Wicked Secrets by Anne Marsh Read Free Book Online Page B

could rent a place off base, finding a pet-friendly landlord would be a challenge. And, besides, animals couldn’t be left alone for months on end. Somehow, he needed to re-home the menagerie in the next six weeks. He definitely shouldn’t have named them.
    Buckeye gave him a reproachful glare, as if he’d read Tag’s mind and knew the guy who provided the dog chow was having second thoughts. Or getting attached. Yeah. It was the
attached
part that posed a problem.
    “We should get her a shirt, yeah?” One way or another, he’d figure out a solution to his animal woes. Maybe Dani need a dog. Or two. And Piper was definitely a cat person.
    Beauregard rubbed against his ankles, decorating his jeans with cat hair, and then pranced down the hallway, tail swishing. The haughty gesture looked enough like a
yes
to him, so he took his cue and followed the tail. Thank God he’d done laundry this week. Mia had served overseas, and she’d have roughed it more than once, but even he drew the line at offering her a used T-shirt.
    After grabbing a clean shirt, he fell back down the hallway and rapped on the bathroom door. The sound of water running got his imagination going. She could be naked in there. Naked and wet. She had a gorgeous body, all toned, tanned lines and feminine strength. He could... He didn’t know what he could do.
Hell.
    The water stopped, followed by the sounds of movement inside. Had he left a towel in there? Damn. He had no idea, but he was no Martha Stewart. If he was lucky, he had toilet paper and a toothbrush. The door cracked, and Mia stared through the small space. She still sported the purple shadows underneath her eyes, but her color was better. Maybe her stomach was finally settling down.
    “What?”
    Yeah. What?
He was standing and staring. He yanked his attention back to the job at hand and waved the shirt at her. “Wardrobe change.”
    She grabbed his peace offering, which meant she had to open the door farther. Bingo. He had his opening. He should move back. Give her space. Instead, he curled a hand around the frame and inserted a foot into the crack she’d created. She was fully dressed, although she smelled like mint and hand soap. He stared at her while she turned his offering over in her hands and examined it.
    “You’re giving me a Navy T-shirt?” She looked up at him, her eyes laughing. How had he missed her sense of humor? She’d also unbraided her hair, and the loose waves made her look softer. Younger. Okay...it also made her look tousled and fresh out of bed, so the new hairstyle wasn’t a good thing because it gave him too many ideas.
    He’d grabbed the first clean T-shirt he’d found and, yeah, it might also have been the
only
clean shirt in his possession at the moment. Beggars, choosers and all that. If she didn’t like her choice, she could wear her own things or go naked. Naked definitely worked for him.
    He shrugged, as if some small part of him didn’t like the thought of her wearing his shirt. “The shirt’s optional.”
    She wasn’t looking at the clothing, though—instead, she was staring at him and, more specifically, at his
mouth
. How was he supposed to be a gentleman? She was a
veteran
. Injured. And breathtaking. He was going to hell, but he wanted his own brand of sensual revenge. She’d pulled rank on him during their one night in San Diego, and he...well, he’d been willing to let her. Not this time. This time he had plans—if he was being honest with himself—for erotic payback.
    “Open the door or close it.” He growled the words, no longer interested in playing nice. His voice sounded rough and harsh to his own ears and, oh yeah,
needy
. While she, on the other hand, had made it perfectly clear she didn’t need him so much. He was a place to stay and a toothbrush, although she could have taken care of the problem on her own. Even puking on the beach, Mia was frighteningly competent.
    He moved a step nearer, his fingers digging into the door