A Major Seduction (2 page)

For all that she enjoyed her work, though, it didn’t make
meeting men any easier. In a Marine Corps town, she ran into them by the
droves. Most were fun and nice enough, and she could tell the types just
wanting a piece of ass from the nice boys wanting more. Fortunately, she’d met
enough decent guys to have a thorough sex education under her belt. At the
time, she’d thought she’d been developing skills to someday impress Mike. Now?
Bah. Mike Schmike.

“Hello?” She followed the noise into the dining room and
spotted Brad first. Like all the Cavas, the guy had looks. Tall, muscular, and
wearing a grin that always had her smiling back. He had military-cropped black
hair and whiskey-brown eyes that gleamed with amusement. So much for Olivia’s
description of the man in mourning about his ex.

“Hey there. My favorite girl. Maria.” Brad opened his arms,
and she flew into them. He swung her around with ease. “Do you even weigh a
hundred pounds? It’s like holding a feather.”

“Bradley. You know better than to ask a girl her weight.”
Elizabeth Cava chided her son as he set Maria down. “Hey, sweetie. Grab a
pitcher of tea for me, would you?”

Always glad to help, Maria accepted the kiss on the cheek
Elizabeth gave her and moved into the kitchen to fetch the tea. The heavenly
scents of good old Southern home cooking filled the room. Fried chicken, corn
on the cob, a nice salad, and there, her favorite. Elizabeth’s homemade slaw.
She moved to grab the pitcher of tea and was nearly run over by a Mac truck.

“Whoa, sorry, honey.” Large, rough hands steadied her. “And
who are—
Maria Thompson
?” Mike
Cava—her crush/true love/adversary all balled up into one huge hunk of amazing.

Maria steadied her breath and pasted on a bland smile,
giving lie to the racing of her pulse. “Oh, hey, Mike. Welcome back.” She
grabbed the tea, winked, and left the kitchen.

Her heart refused to stop hammering.
Well, shit. I’m not over him yet. Time to see Bobby, stat.

Major Mike Cava stared at the blur of blonde that had come
and gone in a heartbeat. What the hell?

He turned to confront the woman who’d pushed him into said
blonde. “Who was that?” He knew; he just had to hear his suspicions confirmed.

“Who do you think, dorko? Maria. My best friend. Hello?” His
younger sister smirked at him. “Apparently your time in California has killed
more than a few brain cells. Been smoking anything funny out there?”

“Ha ha. Aren’t you a comedian?” He grunted and grabbed the
chicken his mother had ordered him to fetch. “I can’t believe that was the same
girl who’s been dogging me for years.” No hug or kiss? No squeals of delight to
see him again? She hadn’t done more than look sexy and wink at him before
ducking out. Even more baffling, the words
sexy
and
Maria
had never gone hand in
hand. Well, not that he’d ever admit without being considered one major perv.
Nope. Just the best friend of his little sister. So what the hell was with her
physical transformation into a Playmate of the Year? Stunning didn’t come close
to describing her.

He entered the dining room to see his brother hanging all
over the woman—
girl
—and his parents
laughing at something she said.
Fuck me.
In the two years since he’d been back, Maria had seriously changed. The sly
grin and mischievous blue eyes remained. But the blonde hair looked longer and
lighter, glints of gold shining when she moved under the overhead chandelier.
She still had a slender figure, not softly rounded like the women he usually
dated. But she’d never seemed so attractive before.

Now… Her peach sundress showed off toned shoulders and arms,
a good bit of her shapely legs, and an impressive figure the fashion magazines
would have called svelte. What he’d describe as amazingly sexy. She wasn’t
wearing a bra, and the fabric of her dress floated over her breasts like silken
fingers stimulating her nipples into points.

Jesus, I’m staring at
Maria’s breasts…

Then she glanced at him through a blonde fringe of bangs and
he saw his sister’s best friend again. The same little girl who’d begged him to
save her from spiders at a sleepover when she’d been eight. The girl who’d
dared him to climb higher and run faster to prove to everyone he really was her
favorite superhero. He’d done it, of course, because he’d loved the small girl
like a second little sister.

Sister…Breasts…
Gross.
He hurried to clear his weird thoughts and settled down to eat with his family.

“Nice to be back,” he said when his father smacked him on
the shoulder.

“How’s 6
^th
Battalion treating you?” his dad
asked.

Colonel Michael J. Cava had recently retired, but Mike
worried his father missed work more than he’d let on.

“How’s golf treating you?” Mike countered, seeking signs of
discontent.

His father laughed, looking relaxed and happy. “In no time
I’ll be able to kick your ass on the course. Brad’s too.”

“What about me?” Olivia asked, irked.

Mike saw Maria smother a grin.

“Honey,” his father said, “the minute you want to play, I’m
sure you’ll outdo me.”

“Hmmph.”

