“Does the ring fit?”

Rad slid it over her finger and the feel of his hand holding hers, the way he bent his head to watch what he was doing, all seemed like images from a real engagement, from a man presenting the woman he loved with a token of his intentions to spend the rest of his life with her.

Serena swallowed the sudden lump in her throat.

The ring fit.

Perfectly.

Her eyes met his. The intensity she saw there caught her by surprise.

Then he smiled and said, “Mission accomplished.”

If his mission had been to invade her heart, it looked like he was succeeding.

Dear Reader,

From a Texas sweetheart to a Chicago advice columnist, our heroines will sweep you along on their journeys to happily ever after. Don’t miss the tender excitement of Silhouette Romance’s modern-day fairy tales!

In Carolina’s Gone A’Courting (SR #1734), Carolina Brubaker is on a crash course with destiny—and the man of her dreams—if she can survive their summer of forced togetherness! Will she lasso the heart of her ambitious rancher? Find out in the next story in Carolyn Zane’s THE BRUBAKER BRIDES miniseries.

To this once-burned plain Jane a worldly, sophisticated, handsome lawyer is not the kind of man she wants…but her heart has other plans. Be there for the transformation of this no-nonsense woman into the beauty she was meant to be, in My Fair Maggy (SR #1735) by Sharon De Vita.

Catch the next installment of Cathie Linz’s miniseries MEN OF HONOR, The Marine Meets His Match (SR #1736). His favorite independent lady has agreed to play fiancée for this military man who can’t resist telling her what to do. If only he could order her to really fall in love….

Karen Rose Smith brings us another emotional tale of love and family with Once Upon a Baby… (SR #1737). This love-leery sheriff knows he should stay far away from his pretty and pregnant neighbor—he’s not the husband and father type. But delivering her baby changes everything….

I hope you enjoy every page of this month’s heartwarming lineup!

Mavis C. Allen

Associate Senior Editor

The Marine Meets His Match
Cathie Linz

www.millsandboon.co.uk

For all the booksellers who have supported me over the years, including Judi Brownfield and Ellen Fryer from Books at Sunset (whose bookstore inspired my heroine’s store), Maureen Greene from Borders Books, Kathy Baker from Waldenbooks, Cindi Streicher from Waldenbooks, Betty Schulte and the gang from Paperback Outlet, and Sharon Murphy from everywhere <grin>—to name just a few. Your enthusiastic handselling has made all the difference in the world, and I appreciate your hard work more than I can say!

Acknowledgment:

Special thanks to United States Marine Corps family Susan and Harry Frank for

answering my many dumb questions. Any artistic license that I may have used

is my idea and my fault, not theirs. Semper Fi!

Books by Cathie Linz

Silhouette Romance

One of a Kind Marriage #1032

*Daddy in Dress Blues #1470

*Stranded with the Sergeant #1534

*The Marine & the Princess #1561

A Prince at Last!#1594

*Married to a Marine #1616

*Sleeping Beauty & the Marine #1637

*Her Millionaire Marine #1720

*Cinderella’s Sweet-Talking Marine #1727

*The Marine Meets His Match #1736

Silhouette Books

Montana Mavericks

“Baby Wanted”

Silhouette Desire

Change of Heart #408

A Friend in Need #443

As Good as Gold #484

Adam’s Way #519

Smiles #575

Handyman #616

Smooth Sailing #665

Flirting with Trouble #722

Male Ordered Bride #761

Escapades #804

Midnight Ice #846

Bridal Blues #894

A Wife in Time #958

†Michael’s Baby #1023

†Seducing Hunter #1029

†Abbie and the Cowboy #1036

Husband Needed #1098

CATHIE LINZ

left her career in a university law library to become a USA TODAY bestselling author of contemporary romances. She is the recipient of the highly coveted Storyteller of the Year Award given by Romantic Times and was nominated for a Love and Laughter Career Achievement Award for the delightful humor in her books.

Although Cathie loves to travel, she is always glad to get back home to her family, her various cats, her trusty computer and her hidden cache of Oreo cookies!

Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter One

“Discipline is a critical part of being a Marine and of succeeding in life. Without discipline there’s chaos. Marines do not like chaos.” U.S. Marine Captain Rad Kozlowski narrowed his eyes, his stare drilling into those few who dared look him in the face. “Chaos indicates a lack of discipline. A lack of willpower. These are not things that will be tolerated in the United States Marine Corps. I want to make that perfectly clear.”

Rad paused for emphasis. “But for those few who can make the grade, the reward is great. Not the financial reward. I’m not talking about money here.” He had an expressive voice and he made good use of it. His inflection was powerful, his delivery one step below barking orders. “I’m talking about being part of a brotherhood with values like honor, courage, commitment. The United States Marine Corps is not for everyone. Because only a few have what it takes to be part of this elite fighting force. Understood?”

The fifth-grade class at Kennedy Middle School nodded solemnly.

“Uh, thank you, Captain Kozlowski.” Mrs. Simpson, the teacher who’d organized the event, sounded a tad nervous. “We appreciate you coming in today for our Career Day and speaking to the class.”

“No problem, ma’am. I was glad to do it.”

Not true. Rad hadn’t joined the Marine Corps to speak to a bunch of rug rats. But when duty called, he always answered. Even when he thought it was dumb and a waste of his time.

“Does anyone have any questions for Captain Kozlowksi? No? Well, then, Captain, thanks again.”

Rad recognized his cue to leave and headed for the nearest exit. He left the gymnasium by a side door. Once out in the Carolina sunshine of a late September day, he paused a moment to take a deep breath.

He smelled her perfume a second before he saw her. The long-legged blonde wearing a red dress. She’d stood at the back during his presentation.

“Congratulations, Captain.” Her mocking comment was not intended to be a compliment. “You managed to scare a bunch of ten-year-olds. Does that make you happy?”

“Deep-dish pizza and cold beer make me happy, ma’am.” Sexy blondes like her also made him happy. Rad completed a quick visual check of her assets—long golden hair gathered up into a ponytail, lush lips, high cheekbones that gave her a ritzy look, big green eyes.

