Roberts, Sarah - Action Hero Junkie [Movieland] (BookStrand Publishing Romance)

by Sarah Roberts

  Cadero noticed her reaction. He laughed uproariously, pointing a big finger at her. “The little doctor does not approve! Do not fret, mi amiga. I will play the cat with the mouse for a little while only. Then I will give the commandant over to justice. My people will not be satisfied until they have their revenge, you understand?”

  Mia studied Cadero’s face, the way his black eyes glittered and how his white teeth were bared. She thought about that awful torture room upstairs. Her stomach roiled.

  “I just want to go home,” she said in a tiny voice.

  “But of course! You are free to go!” Cadero waved his arm in a broad, grandiose gesture. He grinned, looking sexy again. The silvery scar twisted and stood out on his brown cheek. He looked every inch the mean, lean mercenary. “Perhaps you will tell this Sly Stallone of me, yes? You will tell him how I became the Rambo of my people.” He banged a fist on his broad chest. “I will be a good leader. You will see.”

  Mia jerked her head in a nod. She smiled sickly. All she wanted was to get away from Cadero, far, far away. In the movie, he did crazy things. Mia didn’t want to find out how crazy he could get. Of course he was sexy looking. And he loved his sister. But still, she wasn’t sure she would ever want to trust him to watch her back.

  Aiden’s hand closed on her upper arm. Mia nearly sagged with relief. “It has been an anxious day for the good doctor. I’ll need a jeep and a truck for transport for us and my men to the rendezvous with our helicopters.”

  “It is a simple matter!” Cadero turned on his heel and barked orders.

  Within minutes, their few wounded and the rest of the troops were safely loaded in the truck. Aiden and Mia got in the back of the jeep. Caesar Thomas got behind the wheel, and the mystery man got into the seat beside him. Then they drove away in a cloud of dust, leaving Cadero waving after them. He looked a heroic figure, standing in front of the blasted door of the compound. Mia watched in the side mirror as he got smaller and smaller until he finally disappeared.

  Aiden sighed. He pulled her tight against his shoulder. “I hate to say it. I like the guy. But we might have to take him down someday.”

  Mia didn’t say anything. She just sat there with her head on Aiden’s shoulder.

  Chapter Twelve

  The mysterious man that they had sprung out of the commandant’s nasty cell block was whisked off to parts unknown. Mia never heard his name. She never heard what happened to him. Aiden and Mia were taken to headquarters for debriefing. Then they went back to Aiden’s place, where they showered together and made love and showered again. Then they had a long serious talk.

  Mia knew her life would never be the same.

  Mia left Aiden standing in front of his quarters. The sun struck glistening-gold sparks in his hair and limned his magnificent physique. His electric-blue eyes glinted. He gave a half smile and lifted a hand in good-bye. Mia blew a kiss to him before she climbed into the waiting jeep. Then the driver gunned the engine and drove her away, rapidly leaving Aiden behind.

  She didn’t look back, even though she wanted to.

  Marti was waiting for her at the airfield. A military helicopter was perched on its runners on the tarmac behind her. When she saw Mia in the approaching jeep, Marti grinned and waved and bounced up and down.

  The driver stopped the jeep. Mia climbed out, snatching up a manila envelope lying on the seat. She ran across the intervening distance, and Marti ran to meet her. They hugged and laughed, clinging to one another.

  Marti was practically bubbling with excitement. “Oh, Mia! I got snatched up by a real Special Ops guy dangling on a line from out of a helicopter! It was the coolest thing ever! I’m going to learn to skydive when I get home!”

  “Why would you want to jump out, when you know how to fly a plane?”

  “But why wouldn’t I want to jump out?”

  “Okay, okay! Whatever!” Mia took a deep breath and let it out. She was getting distracted. “I’m glad you had some fun.”

  She let go of her best girlfriend and looked closely at her. Marti was looking okay, just really shiny-eyed and excited. “You’re really okay? I mean, with everything that happened?”

  Marti shrugged. The wattage of her smile dimmed a little. “Oh, there were some scary parts, but I’ve kind of liked being in an action movie.”

  “Uh, you didn’t have to stay in that stinking cave, did you?” Mia had really wondered about that. Given a choice, she was glad that she had ended up above the cantina having heatstroke. Then there had been Aiden—like she could ever forget!

  “Oh, no! I was taken to a very nice hacienda, where Miguel’s widowed aunts and his widowed mother and his sister all live. Oh, and also his grandmother!” Marti creased her brows, her expression thoughtful. “I think all those women make him a little crazy.”

  “What about Cadero? I thought you two were getting pretty close.” Mia hoped Marti wasn’t hooked on him. She hoped Marti hadn’t gotten her heart broken. Cadero simply wasn’t good enough for her best girlfriend. He might look like a Rambo, but he wasn’t.

  “Miguel?” Marti got a dreamy look in her eyes for an instant. Then she shook her head. Her tone was very matter-of-fact. “He is really sweet and sexy, and I really like his sister. But it’s not like Miguel or I wanted more than a hot romp in the sheets. It’s like having a vacation fling. It’s been fun, but I’ll be glad to get home.”

