Read Online Hero - The Assignment: A Military Romance by M. S. Parker - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: M. S. Parker
Tags: Romance
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me.
“Hi,” the blushing darts champion said. “I'm Tara.”
“This is Haze,” Blake spoke for me. “He keeps talking a big game, but I think you can take him.”
I suppressed the urge to glare at him as I carefully stood. I held out a hand. “Nice to meet you, Tara. You throw a good game.”
“Thanks,” she said. Her hand was small, but strong.
We stood next to the booth for a beat too long and Kimmy returned, her lips curved into a smile that looked a bit too much like a sneer for my taste.
“This round's on me, gentlemen. Oh, and the pool table's free for us, Haze.”
Tara's blush brightened and she looked at the floor.
Annoyed, I suddenly decided that a game of darts wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. “I promised Tara here I'd play darts.”
Before Kimmy could come up with some sort of reply, Blake stood up and hailed a group of men who'd just come through the door. When he grinned at Kimmy and mentioned that his friends were fellow doctors, she smiled and stepped aside to let Tara and me pass without a word. The doctors joined Blake and I knew this was his way of making sure I didn't come back.
“I'm trying to grow it out,” Tara said, touching her hair when she saw me looking at it.
“I like it how it is,” I said. “Bold.”
The problem was, Tara was anything but bold. In contrast to her sweet conversation and shy smiles, my memories of the other redhead burned. Even soaking wet and confused from her fall in the pool, Leighton had been sharp and sure.
Typical rich girl, I supposed, she'd been so sure she'd get everything she wanted that she'd had no manners at all. I knew I wasn't exactly being fair to Leighton. I hadn't known her...except intimately. I had no idea who she really had been or who she was now.
Tara was even timid in her flirting. “You're just trying to give me false confidence.”
Confidence. That's what Leighton had. The confidence to crawl across my lap and take what she wanted. Shit. I shifted my stance and hoped that Tara didn't notice. Some women might've taken it for a compliment that my jeans were suddenly a bit tight, but I had a feeling that Tara was the sort of person who might be embarrassed. Either way, I wasn't about to tell her that it wasn't the thought of her, but another redhead who'd put me into this predicament.
Tara's friends returned with more shots and whispered advice that I tried not to hear. They were all young, and I didn't only mean the fact that they were probably just barely twenty-one. These were small-town girls who hadn't seen more than this bar and maybe a couple college parties.
I finished another beer and decided Tara was wholesomely beautiful. The freckles, the blushing, all of it contributed to that image. Then there was how, every time she leaned out to throw a dart, her shirt tightened around the swell of her breasts. Her small waist rounded to a heart-shaped bottom that was hard to ignore.
I rubbed my hand on the back of my neck. I was feeling overly warm and knew it wasn't only from the alcohol or the crowd.
“How about we get a little air?” she suggested, a new sort of tension radiating from her.
“Sure,” I said. I gestured with my arm and followed her outside.
Once we started walking, it seemed Tara was in danger of losing the boldness brought on by just the right level of alcohol. The cool breeze was sobering and she stood at the edge of the parking lot, looking a bit lost as to what she should do next.
Apparently I was going to have to take the initiative if I wanted this to go any further. I still wasn't sure if that's what I wanted, but I knew an easy and gentlemanly way to buy myself a bit of time. “Can I walk you home?”
She smiled, relieved. “Yes, please. I just live a few streets over.”
I didn't bother to point out that in this town, there were only a few streets that close anyway. The main two roads consisted of the bar, a bank, the post office, a small chain grocery store, and two churches.
“Hi,” the blushing darts champion said. “I'm Tara.”
“This is Haze,” Blake spoke for me. “He keeps talking a big game, but I think you can take him.”
I suppressed the urge to glare at him as I carefully stood. I held out a hand. “Nice to meet you, Tara. You throw a good game.”
“Thanks,” she said. Her hand was small, but strong.
We stood next to the booth for a beat too long and Kimmy returned, her lips curved into a smile that looked a bit too much like a sneer for my taste.
“This round's on me, gentlemen. Oh, and the pool table's free for us, Haze.”
Tara's blush brightened and she looked at the floor.
Annoyed, I suddenly decided that a game of darts wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. “I promised Tara here I'd play darts.”
Before Kimmy could come up with some sort of reply, Blake stood up and hailed a group of men who'd just come through the door. When he grinned at Kimmy and mentioned that his friends were fellow doctors, she smiled and stepped aside to let Tara and me pass without a word. The doctors joined Blake and I knew this was his way of making sure I didn't come back.
“I'm trying to grow it out,” Tara said, touching her hair when she saw me looking at it.
“I like it how it is,” I said. “Bold.”
The problem was, Tara was anything but bold. In contrast to her sweet conversation and shy smiles, my memories of the other redhead burned. Even soaking wet and confused from her fall in the pool, Leighton had been sharp and sure.
Typical rich girl, I supposed, she'd been so sure she'd get everything she wanted that she'd had no manners at all. I knew I wasn't exactly being fair to Leighton. I hadn't known her...except intimately. I had no idea who she really had been or who she was now.
Tara was even timid in her flirting. “You're just trying to give me false confidence.”
Confidence. That's what Leighton had. The confidence to crawl across my lap and take what she wanted. Shit. I shifted my stance and hoped that Tara didn't notice. Some women might've taken it for a compliment that my jeans were suddenly a bit tight, but I had a feeling that Tara was the sort of person who might be embarrassed. Either way, I wasn't about to tell her that it wasn't the thought of her, but another redhead who'd put me into this predicament.
Tara's friends returned with more shots and whispered advice that I tried not to hear. They were all young, and I didn't only mean the fact that they were probably just barely twenty-one. These were small-town girls who hadn't seen more than this bar and maybe a couple college parties.
I finished another beer and decided Tara was wholesomely beautiful. The freckles, the blushing, all of it contributed to that image. Then there was how, every time she leaned out to throw a dart, her shirt tightened around the swell of her breasts. Her small waist rounded to a heart-shaped bottom that was hard to ignore.
I rubbed my hand on the back of my neck. I was feeling overly warm and knew it wasn't only from the alcohol or the crowd.
“How about we get a little air?” she suggested, a new sort of tension radiating from her.
“Sure,” I said. I gestured with my arm and followed her outside.
Once we started walking, it seemed Tara was in danger of losing the boldness brought on by just the right level of alcohol. The cool breeze was sobering and she stood at the edge of the parking lot, looking a bit lost as to what she should do next.
Apparently I was going to have to take the initiative if I wanted this to go any further. I still wasn't sure if that's what I wanted, but I knew an easy and gentlemanly way to buy myself a bit of time. “Can I walk you home?”
She smiled, relieved. “Yes, please. I just live a few streets over.”
I didn't bother to point out that in this town, there were only a few streets that close anyway. The main two roads consisted of the bar, a bank, the post office, a small chain grocery store, and two churches.
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