Forbidden Love with the Marine(4)

Olivia thought he was so brave; being part of something so iconic and world-changing. Knowing he was risking his life everyday to make people like her feel safe from terror made her feelings for him deepen even more.

Hopelessly in-love, no man she met ever seemed to measure up to the image she had of the perfect gentleman, warrior and friend: Ivan.

If only he knew how she felt. But in the past, she’d been so afraid of rejection, knowing he’d never seen her in that way but only as a “little sister”. Now older, she had hoped the feelings she had for him would ebb into mere fondness. She’d tried many times to get involved with other men for the sole purpose of finding an alternative recipient of all the passion she knew she held inside.

And she’d watched with hidden terror as Ivan’s relationships with women had started and ended. A major threat had been the gorgeous redhead Molly, who never seemed to want to fade into oblivion the way Ivan’s other women eventually did. Molly just kept coming back but then, to Olivia’s glee, Ivan didn’t bring Molly to his welcome party so she assumed their shaky love affair might very well be history.

Olivia cringed when she remembered those moments at the party when she’d been silly enough to show part of her deepest feelings to Ivan. She wasn’t sure if he’d read the signals, or if he was as blind to them as always. She’d done all she could to initiate some kind of closeness, an intimacy with him – but thanks to her swooning pals, getting him all to herself had proved impossible that night.

And since then, she didn’t get another chance. In the past few weeks since his return, they’d managed to meet during the family dinners her mother loved to prepare where Olivia, Ivan and her parents would sit, talk and laugh together. Olivia knew that her parents encouraged them to invite their dates to the family dinners, but Olivia didn’t have anyone she was seeing so seriously that would warrant introducing to her family or to Ivan. And to her relief, he never brought any woman with him to share in the intimate family gathering.

That didn’t mean he was in any way accessible, she realized. If anything, he seemed more detached than ever. To make it all feel worse, he always made sure they were never alone in the same room for any period of time. Whether in the living room, kitchen or even out on the porch, he always found a reason to bolt whenever they found themselves on their own.


What was it about her that disconcerted him? At the party her parents had thrown in his welcome home after more than a year’s tour in Afghanistan, she’d asked him if she made him nervous. He just didn’t seem as relaxed around her. It was as if there was a great big...wall between them. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it but it did hurt her like crazy.

Well, she couldn’t let it bother her, not now. Not when she was supposed to be having so much fun with her friends.

It was another night, another hangout. When it came to the nightlife, Olivia and her pals knew this was the bar that had the coolest crowd scene where everyone could mingle. On the spacious patio, they could chill with drinks in hand and a whole army of small plates filled with cheeses, tacos and what not available. Olivia was all for the socializing; after all she was young, and restless. She wasn’t going to let a wild infatuation with some sinfully gorgeous man get her down.

So Olivia swore she’d have fun, find some totally irresistible hunk, and take him home. She was tired of “keeping” herself, hoping Ivan would someday realize they were meant to be. That was never going to happen.

Tonight, she was going to do it. Just like that, she made the decision. It could be anyone. She’d certainly had more than a handful offers since her pals had landed in the club for their usual girls’ night out. She’d pick the most gorgeous, most willing candidate and make his night. Yep; she’d free herself of her long-time burden and hopefully, also be free of her painful attraction for a certain mule-headed blonde-haired hunk.

But first, she needed to get uproariously drunk.





Chapter Four


His hand was heavy and hot on her breast. Even through her clothes, Olivia felt the roughness of his touch. Alcohol swirled through her brain and she tried to tell herself she liked the wet, grinding sensation of his mouth against hers.

Was this how it was supposed to feel? Frenzied, untamed? The stranger – she couldn’t even remember his name, had seemed so charming and attractive back in the bar. He’d said all the right things to make her think, here was the one. Good for one night; able to take her to the heights of passion and then back.

Looked like it wasn’t all cut and dried as she’d believed.

“Wait...stop,” Olivia said breathlessly, pulling back with difficulty. She looked into the handsome stranger’s hooded eyes. He had his arms around her which tightened instead of loosened. Olivia tried not to panic. Thankfully, they were still in the car.

“Come on, baby. You want this,” he said cajolingly, slanting his head to slide his lips along her shoulder blade, bared by the haltered neck of her top. “You’ve been begging for it since we met back in the bar.”

“No. Let me go,” Olivia said more firmly, pushing against his chest. Why did it feel like her head was swimming? She edged away from his demanding lips. Her skin was actually crawling from his touch on her arms, her neck. She shuddered.

“You’re on fire for me, sweetheart. I can feel it,” her would-be lover growled, his fingers digging into her arms as he pulled her closer. The close confines of his flashy sports car felt even more claustrophobic as his lips now reached once more for hers. Olivia caught the whiff of liquor and gagged.