She was tall, just a few inches shorter than his six foot one height, and the dress she wore displayed an incredible pair of legs. A breeze lifted the hemline, granting him a tempting glimpse of her tanned thighs.

Oh, yeah, blondes like her definitely topped his list of things that made him happy. Maybe this day wasn’t a total waste after all.

Rad flashed her a smile.

She tossed him a dismissive look laced with disapproval. “Don’t you think you were a little intense in there?”

“Marines are intense.”

“And competitive.”

“Affirmative, ma’am. And your interest in all this would be?”

“I’m a bookseller.”

“A bookseller named…?”

“Serena. Serena Anderson. I spoke earlier this afternoon for the Career Day event.”

“I’m sorry I missed it.”

“So am I. Maybe then you would have done your speech differently.”

“I doubt that, ma’am.”

“You could have been a little more approachable.”

His smile widened. “I can be very approachable when the situation warrants it. Like now. How would you like to discuss this further over a cold drink?”

“I wouldn’t like that at all.”

“Why not?”

The sexy Marine clearly wasn’t accustomed to having his invitations turned down, Serena noted. He might have intimidated the entire fifth-grade class, but there was no way he was going to steamroller over her.

True, he’d made Serena’s heart beat faster without even trying and now that he was trying, well…He was good, she’d give him that. The gleam in his brown eyes let her know this was a man used to having his way with women.

She could understand why. He was the kind of man who got noticed. And not just because of the impressive Marine dress blue uniform he was wearing, or the confident way he carried himself. Living as she did so close to Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, she’d seen plenty of Marines.

But this one was different.

He’d gotten under her skin.

At first she’d told herself it was because of the way he’d talked to the kids as if they were recruits in his command. He was definitely a man accustomed to giving orders and having them instantly obeyed.

Serena was definitely a woman who didn’t respond well to being bossed around. She’d experienced enough of that to last her a lifetime.

Maybe she wouldn’t have reacted so strongly were it not for the fact that her goddaughter Becky was in that group he’d just spoken to. And his forceful voice had made the shy Becky almost dive under her chair in the back row. Serena had been standing directly behind her at the time. Only Serena’s soothing hands on the little girl’s trembling shoulders had kept her in her seat.

So Serena had waited out here to confront him, to tell him that kids needed special care.

Instead of agreeing, he’d stuck to his guns.

That figured. How like a man, especially a bossy man.

“You’re not married are you?” he suddenly asked, his gaze sliding to her left hand.

“Absolutely not!”

So the blonde had a thing against marriage. Rad could relate. He was no big fan himself. Despite the fact that his two older brothers had gotten tied down with wives, Rad was in no hurry to surrender his freedom. He was in a hurry to get to know her better, however. “What’s the problem then?”

“There are too many for me possibly to go into them all.” Her voice was tart.

“Pick just a few then.”

“You know the things that work for you as a Marine? Traits like being arrogant and bossy?”

The seductive bookseller was trying to push his buttons. He wondered why. “We prefer to think of those traits as confidence and leadership.”

“These are not traits I respond well to.”

“And why is that?”

His direct gaze and calm question flustered her. “I’ve got my reasons, okay?”

“Okay. When you know me better, you can tell me what they are.”

She blinked at him, her dark eyelashes fluttering against her creamy skin. Not that he was a guy who normally noticed a female’s eyelashes, but she had such great eyes. And legs. And breasts.

The sizzle of attraction was strong. Stronger than he’d felt in a very long time. And it wasn’t one-sided. Despite her words, the lightning flashes of chemistry were definitely reciprocated.

Like now, when her gaze got all tangled-up with his. The male-female message was there. The awareness, the temptation. The sparks, the struggle. She licked her lush lips before finally looking away.

“I’m not going to get to know you better, Captain.” Her voice was breathless and abrupt but emphatic. “Goodbye.”

He watched her hurry away, appreciating the sway of her hips. He remembered a song that had been big a while back, something about a Lady in Red. She was like poetry in motion, the way she moved. Southern women had a natural way of doing that, making a man take notice. But he hadn’t detected a local accent when she’d spoken.

Still, if she’d spoken at this school today, she had to live nearby. The tote bag she carried had an open-book design and a bookstore name on it: The Reader’s Place—Home Of Novel Ideas.

He had plenty of novel ideas about her. All of them steamy. He had to get back to the base now, but tomorrow, he’d make a stop at her bookstore. Because Rad was not a man who gave up easily. He wasn’t a man who gave up at all.

He was still thinking about Serena when he returned to Camp Lejeune. Which was why he didn’t see Heidi Burns until it was too late.

The general’s eighteen-year-old daughter was a beauty with her dark hair and big blue eyes. She was also a pain in the keister.

The general’s daughter had been making Rad’s life difficult for several weeks now. Which was how he’d ended up with that school assignment. Not his usual type of mission.

When Rad hadn’t accepted Heidi’s invitation to go out with her, she’d warned him that she’d go to her daddy to get what she wanted if necessary. He hadn’t believed her. Then his CO had given him the school assignment, saying the “request” had come from the general himself.

Rad knew he had to do something about this situation. Heidi had decided she wanted him. Not that he’d ever given her one iota of attention. Well, okay, so he’d smiled at her when he’d first met her. But that was it. She claimed to have fallen in love with him on sight.

Staying out of her way was difficult, because she followed him like a lost puppy. She was daddy’s princess who could do no wrong. Spoiled all her life, she’d always gotten what she wanted.

Now she wanted Rad.

“There you are.” She grasped his arm. “You, like, have to join Daddy and me for dinner tonight.”

“I’m sorry. I can’t do that.”

“Why not?” Her expression warned him that he’d better have a good reason and that no reason would be good enough.

There was only one thing he could think of saying. “My fiancée wouldn’t approve.”

That stopped Heidi in her tracks. For barely a second. Then she laughed. “You don’t have a fiancée.”

“Yes, I do.”

Heidi was no fool. She clearly suspected something was up. “Then why haven’t you mentioned her before?”

“We just recently got engaged.”

“What’s her name?” She shot the question at him with machine-gun speed, rattling him with her dogged persistence.

“Serena. Serena Anderson.” The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them. “She’s a bookseller.”

“The building sold?” Serena looked at the Realtor removing the For Sale sign from the front.

