A Major Connection Read Free Page A

with her instilled the same sense of fevered anticipation he experienced when going on a mission. But this time he wouldn’t be trying to rescue anyone or pin down a horde of rebels. He meant to outflank and seriously bed the woman scowling at him.
    “Restitution? For what?”
    “We’ll start with my dead tomato plants. And the beans, the mangled peppers… And hey, how about the planters Lobo ruined, as well as the sprinkler system that cost an arm and a leg to install? It’s got sections chewed up. Shall I go on?”
    She groaned and gripped her hair by the temples.
    He almost would have preferred her with bedhead and an unpleasant morning face, something to make her appear less goddess-like and more human. But even roused out of bed she looked gorgeous, sexy, and—hell, he’d just admit it—fuckable. Her long honey-blond hair reached the tips of her breasts, hidden behind a short, ugly, terrycloth robe. But that hair looked soft and silky. Her lips were rosy, parted on a swear, so of course he immediately imagined them wrapped around his cock.
    Stifling that thought took effort, because she glared at him with eyes that struggled to be blue or green, or maybe both. Teal, he thought, and wondered if she knew her eyes were the exact same color as the crisp, clear waters off Key West, one of his favorite places in the world.
    It wasn’t like Thorn to wax poetic. Hell, the last woman he’d been head over heels for had ditched him for a guy she’d been crushing on forever. He’d made peace a long time ago over losing Maria to an idiot Marine who didn’t deserve her. Even the last woman he’d been seeing, a pretty engineer with a big brain, a terrific sense of humor, and a yearning for kids—all traits he shared and admired—hadn’t gotten to him on this level. Something about April Soames put his back up, his cock up, and his temper to simmering.
    He gave her a baleful look. “If you’d rather I just sent you the bill or took you to court, I’m game. Hell, we’ll throw Lobo in the pound and call it even.” He turned, as if he meant to walk away.
    The screen door slapped him in the ass before she bodily dragged him inside with her.
    “Fine. Come in, come in.” She shut the door behind him. “You, stay.” That said, she darted down the hallway.
    He glanced at the dog, who looked back at him and cocked his head. “She talking to you or me?”
    Lobo chuffed and took a good sniff in the direction of Thorn’s pastries.
    “Hell no. Back off,” he ended in a growl, and the dog stepped away without a fight. At least Lobo recognized who was alpha. Now he had to make the woman understand so they could get better acquainted.
    April returned moments later wearing shorts and a tee-shirt, like him. Unfortunately, she’d donned a bra as well. The lady had a nice set on her, one that needed support he would be only too happy to provide. He glanced at his palm, mentally sizing the fit.
    “Hello? And I thought I was bad without coffee.” She grabbed the tray from him and entered the kitchen.
    He took a good look around him as he joined her. From what he could see of it, the beach cottage looked to be smaller than his home. Pale blue walls decorated with lighthouse prints and nautical themed knickknacks graced shelves in the small but tidy living room. A modest television sat in the corner. A cushy loveseat, matching chair and coffee table occupied the rest of the space. Along the far wall, shelves upon shelves of books lined the built-ins. His mother would love the place.
    The dining area flowed off the living room into a small but efficient galley kitchen. And to the side, a small dinette with four chairs provided seating. April sat at the table drinking coffee. She’d set the treats on a plate and hadn’t waited for him to dig in.
    He watched her while she ate, and she watched him right back, still not in the least bit cowed. He liked her more and more.
    He sat, took a bite of an apple Danish, and washed it down