Read Online Forget Me Not (Love in the Fleet) by Heather Ashby - Free Book Online Page B

me as the type.” Gulls called overhead, inviting their friends to Brian and Daisy’s picnic. She shooed them away.
    “Type to what? Do community service? What do you think I’ve been doing all week?”
    “Well, that was just to…”
    “To what? Get close to you?”
    “Yes.”
    “Okay, I gotta admit you’re right. But was I a pain in the butt, or did I actually serve the community? Did I help out, or was it all about me?”
    “You were wonderful. The kids loved you, and I know you made Captain Duncan’s night on Wednesday.”
    “Look, Daisy. I want to spend time with you. And if it means going to the places you go and doing the things you do, then I’m in. I have to admit if you ever do poetry readings or change diapers, I might beg off. But I can hammer as well as the next guy and I happen to have spent an entire summer roofing during high school. So yeah, I know a thing or three about building a house. And I’ll even go to church with you if I’m invited.”
    “You? Church?”
    “Why does that surprise you so much? I’ve darkened the doorway of a church a few times in my life. And I attended chapel at the Academy, more times than I ditched.” Then he added, “I even stayed awake a couple of times. You make it sound like I’m some kind of heathen or something.”
    “I’m sorry. I guess I’m still judging you on first impressions. I mean, come on. You hit on me the instant we met, you called me belittling names even after I asked you not to, and you tricked me into going with you today. Quite frankly, I’m still not sure I trust you.”
    Brian licked the chicken from his fingers and leaned back on his elbows. He removed his sunglasses and then, looking deeply into her eyes, he said, “Come on, Daisy. Is it me you don’t trust? Or yourself?”

    Sky knew he’d hit pay dirt as she continued to stare at him. And he surprised himself by keeping his mouth shut. Sometimes the filter on his brain actually worked. He was going to wait her out as he stared back, like it was a contest. Who would look away first?
    Daisy did. She opened her mouth, shut it, and looked away. He grinned broadly, and when she glanced back, he saw her gaze flicker down to his mouth. Years of experience had taught him what she was thinking. That space between his two front teeth was like a magnet. Countless women had gone exploring with their tongues and wasn’t he just the gentleman for letting each woman think she was the first to try.
    Oh, yeah. Sky Crawford was nothing if not a gentleman.
    He saw it coming even though he could not believe it. As if hypnotized by his mouth, she laid down her chicken and slowly dipped her head. Her eyes slid shut as she came in for a landing, kissing him tenderly. Heat slammed through him, but his brain had already flipped to commando mode, willing his body not to move. He’d let her call the shots. No way was he going to screw this up by consuming her amongst the vegetation, which is what his primal brain was telling him to do.
    He’d planned to make the first move but there were no complaints coming from the Skylark. They didn’t call him the king of the skies and the bedroom—and apparently the sand dunes—for nothing.
    His hand disobeyed a direct order and began to operate of its own accord. His fingers threaded themselves into her golden mass of hair, something they’d been itching to do for the past four days. The kiss went on. Sweet and gentle. Warm and tender.
    Sky called in all reserves to keep himself perfectly still, afraid of scaring her off. His mouth was the only thing moving, besides the blood pounding through his body. And his fingers in her hair, cupping her head, and pulling her infinitesimally closer. His right hand reported that her hair was, indeed, pure silk as he searched for the barrette thingy or whatever had kept him from knowing how long her hair was or how it might feel cascading over his — 
    “Why don’t we stop here?” someone called out, his voice