Wyne and Dine (Citizen Soldier Series Book 1) by Donna Michaels Read Free Book Online Page B

day—or
moonlight—after all. Of course, she had to get up the nerve to wear it in front
of her boyfriend .
    Stepping into the two story house,
she found the foyer open and airy with high ceilings and gorgeous crown
molding. At every turn was an antique, a piece of history Lea longed to
explore, but the dowdy housekeeper was already heading upstairs expecting them
to follow, so she had to drool on the run.
    When they were finally alone in
their room, she brushed past Ben and took advantage of the opportunity to
openly covet the furniture. 
    “I can’t believe this, Ben. Look.”
She pointed to an ornate vanity dresser. “They have a Chippendale. A Chippendale .
I think I’ve died and gone to heaven,” she said, gently running her hand over
the mahogany wood. “Who would’ve guessed the house would be full of such
treasures? Especially after seeing that fountain.”
    He shrugged. “It’s just furniture.”
    Her intake of breath filled the
room when she punched his arm. Hard.
    “Ouch.”
    “Exactly,” she said, frowning at
him. “These aren’t just pieces of furniture. They’re history. Someone’s
history.”
    Again he shrugged, unzipping his
duffle bag to remove a modern day shaving kit. “If you say so.”
    “I do.” She nodded, moving on to
examine a settee in the corner.
    It was a Victorian walnut settee
from the 1800s, and in excellent shape. Excitement rushed through her veins.
This wasn’t a museum piece; she was allowed to touch. Drawing in a shaky
breath, she gingerly sat down, then stretched out and smiled.
    “I left room in the—” Ben reentered
from the adjoining bathroom, stopped mid-sentence and stood staring at her as
if he’d walked into a pole.
    “What?”
    He blinked and gave his head a
slight shake. “What?”
    Lea turned on her side, propped her
head in her hand and smiled. “I asked you first.”
    Ben blanked.
    Again.
    Why the hell did that keep happening?
He couldn’t seem to filter in Lea’s words or form a thought, other than she was
so damn beautiful and sexy lying on the old couch, come-hither stare fastened
on him through eyes the same unique shade as her outfit.
    Damn. 
    The urge to strip her naked and
join her was so sudden and strong he nearly doubled over.
    What the hell?
    The same unexpected need had hit
him when he’d kissed her in the truck. That wasn’t supposed to happen. The
simple staged kiss in front of the colonel’s wife to show he was off limits had
turned into anything but simple. It should’ve been like kissing his sister.
Unfeeling and unpleasant.
    But it wasn’t.
    Hell no. The instant his lips had
brushed hers, a wave of heat had shot down his body and stirred his groin. He
should’ve stopped and pulled back, but Mrs. Dankirk had been watching from a
distance, and he’d wanted to make sure she got the message.
    Bullshit , his mind balked.
It had been all Lea. He couldn’t get enough of the blue-eyed beauty. He’d
wanted more, needed more, and it was all he could do not to thrust his tongue
into her mouth and sample her essence. Luckily, common sense had kicked in. She
wasn’t offering—she was acting.
    At his request.
    So, what was she doing now? There
was no audience. Just them.
    He needed to cool it and get his
thinking back on track. Use his other head. He cleared his throat and nodded
toward the bathroom. “There’s room for your stuff in there.”
    “Thanks,” she said, then scooted
back and patted the cushion in front of her. “Come here and try this out, Ben.
It’s more comfortable than I thought.”
    He swallowed a snort. “No, I might
break it.” And by it, he meant his resolve not to touch the woman while
they were alone. He could tell by just that one kiss things could get out of
hand fast. At least, on his end. He glanced at the clock on the nightstand.
“We’d better get downstairs. It’s just about time for dinner.”
    A flash of reluctance crossed her
face. He could relate. He was not looking forward to