Brad leaned closer to Maria—too close, in Mike’s opinion—and
said, “She always has been a spoiled brat. So competitive.”

“Don’t get me started,
Bradley
,”
Olivia sneered. “And stop looking down Maria’s dress.”

Maria started. Brad leaned back and grinned. His father
laughed outright while his mother admonished Brad to behave.

Mike didn’t see anything funny about the situation. “Dude,
that’s like ogling your sister. Not cool.”

He saw a strange glance pass between Maria and Olivia.
Probably the start of another plan to encourage Mike’s interest. He found it
flattering now, when for years he’d thought it annoying.

“She is most definitely
not
my sister.” Brad put an arm around Maria’s shoulders. “Are you, sweetness?”

She laughed. “Nope. Not at all.”

“She’s taken, anyway.” Olivia shrugged. “She’s going out
with Bobby after dinner.”

“Bobby who?” Mike wanted to know.

Maria rolled her eyes. “Pass the rolls, please.”

The conversation continued about his father’s golf game, the
craft shop where Maria worked, and Olivia’s classes at the local community
college. His parents peppered him with questions about Camp Pendleton, his last
duty station in California. And he filled them in on yet another one of his
friends who’d gotten divorced and/or separated. Just one more reason never to
get attached. He cringed at the thought of his last ex-girlfriend.

Conversation continued around him, yet he noticed no one had
answered his question about this Bobby guy. Had he heard of him before? Olivia
had never mentioned him in any letter or phone call, and she normally kept him
up to date on everyone at home.

Once dinner finished, they all stood to clear the table.
Before Mike could ask again about
Bobby
,
Maria hugged his mother.

“I’m sorry to duck out, Elizabeth. But I have a date.”

“Enjoy yourself, honey. See you later.” His mother smiled
and waved.

Mike watched Maria hug everyone but him—to whom she
waved—before she left.

He turned to see his sister watching him. “What?”

Olivia smirked. “Nothing.” She turned and challenged Brad to
a game of rummy. His parents wanted in and dragged him in as well.

It was like he’d never left. Family game night with Brad,
Olivia, and their parents. It might seem hokey to some, but not to Mike.
Smiles, good times, and a closeness he’d never felt with anyone not family. His
time spent with his fellow Marines in the field and in combat had shown him
what real camaraderie meant. Those guys he’d kill for, and he loved them like
brothers. But he’d never felt that soft, warm emotion the way he did for the
Cava brood.

But the more he played, the more he wondered why tonight
felt so…off.

“Seriously. Are you playing the game to win or to make us
feel better for being so much smarter than you?” Brad asked.

“Fu—screw off,” he corrected at a glance from his mother.
“Anyone got any threes?”

Brad snickered. “It’s not Go Fish.”

They played for a while more until he couldn’t stand it.
“Who is this Bobby Maria’s dating? Have you met him?”

“Why all the concern?” Brad asked.

“Maybe he’s upset because Maria’s over him.” Olivia smiled,
seeming pleased with herself for some reason.
Such
a little sister.

“Over Mike?” his mother scoffed. “Oh, you mean that innocent
crush she used to have? That was puppy love.”

“Felt real enough to me,” Mike muttered, annoyed everyone
seemed to discount her feelings. Sure, it had been annoying when she’d been in
high school and he’d been trying to score with the ladies. But she’d been so
cute he hadn’t had the heart to truly discourage her. Pretending he had no idea
she liked him had solved all their problems. Especially when she’d started
blossoming into a beautiful young woman he’d had no right even thinking about.

“Please.” Brad laughed at him. “You’re just upset she
prefers me over you.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah. She’s cute, she’s nice, and we get along.” Brad
shared a smile with Olivia. “I like her. And I know she’s not my sister. Thank
God. Because then I’d be having some pretty inappropriate thoughts.”

“You’re so gross.” Yet Olivia laughed at him.

Their father chuckled. “Just like me, eh, Lizzie?”

Their mother blushed. “Too much so.”

“Don’t worry, Mom. I’m happily single for the time being,”
Brad added.

Their mother sighed. “Too bad, because Maria would have been
a nice change of pace for you. I will say I’m glad you’re no longer dating
Dana. She wasn’t very nice.”

“I know.” Brad sighed. “But she wasn’t nice in all the ways
that matter.”

His father guffawed, but his mother didn’t seem to find Brad
amusing. The colonel turned to Mike. “Found a place to stay yet?”

He’d been looking into properties before he’d left
California. “I looked up a few places Mom emailed me about. A few seem decent.
I’ll check them out this weekend.”

“No rush. It’s nice to have the family together.” His father
smiled. “For once none of us are deployed. We’re actually sitting around the
table, together. A perfect ending to a perfect day.”

“Gotta say, Dad. Retirement looks good on you.” Mike felt
relieved. He’d been anxious his dad might not take to a stress-free life, too
used to barking orders for a living.

