Craving Her (Keeping Her Series Book 4) Read Online Free Page B

escaping mate.  Then he turned his eyes back to Cleo and
she wiped the smile off.  “Report.”
    She did, as concisely as
she could, leaving out only the last bit of time with Shawn.  There are some
things her father would not react well to, and hearing that, after a battle,
her daughter nearly had sex with one of his soldiers on the jungle floor while
hostiles still roamed, was definitely on a need-to-know basis.  And some things
he never needed to know.  Come to that , she thought, aware every
second that Shawn Ryan was close enough that his heat seemed to scorch her
along her left side.  Nobody ever needed to hear about that.
    Cleo probably would have
stuck to the promise to tell no one if it had not been for the impromptu girls’
night celebration to honor her moving into her own place that happened later
that night.  And the many, many bottles of wine might have contributed to her
loose lips.  And possibly the whiskey sours.
    ***
    It started out innocently
enough.  Shanghaied by Miley.  Cassandra and Clytie off somewhere shooing their
men from the house, Miley was left to deal with a narrowed-eyed Lucas who
glared at Miley and said, “We have things to finish in my office.” 
    To which she answered
with a rolled eye, “We always have things to finish in the office.”
    His chuff, blazing heat
look, and the emphasis on repeating, “No, we have things to finish,” was
less than subtle, even without Miley’s blush and suddenly flustered, “Later.”
    But she held strong, not
looking at Cleo who watched their play from the kitchen island.  Miley shook
her head with big warning eyes aimed at Lucas, and cleared her throat while
trying to hide her heated cheeks.  Cleo felt bad for her; she was trying so
hard to be subtle about their sex talk and failing miserably.
    “Yeah, Dad,” Ian said,
coming into the kitchen from the backdoor, “you and Miley can have sex in your
office anytime.”
    Miley choked, glaring first
at Ian’s naked back and then Lucas.  Her words acquired a bite that had her
mate looking less than pleased.  “Girls’ night tonight, before Cleo moves out
tomorrow.  You two make yourself scarce.  And take all the other guys with
you.  This is strictly girls.”  She glared at Ian again, who was rubbing his
six pack while he grabbed the juice from the fridge.  “Quite frankly, we could
all use a testosterone-free night.”
    Shirtless and shoeless,
his jeans hanging low on slim hips, he winked at Miley before drinking straight
from the bottle.   Disgusted by the show, it was with no small satisfaction
Cleo watched her father grab his only son by the back of the neck, making Ian
stop drinking and wince.
    “Son, you and I are going
to have a talk,” Lucas rumbled, taking the orange juice out of Ian’s
unresisting hand, his words full of the promise of mayhem.  Lucas plunked it on
the counter, then led Ian out of the kitchen by his neck.  Cleo was not the
only one who watched their departure with satisfaction.
    Sighing, Miley got out a
fat, black, permanent marker from the kitchen utility drawer and wrote ‘IAN’ across the orange juice before putting it back in the fridge.
    “What is it about my
brother that makes me think of stabbing knives?” Cleo asked mildly.
    Miley laughed, shaking
her head.  “Your brother has many fine qualities . . . I can’t think of any right
now, but I’m sure he has . . . at least two.”
    Then they looked at each
other and Cleo snorted out a laugh and Miley chuckled at the same time.  Then
she suddenly looked serious.  “Soo, big day tomorrow.”
    “Yep.”
    “And you had your first
combat assignment.”
    Cleo raised a brow, her
head going to her palm as she studied Miley over the kitchen island, wondering
where this was leading.  “Yep.”
    Miley shook her head, “I
thought we could have a talk.”
    Cleo continued to study
her.  “Bernie gave me the sex talk when I was fourteen.”
    Miley laughed and then
came around the island