Just One Night Read Free

for Nickie .
    * * *
    Jase Hart stood out
from the crowd gathered down below much like he always did , Nickie thought.
    He was dressed in his Marine uniform, looking
oh so beautiful and handsome.   Much like
she had pictured him during the fantasy on her long train ride home.
    He’d taken off his white dress hat and it was
tucked under one arm, exposing his sandy blond hair. In the summer months, the
sun would streak those strands with brightness, giving him that perfect surfer
look.   Especially when combined with
those wide shoulders that tapered down into lean hips.
    His amazing eyes, looking a little more blue
than green thanks to the color of his dress uniform, were alert and focused on
the man before him.   At something the man
said, Jase smiled, displaying that boyish dimple on
one side of his all too tempting mouth.
    All she had to do was walk down the stairs
and over to him.   It was such a short
distance away physically, but despite her earlier thoughts and bravado, it
occurred to her that Jase was untouchable for way too
many reasons.
    He was her younger brother's best friend.
    He would soon be gone and risking his life.
    He would never
ever never be interested in a woman like her. A woman who
couldn’t seem to make up her mind about what to do about him.   A woman who lacked the strength to reach for
what she wanted most.
    Jase needed a strong woman by his side.   One who could man the home front while he was off to war.   One who wouldn't be indecisive or wimpy.
    You only have one night
left.   Take a chance , said the voice
of the dreamer that she repressed way too often.
    With those conflicting thoughts rattling
through her head, she sucked in a deep breath, tossed her shoulders back, and
walked down the stairs.
    * * *
    Jason caught sight of Nicole de Silva as she
glided down the sweeping staircase in an eye-catching red dress that hugged
every enticing curve of her body.   The
color set off the creamy color of her skin and dark as midnight hair that
spilled down across her bare shoulders, thick and with a life of its own as she
moved.
    More than once he had imagined tunneling his
hands into that hair and pulling her close.   Kissing her until she was clinging to him and he could take her to bed
and do what he'd wanted to do to her for way too long.   As his gaze drifted down her long lean legs
and to the enticing red stiletto heels, he imagined dragging them off her feet
as he kissed his way up her body.
    “So where did you say you were deploying?”
the man beside him repeated, pulling him away from thoughts of Nickie .
    Nickie was off limits,
he reminded himself.   The   Bro Code demanded that he had to keep
his hands off even though he itched to run them all along that fabulous body
and have those incredible legs wrapped around him as he made love to her.
    “Afghanistan,” he finally answered, but then
his attention to the man fled as he realized Nickie was walking his way.   “Would you excuse
me for a moment?” he said, sidestepped the man and hurried toward her.
    He met her halfway across the crowded great
room in her family's home.
    They stood there awkwardly for several
hesitant heartbeats, staring at each other.   With the high heels, she was almost eye level with him and her mouth was
just inches away.   Her
luscious mouth done in an enticing red that dared him to lean in and kiss her.
    But instead he just stood there, not really
sure where to begin.   Anxious
about what to say and where it might lead.   Feeling like a total fool
for being so indecisive.   The only
thing that offered him any relief was that she was obviously as unsure of what
to do as he was.
    She nervously played with the small black
clutch in her hand before hesitantly saying, “Congratulations, Jase . It must be very exciting to be done with school and
earn your commission.”
    “Thank you, Nickie .   I hear you're doing well.   How's medical school?” He dragged his gaze
away from her hands and to the