by Cathie Linz
What was she doing kissing Justice Wilder, letting him kiss her?
This was exactly what she had to avoid.
She’d started this, and she had to end it, before she melted into his arms and things got completely out of control.
In the end, they both pulled back at the same moment.
Kelly pressed trembling fingers to her lips, as if to keep the memory of his kiss there forever.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered, not sure quite what it was she was apologizing for.
“Forget it,” Justice said, his voice as curt and unemotional as ever. “It won’t happen again.”
But Kelly knew she’d never forget that kiss, not if she lived to be a hundred and fifty years old….
Dear Reader,
Summer is over and it’s time to kick back into high gear. Just be sure to treat yourself with a luxuriant read or two (or, hey, all six) from Silhouette Romance. Remember—work hard, play harder!
Although October is officially Breast Cancer Awareness month, we’d like to invite you to start thinking about it now. In a wonderful, uplifting story, a rancher reluctantly agrees to model for a charity calendar to earn money for cancer research. At the back of that book, we’ve also included a guide for self-exams. Don’t miss Cara Colter’s must-read 9 Out of 10 Women Can’t Be Wrong (#1615).
Indulge yourself with megapopular author Karen Rose Smith and her CROWN AND GLORY series installment, Searching for Her Prince (#1612). A missing heir puts love on the line when he hides his identity from the woman assigned to track him down. The royal, brooding hero in Sandra Paul’s stormy Caught by Surprise (#1614), the latest in the A TALE OF THE SEA adventure, also has secrets—and intends to make his beautiful captor pay…by making her his wife!
Jesse Colton is a special agent forced to play pretend boyfriend to uncover dangerous truths in the fourth of THE COLTONS: COMANCHE BLOOD spinoff, The Raven’s Assignment (#1613), by bestselling author Kasey Michaels. And in Cathie Linz’s MEN OF HONOR title, Married to a Marine (#1616), combat-hardened Justice Wilder had shut himself away from the world—until his ex-wife’s younger sister comes knocking…. Finally, in Laurey Bright’s tender and true Life with Riley (#1617), free-spirited Riley Morrisset may not be the perfect society wife, but she’s exactly what her stiff-collared boss needs!
Happy reading—and please keep in touch.
Mary-Theresa Hussey
Senior Editor
Married to a Marine
CATHIE LINZ
Acknowledgments
Special thanks to Julie Murphy, P.T., for answering my questions about physical therapists, and to Cleo Pappas from the Lisle Public Library. This book is dedicated to the families of the men and women in our armed forces.
Books by Cathie Linz
Silhouette Romance
One of a Kind Marriage #1032
*Daddy in Dress Blues #1470
*Stranded with the Sergeant #1534
*The Marine & the Princess #1561
A Prince at Last! #1594
*Married to a Marine #1616
Silhouette Books
Montana Mavericks
“Baby Wanted”
Silhouette Desire
Change of Heart #408
A Friend in Need #443
As Good as Gold #484
Adam’s Way #519
Smiles #575
Handyman #616
Smooth Sailing #665
Flirting with Trouble #722
Male Ordered Bride #761
Escapades #804
Midnight Ice #846
Bridal Blues #894
A Wife in Time #958
†Michael’s Baby #1023
†Seducing Hunter #1029
†Abbie and the Cowboy #1036
Husband Needed #1098
CATHIE LINZ
left her career in a university law library to become a USA TODAY bestselling author of contemporary romances. She is the recipient of the highly coveted Storyteller of the Year Award given by Romantic Times and was recently nominated for a Love and Laughter Career Achievement Award for the delightful humor in her books.
Although Cathie loves to travel, she is always glad to get back home to her family, her various cats, her trusty computer and her hidden cache of Oreo cookies!
Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Epilogue
Chapter One
Lightning flashed against the distant night sky and reflected on the dark water. “You sure you’re expected?”
Kelly Hart nodded at the fisherman she’d hired to take her from the small North Carolina coastal town out to the island known as Pirate’s Cove. The impending thunderstorm didn’t bother her. She doubted it could hold a candle to the storm of protest U.S. Marine Justice Wilder would generate when he saw her.
It was fitting that Justice had holed up on a place called Pirate’s Cove. There had always been something of a renegade about him, something dangerous and sexy.
“Don’t worry about me,” Kelly said. It was something she said often. At twenty-eight, she’d grown into the kind of woman who could take care of whatever came her way, even a furious Marine. “I’ll be fine.”
She repeated the words to herself as she hauled the provisions she’d brought with her the short distance from the beach to the only house visible from the boat dock. There was a single light on inside. Kelly heard the first distant boom of thunder as she pounded on the door.
It was yanked open a moment later.
And there he was. Justice Wilder. Looking none too pleased to see her. And looking far better than a man in his condition should look. But a second glance showed the paleness of his face, the lines of pain around his mouth, the cuts and bruises on his muscular legs, the sling holding his right arm.
