever she and Brody were alone they talked about everyday things like movies, music and food. And they spent an inordinate amount of time discussing paint colors and what size moldings should go upstairs versus downstairs. They never talked about anything personal. After that one night over tacos, when he'd gone silent after she'd asked about why he couldn't drink, she'd shied away from asking him about private stuff.

“I won't lie. It's a bit overwhelming meeting everyone at once, but it's great to put faces to the names.”

“So Brody's been talking about us?” the CO commented.

She shrugged. “I don't think you Marines talk much about anything.” The guys around her chuckled some more. “And I'm afraid when we're together we're usually discussing what to do next with my money pit of a house.” Sticking with the truth would make them seem genuine. She put an arm around Brody's waist and hugged him tight. “I don't know what I'd do without him. Hardest working man I've ever met.”

Brody's arm squeezed her and he kissed her hair. For a fake relationship, everything felt amazingly real.

“So, Brody didn't tell us, what is it that you do?” the CO asked.

“Interior designer,” she replied. “I have private clients, but I also work with builders in the area to help design the interior features of their homes. It's creative and fun, and that's what always appealed to me about it.”

“Interesting,” Commander Gray said. She was pretty sure he was merely being polite. She wasn't offended. These men and women dealt in life-and-death terms every day on the job. “I'm a big fan of older homes, they usually have more character, whereas Carissa likes anything new.”

“Mari's a great decorator, but she's also very involved in preservation,” Brody said. “You should see what she's doing with her house. She calls it the money pit, and maybe it is, but it's going to be a showplace when she's done. And she's sticking close to its historical details.” He sounded so proud, but she was more impressed that he'd been paying attention.

“Like I said, he's been the hardest worker ever. I'm lucky to have him.”

“I'd say he's pretty lucky to have you.” The CO smiled. He seemed so nice, not at all the gruff old guy Brody had been describing to her. But then she knew that some people could have two faces. The one they used when in private, and the other when in public. She realized her ex had been that way. “And you finally got him to one of our outings. He's going to make a great leader some day.”

Awww. See. He is nice
.

Brody frowned as if he couldn't believe what the man had just said. Didn't Brody know what a great guy he was? Then she remembered what Brody told her about the CO always giving him a hard time. Maybe it was because he was grooming Brody for something bigger. Maybe the team-building stuff was more about him showing his potential as a leader. That would explain a lot.

“Well, on that, you and I can agree. I thought I was organized and efficient until I met him. You Marines really are the whole package.”

“You've got a good one there, Marine. Take care of her.”

“Yes, sir. I do,” Brody said and he again squeezed Mari to him.

“Looks like the grub is ready,” one of the men said.

Thank goodness. Saved by hungry Marines. She was afraid if the conversation went on too long she might say something that'd give her and Brody away.

“Let's eat,” the CO said.

Mari was glad for the interruption, but she wasn't sure she'd be able to eat anything. Brody wasn't the only one who was nervous.

He held her back as the others headed for the tent. “Thank you,” he said in a low whisper. “He actually paid me a compliment. I don't think that's ever happened.”

She winked at him. “I bet he was trying to be a wingman of sorts. Trying to help me see you are a great guy.”

“The CO as a wingman. That's funny.”

“I know, right? As if you'd need help getting a woman. You probably have women propositioning you all the time. Since you needed me to chase them off, that says a lot.” She meant it as a joke, but he didn't look happy.

“I'm not some womanizer. It's important to me that you know that. It's also true that I don't do committed relationships, but I don't sleep with every woman I meet.”

Okay, she wasn't really sure where he was going with that. Why would he care what she thought of him? “It's fine.” She lowered her voice. “It's not really any of my business who you...uh. Yeah. You know what? I'm really hungry. Let's go grab some barbeque.”

Maybe they were better off not discussing anything too personal. When he'd mentioned other women her stomach had twisted and knotted. Thinking about him with other women wasn't her idea of fun. Still, it shouldn't matter, she reminded herself. Why did she have such a problem with his love life? They were just friends. Um. Friends who occasionally ogled one another.

