Their Battle for Love (The American Soldier Collection 15)

He raised one of his eyebrows up at her and she stopped trying to deny it.

She looked at Krane, who handed her and Lucca bottles of water before he joined them on the mat.

She took a sip then looked at both of them. She glanced back toward the doorway and then whispered but her tone showed the effect Star and Border had on her. “They make me angry, especially Star.”

Krane chuckled. “The commander can have that effect on people. It’s normal.”

“It upsets me, Krane. He treats me like I’m ten years old. I’m not and he constantly puts me down.”

“He doesn’t put you down. He’s challenging you to build up that self-confidence and to become independent.”

She swallowed hard. “You think I’m weak, too, don’t you,” she said to both of them and sat up.

He remained lying on his side and watched her. He couldn’t help but be aroused by her beauty and by that bit of fire in her blue eyes. Malayna had a fight in her that showed off her maturity and something he couldn’t quite put his finger on.

“No one is saying that,” Krane said to her.

“I can see it in your eyes, in the way you pussyfoot around things, and I truly do not appreciate it. You two are important to me.”

“We are?” Krane asked her and Lucca swallowed hard.

“I don’t feel safe or even too confident around other people, but I feel safe with you,” she admitted.

Lucca reached out and caressed her cheek with his knuckles.

“It’s normal to feel that way.” He pulled back. “We helped to get you out of danger and remained with you until you were reunited with your father.”

She looked away and shook her head. “It’s more than that,” she whispered and Lucca panicked. He had to remind himself about how young she was. How she came from living in the Ukraine and had been held prisoner by Cornikup and Vlladim.

“We came in there as soldiers, armed, dressed in black, taking out the enemies, the man who hurt you to get to you. It’s natura

l for you to feel safe with us,” Krane said to her and Lucca was glad.

He didn’t know what to say. His emotions were mixed up. He cared for Malayna. He found her to be so attractive and youthful. She represented a time he lost memory of, a youthfulness he never had the opportunity to have because his parents abused him and he lived in one hellhole after the next. If it weren’t for Border and Star or their parents, he and even Krane never would have had any kind of family or safe environment.

She looked at him and stood up. She pressed her hands down her pants, causing her shirt to dip lower and reveal those gorgeous breasts of hers that were all woman, not some teenage girl.

“Forget it,” she said with attitude. He had a feeling she wanted to reply to Krane’s words in a different way but she closed up and refused to explain.

“I need to get going anyway. Nicolai is back and now planning a party for my birthday. Seems that someone told him it’s next week,” she said and gave Krane an annoyed expression.

“He wants to celebrate with you, Malayna. He lost out on twenty-one years of celebrating your birth, your existence.”

She looked down and took a deep breath then exhaled.

“It will be better than what my birthday was like the past three years, so I guess that’s a positive,” she said, sounding defeated. His heart ached for her.

“You’ll meet lots of new people. Aspen is feeling better and will be there, plus friends of theirs in the art industry, too. The house will be bursting with guests and new people to meet.”

She glanced up at Lucca and then Krane.

“I don’t need to meet new people. I have you guys to hang out with and work out with.”

Lucca stepped back.

“We’re not staying here anymore. Our businesses need some upgrades and there are designers to meet. We have responsibilities,” Lucca said to her.

“You have your artwork and more pieces to work on. If you let Lucca post those designs to some people we know, we’re certain they would love your work and want to showcase some of the pieces,” Krane suggested.