His dark hair tumbled over his forehead. It was longer than when she’d seen him last. He was wearing military-green boxers and a T-shirt emblazoned with the USMC logo. He’d barely been twenty that last time she’d seen him. He’d made her heart pound then, and he had the same effect now.
She drank in the sight of him. His lean cheeks, his tempting mouth, his tall ranginess. The teenager had grown into a man—a man who still had the power to go straight to her heart. It was amazing. Even after all this time, even under these conditions, she still felt a zing.
He apparently did not. His blue eyes were dark with fury as he glared at her. “What the Sam Hill are you doing here?”
Marines don’t swear, he’d once told her. Swearing shows a lack of discipline.
His words snapped her out of her reverie. Making the most of the Southern accent she’d acquired during her time in Nashville, Kelly drawled, “I heard you were having a pity party for yourself and I decided to come join you.”
Justice appeared taken aback by her blunt reply.
Good. She wanted to jar him out of whatever idiocy was preventing him from taking care of himself and his injuries properly. He had no right to make his poor mother so frantic with worry. Not to mention that he had no right to look so sexy that her knees were mushy.
“Do I know you?” he demanded.
Okay, so the guy hadn’t seen her since she was an awkward teenager, and even then he’d barely noticed her. She just somehow hadn’t prepared herself for the possibility that he wouldn’t recognize her.
Did she look that disheveled? Sure the cargo pants she wore were wrinkled from the trip, but the lime-green T-shirt she’d teamed with them usual
ly looked fine on her. Her light-brown hair was gathered up into a braid to avoid being messed up by the increasing wind. She didn’t have the kind of memorable looks that her sister possessed. She didn’t even have her sister’s gorgeous blue eyes. Instead Kelly had brown eyes.
But then, she hadn’t come here looking to win any beauty contests. She’d come here to help Mrs. Wilder by helping her oldest and most stubborn son.
Kelly hadn’t seen Justice in years. She wouldn’t be coming to see him now were it not for the desperate phone call she’d received from his mother yesterday morning. She replayed the conversation in her head.
“Kelly, I need your help. I wouldn’t ask if there was any other way…” The older woman’s voice had cracked with emotion.
“You know I’ll help you any way I can,” Kelly had assured her. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s Justice,” Mrs. Wilder replied. “He’s hurt. He saved a little boy in a car accident but was badly injured in the process. It happened near the Marine base here in North Carolina a week ago. After staying overnight, Justice checked himself out of the hospital first thing this morning. I couldn’t stop him. But I made him tell me where he’s going. To a friend’s beach house. I want you to talk him into getting the physical therapy he needs. And I’ll be honest with you, Kelly, that may mean giving it to him yourself. I know this is an awkward situation…” Mrs. Wilder’s voice trailed off. They never really referred to it—the divorce between Kelly’s older sister, Barbie, and Mrs. Wilder’s oldest son, Justice—as anything other than the “awkward situation.”
Some might find it strange that Kelly had developed such a close relationship with Mrs. Wilder, a relationship that continued even after Barbie had dumped Justice. But they didn’t know the facts, or the emotions.
Kelly had only been thirteen when her mom died in a train accident and her older sister married Justice right out of high school. Mrs. Wilder had been a godsend to Kelly at that time, taking the gangly Kelly under her wing and mothering her with love and support.
The marriage between Barbie and Justice had only lasted two years, but the close bonds between Mrs. Wilder and Kelly had continued on for a decade and had strengthened. Mrs. Wilder had helped Kelly pick out a high school prom dress, had listened to her worries about attending an out-of-state college, had encouraged her to follow her dream of becoming a physical therapist, had agreed the job opportunity in Nashville was too good to let pass.
Mrs. Wilder had been there for Kelly at a time when she’d really needed a motherly influence, and she’d continued to be there for her throughout the years. Kelly would walk through fire for her.
“I hate to ask you,” Mrs. Wilder had said unsteadily. “But I don’t know what else to do.”
Kelly had known what to do. The right thing, the only thing to do. Help Mrs. Wilder any way she could.
And so here she was. Coming to the rescue. The question was how to do that? Justice didn’t recognize her. Should she let him know who she was right away? Her relationship to Barbie was hardly likely to put her on the top of his guest list.
She was considering her options when something clicked and Justice’s gaze hardened.
“I’m Kelly,” she said, even though she could tell he’d already gathered that much. “Kelly Hart. Your mother sent me.”
Justice looked as if he didn’t believe a word she was saying. Meanwhile the thunder was rumbling closer and closer. “Why would my mother do that?”
“Because she knows I’m a physical therapist.” Kelly was not about to reveal the ongoing friendship she had with Mrs. Wilder to Justice yet. She doubted he’d understand.
“Go away. I don’t want you here,” Justice growled.
“I did rather get that impression,” she noted wryly.
“You can’t stay here.”
“I can’t leave,” she said with gentle cheerfulness, even as she nudged the door open and maneuvered her way around him, away from the huge raindrops that had started falling outside. “There’s a storm coming and besides, the nice fisherman who brought me over in his powerboat has left already.” Her huge tote bag hung from her shoulder and threatened to slip off as she lifted the box she’d brought. “Where do you want me to put these?”