“That’s right. The new owner wants to meet with you later today, between five and six.”

“About renewing my lease?”

“I’m assuming so, yes.”

Serena felt as if she’d swallowed a swarm of bees. Nerves jangled in her stomach.

A yellow butterfly fluttered over the red petunias in the store’s window boxes before floating away without a care in the world. What a life. She wondered what it would be like to be so free of worries, free of debt, free period.

Yes, but butterflies had problems too. They had to be careful or they’d end up splat on some car’s windshield.

First bees, now butterflies. She was clearly on some kind of insect train of thought here. And such cheerful thoughts they were, too. She grimaced.

She didn’t consider herself to be the over-anxious type. If asked to describe herself, she’d say she was good with people, that she’d worked hard over the years to try to find the good in the bad, and that she could be bribed with Belgian chocolate. Dark chocolate.

The distant rumble of thunder meant that Serena could cross watering the flowers off her list of things to do today.

Before entering her store, she paused a moment for her daily ritual—brushing her fingers against the lettering on the glass door. This was her dream come true.

Her bookstore, The Reader’s Place, was located on the main floor of the three-story brick building. The second floor had a one-bedroom apartment, which she also rented. Another apartment, exactly like hers, was on the top floor.

When she’d found the location she’d known it was the perfect place, and had signed the one-year leases the same day for both the retail space and for the apartment.

A new owner most likely meant an increase in her rent. The question was, by how much? She was barely squeaking by as it was.

Her stomach shifted and did that buzzing-bee dance thing she hated. Thunder rumbled again just as a streak of sunlight beamed down on her. Find the silver lining. Maybe the new owner would be great. Maybe he’d leave the rents exactly as they were. Maybe he’d buy some books while he was there. It could happen.

“Did you forget your keys?” The question came from Jane Washington. She and her husband, Hosea, owned the florist shop in the building next door. In her early fifties, Jane’s mocha skin had the youthful glow of a much younger woman.

“No, I was just thinking.”

“Better do that inside,” Jane advised. “There’s a storm coming. I’ll let you know if there are any weather advisories.” Jane kept a radio on at all times. “There’s a funny feeling in the air, like something big might happen.”

“Something big did happen. Someone bought my building.”

“Is that good news or bad?”

“I don’t know yet. I’ll find out later today when the new owner stops by.”

“What are you doing standing out here?” This time the question came from Serena’s assistant, Kalinda Patel. The nineteen-year-old college student had long black hair and beautiful dark brown eyes. She also had the look of someone who needed coffee…badly. “The cappuccino machine is inside and I need my caffeine.”

Lightning flashed as if emphasizing Kalinda’s statement. “Okay, okay, I’m going inside.” Quickly unlocking the door, Serena walked into her pride and joy—her bookstore.

While Kalinda hurried to set up the cappuccino machine behind the counter for her morning drink, Serena flipped on the lights and looked around. Serena’s imprint was everywhere. She’d helped build the bookcases alongside the handyman she’d hired. She’d found the pair of comfy reading chairs at a local Goodwill store and had sewn the chintz slipcovers herself. They framed the entrance to the romance section, one of her bestselling areas.

Beyond that was the alcove housing the mystery section. Mock yellow-and-black plastic crime scene ribbons lined the shelves. A vintage movie poster of Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes in The Hound of the Baskervilles hung on the wall.

The science fiction section was next, with Star Wars posters and signed covers from authors who had visited her store. Nearby she’d just recently started a young adult section with a variety of selections for adolescents. The area where westerns were shelved was relatively small, but very homey with a twig chair covered with a Native American woven blanket.

The children’s section was tucked into an alcove and featured inviting beanbag chairs and a colorful alphabet area rug. Some of the shelves were lower and many of the books were positioned face out. She changed the posters every month—Dr. Seuss’s Cat in the Hat had the central place of honor at the moment. That still left room for Olivia the Pig to one side and Sandra Boynton’s latest to the other side.

In the far corner at the front of the store was the reading nook where Serena set her author appearances. A right-angled corner pine bench with vintage needle-point pillows appeared to be built into the shelves all around it. She’d deliberately made this area look like a home library, placing classic books like Pride and Prejudice along with framed photos on the shelves.

A selection of handmade gift items, including scented candles and potpourri, were tucked in various nooks and crannies around the store.

The Reader’s Place focused primarily on fiction, although she did carry some of the bestselling nonfiction titles, especially self-help books which were very popular with her customers.

Serena made a mental note that she needed to update the display of mass market paperback bestsellers, and do something with an autumnal theme for the Weekly Spotlight otherwise known as a metal baker’s rack in its previous lifetime. It was also time to place her weekly book order with Ingram’s and to pull returns to make room before the rush of new holiday titles arrived.

“Ah.” The moan of delight came from Kalinda as she sipped her drink. “Now I can face another day. Speaking of days, how did that Career Day thing go at the school?”

“There was a Marine there.”

“I thought you were speaking to fifth-graders.”

“I was.”

Kalinda frowned. “Aren’t they a little young to be recruited in the Marines?”

“He wasn’t there to recruit them, he was there to talk about the Marine Corps.”

“And judging from the expression on your face, you didn’t approve of the way he did that.”

“He was incredibly arrogant and bossy. When I told him that, he claimed to be displaying confidence and leadership skills.”

“Hang on a second.” Kalinda’s dark eyes widened. “Did you say you told him he was arrogant and bossy?”

“Yes.”

“And you lived to tell the tale?”

“He knew better than to mess with me.”

Kalinda grinned. “Oh, yeah, I can see how a lean mean Marine would be scared spitless by a bodacious bookseller like you.”

“I was wearing my red dress.”

“Oh, well, that’s different. You used your stealth weapon. Your sex appeal. You go, girl!” She gave Serena a high five.

“I did not use my sex appeal.”

“Why not? Was he a dog?”

“No, he was extremely good-looking in a dark, brooding, sexy, gleam-of-wicked-humor, Adrian Paul kind of way.”

“Adrian Paul!” Kalinda shrieked. “You found a guy who looks like Adrian Paul and you let him get away?”

“He was bossy and arrogant.”

“So? Those are fixable things.”

“Not always.”

