The ring of a bell and the door opening caught Emma’s attention. A woman with blonde hair in a ponytail, who appeared to be in her late thirties, entered the shop. Karine moved to greet her and Emma stepped out of the way. After Karine filled a box with half-a-dozen cupcakes and took care of the transaction, the woman thanked her and left the shop, bell ringing behind her.
Karine planted her hands on her hips. “Where were we?”
“You asked how he reacted.”
“Oh, yes.”
Emma put the cupcake down on the counter. “He seemed as surprised as I was at first, but then amused.”
“Hmm. Amused?” Karine tilted her head. “I wonder why.”
“Who knows? I freaked out in the morning and booked it out of there without saying goodbye.”
“Maybe he wants to hook up again.” Karine’s eyes glimmered with a naughty glint. “Will you go for it?”
“No!”
“Why not?” Karine’s tone was incredulous.
“It would be super unprofessional at my new job. Guys in the military spread rumors quicker than middle school girls. I don’t need to give them any ammunition.”
Karine gestured with a relaxed wave. “You’re out of the Navy now. Who cares what they think?”
Emma raised her brows. “But I’m working on base.”
“As a civilian. You shouldn’t let all that military bull bother you anymore.”
Karine didn’t get it. Civilians didn’t get the strange way of life in the military even when she’d tried to explain it. She couldn’t relate to the uncomfortable microscope Emma had lived under either surrounded by guys fueled by ego and testosterone.
“Even so, it’s a job, so I will remain professional,” Emma added. “That means I will not be sleeping with this Marine.”
“Ooh, a Marine,” Karine said with delight. “Is he hot?”
Emma squirmed as she pictured Vince and his deep gaze, smoldering, like he could undress her with a glance alone. She stared at the cupcake, picked the damn thing up, and took a small bite. Devil’s food, her favorite. The sweetness on her tongue made her moan. “Yes.”
“Was the sex good?” Karine prodded.
Emma was on her second bite, much bigger this time. She swallowed. “Very hot.”
Karine clapped her hands together. “Damn. And you kept this from me all this time? I’m a married mom of a toddler. You’ve gotta give me the juicy stories. My sex life has slowed to the speed of an old lady driving in the slow lane on a Sunday.”
Emma laughed about the situation for the first time. “That was part of the reason why. You were dealing with a baby and keeping your business going. I didn’t want to bother you with my silly problems.”
Karine gestured with a circular wave. “Please. We’re friends. And why call that a problem? If you had a good time, good for you.”
“Perhaps,” Emma conceded. She thought of what they’d done that night, and thinking she’d never see him again had given her a freedom to act without any inhibitions. Heat rose in her body and it had little to do with the fact she was standing in a kitchen with the oven on.
She took another bite of the cupcake. “Still, I just want to get the next few days over with so I can put that situation behind me for good.”
Saturday morning, Emma paced through the library. Why was she so antsy about seeing him again? She’d taken more care than usual with her clothing, making sure her slacks and blouse were flattering. She’d chosen a gray pair that made her butt look good and a blue blouse that was a flattering color—it also had a nice cut with the right combo of fit and flair. When she’d applied makeup, she’d added another coat of mascara and gloss.
It’s perfectly normal to want to look nice. It has nothing to do with Vince.
Ha, who was she trying to kid? She glanced at the clock yet again, it showed almost nine. He’d arrive any minute.
She left the library and entered the lecture hall where the conference was being held. Her plan was to stay near plenty of people so they wouldn’t have a chance to be alone—which might lead to a conversation that was bound to turn awkward. Within seconds, she resumed pacing.
“You look like you’re about to pace a hole through the hardwood floor,” a man’s voice from behind her said.
When she heard that low croon, her breath hitched. Time to face her past—which had forced its way into her present.
She turned and planted a polite smile. “Staff Sergeant DeMarchis. Thank you for speaking today. I know many people are looking forward to it.”
He quirked his brows. “Are you?”
That stare was back and every bit as disarming—with a bit of teasing and whole lot of simmering heat.
“Uh—um—of course.” Shit, now she was stammering. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
He took in the room with a remnant of a smile still on his face. “Perhaps I did something offensive to make you run off.”
Emma stifled a groan. He wasn’t going to make it easy, was he? She glanced around to make sure they wouldn’t be overheard. Most of the attendees hadn’t arrived yet, but staff milled about.
She took his forearm and led them down the corridor back into a more private space off the library, undermining her plan to stay around people.
Touching him had been a bad move, the warmth of his skin searing her with what reminded her of their once shared passion. She released his arm. “Can we not talk about this now?”
“Sure. How about at dinner tonight?”
Her mouth dropped open. “No,” she replied with exasperation.
“Why not? Are you seeing someone?”
“No, but still.”
“Still, what?”
She raised her chin. “This is merely a professional arrangement.” She motioned to the space between them.
“What happened with us last summer didn’t feel very professional, in fact, I’d go so far as to say it felt very, very personal.”
She groaned. “This isn’t the time. I’m working.”
He pinned her with an intimate look, as if seeing all the secrets she’d buried in a safe space inside. How did he make her feel so—so—exposed?
