Blown Away: A Small Town Military Romance (The Moore Brothers Book 1) Read Online Free
Author: Abby Brooks
wouldn’t let me down. You like being the hero too much.”
“And you like being the boss too much.”
She hit him lightly on the shoulder. “You better believe I like being the boss.” And then in a great swirl of perfume and evening gown, she swept down the table, picked up her champagne glass and struck her fork lightly against it. The ringing sound carried out over the gathered crowd and everyone quieted down, turning expectantly towards Lilah. Even the string quartet softened their music and expertly switched to a rich, romantic theme, perfect for a toast from a loving older brother. Lilah had this party planned down to every last detail.
“Excuse me,” she called, her blonde hair glistening under the lights. “I’d like to thank you all for coming to celebrate my brother James finally getting serious enough to ask Erin to marry him.” She paused for the light laughter that followed, everyone either knowing the Moore family well enough to know that James and Erin had dated since middle school and lived together since graduation, or being polite enough to know when to laugh when appropriate.
Lilah went on, expertly warming up the crowd with her introduction and stories and Ian studied the people who’d gathered here at his parents’ home to celebrate his brother’s engagement. He saw designer dresses and tuxedos, cultured smiles and manicured hands. He saw jewels and watches and tasteful hair. But none of it held a candle to what he’d seen in Juliet Lane.
Sure, she was a little unkempt. Her brown hair long and lose. Her life packed into the back of an old Hyundai. But her beauty outweighed all the high polished socialites he saw here tonight. And the more he thought about it, the more he started to think she had to be running from something. That she was in danger and might be in need of help. Why else would she be on her way to a town she'd never been to before? With enough boxes to suggest she meant to be here awhile, but not enough to actually be moving in? He thought maybe he’d stop by the hotel he’d suggested to her tomorrow and see how she was getting on.
Or maybe not.
Because he wasn’t supposed to be wasting his time on fluffy-headed little girls anymore. Or, for that matter, overly independent, high-powered bitches were off the table, too. He’d had enough of both. He needed a woman with substance, a woman who needed him but didn’t use him. A woman who could think for herself, but included him in her decisions. A woman who liked to fuck as much as she liked to make love. Because there were differences there. Very important differences.
Ian imagined Juliet’s wrists clamped in his hand, pinned over her head as he thrust himself deep inside her. Would she like it? Would she beg for more? What about when he slapped her ass ? Would her eyes go all wide? Would she get wet? Or would she wriggle out of his grasp and run away, unable to deal with his darker side?
His dick twitched in his pants again and he adjusted himself under the table while Lilah finished up her introductions and got ready to introduce him as James’s big brother and best man. Great. Perfect fucking timing. He let his eyes roam the guests one last time until he found Vi, a particularly frosty ex-girlfriend. That did the trick. Ian had never been less turned on in his life than when he stood up to give his speech, smiling at the light applause and clinking glasses.
“Lilah’s right. It’s about damn time James got serious and asked Erin to marry him. God knows she’s been patient enough, waiting for him to come to his senses over the last ten years.” He paused while laughter threaded itself into the sweet song of the string quartet. “But in all seriousness, I envy James. Envy the love he has for Erin. The constancy of their relationship. The trust and friendship they share. I know they’ve made each other happy for more than a decade and I wish them many decades of happiness to come.”
He smiled down the
“And you like being the boss too much.”
She hit him lightly on the shoulder. “You better believe I like being the boss.” And then in a great swirl of perfume and evening gown, she swept down the table, picked up her champagne glass and struck her fork lightly against it. The ringing sound carried out over the gathered crowd and everyone quieted down, turning expectantly towards Lilah. Even the string quartet softened their music and expertly switched to a rich, romantic theme, perfect for a toast from a loving older brother. Lilah had this party planned down to every last detail.
“Excuse me,” she called, her blonde hair glistening under the lights. “I’d like to thank you all for coming to celebrate my brother James finally getting serious enough to ask Erin to marry him.” She paused for the light laughter that followed, everyone either knowing the Moore family well enough to know that James and Erin had dated since middle school and lived together since graduation, or being polite enough to know when to laugh when appropriate.
Lilah went on, expertly warming up the crowd with her introduction and stories and Ian studied the people who’d gathered here at his parents’ home to celebrate his brother’s engagement. He saw designer dresses and tuxedos, cultured smiles and manicured hands. He saw jewels and watches and tasteful hair. But none of it held a candle to what he’d seen in Juliet Lane.
Sure, she was a little unkempt. Her brown hair long and lose. Her life packed into the back of an old Hyundai. But her beauty outweighed all the high polished socialites he saw here tonight. And the more he thought about it, the more he started to think she had to be running from something. That she was in danger and might be in need of help. Why else would she be on her way to a town she'd never been to before? With enough boxes to suggest she meant to be here awhile, but not enough to actually be moving in? He thought maybe he’d stop by the hotel he’d suggested to her tomorrow and see how she was getting on.
Or maybe not.
Because he wasn’t supposed to be wasting his time on fluffy-headed little girls anymore. Or, for that matter, overly independent, high-powered bitches were off the table, too. He’d had enough of both. He needed a woman with substance, a woman who needed him but didn’t use him. A woman who could think for herself, but included him in her decisions. A woman who liked to fuck as much as she liked to make love. Because there were differences there. Very important differences.
Ian imagined Juliet’s wrists clamped in his hand, pinned over her head as he thrust himself deep inside her. Would she like it? Would she beg for more? What about when he slapped her ass ? Would her eyes go all wide? Would she get wet? Or would she wriggle out of his grasp and run away, unable to deal with his darker side?
His dick twitched in his pants again and he adjusted himself under the table while Lilah finished up her introductions and got ready to introduce him as James’s big brother and best man. Great. Perfect fucking timing. He let his eyes roam the guests one last time until he found Vi, a particularly frosty ex-girlfriend. That did the trick. Ian had never been less turned on in his life than when he stood up to give his speech, smiling at the light applause and clinking glasses.
“Lilah’s right. It’s about damn time James got serious and asked Erin to marry him. God knows she’s been patient enough, waiting for him to come to his senses over the last ten years.” He paused while laughter threaded itself into the sweet song of the string quartet. “But in all seriousness, I envy James. Envy the love he has for Erin. The constancy of their relationship. The trust and friendship they share. I know they’ve made each other happy for more than a decade and I wish them many decades of happiness to come.”
He smiled down the
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