“You’re thinking about your father, aren’t you?”

Serena nodded. She hadn’t told her assistant much about her past, just that her father was ex-military and extremely controlling. Her parents now lived in Las Vegas and Serena didn’t see them very often.

“I can understand about impossible fathers. Mine is still demanding that I only date Indian men.” Kalinda took another sip of her cappuccino. “Major bummer. Let’s change the subject. Did the new order of category romances come in yet?”

“They arrived late yesterday afternoon after you left.”

The rest of the day passed by quickly as it always did for Serena. A lot of her customers came in two or three times a week, allowing her to get to know them. She heard about their husband’s jobs, their kids schooling, their problems and their triumphs. She also heard which books they loved.

Whenever a new customer arrived, Serena went out of her way to make them feel comfortable, in the hopes that they too would turn into a regular. Handselling was an important part of her job as she worked hard to unite readers with the books they were looking for, even if all she had to go on was, “It’s a mystery with a red cover.”

She deliberately tried to keep the thought of her impending meeting with the new building owner out of her thoughts. But once five o’clock rolled around, she couldn’t help taking note of the time every few minutes.

The storm promised by the threatening thunder earlier in the day had skirted them without raining. Which meant Serena would have to water the store’s window boxes today after all. She grabbed the plastic watering can and filled it with water from the washroom in the back. On Thursdays like today, she closed early, at five-thirty.

The bell on the door signaled her departure into the steamy heat outside. The petunias looked as wilted as she felt. Think positive. Find the silver lining. Get chocolate…Hmm, she did have a secret stash in the storeroom….

Turning, she bumped into a broad chest. “Sorry…” Her voice trailed off as she saw who was steadying her. Rad. Her pulse surged into overdrive, proving the point that her intense reaction to him the other day had not been a fluke. He wasn’t even wearing his impressive dress blues uniform today. His blue jeans fit him to perfection as did the dark blue polo shirt he wore. “What are you doing here?”

“I came to talk to you.”

“This isn’t the time.” She stepped away from him and held the watering can in front of her, as if it could protect her from the sex appeal he radiated. “I’m expecting someone any moment regarding an important business matter.”

“I know. You’re expecting me.”

Jeez, the man was arrogant. “No, I’m not.”

“Yes, you are.” He followed her inside.

“I’m expecting the new owner of this building.”

“That’s right. That’s me.”

“But you’re a Marine.”

“Affirmative. A Marine with money. Not usual, I know. But I inherited a great deal of the green stuff from a Texas oil baron grandfather I barely knew.”

She tried to make sense of what he was saying. “Why did you buy this building?”

“Because it’s a good investment. And because I need your help.”

“You bought the building because you need my help?”

“Affirmative. But then I always have been the radical one in my family.”

Okay, clearly she needed to close early today. She flipped the sign from Open to Closed even though it was only five twenty-five and the store normally stayed open that night until five-thirty. This wasn’t a conversation she could have in front of any customers. Luckily the store was empty and her assistant had already left for the day.

Serena got right to the point. “What about my lease?”

“I’ll be glad to renew it at the present terms…if you help me out.”

“If I do what you want, you mean?”

He nodded. “You help me and I’ll help you.”

Serena could see where this was going. “Well, you can forget it. I will not have sex with you!”

“Sex? Who said anything about sex? I don’t want a lover, I want a fiancée. Or more accurately, someone who’ll pretend to be my fiancée.”

The mental light bulb finally went on. Serena had heard about the military’s position about sexual orientation—don’t ask, don’t tell. She nodded understandingly. “I get it. You’re gay.”

“Gay?” Rad repeated incredulously. “I am not gay!” he growled before tugging her into his arms. The heat of his body permeated through the Indian cotton dress Serena wore. She was so close to him she could see the sherry-colored flecks in his brown eyes. Lowering his lips to just above hers, he whispered, “Want me to prove it to you?”

Chapter Two

Somehow Serena found the willpower to resist the temptation Rad presented. Hastily stepping away from him, she tried to keep her expression calm. “No, I don’t want you to prove you’re not gay. I’ll take your word for it.”

“What made you think I was?”

“You said you didn’t want a lover, you wanted a fiancée.”

“And that made you think I was gay?”

“It was a logical assumption.”

“No, it wasn’t.”

She was about to argue with him over that fact when she realized that that’s probably what he wanted. “Why don’t you tell me exactly what it is you’re proposing? Then I won’t have to jump to conclusions.”

“I’m not proposing.”

“That was a figure of speech.”

“Just so we’re clear. What I need is a make-believe fiancée. Not the real thing.”

“Why do you want someone to pose as your fiancée?”

“Because I’m having some trouble with the general’s daughter Heidi.”

“What did you do to her?”

“I didn’t do anything. I smiled at her when I met her. That’s about it.”

“What’s she done to you?”

“Made my life miserable. She’s convinced she’s fallen in love with me at first sight, which is ridiculous.”

“It certainly is!”

Her instant and emphatic agreement shouldn’t have irritated him, but it did. “You don’t think a woman could fall for me?”

“I didn’t say that. I said that falling in love with someone you don’t know is ridiculous. She must not realize how arrogant and bossy you can be.”

“She’s a general’s daughter. Her father is ten times bossier than I am. Clearly that’s not a problem for her.”

“It would be for me.”

“Your father’s not a general or something is he?” Rad demanded, his expression suddenly suspicious.

“No, my father has been out of the military for some time. He’s in construction now.”

“Is he the reason you have this thing against what you mistakenly perceive to be bossiness?”

There was no way she was confessing anything about her past to Rad. The less he knew about that part of her life the better. “Why don’t we get back to your reasons for needing a fictional fiancée?”

“Fine. As I was saying, Heidi has been chasing me for several weeks now. When I didn’t ask her out, she asked me. When I refused, politely of course, she warned me she was going to make my life difficult.”

“What did she do?”

“For one thing, she got her father to give me that stupid assignment speaking at the middle school’s Career Day.”

His dismissal of the event irritated her greatly. “There was nothing stupid about the event. The only indication of a lack of judgment came when you spoke to the kids as if they were a bunch of recruits instead of children.”

“At least they paid attention to me.”

