Read Online Make Mine a Marine by Julie Miller - Free Book Online

picture.
    Nothing. It's nothing, Bridget.
    “It's nothing.” Drowsy lips repeated the words. The picture vanished. Sleep won.
     

Chapter Four
     
    “I said you didn't need to wear a tie. We may call it a ball, but tonight is strictly casual.”
    Brodie adjusted his collar for the sixth time in nearly as many minutes. “I'm here as a security consultant, not a guest.”
    BJ smiled up at him and shook her head. “Even our regular security guards don't wear a tie with their uniforms.”
    “I'm not regular security.”
    She shrugged her shoulders, giving up the argument. Or so he thought. “You could lose the tie, but keep your shirt buttoned to the collar. You'd be in style and you could still hide the scars on your neck.”
    “The scars?” Brodie sighed raggedly, not sure if he should be ticked off that she’d pointed out his disfigurements or impressed that she’d also noticed his efforts to cover them up. The woman didn't miss a trick. She possessed a sharp eye for detail, using keen insight to translate her observations into facts. No wonder she kept beating herself up trying to piece together clues to the piracy case. She could figure out almost anything else, from repairing the band's speaker, to rerouting computer lines for tonight's presentation. But her episodes still eluded her comprehension.
    He kept out of the way, watching BJ, Emma, and Jasmine greet their guests. Did BJ really re-member every guest's name? She made it seem that way by drawing them into conversation and subtly extracting the information on the four or five out of two hundred whom she didn't recall.
    He could almost see the brain cells ticking behind her intelligent eyes, quickly processing and retaining information. On top of a busy day at LadyTech and the trauma of last night, which she refused to discuss, she still managed to notice how awkward he felt tonight.
    He did wear high collared shirts and long sleeves to cover himself when he ventured out into public. His face and size alone were enough to make most people squeamish and uncomfortable. If they could see how bad the rest of him looked, they'd be running away in droves. It was his way of protecting them—and himself from unintentional cruelty and rejection.
    But BJ noticed. The notion didn't sit well. With everything going on in her head, she shouldn't be worrying about him. It was absolutely imperative to him that she didn't care about his problems. Yet a sheltered remnant of his soul warmed to the idea that maybe she did.
    Today, she insisted on devoting her time and energy to LadyTech's annual open house for investors, clients, and friends. She felt obligated to prove her loyalty to LadyTech. Not that Emma or Jas doubted her for a minute, but BJ persisted in the idea that she had sold out her friends, whether consciously or not. She worked herself into a state of mental exhaustion trying to atone for the wrongs she swore she had committed.
    He watched her shake hands with a portly Asian man. “Mr. Takahashi. You've recovered from your jet lag, I hope.”
    “Yes, Miss Kincaid.” He returned her smile. “Jasmine's tour of your offices and adjoining warehouse and gardens was most intriguing. I look forward to the unveiling of your new program this evening.”
    “I look forward to showing it off, sir.”
    Jasmine, a striking, petite blonde, crooked her arm through Mr. Takahashi's. “Let me introduce you to some of our guests, Kiro.”
    After Jas escorted their newest prime investor away, Emma turned to BJ. “Why don't you sneak upstairs and grab a catnap. You've been at it all day, and quite frankly, you look tired.”
    “I'm okay, Em.”
    In reality, BJ's sleep had been fitful. She thrashed under the covers, mumbling incoherent words. Brodie stayed with her until close to dawn, when utter fatigue finally pulled her into deeper, dreamless sleep.
    “Emma's right,” he heard himself add. “Take a break and relax.”
    BJ glared at him with obstinate eyes. “I have to