No big deal.

6

B
RODY
FILLED
HIS
plate with barbeque, beans and tons of potato salad, and guided Mari to one of the picnic tables positioned under some shade. She'd held her own with the CO. He'd never seen the man smile or laugh like that. Mari had made him do both. She'd even coerced a kind word from him. That had never happened. Leader, my ass.

Unexpectedly, it had really bothered him that she thought he was the kind of guy who was only interested in one thing from women. True, when he'd come back from the last tour, he might have drunk more than he should have and gone home with more women than he should have, but that had only lasted a few months. When he became the senior instructor on base, he'd cleaned up his act...and fast.

That and he'd discovered the alcohol was contributing to his headaches. It seemed that nothing could make him forget what had happened at the end of that last tour.

Here he was alive and his friends were dead. He was thankful he'd caught on fairly quickly that drinking and carousing were not the answers. In their place, hard work and exercise had become his new demons of choice.

Except, he admitted, when he was with Mari. The hours he passed when he was with her went by so fast, he found himself disappointed each night when it was time for him to go home.

She was right, it shouldn't matter what she thought of him, but it did. In the last week, they'd become real friends. Good friends, in fact. And he'd been honest with her in the truck. He would rather spend time with her than anyone else.

He and Mari sat across from one of the men in his unit and his family. Mark had a toddler, a boy, sitting on his knee, and his wife held a baby girl. At least Brody thought it was a girl—the kid had a bow in the little bit of hair on her head.

“Your children are lovely. And so well behaved,” Mari said as she and Brody got set to eat. “How old are they?”

Brody had been wondering the same thing. He took a bite of his barbeque.

“Thank you,” Mark's wife laughed. “Most days I feel grateful if we all get out of the house dressed and with shoes on.”

“I can't even imagine what it must be like with little ones. I can barely take care of myself most days. By the way, I'm Mari.”

“I'm Leslie, that's my husband, Mark. He's holding Jacob, who is eighteen months, and this is Lily. She is four months old and doesn't understand why she can't have my brisket.”

They all laughed.

“I don't know who brought this potato salad, but it's made with mustard. I tried to take almost all of it, but Leslie wouldn't let me,” Mark said.

“My Mari made it,” Brody said proudly.

My Mari? What the—? That had slipped out. But he'd meant it. He was proud to have her with him today.

She smiled up at him. Each time she looked at him, this whole thing became less fake. If he was the commitment type, and he wasn't, but if he was, he would definitely be into her. But he had to remember that this was only an act. They could be friends but nothing more. He wouldn't want to hurt her, not after what she'd been through with her ex. Protecting her meant not sleeping with her. No matter how much he might want to.

The baby started crying. “Lily, why do you always wait until I'm ready to eat to start fussing? I just fed and changed you.”

“I'll take her.” Brody reached across the table.

Mari and Leslie looked at him as if he had two heads.

“What? I'm good with babies. Had lots of practice with my stepsiblings.” After his mother died, Brody's dad had married four times. He had three stepbrothers and two stepsisters. As the oldest, and the one usually left in charge, he had changed more than his fair share of diapers. He'd left for the Marines at eighteen so he could get away from being a full-time nanny for his dad and stepmom number four, or was it five? He could never remember.

“I'm not going to turn down an offer, but she's picky about people. Don't get upset if she wails even louder.”

Brody took the baby from Leslie's arms and then rested Lily against his chest. She was big enough that she could lift her head up and look at him.

He smiled down at her. “Hello, pretty Lily. I'm going to keep you company so your mom can get some grub. You gotta let her keep up her strength so she can take care of you. Then she can help you grow up and be big and strong.”

The baby made a soft noise and then cooed at him.

“Wow. You do have the magic touch,” Leslie said.

“She's probably afraid to piss him off,” Mark cut in. “He scares the crap out of even the toughest guys in our unit.”