“And you’re a man accustomed to being paid attention to.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing. Go ahead. The general’s daughter is making your life difficult.”

“You don’t understand. I can’t afford to risk my military career by upsetting the spoiled daughter of a powerful general. So I came up with the idea of a fiancée. I figured that if I said I was engaged, then Heidi would back off.”

“Why me?”

“Because Heidi caught me by surprise and your name slipped out.”

“Slipped out?”

Rad nodded. “When she asked me for my fiancée’s name. She cornered me as soon as I returned to the base after meeting you the other day. What are you smiling at?”

“The idea of a female cornering a big Marine like you. How old is this Heidi?”

“Eighteen. Why does that matter?”

“I was just curious, that’s all.”

“You’ll probably get to meet her yourself pretty soon. It’s only a matter of time before she comes here to check you out.”

“So let me get this straight. You want me to pretend to be your fiancée to discourage Heidi from chasing you? For how long?”

“A few weeks. Until she loses interest.”

“What if she doesn’t?”

“She will.”

“I don’t know…. She sounds the determined type.”

“Okay, then a few months. In return I’ll cut your rent in half for the next year.”

“Say that again?”

“You heard me.”

“I’d need that to be in writing.”

“I figured you would. So I had my attorney draw up a contract.” He pulled it out of his back pocket.

The folded paper was still warm from his body heat. She tried to ignore that fact and focused on the legal terminology. While the length of the mock engagement had been left vague, the drop in her rent was right there in black and white, along with the reminder that she was aware this was not a real engagement and did not constitute a promise of marriage.

Clearly he’d thought ahead somewhat, despite the fact that buying the building in the first place was a radical idea. Not to mention faking an engagement.

Had anyone said to her this morning that she’d even remotely be considering going along with Rad’s plan, she would have said they’d lost touch with reality. Rad was everything she wanted to avoid in life. He was big and bossy and arrogant and powerful.

Sure, he had that Adrian Paul thing going for him, with his dark hair and brooding eyes, and that slash of a smile that changed his entire face. But she’d never been a sucker for the dark, brooding type before. She preferred intellectual, sensitive types who shared her love of books.

But in the end, the offer was too good for Serena to pass up. She’d been struggling to make ends meet since she’d opened her bookstore a year ago. She was no longer a child unable to defend herself from a commanding personality. She could handle Rad.

“So what do you say?” he prompted her.

“Okay.” Her voice was deliberately brisk.

“You’ll do it?”

“Yes. But I have to warn you that things may get more complicated than you anticipate.”

“Why? Is there some guy in your life who will be upset that you’re engaged?”

Serena shook her head. She hadn’t had the time or energy to date much since opening the store. The few men she had gone out with hadn’t impressed her enough to see them for more than a few dates.

“Lies have a way of coming back to haunt you,” Serena told him. She should know. There were things in her past that she feared would one day catch up with her.

Watching the way she nervously nibbled on her bottom lip made Rad wonder two things. First, what personal knowledge did she have about lies in her past? Second, how would her lips feel beneath his? Okay, so maybe he thought about that first, but he did take a moment to think about what she’d said before getting caught up in a fantasy about her mouth.

He’d noticed her lush lips the moment he’d first met her. And her legs. He couldn’t see much of them today, as she was wearing a dress that swirled around her ankles. The thin material did have a nice way of clinging to her curves, however.

As for lying, well…Rad looked on this operation as more of a dark ops mission. Subterfuge and deception were requirements for a successful outcome, which in this case meant getting Heidi off his back.

Rad was confident that he could handle things. His sexual attraction to Serena was an added bonus. Not that he was looking to settle down and get married at this point in his life. That might be fine for his two older brothers but not for him. He valued his freedom.

But there was something to be said for hanging out with a gorgeous blond bookseller. Not that she was the kind of female who flaunted her good looks. No, she seemed to take care to keep them under wraps, like that ankle-length dress of hers. Which just made him want to unwrap her all the more.

She intrigued him. Made him want to learn more about her. Because there was a lot going on beneath her cool surface. When he’d touched her, the heat had been immediate. He’d always been good at intel and recon work. He looked forward to doing a little of both on her.

That wasn’t all he wanted to do with her. He wanted to know if her lips tasted as lush as they looked. He wanted to feel her long legs wrapped around his bare hips….

Chill out, he ordered his throbbing body. She’s just a female. Enjoy the moment, but don’t go looking for complications here.

He got out his PDA and got to work. “There are a few details we should get straight. Like how we met, how long we’ve known each other, that sort of thing. Then there’s the ring. What’s your ring size?”

“Seven. You’re not going to buy a ring, are you?”

“You have something else in mind?”

“I could pick up something inexpensive, a CZ, at one of the discount stores.”

“CZ?”

“Cubic Zirconia. Only a jeweler would be able to tell it’s not real, if I get something realistic carat-wise.”

“Okay. I’ll leave the ring to you. But I’ll pay for it.”

“Under fifty dollars. I don’t want to be worrying about losing it or anything.”

“How would you lose it? I thought you were supposed to wear an engagement ring all the time and not take it off.”

“That’s in a real engagement, which this isn’t.”

“Okay…But spend at least a hundred. I don’t want people thinking I’m cheap.” He used the stylus to change screens. “I made a checklist….”

“If you’re that prepared, I would have thought you’d have come up with a better cover story for your fiancée than saying the name of the first woman that came to mind. What did you tell her about me?”

“That you were a bookseller.”

“That’s all?”

“I may have said that you used to be a swimsuit model,” Rad couldn’t resist teasing her.

“You what?”

“Just kidding.”

“I should hope so. No one would believe I was a swimsuit model.”

“Why not?”

“Because real women have curves and I’m a real woman.”

His eyes strolled over her from head to toe. “I had noticed that.”

“I have hips.” She pointed to them as if he needed help locating them.

“Yeah, you do.” He nodded approvingly.

“Swimsuit models never have real hips.”

“I like females with hips. And long legs. And long blond hair and green eyes. In fact, there are a lot of things I like about you.”

His comment made her feel as if she’d swallowed a goldfish. Not that she’d ever done that, but still…

She had this strange fluttery feeling of what…anticipation? Is that what this was? She anticipated the next Harry Potter book, but it didn’t make her all funny inside.

