Their Masquerade (The American Soldier Collection 6)

He watched Mariah and listened as she laughed and her friends hugged her again. She was happy, she was successful and beautiful, and she didn’t need four fucked-up, retired Marines to screw her future up. They had to keep away from her. They just had to.

* * * *

Mariah walked outside to get her sweater from the car. It was late, but now John Luke, Jasper, Davie, and Eve, who owned Casper’s, were starting up the fire pit out back, and the immediate friends and family were hanging around enjoying the party. She spotted L.T. standing by a truck, talking on his cell phone, just as two women walked by, giggled and waved, and one of them caressed her hand across his shirt over his chest. Her belly burned with jealousy and envy. Two years away from them seemed to only make her heart grow fonder. She unlocked the car, reached in to grab her sweater, and thought about how sexy and good looking her four Marines were. She had to laugh at herself. Calling them “her Marines.” They weren’t, and she was back in Texas to do a job. She was going to bring Eduardo DeLacruz down. Not physically or with a bullet to his head, but instead in a way she knew how. Through his wallet. With a combination of her computer skills and her professional talents with finance and money, she would destroy him. Although she felt a bit uneasy about meeting Armando at the company, her gut told her it would lead to getting more info on DeLacruz. She wanted to ask Armando more questions about his boss Manchenso. Like how long he’d worked for him, and what type of things he invested in. She would be quite nervous, but as long as they didn’t want her to do anything illegal, she would be fine.

She closed the door and began to put on her sweater when she felt the hands helping her. She gasped, turning around abruptly as her ass hit the side of the car.

“Oh, God, L.T., you scared me.”

“Well, you shouldn’t be out here in the dark, all alone.”

She shook her head.

“Give me a break. We’re in Texas, and in one of the safest towns in the state.”

“It’s not as safe as it used to be. A lot of people are moving in from all over the place. The police departments have been extremely busy.”

She clutched the sweater against her chest and stared up into his dark eyes. Even in her high-heeled boots, L.T. still towered over her. He made her body shake and her pussy clench and swell with desire. No man, not any ever, had done this to her so instantly.

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nbsp; “Well, I’ll take your advice and be careful,” she said and then started to move away from the car. He placed his hand against the car to stop her, but he still didn’t touch her. She would love for him to make a move. She’d caught them all watching her. Even Gia Marie had pointed it out. But this was L.T.’s MO and the others’, too. They may be attracted to her and want her, but she was Michael’s little sister.

“What?” she asked as the annoyance hit her.

“I haven’t had a chance to talk with you. You’ve been occupied since you arrived.”

“Well, it is a party and I haven’t seen anyone in two years. Was there something you needed to talk to me about? Or can it wait until tomorrow?” she asked, knowing that her uncle had invited them all over to the house for dinner.

L.T. appeared as if he were biting the inside of his cheek. He stared down at her, and it was unnerving.

“How was Italy? Are you going back or are you looking for a job around here? If you need some help for a while, we can get whatever you need. Money, a place to stay—”

“I’ve been offered a few different jobs already, L.T. I have a pretty nice savings account already, so I don’t need your assistance. Thank you anyway.”

She started to move again and he stopped her. He squinted his eyes at her.

“Are you taking a job over there?”

“I haven’t decided yet. I have some appointments while I’m here for the next few weeks.”

“Where at? We could investigate them for you, maybe find out if they’re good choices?”

She immediately panicked. She didn’t need them investigating anything for her, and especially not what she had been up to.

“That’s not necessary.” She touched his arm and he pulled away abruptly. It was like she had a disease or something. She gave him the once-over as she pushed away from the car.

“I really don’t need your help, L.T. I told you and the others that I could take care of myself, and I have been. Maybe someday you’ll realize I’m not a little girl, but a woman with a damn good head on my shoulders. Now, I’d like to get back to the party. So if you’re done with the third degree—”

She started to walk away when L.T. raised his voice. She stopped in her tracks.

“The third degree? Where the hell is the attitude coming from? I’m just asking because you’re our responsibility and you basically cut us off these last two years. Every time we tried to offer help, you declined.”

She turned around and looked at him, giving him the once-over in annoyance, and it nearly backfired on her.

“That’s your whole problem, L.T. You and the others. I don’t need you. I don’t need to be taken care of. I’m a grown woman and I have a life. Just back off.”

He grabbed her hand to stop her from walking away from him. They locked gazes and damn did she feel the jolt of sparks shoot through her system. Her lips parted. He stared down at her and he couldn’t speak. He just stared at her.