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Warning! Enemy in area!
And like that, he was in Iraq. In the Stryker, with that calm, yet urgent automated female voice that sounded when an opposition force was within the armored vehicle’s battle space. Warning! Enemy in area!
Noah wrenched himself away from Juliet.
Juliet, the general’s wife.
Widow.
Whatever.
Blessing that mean, fucked-up little flashback, he backed away from the beautiful woman who stared at him, her chest heaving. Despite how he’d touched her, all her secrets remained still covered by gold satin.
Shit, and all his secrets still remained damn good reason to retreat now and forever keep his distance. While he’d imagined this, fantasized about it, the reality of getting this close would create a tangle he couldn’t fight free of. He shouldn’t have forgotten that. Cursing himself, he took another step back.
The classy woman didn’t utter a single sound as he left.
Eight
The quickest way of ending a war is to lose it.
—GEORGE ORWELL
Juliet’s house looked quiet and no one answered Marlys’s ring. Congratulating herself that the world was going her way for once, she pushed through the side gate and ventured around the pool to the guesthouse. Its door swung open following her knock.
She gazed coolly at the dark-haired, silver-eyed biker standing on the other side. Dean Long. “Trick-or-treat.”
He leaned a shoulder against the doorjamb and returned her same unruffled stare. Then he reached out a big hand to tap the wire and white gauze that made up the wings of her Halloween costume. “So, you decided you’re a fairy after all.”
“Nope.” From behind her back, she drew out a sequined halo and popped it on top of her head. “I’m an angel.”
“Now why do I find that hard to believe?”
She shrugged, her wings shifting on her shoulders. The truth was, she’d never angled for sainthood. Mom didn’t care and Dad hadn’t been around to appreciate the achievement. “Are you going to pony up a Snickers or a Tootsie Pop, or am I going to have to pull out the eggs and shaving cream?”
He mocked a shudder. “Scary. You better come in while I scrounge up something from Noah’s cupboards.”
She grinned. “Fab. I’ve never been inside Private’s private quarters.”
Dean sent her a look over his shoulder as she followed him in, but he didn’t comment on the nickname. “You’ve known him awhile.”
“Mmm.” Marlys didn’t want to talk about Noah, though, except to find out how long she had before he returned. “Where is the big guy?”
“He went to some charity Halloween thing. Same party Juliet’s attending, I think.”
Marlys frowned, distracted. “Juliet went to a party? With who? The Evil Stepmother doesn’t socialize.”
This time when Dean gave her a look her neck went hot and she had to shift her gaze. He continued on to the narrow galley kitchen and she perched on one of the stools drawn up to the short breakfast bar that separated it from the living area. Her white and sequined tutu poofed up in front, exposing even more of her legs in their matching white tights. She tried pushing the layers of tulle down, but gave up when Dean handed her a beefstick.
Frowning, she inspected the plastic-wrapped tube of meat-colored preservatives. “Ick.”
“It’s the best I can do.” He didn’t look sorry about it.
“Guy candy,” she said with disgust.
“Wrong.” His gaze ran over the old dance costume she’d found in the attic, from its little satin bodice to the white ballet slippers she wore. “You in that skimpy outfit—now that’s guy candy.”
She pretended to be displeased. “Again with the biker-bar come-ons.”
“If we were in a biker bar and you were dressed like that, I wouldn’t come on, I’d come over and get you out of there before the fights broke out over who got to bend your halo.”
“I never need rescuing.”
“I was talking about saving the guy who got first dibs.”
She had to laugh. That was the thing about this Dean Long. She knew men. She knew their approaches. But he was different, disarming her just when she thought she had all her armor in place. “So despite all the soft trimmings”—she reached up to flick a wing tip—“you think you see all my sharp edges.”
He came around the end of the bar to take the other stool, at the same time twisting hers so they ended up facing each other, knees to knees. “Maybe.” With humor warming up his silver eyes, he considered for a short moment. “Yes.”
“Must be hard to sleep at night, you and your arrogance all crowded together in one bed.”