Great. Now she knew what this was. It had just been a while since she’d experienced it, and never to this extreme. This was sexual attraction. This was her hormones leaping up and yelling yes, yes, yes, come to momma.

This was her inner-female responding to all that yummy male testosterone wrapped up in Rad’s six-foot-plus body.

Serena firmly ordered her hormones to shut up. She could not afford to be ruled by sex here. She needed to be a savvy businesswoman. To be practical. To be Serena Serious. “You don’t know me at all.” There, that was a practical, factual statement, even if she had delivered it in a too-breathy voice. Since when had she started sounding like Marilyn Monroe at Kennedy’s birthday party?

“But I want to get to know you,” Rad murmured. “And I need to if we’re going to pull this off. Tell me what I should know.”

“That I don’t think this is going to work,” she muttered. Not if leaping hormones got in the way.

“Of course it will work. We just need to do some prep work. Winning any battle is predicated on good recon and accurate intel ahead of time. I know you’re a bookseller, and the Realtor told me you’ve been here a year. That’s all I know.”

“I’ll write you a brief bio tonight then you can enter it in your PDA.”

He shut the hi-tech device down and turned his full attention to her. “Some things are unforgettable. Forget writing the bio. Have dinner with me instead and we can work out the details while we eat. I know a good seafood place down on the beach. Unless you have other plans?”

“I suppose it would be a good idea to get our stories straight.” That was her practical side speaking.

“Affirmative.”

There, that was his military voice. Not his bossy military voice, just the crisp tones. Crisp was good. She could handle crisp. She could even do crisp herself. “Okay, then.”

It wasn’t okay when she nearly tripped over the long skirt of her dress when he handed her into his car a few minutes later. You’d think she’d never gotten into a silver gray Corvette before.

And you’d be right. She’d never gotten into a Corvette of any color before. The men she tended to date drove sensible cars like four-door sedans. Buicks or Oldsmobiles. Not low-slung race cars.

She was surprised and pleased to discover that Rad didn’t drive as if he were trying out for the Indy 500. He showed no sign of road rage when a car filled with teenagers cut him off or when an older driver pulled in front of him and barely went the speed limit.

Twenty minutes later, Serena was seated at a table with an ocean view and a huge plate loaded with fresh steamed shrimp. The place wasn’t fancy. The tablecloths were red-checked oilcloth instead of white linen. But the food smelled heavenly and the view was great. White-topped waves tossed their frothy manes as they landed upon the smooth beach with rhythmic regularity.

“This is nice.”

Rad nodded. “You’ve never been here before?”

Serena shook her head.

“You’re not originally from around here, are you? No accent,” he added.

“I’m from all over. Mostly east coast although we lived in Indianapolis for a year when I was eight.”

“Are you an army brat? You said your dad had been out of the military for a while now.”

“He left the army when I was ten.” Her crisp tone of voice made it clear that she didn’t welcome any further discussion on that topic.

“What made you decide to settle here?”

“My best friend lives here. We were college roommates our freshman year at UNCW, the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. I came to visit her for her wedding several years ago and liked the area. I’m an ocean person, so I like being on the coast.”

“I know what you mean. My older brother Striker has a beach house out on Pirate’s Cove. It’s a little island off the coast. I get over there as often as I can when he’s not using the place. Since he’s moved to San Antonio, it’s vacant a lot of the time.”

“Is he a Marine as well?”

“He’s in the reserves. Most of his time these days is spent running King Oil and chasing after his baby son. He’s as smart as a tree full of owls, to quote my Texan brother.”

“Did you grow up in Texas?”

“No, although I did spend a summer or two there. Like you I grew up all over. My dad was a Marine, he’s retired now. All my other brothers are Marines.”

“All? How many are there?”

“My momma had five sons. The youngest two are twins.”

“Are you the second oldest?”

“No, that honor goes to my brother Ben. I’m the middle child.”

“Which means, if I remember my birth order character traits correctly, that you’re the peacemaker in the family.”

“Negative. That role falls to Ben. What about you? Do you have any brothers or sisters?”

“No. I’m an only child.”

“Which means you’re a high achiever and expect a lot from life.” At her surprised look, Rad added, “Hey, I’ve read some of that birth order stuff, too. As an adult, only children tend to have high self-esteem.”

She laughed and shook her head. “Not me.”

“Why not?”

“My dad didn’t want me getting a big head.” Her tone was mocking but she could feel the muscles in her neck tensing up.

“Sounds like he gave you a hard time.”

“You could say that.”

“Did he hit you? Beat you?”

Not with his fists but with his words. But she couldn’t say that because her throat closed and her mouth went dry.

She reached for her iced tea. The condensed moisture made the glass slippery and she almost lost her hold on it. The ice cubes clattering against the sides sounded unnaturally loud in the sudden silence.

“Steady there.” Rad reached over to straighten the glass and set it back on the table. His fingers brushed against hers.

Had he tried to capture her hand in his, she would have snatched it away. Instead he gently rubbed his thumb against the back of her hand.

Serena frantically tried to come up with something sophisticated and funny to say, but was so distracted by her awareness of him and her turbulent emotions that all she could come up with was, “I don’t like talking about my childhood.”

Right. That was an understatement. Brilliant, Serena. She pulled her hand away, exiling it to her lap where her fingertips continued to hum from his touch.

“Then we’ll talk about something else. Like how we met.”

She frowned. “We met at the school two days ago.”

“Where you were madder than a rained-on rooster.”

She lifted an eyebrow at him. “Another of your Texan brother’s quotes?”

“Actually that was one of my grandfather’s.”

“Yes, well, if I was aggravated with you, I had good reason.”

“So you told me at the time. But we obviously can’t use the truth in this case about how we met, so we need to come up with something else. How about you saw me and fell instantly in love with me?”

“How about you saw me and fell instantly in love with me,” she instantly countered.

His slow smile was worth the wait. “That’ll work too.”

Okay, there went her hormones again. Time to haul out the common sense practical stuff. “I think we should just go with something vague, like we met through a mutual friend.”

“That sounds boring.”

“Boring is good.” Hormones are bad. Bad hormones. Behave.

