Last Virgin In California (Mills & Boon Desire) Read Free Page A

mind.”
    “I don’t get you.”
    “Join the club.”
    “Are you always this strange?”
    “That depends,” she said. “How strange am I being right now?”
    “Oh, man.”
    “Sorry about the interruption,” the Colonelannounced as he walked back into the room. Both of them turned to face him, almost in relief. They certainly weren’t getting anywhere talking to each other.
    He stopped just over the threshold and looked from one to the other of them. “Is there a problem?”
    “Yes,” she said.
    “No, sir,” he said at the same time.
    Lilah turned and fixed the man opposite her with a hard look. The furious expression was gone, replaced now by the professional soldier’s blank, poker face. To see the man now, you’d never guess that only moments before he had looked angry enough to bite through a phone book. A thick one.
    “Now’s your chance, Gunnery Sergeant,” she said, urging him to speak up and get them both out of this while there was still time. “Tell my father what you were just telling me.”
    “Yes, Gunnery Sergeant,” the Colonel said, “what exactly were you saying?”
    His gaze shot from her to her father and for one brief, shining moment, Lilah almost hoped that Kevin Rogan would stand up and say “no thanks.” Then he spoke and that hope died.
    “I told your daughter it would be an honor to escort her around the base for the duration of her visit, sir.”
    She sighed heavily, but neither man appeared to notice.
    “Excellent,” the Colonel said, smiling. Then he walked across the room, gave her a kiss on the forehead and turned to face the other man. “I have some work to catch up on,” he said. “Lilah will see you out and you two can make some plans.”
    When he left again, Lilah folded her arms across her chest, tapped one bare foot against the floor and cocked her head to one side. “Coward.”
    He actually winced before he shrugged. “He’s my C.O.,” was his only explanation.
    “But you don’t want this duty.”
    “Nope.”
    “So why—”
    “I didn’t want to go to Bosnia, either,” he said tightly. “But I went.”
    Well that stung.
    Still and all, it was almost refreshing to talk honestly with one of her father’s hopefuls. Usually, the men he handpicked for her were so busy trying to win his approval that they were willing to tell Lilah outrageous lies just to score a brownie point or two. At least Kevin Rogan was honest.
    He didn’t want to be with her any more than she wanted to be with him.
    That was almost like having something in common, wasn’t it?
    “So,” she asked, “I’m like Bosnia, huh? In what sense? A relief mission or a battle zone?”
    A flicker of a smile curved his mouth and wasgone again before she could thoroughly appreciate just what the action did for his face.
    And maybe, she thought as butterflies took wing in the pit of her stomach, that was for the best. She was only in town for a few weeks. Besides, she already knew that she did not fit in with the military types.
    “Haven’t made up my mind yet,” he said. “But I’ll let you know.”
    “I can’t wait.” Sarcasm dripped from her tone, letting him know in no uncertain terms that she knew exactly what his decision would be. She could see it in his eyes. He’d already come to the conclusion that this duty was going to be a pain in the rear.
    And a few days alone with her would only underline that certainty.
    “Look,” he said, crossing the room toward her so he could lower his voice and not be overheard. He stopped just short of her and Lilah caught a whiff of his cologne. Something earthy and musky and what it did to her insides, she refused to think about.
    She blinked and tried to focus on the words coming out of his mouth, rather than the mouth itself.
    “We’re going to be stuck with each other for the next month,” he said.
    Okay, that helped. How charming. “And your point is?”
    “Let’s try to make this as easy as possible on both of us.”
    “I’m