One Night of Pleasure: Military Romance Featuring a Sexy Navy Hero (Take a Chance Book 5) by Caridad Pineiro Read Free Book Online Page A

she’d seen of his life so far.  “But the house.  It’s a house for a family,” she said and motioned around the room with her hand.
    He nodded.  “It is.  When I first bought it and started the renovations, I imagined having a few kids and raising them here.  I was even was engaged once because I’m an old fashioned guy and marriage comes before kids in my book.”
    “Me, too.  What happened to the engagement?” She shifted closer to him on the couch and laid her hands over his, stilling the nervous gesture.
    “We were going for routine medicals and when the doctor asked for my history, I mentioned I’d had a serious bacterial fever while I was on a deployment.  He got worried and ran some tests.  Turns out the fever left me sterile.”
    “And your fiancée?” she asked, although she could guess at the outcome.
    “She left me.”
    Anger awakened in her at the unknown woman and her actions.  “That was both selfish and foolish.”
    “I can understand – ”
    “Bullshit, Mark. You don’t kick someone when their down.  Besides, there’s always adoption.  If you love someone enough, you find a way,” she said and cradled his jaw, wanting to offer both comfort and apology for what had happened.
    The ghost of a smile lifted one corner of his mouth.  “You never stop amazing me.  Like I said before, you’re brave and strong.  Now I can add compassionate and honorable to the mix.”
    Heat spread across her face at his praise. Leaning forward, she brushed a kiss across his lips and said, “You can also add tired.  Do you think we can get some shuteye before we have to get up for tomorrow’s festivities?”
    Mark had organized a beach volleyball tournament for the military men, women, and families in the area and she had agreed to play since she’d be down for the entire weekend.
    “Sure,” he said, but the gleam in his eyes said sleep was not going to be the only thing going on in his bed in the next few hours.
    They left the couch and walked to the bed hand-in-hand, but separated to go to opposite sides, disrobe, and then meet in the center of the king-sized bed.
    Mark lay against the pillows, one hand tucked behind his head and the other one around Bridget.  She was tucked against him, her head resting on his chest and her thigh tossed over his, creating pleasant heat all along that side of his body.
    As she rested there, she stroked her hand across his chest in a soothing motion and asked, “How did you get started in the security business?”
    “By accident, really.  When I got out and came home, I didn’t really know what to do with myself.”
    “I know the feeling.  If it wasn’t for you guys . . .” She didn’t finish, not that she had to since he understood completely.  It was a common feeling for many who had spent a large part of their lives in the service.
    “While I was kind of aimless, I ran into an old Navy Seal friend, Adam Garcia.  Adam was setting up the business and asked me to be his partner.  Logistics was my thing so it was easy to get things running smoothly.  Adam was a restless spirit and hated the office work, so he handled the security and protection details.”
    She leaned up on one elbow and looked at him.  “Was he there tonight?  I don’t remember meeting your partner.”
    He shook his head.  “He never learned to handle being back on the block.  After a couple of years Adam sold me his share of the business and went off to be All-Action guy.  I tried to keep in touch, but he fell off the face of the earth.  Last I heard he was killed on some kind of assignment in Mexico.”
    He had never forgiven himself for not being there for his friend.
    She cupped his jaw and urged him to look at her.  “So that’s why you pay it forward.  Because he helped you, but you couldn’t help him.”
    He nodded, grateful that she understood why he spent so much of his spare time helping his fellow vets.
    She leaned close and whispered a kiss across his