“Marines are not into boring.”

“Fine,” she retorted. “Then you think of something.”

“Hmmm…”

She noticed the outer corner of Rad’s eyes got all crinkly when he was thinking.

“My brother Striker met his wife when they had to work together,” he continued. “And my brother Ben met his wife through her brother.”

“Neither scenario would work in our case. I’m telling you, we should go with mutual friends. It’s the simplest thing.”

“I suppose you’re right.”

Did he really have to sound so doubtful when he said that? “And how did you romantically propose to me?” she asked. “Did you get down on bended knee?”

“How about the beach?” He nodded at the view out the window where the surf washed in. “I proposed to you on the beach at sunset.”

“Only one problem with that. From here, the sun rises over the Atlantic ocean, it doesn’t set over it. See, it’s details like those that are going to get us in trouble.”

He raised a dark eyebrow. “You’d rather I proposed to you at sunrise?”

“No.” She refused to allow her heart to beat a little faster at the thought of him really proposing. She’d regained control of her wild inner-female self and she planned on keeping her locked up indefinitely. Serena Serious was in charge now. “We’ll stick to your proposing on the beach. We don’t have to say when.”

“Heidi is gonna want to know the juicy details.”

“Who says we have to tell her?”

“I do. Or she’ll get suspicious. So here’s the story. We met through mutual friends and I proposed on the beach here on Topsail Island while the sun set over the sound, not the ocean. You’re an only child, you went to UNCW and got your degree in…?”

“Business administration,” Serena replied.

“Before opening your own bookstore, you worked at…?”

“Various jobs, including the district manager of a large bookstore chain.”

“You moved here to coastal North Carolina…?”

“Two years ago. Before that I lived in Raleigh, and before that I was in the Boston area, and Virginia Beach before that.”

Rad continued his questions through dessert and the drive home. It wasn’t until Serena walked into her apartment later that evening that she realized that while she’d practically supplied him with her résumé, and even confessed her love of dark Belgian chocolate, Rad hadn’t told her anything about what he did in the Marine Corps. Other than the little he’d told her about his family, he hadn’t said much about himself at all.

That’s when she remembered another trait of middle children. They can be secretive.

Chapter Three

“You what!”

Serena winced at her best friend’s shriek and held the phone away from her ear for a second. Needing someone to talk to, Serena had curled up on her couch and called Lucy as soon as she’d stepped inside her apartment. She returned the receiver to her ear in time to hear Lucy say, “Start over again.”

“The Marine who came to Becky’s school’s Career Day bought my building. And I’m engaged to him.”

“To Bossy Marine Man who scared my little girl?”

“Yeah.” Serena’s voice sounded freaked even to her own ears.

“Is he there right now?”

“No.”

“Then get out the Pistachio Pistachio ice cream, I’m comin’ right over.”

“Thanks, Lulu.” Serena used the nickname she reserved for special occasions, and this one sure qualified.

She and Lucy had become friends as freshman college roommates at UNCW. Lucy had gotten pregnant and married after that first year, but she and Serena had remained very close.

By the time Serena cleared the junk mail from her pine dining table and got the ice cream out of the freezer and the bowls out of the cabinet, Lucy was knocking on her door.

The first thing she did was put her hand on Serena’s forehead. “You don’t feel like you’re running a high fever.”

“I’m not.”

“If you’re not delirious with a high fever then why would you say you were engaged to Bossy Marine Man?”

“His name is Rad Kozlowski.”

“That doesn’t sound like a Marine name to me. The Marines I know have solid, tough American names like Harry or Bud.”

“His name is the least of my worries.” Serena dug the red plastic scooper into the ice cream and dumped a sizable portion into Lucy’s dish and then another huge scoop into her own.

“What did he do to you?”

“He bought my building and then offered to cut my rent in half if I’d help him.”

“The rat buzzard. What did he want you to do? As if I couldn’t guess.”

Serena withdrew the spoon she’d just offered Lucy. “Before I tell you anything else, you have to swear you won’t leak a word of this to anyone.”

“I swear.”

“Not even your husband.” Serena waved the flat-ware for extra emphasis.

“What if we need him to beat up your Marine?”

Lucy’s husband Alec was built like a linebacker, because he was one. He’d played that position in college. “We don’t need Alec to beat up anyone. Now swear, on this carton of Pistachio Pistachio, that you won’t tell a soul what I’m confiding in you.”

Lucy solemnly placed her hand over the Ben & Jerry logo. “I swear. Now tell me what the rat buzzard wants you to do. Wait, let me eat a bite of ice cream first….”

Serena quickly did the same.

“Okay,” Lucy mumbled around the cold dessert. “Tell me.”

“He wants me to pretend to be his fiancée.”

Lucy frowned. “Is he gay?”

“Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For thinking the way I do. I thought that was his reason for asking me and he acted like I was crazy instead of it being a reasonable possibility.”

“So is he?”

“No.”

“You’re sure?”

“Oh yeah.”

“That’s a very emphatic reply. Care to tell me how you can be so sure?”

“He almost kissed me. This is definitely a guy who likes women. Which is the problem. It seems there’s a general’s daughter who’s been chasing him, and—”

“He’s using a fiancée as an excuse to get rid of her.”

“Something like that, yes.”

“Why you?”

“My name just happened to slip out because the girl confronted him right after I met him at the school and we had a run-in.”

“You didn’t tell me you had a run-in with him.”

After taking a huge bite, Serena dabbed at her chin with a paper napkin. “I didn’t think it was worth mentioning.”

“Clearly it made an impression on him—you made an impression on him if your name was the first that came to his mind.”

“Do you think I’m really stupid to go along with this?”

“You haven’t told me much about what ‘this’ actually is.”

“Pretending to be his fiancée.”

“For how long?”

“As long as it takes for her to lose interest. Look.” She waved the contract at Lucy. “He even had this drawn up so I would be assured that my rent would be reduced, both for the store and the apartment. It’s all here in writing.” She jabbed the document with her index finger and broke her nail in the process.

Lucy took the paper from her and looked it over. “It also says that this is not a real engagement and does not constitute a proposal of marriage. I’d say the guy was commitment shy.”