“Most of that’s thanks to your mother. I’ve missed her for too
long. We’re going to Cabo next week. Staying for two weeks and loving the
sand.”

“Like you can’t get enough of that here.” Brad snorted.

Their father frowned. “Boy, you’re not too big for me to
spank.”

“Yes, sir.” Brad bit his lip, trying not to laugh.

The colonel turned back to Mike. “Anyhow, you might as well
take your time house hunting is all I’m saying. Stay here while we’re gone and
save your money.”

“Will do.” That eased his mind. He didn’t know whether to
look in Emerald Isle, near his folks, or more toward the base in Hubert,
Swansboro, or Jacksonville. He preferred the ocean but not the drive. He’d have
to think on where to go. He turned to Olivia. “You’re still living in
Swansboro?”
With Maria?

“Yep. We’re still renting the same house, though our lease
runs out in September.” She sighed. “The owners are coming back, so we’ll have
to find some other place to live. Man, I hate moving.”

“Me too.” Mike felt her pain. And speaking of pain… He stood
and stretched. “I’m beat. Think I’ll turn in.”

“Lightweight.” Brad flipped him off when their parents
turned away. “So you want to ride together to work tomorrow?”

“I have my car.”

“Er, well, mine’s in the shop. That was my way of asking for
a lift.”

“So why didn’t you just say that?”

Brad sighed and said to Olivia, “It’s like we’re speaking
different languages.” He shook his head. “Grunts.”

“Again with this?” Mike growled. His brother loved making
fun of Mike’s MOS—his military occupational specialty. As if the Marine Corps
could exist without its infantry. “At least my office has windows. I hate to
break it to you, but James Bond you ain’t.” Typical intelligence guys thought
they were heads and tails smarter than everyone else.

“You’re not that special, Gomer. Without me, you’d get your
head shot off before you could ever gather intelligence from anywhere.”

“Please. My people use your people for cannon fodder.”

“Asshole.”

“Ground-pounder.” Brad’s eyes twinkled. The dickhead got off
on antagonizing Mike.

“Not this again.” Their father sighed. “Honey, put on the
coffee. We’re about to have a knockdown, drag-out bout between the
intellectually superior Signals Intelligence branch and our favored
Infantrymen.”

“Exactly. Dad knows what I’m talking about.” Hell, their
father had spent his entire career in the infantry.

Olivia groaned. “I’m already bored. Mom? Got a minute to
talk recipes? I was thinking of expanding the baked goods section in Cava’s
Java.” Her future coffee shop.

“Sure, honey.” Elizabeth grinned at her husband. “Now this
girl has all the intelligence you idiots need.”

They watched Olivia and their mother head into the kitchen.
Then their father tapped his beer glass with a spoon. “Been missing this. Okay,
boys. Time for the Master of the Insults to commence. I’m the scorekeeper.
First one to ten gets to drive the Mercedes when we’re gone. And…go.”

Maria smiled at Bobby. The movie had been fun, but the walk
on the beach afterward was just what she needed. Added to that, she’d been
friends with Bobby for years. He could provide a perfect sounding board.
Sometimes Olivia was too close to the topic to do any good.

“You’re over him? Really?” Bobby asked.

They held hands as they walked down the beach.
Unfortunately, he felt more like a big brother than a boyfriend anymore. Unlike
stupid Mike, who’d never seemed sibling-like to her at all.

“I don’t know. I thought I was at dinner. He’s still hot as
hell, and I wouldn’t mind jumping his bones, but I don’t feel the need to trip
all over myself to impress him.”

“Well, you shouldn’t.” Bobby gripped her hand tighter.
“You’re sexy, amazing in bed, smart, and funny. If he can’t see the real you,
why the fuck does he even deserve you?”

Bobby loved to drop F-bombs, and usually at the most
inappropriate moments, like he had at the theater in front of a family with kids.
But other than that, he’d be a keeper for some woman some day. Someone who
could appreciate his kind heart, fine-as-hell body, and beautiful blue eyes.
Man, why couldn’t she have fallen for him?

“You’re so sweet.” She squeezed his hand.

He smiled and picked her up, swirling her around until she
felt dizzy. “I love doing that. Makes me feel all manly.”

She wavered on her feet as they continued down the beach,
and to her surprise, she realized they neared Olivia’s parents’ house. Where
Mike was supposedly staying. Once again, she felt an odd fluttery sensation.
Excitement and dismay coiled together.

“You know, it’s just so weird. I’ve had a crush on him for
most of my life. But now… You’re right. I deserve better.”

“Good. Come home with me tonight. I’m dying to go down on
you again.”

She blushed and hid behind her hair. “Jeez, Bobby. What do
you
really
want to do?”

He laughed and pulled her in for a kiss. It grew more
intense, and she could feel how much he wanted her as he ground against her.

Confused about what
she
wanted, she ended the kiss and pulled away. “You are such a great kisser.”