The Marine And Me. Cathie Linz
at the local library, she was sure of that.
Steve was a man of action. A Marine accustomed to the adrenaline rush of battle. A man who loved speed. She’d driven with him, she knew. The guy rode a Harley, for heaven’s sake.
He stood out like a wolf in a bevy of docile hens. Most of the rest of the audience was collecting Social Security, not combat pay.
A frown from Martin Pritchett, the branch manager playing the role of Lord Grimley, let her know that she’d just missed a cue.
Chloe quickly recovered and the rest of the drama went by without a hitch. The audience was asked to write down the name of who they suspected to be the murderer on a slip of paper, which was put into a box decorated with question-mark wrapping paper.
Chloe had organized a drawing for several door prizes, including books by bestselling mystery authors.
Martin had the honor of finally revealing the murderer. “The guilty party tonight was actually none other than…” He paused for dramatic effect. Martin enjoyed being the center of attention. “The loyal secretary Miss Abbington. Shame on you, Miss Abbington.” He shook a finger at her as she hung her head in remorse.
The audience seemed to enjoy the event, applauding enthusiastically at its conclusion. Or maybe they were just happy about the hot tea and goodies that Martin had invited them to consume. Chloe noticed that Wanda’s kolachkis disappeared quickly.
Steve noticed the same thing. “Busha’s offering seems to be quite a hit.”
“What are you doing here?”
“Watching you.”
She didn’t like that answer, not one bit. And the intensity of her reaction surprised her. After all, she’d spent years learning to suppress her emotions, to stay calm, to remain invisible and not make waves. So why was it that one sexy Marine seemed to have the power to change all that?
He was invading her turf—the library. One of the few places where she felt at home, where she felt in her element. Surrounded by books and information, all cataloged and shelved in an orderly manner.
“I also thought I could give you a ride back home after this,” Steve added as he reached past her for a cookie.
Chloe badly wanted to refuse. But the person with whom she’d thought she could hitch a ride had actually carpooled with someone else this evening, someone who lived in the opposite direction from Chloe’s house.
Beggars can’t be choosers. How often had Janis told her that? Too often.
Steve polished off his cookie and reached for another. “My grandmother entrusted you to my care tonight. She’d shoot me if I didn’t bring you back and make sure you got home safely.”
So Steve was only doing this to please his grandmother? Somehow that didn’t make her feel much better.
Chloe was glad when a patron interrupted them with a question about the name of a mystery author she couldn’t remember. Helping unite people with books was what Chloe did best.
When the patron walked out with the book she’d wanted, Chloe was sidetracked by Lynn Scott, the children’s librarian. “Who’s the hottie you were talking to earlier?”
“He’s my neighbor’s grandson.”
“You have all the luck. My neighbor’s grandson is a holy terror, aged three.”
“My car broke down so he gave me a lift tonight.”
“Seeing him gave me quite a lift, too,” Lynn noted with a grin. In her mid-thirties with long dark hair she usually wore in a braid, Lynn was one of those people who brightened the world with their presence. She and Chloe had hit it off from day one.
“Don’t let your husband hear you saying that.”
“There’s no harm in just looking,” Lynn noted.
Chloe tried telling herself that as Steve drove her home a short while later. No harm in just looking. The glow of the streetlights passed over his face, creating sharp angles and increasing his good looks.
She shifted her attention to his hands on the steering wheel. His fingers were long and lean. As he tapped out the beat of a Rod Stewart song with his index finger, she couldn’t help wondering how it would feel to have him tapping out a sensual beat on her body.
He had the radio playing so they didn’t have to talk much. She was glad. Her thoughts were much too messed up for her to make polite conversation.
She wondered what he was thinking. Was he eager to get rid of her? Was he wishing he were someplace else? With someone else?
Why should she care? If she were smart, and she was, she shouldn’t have any interest in Steve’s thoughts. Or his body. Or his lean hands.
She’d never been the sappy sort to get all hot and bothered over a man. Not until she’d met Brad. And that experience should certainly have cured her of any desire to repeat past mistakes.
But there was no ignoring her reaction when Steve had touched her hand earlier.
Chalk it up to hormones, or sexual chemistry, or nerves. Whatever she called it, she was not about to act on it.
Chances were that after tonight, Steve would go out of his way to avoid her. Her plan was working. She should be pleased, not all restless and edgy.
He pulled into the driveway and turned off the car before turning to face her. “So do you want to tell me what you’re up to?”
His question caught her completely off guard. “Wha-at are you talking about?”
“I just have this feeling that you’re up to something.”
“You’re mistaken.”
“Maybe I am. Maybe not.”
“Thanks for the ride. Good night.” A second later, she’d hopped out of the car and raced into her house.
Steve watched her go, noting her haste. Not the actions of someone with nothing to hide. So what was the little librarian next door really up to?
He found out several hours later while making a midnight raid on the fridge and the leftover roast beef Busha had stored there. As he entered the dark kitchen, he noticed that the kitchen blinds were rolled up. Which allowed him free visual access to Chloe’s kitchen window, only a few feet away, also with the blinds rolled up. Unlike him, she’d turned on the lights as she looked in her fridge, on the other side of her kitchen.
“Well, I’ll be….” Steve swore under his breath.
The dowdy librarian had been transformed into a sexy woman, wearing a Bears’ jersey that went mid-thigh, allowing him a generous view of a pair of gorgeous legs.
He’d been had!
Chapter Two
Steve blinked and looked again. Maybe he’d just imagined Chloe.…
Nope, there she was. Her dark hair was down around her shoulders instead of tightly pinned up. The silky strands fell around her shoulders in sexy disarray.
And there was no mistaking her long shapely legs. Steve had excellent night vision and he could see just fine how great her body really was. This was no frumpy librarian!
She’d deliberately made him think she was a stereotypical dowdy bookworm. Why? What kind of con was she pulling here?
His internal lie-detector system went on high alert. Steve hated being deceived. Especially by a female. Chalk it up to his bad experience with Gina. The memory of how she’d hoodwinked him still made his gut clench.
Steve couldn’t believe he’d been had by another female. He’d sworn not to be taken in again, yet here he was, in the dark about the girl next door. The supposedly sweet neighbor who had given him a hard