“He has nothing to worry about from me in that department.”

“Because you’re commitment shy too.”

“With good reason.”

“Maybe.”

“Maybe?”

“Yeah, maybe. You don’t really give most guys a chance to screw up. You dump them before they dump you.”

“It’s safer that way.”

“Not all guys are like your father.”

“Most aren’t sweet like your Alec.”

“Yet here you are engaged to a bossy military man, your worst nightmare.”

“Yes, but I’m not really engaged. This is just a simple business arrangement.”

“It’s a lie. And you better than anyone should know how messy things can get as a result of a lie.”

“I don’t want to talk about that now.” Serena was upset enough with the present situation. She really couldn’t emotionally afford to dig up her past mistakes at the moment.

“Okay. I’m just saying that things can get complicated.”

“I realize that. But I couldn’t pass this up. The economic reality is that I need this decrease in the rent. Things have been tough.”

“You haven’t said anything.”

“Because I don’t like focusing on the negative.”

“Yeah, you’re just Serena Sunshine.”

Serena stuck her tongue out at her.

Lucy grinned. “Well, you are. You always try to find the good in any situation.”

“That didn’t always come naturally for me. Quite the opposite. But I’ve made a concerted effort to learn to look for the silver lining.”

“Well, you’ve been successful at it. Except where it applies to guys.”

“Hey, I’ve dated several men recently, but none of them really made that big an impression.”

“Because you tend to go for the bland, bookish types.” Lucy brandished her empty spoon at Serena as a reprimand.

“Well, I sure don’t usually go for the dark, brooding Adrian Paul type.”

“Aha, so Bossy Marine Man is a hunk, huh?”

“He’s good-looking in a big, broad-shouldered, sexy-gleam-of-humor-in-his-eyes kind of way.”

“I thought you said he was the dark and brooding type.”

“He is. Then he’ll get this gleam of humor in his eyes and they kind of light up…” Serena paused as a vision of Rad’s face filled her mind.

“Uh-oh.”

“Uh-oh what?”

“Your cat is eating your ice cream.”

“Bella, you little squirt!” Serena picked up the sleek, small gray cat and set her on the floor. “Now you know why I call her Bella-That’s-Mine. She thinks everything in this house is hers. Oshi would never dream of stealing my ice cream.” Serena had found the mother cat and her tiny kitten hidden near the Dumpster behind her building. She’d managed to coax the mom inside once she had the kitten in her hands. To her surprise, Oshi had taken one look around the apartment, walking around the perimeter to check things out, and then curled up on Serena’s favorite area rug and started nursing.

Serena had had the two of them for almost a year now, and had gotten both the mom and her kitten spayed. The two of them provided Serena with some much-needed company and plenty of laughs.

Bella licked her chops, her pink tongue swirling over her black whiskers, before jumping onto Serena’s lap where she curled up and started washing herself.

“Just be careful that you don’t fall for this guy. I know how you are about strays.” Lucy pointed at Bella. “Look at that cat. Living in the lap of luxury.”

“Rad isn’t a stray. He’s a completely self-sufficient Marine.”

“If he were that self-sufficient he wouldn’t have needed your help, now would he?”

“Everyone needs a little help now and then.”

“Help him and then get out.”

“That’s the plan.”

“Good. Just be sure you stick to the plan.”

The next morning Serena tried to focus on the fact that her rent was cut in half for the next year and not the fact that she’d agreed to pretend to be Rad’s fiancée for an indefinite period of time.

Focus on the positive. And stay away from the chocolate. After Lucy had left, Serena had eaten half-a-dozen dark chocolate lemon-cream truffles from her hidden cache in the Shakespeare cookie jar. But then it wasn’t every day that a girl got engaged, even if it wasn’t for real.

The young woman walking into The Reader’s Place in the low-riding jeans and skimpy designer T-shirt was for real, however. And she was looking around with the kind of dismissive attitude that immediately put Serena on edge.

Reminding herself that she was good with people, Serena was about to ask if she could help the woman when she spoke first.

“Does Serena Anderson work here?”

“I’m Serena Anderson.”

Instead of introducing herself, the woman frowned at Serena’s simple denim dress and sandals as if she were a fashion dinosaur.

“And you are?” Serena prompted her before reminding herself that getting aggravated with someone because they were younger, prettier and skinnier than you was not a good thing.

“My name is Heidi Burns. My father is General Burns.”

Yeah, I was afraid of that. “Hi, Heidi. Rad told me about you.”

Her face lit up. “Like seriously? He did? What did he say?”

Serena couldn’t tell the truth of course. “Just that you know about our engagement.”

“It’s kind of sudden, isn’t it?”

Serena just shrugged. It gave her a moment to collect her thoughts. She hadn’t expected Heidi to show up so quickly. When had she and Rad said they’d met? Her mind suddenly went blank. Why hadn’t she taken notes during their dinner last night?

“You’re not wearing a ring.”

“It’s being sized.” Serena had planned on stopping by a few stores later that afternoon to find something reasonable.

“So how did you two like meet?”

“Through a mutual friend.” That was right, wasn’t it? Wasn’t that what they’d finally decided? After the falling in love at first sight nonsense?

“A mutual friend?”

Serena nodded. Surely there had to be some advantage in being older than Heidi? Wasn’t she supposed to have more confidence and stuff like that?

Why, oh why had she eaten that carton of ice cream last night? And the chocolate.

Heidi probably never ate ice cream. She nibbled on lettuce to fit into those size zero jeans.

Or maybe, even worse, Heidi was one of those horrible people with a fast metabolism who could eat like a horse and never gain a pound. If that was the case, then Serena granted herself permission to really dislike Heidi.

At least Serena was taller than Heidi. Big deal. Guys didn’t lust after gawky giraffes, they went for the petite little things with big breasts.

And okay, yeah, Serena could hold her own in the bra-cup division—without any artificial assistance from implants or water bras, thank you very much. But her big breasts were matched with a big bottom. And while Jennifer Lopez might make that look appealing, the star was much tinier than Serena.

Okay, stop it. You cannot have a self-image meltdown in front of this girl. Healthy women have curves. You’re a healthy women with lots of curves. So stop with the criticism, Serena ordered herself.

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