Her Sexy Marine Valentine Read Online Free PDF Page B

himself settling down. That might make him selfish, but at least he was aware of it—unlike his dad, who seemed to be perpetually married, perpetually looking.
    He’d had a string of stepmothers, several he’d never met, since he was off serving in combat missions for the better part of the last ten years. Though his dad’s recent email had mentioned he was single again, it wouldn’t be long before his father hooked up with someone else.
    Not my thing .
    Nope. Women were a distraction that he didn’t need right now. He liked his quiet life.
    The outer office was empty, so he knocked on the CO’s door.
    â€œEnter.”
    Brody straightened his shoulders before he turned the knob.
    â€œSir, Peterson said you needed to see me.”
    The other man nodded, but didn’t look up from the papers he was signing.
    â€œMy daughter tells me you have a girlfriend.”
    What? Aw, man. He remembered meeting up with Carissa at the grocery store. “It’s kind of new.” That much was true. They’d only just met officially.
    â€œGood to see you making friends. Be sure to bring her to the picnic on Saturday.” What the...? The CO was ordering him to bring a date?
    There’s no way he’d drag Mari to anything base-related. That part of his life he wanted to keep private. Besides, the less time he spent with her, the better. The more he thought about her proposal, the more he thought it might be best to stay as far away as possible.
    â€œShe’s pretty busy on the weekends renovating an old Victorian.” Again it was the truth. “I’m not sure she’ll be able to get away.” He stood by the door, hoping that he could make a quick escape.
    â€œIt’s only a few hours. You’re in charge of a large squadron. We like to see our Marine instructors as leaders. Setting a good example. Are we clear?”
    â€œYes, sir.”
    Now he had to tell his CO the truth.
    One of the support staff stuck his head in the door behind Brody. “Sir, your daughter is on line two.”
    The CO nodded. “You’re dismissed, Brody.” Then he picked up the phone.
    Brody hesitated. He had to be honest about Mari, he owed it to her, if not himself, but the other man motioned him out.
    What have I done? He couldn’t ask Mari to a silly picnic. After his abrupt departure last night, she probably hated him. He’d finished his tacos, chugged his water and then booked it as fast as possible. He’d promised to think about her proposal and he had.
    Bad idea.
    But did he have a choice? She was a woman in need. Though he liked to think of himself as tough and unsentimental, he couldn’t leave her in the lurch. The house was a disaster at the moment. It was sad that she had to live in it while she fixed it up. She should be in a fancy penthouse somewhere and enjoying her life.
    Fine. He was going to help her.
    And now he’d have to convince Mari to help him, as well.
    Why couldn’t people stay out of his personal life? That the CO thought it was better that his soldiers be married or engaged in order to get ahead made no sense to Brody.
    But the CO hadn’t really given him a choice. Toe the line or you’re out. The message had been clear.
    Forty-five minutes later, he was back home. He changed into his running gear and five miles after that he stood in front of Mari’s door. Before he had a chance to knock, she opened the door. She must have seen him coming up the drive.
    His shirt was stuck to him, and even though it was January, he was sweating from every pore. Probably should have showered first, but he didn’t want to lose his nerve.
    This had to be done. He had to at least try.
    Her hair was in a high ponytail and she was wearing short overalls with a pink bikini top underneath. There was dirt on her nose, and he wasn’t sure he’d ever seen anyone so gorgeous.
    That bikini top was—
    Eyes on her face, Marine . It