He did? While Brody wanted the unit's respect, he didn't want anyone to be afraid of him. Did they look at him the way he did the CO? Hell. It never dawned on him that maybe he was just as gruff.

This day was full of surprises.

He'd always thought he was fair, but he did like to keep to himself. Maybe the CO was on to something with this bonding idea.

Maybe Brody should pay more attention to how he talked to the men and women in his classes. Maybe his need to stay separate from everyone was giving them the wrong idea about him. And if he wanted to be promoted, well, he'd have to show the CO that he wasn't just good at his job, but great with people.

Brody sighed.

He patted the baby on the back.

“Is that true? You guys are afraid of him?” Mari asked. “He's the biggest teddy bear of a man I ever met.”

Mark gave a wry smile. “You've never failed one of his tests. He has a way of making you feel like you're two inches tall.”

Brody's eyebrow lifted. He'd done nothing more than try to instill in them the need to understand the importance of navigation. Instruments went down, there could be air and ground assaults, a Marine pilot had to be ready for anything. That was why it was important for his team to study hard and make the grade. Their lives depended on it.

“Don't get me wrong, sir. We're a bunch of dumb...” he whispered and glanced down at his boy, “uh, jerks for not picking it up or studying hard enough. But you can be intimidating sometimes.”

Intimidating? He never yelled. But maybe his silence was just as bad.

“How so?” he asked the other Marine. “I don't think I've ever said two words to you.”

Mark smiled. “Yes, sir. But it's that look you give us sometimes. Scary as heck.”

The baby burped loud and they all laughed. “Look at my big scary Marine,” Mari said as she nudged his shoulder.

“I don't understand what these people are talking about, I'm the nicest guy I know,” he said to baby Lily. She burped again loudly. “Right. I knew you'd understand.”

Everyone around them laughed again.

“Man, who knew you were the baby whisperer,” Mark said.

Brody shrugged. “Like I said, I had a lot of practice when I was younger.”

Mari glanced up at him, and there was a question in her eyes. They never talked about their families or their pasts. He wondered if she had siblings. Her mom and her dad seemed to call her a lot, but she usually put her phone on silent. That seemed weird because he remembered her mentioning once that her parents had an enviable relationship. She'd also said she'd given up on finding the same thing.

That was wrong. She was entitled to every ounce of happiness she could get. But not with him. However, there had to be a nice guy out there for her. Although, the more he thought about it, the less he liked the idea. This thing with Mari was meant to be temporary and it wouldn't do to get too attached to her. Maybe he could find her a nice guy once they finished helping one another.

Again, the idea didn't sit too well with him.

They continued chatting with Mark and Leslie until the CO stopped by their table.

“Time for volleyball. Lieutenant, you're with me,” the CO ordered as he pointed to him.

“Yes, sir.” Brody nodded. Normally, he liked any kind of physical activity, but he wasn't looking forward to this game.

“You going to be my good luck charm?” he asked Mari. He handed the baby back to her mother and then gathered their trash.

“Aren't I always?” she joked. She followed him as he dumped their plates and they headed out to the beach, where the net had been set up.

Why had the CO asked him to be on his team? That was a lot of pressure. He frowned and rubbed the bridge of his nose. This was no time for a dumb headache.

“Hey,” she said, grabbing his arm, “It's a game. Only a game. And he asked you to be on his team.”

“That's worse,” he muttered. His palms were sweating. “If I screw up, I'll never hear the end of it. You don't get it. He's nice to you, but every day he gives me grief. Every single day.”

“Poor guy. Sounds like someone else I know. That's one of the reasons I decided to start my own business. In the beginning, being my own boss was a challenge. I hadn't thought about the fact that while I didn't have someone telling me what to do, I did have to deal with clients. But I learned to be a team player. There are better ways to approach things that won't make anyone feel threatened. From experience I know you guys don't like to be wrong.”

