Read Online Men of Courage II by Lori Foster - Free Book Online Page A

impressive things during wartime. He wasn’t alwaysthere when you and your mother needed him, but a lot of soldiers relied on him and he never let them down.”
    Liv held the medal to her heart, overwhelmed, touched, forgiving.
    Watching her, Ham flattened his mouth. “Plenty of men are willing to risk their necks to save the people they love. But Weston did it for people he didn’t even know.”
    Liv absorbed the enormity of her father’s contribution, how important he’d been to so many.
    And Hamilton was no different.
    He didn’t think twice about the risks he took. Instead, he embraced them gladly, determined to serve the country he loved, the people who relied on him, without ever seeing himself as a hero.
    Her heart expanded, and with it, her love. She put the medal back in the box and laid a hand on Hamilton’s forearm. “I should have understood.”
    “Maybe,” Ham said, “but Weston should have included you as one of his priorities. He didn’t make it easy for others to get close to him. He was always reserved, very self-contained. Some men are that way, whether they’re career military or not. Some women, too, I imagine.”
    Liv stared at him with new eyes. He was so selfless, so caring of others, that he didn’t realize her new understanding extended to him. “You’re right, of course.”
    “You knew my parents, Liv. They weren’t very caring, but neither were they military. I keep telling you, one doesn’t have anything to do with the other.”
    “No, it doesn’t.”
    Her smiling agreement finally registered, and his brows pulled down with suspicion. “What did you say?”
    Liv laughed, a little giddy, a lot in love, more at peace than she’d been in years. “I’m sorry. Now I’ve confused you, haven’t I?”
    His mouth opened, but then slowly closed. He surveyed her warily. “I would never deliberately hurt you, Liv. You have to believe that.”
    “I know.”
    Neck stiff, shoulders rigid and eyes direct, he added, “But I can’t leave the air force.”
    Accepting, Liv nodded. “I know that, too.” She lifted the box of medals and photos from his lap and set them on the table.
    “Liv…”
    Rather than hear whatever he planned to say, she rose to her knees, leaned into him and cupped his face—and kissed him silly. It wasn’t often that she took the initiative, but for once, she wanted to put what Ham wanted, what he needed, first.
    She’d been incredibly selfish, but no more.
    At the prodding of her small tongue, he groaned andgave in. Gathering her across his lap, he returned her kiss with enthusiastic heat. Until she pulled his T-shirt out of his jeans.
    Breathing hard, he rasped, “Hold up, Liv.”
    “No.” Slipping both hands beneath the material, she stroked his hot, hard flesh, the crisp hair on his broad chest, over his impressive pecs. He felt so good, so much a man. Her man. Being with him felt right.
    It always had. “Hamilton? What time is it?”
    He went blank, a little dazed, then he glanced at his watch. After clearing his throat, he growled, “Nineteen hundred…”
    Laughing, Liv caught his wrist and turned it so she could see the dial. “A little after seven o’clock. Hmm.” Slanting him a coy look, she said, “Close enough to bedtime.”
    And truthfully, he had to be tired. God only knew how much running he’d done since the report of her father’s death. Knowing Hamilton, he’d probably moved heaven and hell to arrange things to his satisfaction. The emotional toll was tough enough, but he had to be physically exhausted, too.
    He held himself very still. “Bedtime?”
    “Yes.” Working up her nerve, Liv spoke straight from her heart. “Make love to me, Hamilton.”
    He squeezed his eyes shut—then caught her hands and held her still.
    “Ham?”
    “You don’t know what you’re doing to me, do you?”
    “I know what I want to do to you.”
    He drew a breath, impaled her with his gaze. “I need everything, Liv.”
    Her heart beat so hard,