Friendly Fire (The Echo Platoon Series, Book 3) (36 page)
Read Friendly Fire (The Echo Platoon Series, Book 3) Online
Authors: Marliss Melton
Sammy sidled up to the table with the cake on it. Her mother and new stepfather were too busy enjoying their first dance to watch her. They gazed deep into each other's eyes as they swept around the dance floor, cheered on by smiling wedding guests who stood around the fringes watching them.
The hotel's reception room was full of people. There had to be at least a hundred—her mom's friends from the college, Sammy's friends from school, and most of what Jeremiah called his Task Unit. The lights were dimmed, the music made the air pulse, and the spice cake with cream cheese frosting was calling Sammy to steal a third piece—one for her and one for her best friend, Gracie, who'd promised to come visit her after they moved to Virginia Beach. Her mother would be teaching at Virginia Wesleyan College in the fall. She and Jeremiah had already put an offer on a house down there.
"I think you've had enough cake, honey." Aunt Juliet's voice had Sammy snatching her hand back.
She whirled to find her aunt standing in the shadows, practically out of sight.
"It's for Gracie," she said, disgruntled that her aunt was so vigilant.
As Juliet stepped out of the shadows, the light from the chandeliers made her silver dress shine. Sewn from the same silky material as Sammy's, Juliet's gown made her look like a fairy princess while Sammy's just hung on her skinny frame.
"Sure it is," Juliet retorted, casting a distracted glance around the room.
"Are you looking for him?" Sammy asked, pointing to the man about to tap her aunt on the shoulder.
Juliet whirled and startled backward.
"Boo," he said, flashing her a grin.
Her aunt drew a visible breath then slowly exhaled before greeting him. "Tristan."
Sammy had learned his name at the wedding rehearsal. She'd remembered him from the night of the rescue, of course. He'd been the one to kiss her aunt just as Juliet was climbing inside the helicopter—except he looked a lot better in a tux than with black paint all over his face.
"Are you really trying to hide from me?" he asked. His teasing tone suggested she would never manage to escape him.
"Of course not," Juliet retorted, but Sammy knew that was a lie. She'd dodged him at the previous night's rehearsal and at the dinner that followed. Lucky for her, the SEALs had taken Jeremiah out on the town right after dinner, while Juliet had gone somewhere else with the bride and her friends. Sammy had spent the night with Gracie.
Tristan raised his eyebrows and said nothing.
"How've you been?" Juliet asked stiffly.
"Well, thanks for asking." He shook his head and heaved a sigh. "I've been pretty lonely, actually," he said in a doleful voice.
"Oh? Why is that?" Juliet's bored tone was meant to convey she could care less, but it didn't sound too convincing.
"I've been solo for the past three months," he explained. He sent her a slow, determined smile. "Only three to go, and then I get to date you."
Forgetting all about the cake, Sammy cruised around the table so she could see her aunt's expression better.
Juliet had parked her hands on her hips. "Says who?" she demanded crisply.
"Says you, honey." He stepped closer, hooked a hand around her waist, and pulled her flush against him.
Sammy expected Juliet to push him away. Her hands were spread flat against his chest, her spine rigid, but all she did was swallow, stare back at him, and mutter, "I told you not to call me that."
He chuckled. "Care to dance?" His gaze slid to her lips like he was thinking about kissing her again.
"I don't dance," she said in a breathy voice.
"Sure you do." He put his lips to her ear and murmured something that made her sway against him and close her eyes briefly.
"Well, that's not happening again," she said, but she didn't sound too certain. Her chest rose and fell like she couldn't get enough air.
"I think it is. You wouldn't go back on your word, now, would you?"
"I said I
might
date you after six months. I never said for certain that I
would
."
"Well, how about you dance with me now and make up your mind?"
To Sammy's surprise, her aunt let the man whisk her toward the dance floor. She had to like him more than she was letting on. Other couples had begun to join the bride and groom. Tristan maneuvered Juliet right into their midst and swept her into his arms. With both her blond hair and his shining under the chandeliers, they looked like a prince dancing with a princess—except Juliet had more of an annoyed than regal expression. Sammy sighed.
One day, I'm going to fall in love like that
, she mused. Turning back to the dessert table, she checked out of the corner of her eye to see if her aunt was watching.
But Juliet couldn't tear her gaze from Tristan's face.
With an inward shrug, Sammy swiped the two dessert plates she'd had her eye on. Thank goodness for a handsome man to provide a distraction.
The End
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Friendly Fire
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Want more from Marliss Melton?
Here's a teaser from
HOT TARGET
The Echo Platoon Series
Book Four
~
Juliet Rhodes is a loner. In her profession as a private investigator, it helps to be single, what with long hours on stakeouts and jumping on a flight at a moment's notice. No lover, no ties. No losing someone close to her ever again! But meeting Tristian Halliday on a cruise the previous spring changed her perspective just a little.
Known as the Golden Boy by his fellow Navy SEALs, Tristan is instantly attracted to a woman who seems his opposite, at least in the relationship department. Whereas he likes to have a warm female body close at all times, Juliet seems as content being alone as a polar bear—and about as frosty. Intrigued by her sharp intellect and sexy curves, she is one lady he'd like to take the time to thaw out and get to know.
When a reoccurring dream convinces Juliet that the fatal crash that killed her parents wasn't an accident after all, she decides it's not the right time to juggle a very personal investigation with an on-again, off-again romance, no matter how hot. Yet the closer she gets to the truth, the more protective Tristan becomes, ignoring the fact that she has given him his walking papers. With two messy pasts and their present filled with mortal peril, it's anyone's guess if these two alpha souls—both used to controlling their destinies—can strike a compromise and create a future together.
~
To purchase
Hot Target
from your favorite eBook Retailer,
visit Marliss Melton's eBook Discovery Author Page
www.ebookdiscovery.com/MarlissMelton
~
Discover more with
Acknowledgements
I've often remarked that writing books is like having babies. It takes about nine months—at least for me. And the questions are all the same. 1) Where did you get your inspiration? (Who's the father?) In this case, the hero of the story was inspired by former Navy SEAL Michael Jaco, author of
The Intuitive Warrior
, a book I highly recommend you read. 2) How hard was the book to write? (Was the pregnancy difficult?) Once, with a previous title, I wrote myself into such a corner that it took me four weeks to resolve the tangled plot. With this book, I only got stuck twice, so I'd say the pregnancy was easy. 3) Did you have any help? (Who attended the birth?) Just as it takes a village to raise a child, it likewise requires many hands and minds to write a single book. For this particular story, I owe profound thanks to my developmental editor, Wendie Grogan; my senior editor, Sydney J. Baily; and my beta readers—Graziella, Joyce, Penny, Suzanne, and Elizabeth. Ladies, my baby is beautiful, and I give you full credit. Thank you all so much!
Marliss Melton is the author of ten gripping romantic suspense novels, including a seven-book Navy SEALs series and continuing with The Taskforce Series. She relies on her experience as a military spouse and on her many contacts in the Spec Ops and Intelligence communities to pen heartfelt stories about America's elite warriors and fearless agency heroes.
Daughter of a U.S. foreign officer, Melton grew up in various countries overseas. She has taught English, Spanish, ESL, and Linguistics at the College of William and Mary, her alma mater. She lives near Virginia Beach with her husband, tween daughter, and four young adult children.
You can find Marliss on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. Visit
www.MarlissMelton.com
for more information.
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