A Major Seduction Read Free Page B

have been
a nice change of pace for you. I will say I’m glad you’re no longer dating
Dana. She wasn’t very nice.”
    “I know.” Brad sighed. “But she wasn’t nice in all the ways
that matter.”
    His father guffawed, but his mother didn’t seem to find Brad
amusing. The colonel turned to Mike. “Found a place to stay yet?”
    He’d been looking into properties before he’d left
California. “I looked up a few places Mom emailed me about. A few seem decent.
I’ll check them out this weekend.”
    “No rush. It’s nice to have the family together.” His father
smiled. “For once none of us are deployed. We’re actually sitting around the
table, together. A perfect ending to a perfect day.”
    “Gotta say, Dad. Retirement looks good on you.” Mike felt
relieved. He’d been anxious his dad might not take to a stress-free life, too
used to barking orders for a living.
    “Most of that’s thanks to your mother. I’ve missed her for too
long. We’re going to Cabo next week. Staying for two weeks and loving the
sand.”
    “Like you can’t get enough of that here.” Brad snorted.
    Their father frowned. “Boy, you’re not too big for me to
spank.”
    “Yes, sir.” Brad bit his lip, trying not to laugh.
    The colonel turned back to Mike. “Anyhow, you might as well
take your time house hunting is all I’m saying. Stay here while we’re gone and
save your money.”
    “Will do.” That eased his mind. He didn’t know whether to
look in Emerald Isle, near his folks, or more toward the base in Hubert,
Swansboro, or Jacksonville. He preferred the ocean but not the drive. He’d have
to think on where to go. He turned to Olivia. “You’re still living in
Swansboro?” With Maria?
    “Yep. We’re still renting the same house, though our lease
runs out in September.” She sighed. “The owners are coming back, so we’ll have
to find some other place to live. Man, I hate moving.”
    “Me too.” Mike felt her pain. And speaking of pain… He stood
and stretched. “I’m beat. Think I’ll turn in.”
    “Lightweight.” Brad flipped him off when their parents
turned away. “So you want to ride together to work tomorrow?”
    “I have my car.”
    “Er, well, mine’s in the shop. That was my way of asking for
a lift.”
    “So why didn’t you just say that?”
    Brad sighed and said to Olivia, “It’s like we’re speaking
different languages.” He shook his head. “Grunts.”
    “Again with this?” Mike growled. His brother loved making
fun of Mike’s MOS—his military occupational specialty. As if the Marine Corps
could exist without its infantry. “At least my office has windows. I hate to
break it to you, but James Bond you ain’t.” Typical intelligence guys thought
they were heads and tails smarter than everyone else.
    “You’re not that special, Gomer. Without me, you’d get your
head shot off before you could ever gather intelligence from anywhere.”
    “Please. My people use your people for cannon fodder.”
    “Asshole.”
    “Ground-pounder.” Brad’s eyes twinkled. The dickhead got off
on antagonizing Mike.
    “Not this again.” Their father sighed. “Honey, put on the
coffee. We’re about to have a knockdown, drag-out bout between the
intellectually superior Signals Intelligence branch and our favored
Infantrymen.”
    “Exactly. Dad knows what I’m talking about.” Hell, their
father had spent his entire career in the infantry.
    Olivia groaned. “I’m already bored. Mom? Got a minute to
talk recipes? I was thinking of expanding the baked goods section in Cava’s
Java.” Her future coffee shop.
    “Sure, honey.” Elizabeth grinned at her husband. “Now this
girl has all the intelligence you idiots need.”
    They watched Olivia and their mother head into the kitchen.
Then their father tapped his beer glass with a spoon. “Been missing this. Okay,
boys. Time for the Master of the Insults to commence. I’m the scorekeeper.
First one to ten gets to drive the