  Mia’s concern for Marti and her quick relief that she was really okay suddenly evaporated. “Yeah, about that, Marti. About going home—” Mia felt a huge lump forming. She cleared her throat. “I’m–I’m here to say good-bye. I’m staying with Aiden. He’s asked me to marry him.”

  Marti’s eyes got huge. “Mia! But you can’t stay in the movie!”

  “I love him, Marti.” Mia left it at that. She begged Marti silently with her eyes to understand. She closed her fingers tighter, feeling the texture of thick paper beneath her grasp, and she thought about what she was holding.

  Maybe she could stay. Surely whatever cosmic laws existed in movie land could make an exception for lovers. Oh come on, the movies and lovers—what could be a better match than that? She and Aiden were willing to try and make it work, anyway. It hadn’t been easy to explain to Aiden where she was really from, but he had grasped the concept surprisingly quick. He had just nodded and said that he had suspected something was different about her. Gotta love a man like that. And she did.

  Marti stared at her. Then she slowly nodded. Her gaze dropped to the envelope that Mia was clutching. She sighed. “Okay. What do you want me to do?”

  “You’re the best, Marti!” Mia handed the slim manila envelope to her. “My signed resignation letter to the hospital is in here. I wrote that I’m taking another position, one with the military. I also did a letter for my apartment complex manager. I said in it that I’m taking a position with the military, and I’m being transferred, and that you would handle packing up my things for me. I included a check to cover breaking my lease early. The key to my apartment is in there. I want you to have anything of mine that you want. You can get rid of everything else.”

  Marti nodded again. There were tears sparkling in her eyes. Her mouth was trembling. She didn’t seem able to say anything.

  Mia smiled a shaky smile at her. Her own eyes were misting, making everything swim in front of her. When Mia started to tell her the rest, her voice got husky. “And I want my best girlfriend in the whole world to be my maid of honor at my wedding.”

  “Ooh, you are such a jerk! You’ve made me cry!” Marti sobbed and gulped and sobbed some more as she grabbed Mia in a fierce hug. Mia laughed and hugged her back and cried, too.

  A soldier walked up to them and snapped a salute. He looked appreciatively at Marti. Even when she cried, she looked gorgeous. “Ma’am, you’re to come with me. I’m to get you back to the contact point.”

  Mia and Marti clung together for another minute. Then slowly, reluctantly, they parted. They tried to smile at each other. Marti stepped f
urther back. She tilted her head as she looked at Mia. Her eyes were like twin lasers. “You’re good?”

  Mia nodded. She grinned. “Yeah, I really am.”

  “Okay, then.”

  Marti and the soldier started walking toward the waiting helicopter. The rotor blades were rotating and kicking up a dusty swirl. Mia shouted, “You’ll always be my best girlfriend!”

  Marti got a huge grin and waved. Then she disappeared into the black maw of the helicopter. The blades whirred faster and faster until they blurred, and the motor roared. The helicopter launched upward into the sky. Mia watched it become smaller and smaller until it completely disappeared.

  Mia turned and climbed back into the waiting jeep. “Lieutenant Smith’s quarters, driver.” She sat back and smiled, even as tears spilled down her face.

  * * * *

  Aiden solemnly stared at his best friend. Caesar stared back. They both were attired in crisp dress uniform as the current operation demanded. It was the most somber, most monumental task they had ever embarked on. It had to go off with complete precision. Nothing could be left to chance. Every detail had been worked out. There was no room for omission or oversight. It’s a clusterfuck waiting to happen. Aiden slid sideways into full-blown jitters.

  “Are you sure about this, Aiden? No one’s twisting your arm.”

  Aiden swallowed. He was point-man. His heart pounded, and he was beginning to sweat. His belly was clenched, just like before any other important operation. He took a deep, fortifying breath. His hands were actually shaking. He’d never been more uncertain or frightened in his life! But he had volunteered, confident that it was the right thing to do. He still thought it was the right thing. He couldn’t back out now, even if he wanted to, and he absolutely did not!

  He would not be entering the field on his own. We’re a solid team. Remembering that gave him the steadying boost of confidence he needed. All at once, his nerves settled. Setting his jaw, he nodded. “I’m sure!”

  Caesar took a deep breath of his own. He didn’t smile, but he gave a reassuring nod. “I’ve got your back. You know that.”

  “Right!” Aiden nodded again. He didn’t need to ask, because he trusted Caesar to come through, but he did anyway. “Have you got the article in safekeeping?”

  Caesar patted his uniformed breast. “Right here.”

  “Then let’s do this!”

  * * * *

  The wedding was movie perfect. It was held outdoors on a sunlit white beach with palm trees swaying in the breeze and the boom of the turquoise-blue ocean in the background. It looked like a pretty postcard.

  Naturally, as the bride, Mia was beautiful. She wore a gorgeous Victorian-style champagne-and-lace wedding gown, low-cut and nipped in at the waist and flared at the hips. She hadn’t known before how to describe her kind of figure, but now she did. It was hourglass perfect, and in her bridal gown she was a real bombshell. At least, Aiden looked like he had been hit by a bomb when he saw her, so that was good enough for her.