“All right, Emma.” His eyes took on an amused glint. “You pick the time and the place.”
Chapter Three
Vince didn’t know where the idea to ask Emma out came from. He chalked it up to the irresistible combination of a beautiful woman in a library. One of the recurring fantasies in his mental file started with a prim librarian unfastening her hair from its bun before a wild night. Emma’s hair wasn’t in a bun, but it was pulled back on the sides. She dressed conservative in gray slacks and a light blue button-down blouse—which he pictured unbuttoning...
“Not going to happen, Romeo,” Emma replied.
Shot down, like she’d pushed one of the stacks of books on top of his expectations, although he probably should have expected that. “Why not?”
“I already told you. I don’t date guys in the military.”
He glanced back toward where people congregated in small groups and then brought his gaze back to her in silent question. “Odd, considering you’re surrounded by them.”
“Exactly.” She raised her chin. “I like this job. I don’t want to screw it up with complications.”
“Complications,” he repeated. Then he teased, “Good. I’m not looking to date, and I don’t kiss and tell.”
She crossed her arms. “And that especially pertains to Marines.”
He covered his chest as if she’d hit him. “Ouch, my pride.”
She pursed her lips. “Your egos are legendary, and you know what they say about pride?” She challenged, planting her hands on her hips.
Amused, he took the bait. “What?”
She arched her brows. “Overrated. Leading to a fall. Shall I go on?”
“No, I don’t think my ego could take much more of a bruising.” He grinned.
She pinned him with a skeptical glare. “Are you messing with me?”<
br />
“A little.”
“Why?”
“Your assessment might be true for some, but in my field, there’s no room for ego when it comes to explosives. Only calm and steady precision.”
She appraised him with a slow nod. “I can see that.” Her tone softened.
Their eyes remained locked as he attempted to read her. Despite the challenge in her tone, he detected a hint of interest in her gaze.
“Why are you even interested? We already hooked up. You can move on to the next conquest.”
“It’s not like that, Emma. I’m not like that,” Vince replied. “You raised some questions and if there’s one thing I can’t put down, it’s a puzzle.”
She snorted and broke eye contact. “I’m not a puzzle.”
He regarded her with a curious stare. “You’re a puzzle to me, a mystery. You left me with questions that night and hearing you swear off all military men, makes me wonder why. Is it only for professional reasons? Or is there something more to it?”
Watching her visibly recoil, he sensed he was on to something. Like he’d landed his first hit while playing Battleship, and there was no way in hell he was going to walk away now. Yet, he better tread carefully.
The question was—what was he hoping to win?
He scanned her again. She was hot, and he was still attracted to her, but something else intrigued him and he couldn’t quite figure out what.
She gave him a look of exasperation. “I can’t talk about this right now.”
“We’ll talk later, Emma.”
She opened her mouth and then closed it. Without a word, she turned and headed back into the growing crowd.
Vince couldn’t take his eyes off her as she strode away. What was it with his interest? They’d had one night together, that should have been the end of it. He took a Jedi mindset when it came to attachment, avoiding it, because in his line of work, he couldn’t afford to get close to anyone. It was a no-win situation, and people could get hurt.
Like O’Brien’s family.
Vince’s ribs tightened over his lungs. He released a shaky breath, forcing himself to relax. Now wasn’t the time to let the darkness unravel him. He had to keep it together for his presentation—he sure as hell wouldn’t let himself look incompetent in front of Emma.
Emma
Emma managed to avoid Vince, save for a few times when he caught her eye. She quickly broke it. His eyes were too probing, like he could read her darkest secrets.
It was time to introduce him. She stepped behind the podium and forced away inappropriate thoughts. “Our next guest lecturer is Staff Sergeant Vincenzo DeMarchis, an explosive ordnance disposal technician in the Marine Corps.”
As she ran through a quick overview of his accomplishments, she couldn’t help but be impressed. He’d served in numerous deployments in Afghanistan as well as other locations in the Middle East. She forced herself to give him the same polite smile as she did to the other speakers and remained nearby as she had for the other presenters. That was her job. It had nothing to do with the attractive Marine who’d ended her dry spell one explosive night—pun intended.
Or how well he filled his uniform with his muscular body.
“One of the issues we face is with homemade explosives,” Vince explained, drawing her attention back to the talk. “They can be made from easy-to-acquire components, like hydrogen peroxide or sugar and fertilizer. Creating a device with a timer can be accomplished with an alarm clock, a mousetrap, and other household items.”
As Vince worked through his presentation, nothing was boastful. He shared his deep respect for his fellow Marines and the people he met in other countries. He noted different types of pipe bombs, IEDs, and detonators, and how he and his team had dismantled or destroyed many explosives.
“After all you’ve seen,” a man in the crowd asked, “Do you still experience fear when you see an explosive? Or is it more like routine at this point?”