“And you do?” He flipped his shades to the top of his head and rolled his eyes to take the bite out of his words.

That might work for her interior design business, but being a Marine was a little different.

“Listen, no boyfriend of mine is going to suck at volleyball,” she said. Then she took his hand in hers and turned his palms-up. She traced the lines there.

Her touch instantly made him hard. How would he be able to focus now?

“Play for
me
. Don't think about anything else, except this.” She kissed his palm. “Every time you score or set up a shot, I'll blow you a kiss.”

A slow smile spread across his face. “And what happens if I win?”

She waggled her eyebrows. “If your team wins, I have all kinds of surprises for you,” she said suggestively.

He barked out a laugh. “Well, when you say it like that.” He turned her hand in his and then kissed her fingers. “Thanks.”

He ran onto the sand to start the game.

When he glanced back at her, she blew him a kiss. Damn. He had to remind himself for the hundredth time that day that this wasn't real. But her affect on him was.

“Ready to play, Marine?” the CO asked.

“Yes, sir.” He glanced over at her one more time and she winked at him. “I believe I am.”

* * *

M
ARI
'
S
FINGERS
TINGLED
from his lips.

Better be careful
.
This is also a game
.

Just before he was ready to serve, he held up a hand. He ripped off his T-shirt, then ran over and handed it to her.

“Thanks, babe.” He kissed her lightly on the lips. He might as well have stripped her naked on the beach given her body's reaction to him. From her head to her toes, she was a hot, needy mess.

She'd seen his muscles under the tanks and T-shirts he sometimes wore, but it was very different seeing them up close and personal.

It's just for show
.
It's just for show
.

“How do you keep your hands off him when he does that?” Carissa asked from beside her. The other woman wasn't being catty, it was definitely admiration Mari heard in her voice.

She glanced around to find that she wasn't the only one with eyes on Brody. Though there were a lot of other very fit Marines playing the game, many sets of eyes were on Brody. She couldn't blame them—he was magnificent. “It isn't easy,” Mari said truthfully. “But I've promised him, since this was a work event, that I'd behave. He said your dad doesn't appreciate PDA.” At least, she hoped that was true.

“My
Dad
. Is really my uncle, and he's always a grump,” Carissa sighed. “But he means well—most of the time.”

Mari laughed. Carissa was probably one of the few people around the CO who could get away with saying something like that. But she wasn't supercrazy about her eyeing Brody. True, he wasn't really hers, but they didn't know that. And it was wrong for her to be drooling over another girl's man.

“If I were you, I wouldn't be able to keep my hands off Brody. By the way, how did you guys meet?”

“I don't mind saving it for when we get home. I like to keep him happy,” Mari said, as if she meant it. “And he lives across the street.” Once again she was sticking as close to the truth as she could. “It was one of those weird moments where he ran over to help me with some stuff in my car, and then...boom. Instant chemistry. Like I told you at the grocery store, I'd recently been through a bad breakup, so I was in no rush. But well, look at him. How could I ever say no to that?” Maybe that would get her off Brody's back. Poor guy. No wonder he'd panicked when he met her while shopping.

Brody helped set up a play and they scored a point. He turned to look at her and she remembered to blow him a kiss. He pretended to catch it.

Cheesy. Yes. But it didn't keep the flutters from taking flight low in her belly.

That's dangerous
.

I'm acting
. Yep. Right.

And now she was talking to herself.

Speaking of bodies, that man's abs were outstanding. The last several mornings, as she'd been getting her morning coffee, she'd hear dogs barking in the neighborhood. The barking usually meant Brody was coming back from one of his twice-daily runs. She'd
accidentally
find herself at the front window watching his glistening body as he came up the street.

And he had to do weights to have all of those rippling muscles. What would it feel like to run her hands down—

“Whoa,” the crowd around the game roared. Brody was in midspike. The other team didn't have a chance. The CO high-fived him. He glanced at her again and opened his hands as if to say “where's my kiss?” She smiled and blew him another one.