  A humid breeze gently ruffled her hair, but she wasn’t worried. She knew her hair wouldn’t frizz. She also knew her make-up was perfect, making her look like a sultry starlet. Underneath her wedding gown, her Victoria’s Secret white push-up bra did very nice things for her bosom. She wore a silky wisp of a slip and under that, a matching white lace thong, garters, and white stockings, too. Mia felt incredibly beautiful and sexy. Her secret fairy godmother had sprinkled extra magic movie dust over her.

  Aiden was wearing his dress uniform. It fit him like a glove, the tailored coat outlining the proud line of his broad shoulders before it arrowed down over his flat stomach and lean hips. The tight, crisp pants had a military stripe running down each leg. He could have been the poster boy for Prince Charming.

  There were a whole lot of people dressed in uniform attending the wedding. An army chaplain was performing the ceremony. The general, his uniformed chest bristling with medals, solemnly gave Mia away. When she kissed his leathery cheek, he turned red but he looked proud.

  Her very best girlfriend in the world was her maid of honor. Marti was dressed in a lovely frothy frock that swirled around her with every gust of breeze. When Aiden’s best man, Caesar Thomas, first saw her, his mouth dropped open. Then he scowled and smoldered her with his dark eyes. Marti pretended not to see him, but Mia saw her look at him from under her lashes.

  Mia noticed that more than one hot, male military gaze was fixed on Marti.

  Mia didn’t mind. She knew Marti was prettier than her, but Mia only needed one man’s gaze, and he was looking only at her. There was love in his electric-blue eyes, and he had a sexy grin on his face. Mia peeped under her own lashes. God, the man can wear a uniform! I might make him keep it on and smear streaks of black camo on his face tonight.

  Happy, naughty fantasies whizzed through Mia’s mind. At really the most inappropriate time in the ceremony, Mia was thinking about Aiden pulling her white lace thong off with his teeth, and she couldn’t stop grinning.

  Aiden glanced down at her as he slipped the diamond-studded gold band on her finger.

  Mia looked deeply into his eyes. She fluttered her lashes. Heat flared in his baby blues. Delighted, she watched his jaw tighten. Then he gave her the slowest, sexiest smile. Mia could feel his gaze slide like molten honey down her nicely showcased cleavage. She shivered in delicious anticipation. She knew he was reading her mind. She had such bad, bad thoughts, too.

  Mia still couldn’t believe it. She had Aiden Smith, her very own and very hot action hero! Yes, she did mean hot as in hot. Keep the red glass slippers, Toto. I won’t need them.

  Aiden kissed her. He swooped her up, bent her back over his arm, and planted a hot one on her. His mouth seared hers in the plundering kiss. Mia forgot all about cute little dogs or anything else. She was blown away by heat and sizzling desire. When he let her go, she was so dizzy her head was spinning.

  Mia dimly heard a lot of clapping and military huzzuhs. The only thing that mattered was Aiden’s deep laughter and the warm strength of his muscular arm wrapped around her waist. She dreamily smiled up at him. The sea breeze caressed her hair and ruffled the long skirt around her legs. Happiness bubbled through her. She was giddy with gladness. The movie’s music score had to be soaring.

  The boom of the ocean was the perfect counterpoint to her fast-beating heart.

  Someone put a chilled champagne flute in her hand, and Mia looked at the golden effervescence. Then she laughed and laughed. Her whole body shook. Tears came to her eyes. Who needs champagne for fizzy bubbles? Beside her, Aiden cracked up. It was like doing the wave. Spontaneous laughter broke out all over, some people even doubling over as they whooped.

  Afterward, renewed congratulations were shouted out, and there was a flurry of back-slapping of the groom and honorary kissing of the bride. Marti surged toward Mia, both hands outstretched. She laughed and cried all at once as she caught Mia in a tight hug. “I’m going to miss you!”

  “I’m going to miss you, too!” Mia hugged her back just as tightly. Then she whispered in her ear. “See you at the movies!”

  When Marti stepped back, her eyes had grown very wide. “Seriously? I mean, do you really think so?”

  Mia grinned at her, happiness zipping through her. “Aiden is getting a promotion! He’s going to be permanently attached to intelligence, and I’m going to be working at the base field hospital! I’ll bet he gets sent off on some real action-hero missions. I’ll probably tag along as a field medic. What do you think?”

  Marti wailed. “Oh, Mia! You know how much I hate action movies!” Her eyes were bright and shining. “I’m going to buy all of the DVDs!”

  Then together, they laughed.

  THE END

  WWW.BOOKSTRAND.COM/SARAH-ROBERTS

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Sarah Roberts describes herself as, “The typical shy bookworm who grows up to be the typical busy modern woman who tries to do it all—wife, mother, career woman.” Though she doesn’
t regret that crazy-busy phase, she’s glad her life has evolved into a slower pace.

  “I’ve got time for myself and things I’m interested in now.” Her interests include face-time with family and friends, health and nutrition, exercise, and writing.

  Also by Sarah Roberts

  Siren Allure: His Sugar Baby

  Available at

  BOOKSTRAND.COM

  www.BookStrand.com