“Where do I want you to…?” Justice repeated in disbelief. “As far away from me as possible. Antarctica would do fine.” His voice held a military curtness and a drill inspector loudness.
Kelly didn’t flinch but instead allowed his anger and his words to roll off her like water off a duck. “That voice isn’t going to work on me, so you might as well save your energy and your vocal cords. You’re not going to scare me away.”
“Don’t be so sure of that, little girl.”
Okay, so now his voice held a dangerous edge that did make her a tad nervous. But she couldn’t afford to let that show. And she also couldn’t afford to let him know how glad she was to see him.
She’d only been thirteen the last time she’d seen him. He’d been marrying her older sister at the time. He’d looked so tall and heroic to her young eyes. He’d adored Barbie and had from the moment he’d met her three years earlier in high school.
Justice and Barbie had gotten married right after graduation. Two years later they’d gotten divorced.
“Why are you here?” Justice demanded. “Haven’t you Hart women messed up my life enough already? Have you come to gloat or something? To kick a guy when he’s down, is that it?”
Kelly set the heavy box on a nearby table before turning to face him. “I came here to help.”
“I don’t need your help.”
Outside, skeletal veins of lightning flashed and flowed like rivers of light while thunder boomed, rattling the floor-to-ceiling windows in the beach house. Impressive. But the storm didn’t hold a candle to the fire in Justice’s eyes.
There was something more to his anger, something she couldn’t quite put her finger on. Something else reflected in his gaze. Was it bitterness or despair? It was there and gone as fast as a flash of lightning. Maybe she’d imagined that flare of emotion, but there was no way she was ignoring it. “I’m a physical therapist, Justice. I can help you.”
“I don’t need your help,” he repeated, his voice gritty, a muscle in his jaw clenching. “I don’t need it and I don’t want it.”
“I know that’s what you think right now, but you’ll change your mind.”
“That’s what your sister, Barbie, thought. That she’d change my mind about being a Marine. That she’d change my mind about playing Ken to her Barbie-doll life. It ain’t gonna happen,” Justice drawled.
Score one for the Marine. Kelly was stung by the comparison to her sister. She and Barbie had little in common. Her older sister liked being surrounded by adoring men and needed love and plenty of male attention to feel fulfilled. Barbie wasn’t a bad person, she just had different priorities from Kelly’s.
At the moment, Kelly’s priority was dealing with Justice.
She busied herself opening the box. “I brought food. I wasn’t sure how many provisions you had here, so I thought it was better to be safe than sorry.”
“If you really thought that, then you’d never have come here in the first place.”
“You’ve got me there,” Kelly admitted with a grin. “So I don’t always play it safe, I admit it. Ah, I see the kitchen.” She made a beeline for it, bringing the box of food with her and leaving Justice to follow her.
She surreptitiously noted his awkward movement. He was still limping, but his mother had told Kelly that the doctors said that was due to the serious bruising and cuts on his leg. He also suffered a slight concussion. But it was his right arm and shoulder that were the real problem.
“What do you think you’re doing?” He had to raise his voice to be heard over the increasing thunder, in addition to the banging of pots and pans as she searched for what she wanted.
“Making dinner,” Kelly replied. “I don’t know about you, but I haven’t eaten since I had a burg
er along the interstate down from Nashville.”
Justice was tempted to ask her what she was doing in Nashville, but he refused to give her the satisfaction of showing any curiosity about her.
His ex-wife’s little sister had certainly grown up. She was wearing baggy cargo pants with flowers on the knees and a lime-green cropped T-shirt that showed the pale skin along the small of her back as she bent over to return the pile of pots to the cabinet. Her wavy, light-brown hair was gathered into a single braid held in place by some sort of flower twisty-thing. She wasn’t wearing any jewelry aside from a sensible watch and silly dangle earrings shaped like question marks.
Justice certainly had plenty of questions. “How did you know where I was?”
“Your mother told me,” Kelly replied. “She’s worried about you.”
“Why would my mother tell my ex-wife’s sister she was worried about me?”
“Ask her.”
“I’m asking you.”
“And I prefer that you ask her. You should call her, anyway, to let her know you’re okay.”
“She has no cause to be worried about me,” he said gruffly.
“Right,” she noted with a wry smile in his direction. “I can’t imagine why she was the teeniest bit concerned that her oldest son took off from the hospital against doctor’s orders to hide out on a practically deserted coastal island.”
“I am not hiding out,” he said in a gritty voice. “A Marine does not hide out.”
“Hey, fella, I’ll have you know that you’re not the first Marine I’ve treated,” she informed him before setting a saucepan on the stove and pouring in a batch of homemade soup from a plastic container she’d brought with her. “I know all about the Marine’s set of values. Honor, courage, commitment. Not stupidity, however. I saw no reference to stupidity.”
Justice couldn’t believe the way she’d barged into his domain and made herself at home. He was a member of the Marine Corps’ elite Force Recon, the best of the best. He could take out an enemy sniper before they knew what hit them.