AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Sorry, but I’m afraid you’re wrong.”
“Why’s that?”
“Have you looked in the mirror?” Ike’s voice was so soft she almost missed it.
Her eyes widened and she tried to joke. “Ha! Of course he’d want to chase all of this.” She gestured to herself, her heart thudding out of control.
Ike didn’t smile. “We need to convince him we’re dating. If not, he won’t be able to leave you alone, and thumping our asset won’t reflect positively on our evaluations.”
“I’ll take care of thumping him.” She winked and grinned as if she didn’t have a care in the world. “He seems like the kind of guy who’s too proud to complain about a girl beating him up.”
“True.” He smiled at her and then focused on the road.
Convince him we’re dating. Could she do that? Could Ike? She was afraid she’d make a mistake because she was distracted by Ike’s blue eyes, his husky voice, his tingle-producing touch, the connection that arched between them.
He was right that they needed to convince Beau they were dating, and that meant she had to think of a way to get accustomed to being around Ike and especially touching him so Beau believed they were a couple and she wasn’t a mess on the job.
What would work?
She prayed for insight like her mom had taught her. Her dad had taken them all to church each Sunday and prayed over meals and at bedtime, but he didn’t believe in heavenly intervention. He believed in working harder than anyone else. But her mom’s prayers and teaching were still a part of her. She prayed when she needed help beyond her own. Right now was definitely one of those times, and thankfully an idea came.
This idea might work.
It was as scary as it was intriguing.
Just like the man seated next to her.
Two fake boyfriends, and she had to convince everyone in public she was dating the ultra-famous, sought-after Beau Alexander, and in private she had to convince Beau she was in love with Ike.
What a confusing op.
She was in trouble. She had to make Ike an ally and partner, not a distraction. Would the idea work or confuse both of them more?
Chapter
Three
Eisenhower Porter IV was an absolute mess.
Ike had kept a reasonable distance from the gorgeous and teasing “Warrior Woman” Myra Tueller since he’d met her a year ago for a very good reason. Self-preservation.
He hadn’t dated anyone since his fiancée Sadie died two years ago. His dad had died a few weeks later, before Ike could admit to his beloved father that he’d been right. His dad had all but predicted, and tried to prevent, Ike’s miserable future. Ike should’ve made the vow like his brother Aiden.
His dad had drilled into them before they even hit puberty that it wasn’t fair to any lady, or to his and Aiden’s future of ‘saving the world,’ to even consider a serious relationship. They were instructed to never give their hearts away or be distracted by a pretty smile or soft touches. They were elite soldiers, bionic men.
They’d only break their lady’s heart when they left her for mission after mission and possibly were killed in action, or break their own hearts when they lost their love to a tragic death like their dad had.
Ike had emulated his dad’s warrior techniques and relished all the praise their dad had heaped on him right along with Aiden. He was ninety-eight percent certain the only man on this planet who could best him was his own little brother. He’d never failed in the military or on a security op because of how intense and thorough his dad’s training had been.
During his teenage years, he had started questioning his dad’s teaching about their ‘role of self-sacrifice to protect and serve,’ but even more he’d questioned why they could never fall in love. He’d never said anything to his dad, but he’d quietly tried to show Aiden that the two of them were in fact human, relationships weren’t always a bad thing, God was the supreme being, and though they could dedicate their lives to protecting and serving, they wouldn’t necessarily change the world.
As the years passed, he’d realized his dad loved them and had the very best intentions in mind, but he was almost maniacal in his quest to keep them safe from heartbreak. Ike had quietly chosen to date and had eventually fallen in love with a sweet woman.
Then his fiancée had been murdered while he was deployed. He hadn’t been there for Sadie just like his dad hadn’t been there to protect their mom. History had repeated itself in the most awful way. So far Ike hadn’t lost his grip on reality due to his grief, but he wouldn’t risk a second relationship.
Aiden was the smart one, in most ways. Extreme, yes, but also brilliant and driven. His brother was two years younger than Ike and completely focused on building his security company and achieving every goal their dad had set out for the two of them. By himself. They both had more money than they’d ever need from their mom’s inheritance that their dad had turned into a fortune, but Aiden kept growing the wealth while Ike was content to know it was there if he ever needed it.
Ike loved his brother—Aiden was the only person he was close to—but even acknowledging that a romantic relationship for a Porter man was doomed to failure, Ike didn’t aspire to ‘change the world by being the greatest security experts in history.’
