Getting Lucky by Susan Andersen Read Free Book Online

flashback to swarming flies and thick, steamy heat, saw again the outraged ego burning in the young Latino’s eyes.
    He finished twisting the bottle cap off and took aswig of beer to wash the vision away. “A couple days later we found Pederson outside the village, beaten to a pulp. I know damn well Escavez was responsible, but lacking concrete proof, there wasn’t a helluva lot I could do about that, either.” His jaw set. “Which pretty much summed up the entire detail. I didn’t do a helluva lot.”
    John shrugged. “Some missions are like that—there’s just not much you can do. And it’s probably just as well you didn’t find evidence against Escavez anyway.”
    “How do you figure?”
    “We’ve both spent more hours than we can count in these villages. If there’s one thing you can depend on in some of the more macho cultures, it’s the store they place in saving face. Is Pederson okay?”
    “Yeah. He’s still not one hundred percent, but you know how fast a nineteen-year-old heals.”
    “There you go, then. Your soldier survived and might even think twice before he messes with another villager’s woman. Escavez got his retribution, which probably helped him save face in front of his village.”
    “True.” Zach felt some of the weight he’d been carrying slide away. “And in the end Miguel even volunteered to be part of the three-man delegation we brought back with us.” He saluted Rocket with his beer bottle. “So all’s well that ends well, I guess.”
    He heard the sound of the front door opening. Knowing it had to be Lily, he looked toward the archway, waiting for her to pass by. It bugged him to realize his blood was pumping a little hotter and faster through his veins than it had been a few moments ago. Then, recalling his friend’s words, he took a slow, controlled breath and gave himself a break.
    Rocket was right. Lily was the exact type of woman that usually drew his attention—at least in the physical sense. I’ll be damned, he thought with a little surge of relief. I’m not turning into the world’s worst brother, after all. I merely need to get laid.
    He almost laughed out loud. As John had said, successful reconnaissance missions had a way of getting a guy’s juices flowing. Combine that with the fact that it had been a long time since he’d been within belly-rubbing distance of a woman—even before the South American detail had come up—and any woman would look good to him, never mind a hot little number like Lily Morrisette. Just give him the chance to rectify the sexual limbo he’d been in, though, and she’d likely lose whatever small hold she had over his senses.
    He kept that thought firmly in mind when Lily sashayed into view, all cotton-candy hair and swinging hips as she strutted toward the archway. Still his temperature cranked another notch higher. Then, just as he was thinking he’d better start trolling the bars pretty damn soon, Lily glanced up from the tiny handbag into which she dropped her keys.
    With a little yelp of surprise she stopped in her tracks, a splayed hand slapping the full swell of her breasts. A half dozen narrow gold bangles clinked and jingled as they slid down her arm from wrist to forearm. Her eyes locked with Zach’s.
    “You startled me!” she exclaimed breathlessly, and more jingling ensued as her hand patted her chest as if to contain a racing heart. “I didn’t realize anyone was here.” Then she jerked her gaze away and glanced at Rocket, offering him a tentative smile.
    It pushed all Zach’s buttons, and he laughed harshly. “Right,” he snarled. “Like you can’t smell fresh meat a block away.” Jesus, what an actress. He jerked his head toward Rocket. “So meet John. He can’t afford you.”
    You would have thought he’d pissed in the middle of a tea party, the way she looked at him. Without a word, she turned on her heel and walked away.
    His blood flat-out boiled. How did she do it? How did she make him feel