Vince took a few seconds before responding. “Fear is a natural human emotion, and it’s impossible not to feel it, but I’ve learned to shift my focus. Instead of thinking of the potential disastrous consequences if an IED blows up in my hands, I visualize the strategy. It’s like analyzing potential moves on a chess board. You think if I do this, will I put myself in a better position or will it leave me exposed? Then I walk myself through the first step and do it and then the next. Walking through each step mentally at the outset helps me move through the task to dismantle it, rather than being distracted or even paralyzed by emotion.”
During their encounter at the wedding, she’d considered him a casual fling, and earlier that morning she’d dismissed him as off-limits simply because he was a Marine. She had to admit his intelligence, courage, and humility didn’t fit the stereotype she’d painted earlier.
Had she been wrong about him? Making assumptions about someone whom she’d been intimate with, yet knew nothing about?
Wait, what did it matter? Emma rolled on her toes and shifted her gaze from him. He was just part of her job. She’d get this encounter over with and they’d move on with their lives. Even another fling with him was off limits. She knew better by now. Or at least, she should.
Maybe relationships in the military could work for some people, but definitely not for Emma. She’d been burned by men in the military not once but twice, repeating her mother’s mistake. Both she and her mother had been devastated by their husbands’ infidelities, their marriages had been dismantled just as easily as Vince had described neutralizing an explosive.
Only Emma and her mother had become casualties.
Emma had sworn that Peter had been different.
How naive.
Well, she’d learned. Her father had served in the Army and he’d cheated on her mother. Peter had served in the Navy and he’d cheated on Emma. No need for round three. She’d seen many men in the military cheat on their wives, not that it was always one-sided—some wives had found someone to keep them company while their husbands were deployed too. That was the problem with military life. It took a toll on families. Loneliness rose and trust faltered. Those marriages that survived had to be based on the strongest foundations, something that Emma had never experienced, and she doubted she ever would.
“Did you hear about the bomb threat in Providence last night?”
That question from an older man in the audience pulled her out of her thoughts.
“No, I hadn’t,” Vince said. “What happened?”
“Someone called in a threat to a hotel. Bomb squad searched but didn’t find anything.”
Vince nodded, appearing deep in thought. “It’s all too easy to call in a threat. I hope that’s the end of that.”
So did she. Hopefully, it was just someone playing a prank, even thought it was in bad taste.
As Vince continued with his talk, she stole a closer glance at him. Damn, he was attractive, and not just the physical package.
That evening, Emma headed over to Karine’s to babysit.
“Thanks so much for watching Laura.” Karine handed Laura over and wiped the wrinkles out of her dark purple dress. “We haven’t had a date in forever.”
Emma bounced the cute blonde toddler on her hip. “Anytime. We’re going to have a great night, aren’t we, Laura-belle?”
Laura cooed and grabbed a handful of Emma’s hair. She twisted it out of her chubby little fingers.
John came out of the bedroom wearing a button-down shirt and slacks. “Emma, you’re a godsend.”
She brushed off his praise with a wave. “It’s nothing. Go have fun.”
Once they left, she sat with Laura and they stacked blocks. When it was her bedtime, Emma read The Very Hungry Caterpillar, The Monster at the End of this Book, and Goodnight Moon. Laura giggled and pointed to the pages.
After she read one more book and settled Laura into her crib, Emma sank onto the couch with a cup of tea. She glanced around their house and an unexpected pang churned inside. This was the kind of
family life she’d envisioned with Peter before it had all fallen apart.
She shoved that thought aside and her mind wandered back to Vince and his deep brown eyes. They had another speaking engagement next Friday with a visit to a local high school. She was driving him, which meant they’d be alone.
Chapter Four
Vince
It was a brisk December Sunday afternoon, snow clinging to patches on the ground, as Vince walked to a pub in Newport to meet his older brother Angelo for a beer. Vince zipped his jacket up to cover more of his neck. He wasn’t used to the cold after many deployments to the desert, although he wouldn’t complain. He’d dreamed of snow during those long, hot days under the desert sun.
Vince entered the pub and chose a high-top table with a window overlooking the harbor and ordered a beer. Little things like this—being able to walk into a pub and order a beer while looking out at the ocean—were one of the many things he’d never take for granted after a decade in the Marines.
Angelo arrived ten minutes later. “Sorry, I couldn’t get down sooner.” He shrugged. “Hospital schedule.”
A former corpsman, Angelo now worked as a paramedic. “Nothing a former SEAL can’t handle, right?”
Angelo grinned. “True.” He ordered a beer and then turned to Vince. “How’s the training going?”
“Eh, you know what it’s like—PT, lectures, chow. The only thing that’s different is the base.”
“At least this one is close to home.”
“A perk for sure.” He gazed out at the dark water and breathed in the salty air. “Nothing like being home in Newport during the holidays.”
“No better time to be here.”
“True.” He nodded at his brother. “It will be the first one for you and Cate as a married couple. How are you planning on spending it?”
Angelo chuckled. “We have plans—and Ma, as you know, has her own.”
“Sounds like Ma.”
“I get it,” Angelo said. “I’m her only son close to home, so have to expect some smothering.”
Vince: One Night with a Marine: A Second Chance Military Romance (Anchor Me Book 2) Page 3