Innocent Next Door (Military Men Book 1) Read Online Free Page B

nature. “How are you going to remove the thorns by yourself?”
    “I’ll look in the mirror.”
    “Wouldn’t it be easier if I did it?”
    She eyed him with clear mistrust. “I am not letting you look at my butt.”
    Her trepidation fed his determination to follow through. “Seen one butt, you’ve seen them all.”
    “This is a stupid discussion.” She took three steps into the lounge. “Let yourself out when you’ve finished in the laundry.”
    He blinked at her retreating form. It had been a long time since anyone dismissed him that way. “How do you know I wasn’t involved in the break-in?” he asked in a soft voice.
    She whirled to glare at him. “That’s not funny.”
    “You don’t know me.”
    “Is this a lecture? A life lesson? I might come from the country, but I’m not stupid. Uncle Henry trusts you, and that’s good enough for me.” She stormed past the den.
    Nikolai stalked her, admiring the feminine roll of hips as she stomped. His gaze drifted to her stiff shoulders and returned to her butt. Nope. Nothing wrong with her curvy figure.
    She paused to right a stool, and as she reached for the chrome leg, Jake’s shirt and the nightgown rode up. Nikolai’s breath hissed through his teeth.
    “Right, that does it.” He tore his gaze away and fixed it on her indignant expression. “Where’s the first-aid box? Those scratches go all the way up your leg. They’ll get infected if they’re not treated.”
    She huffed hard enough to blow a lock of hair from her eyes. “You’re not going to leave without a fight, are you?”
    “Nope.”
    Stubborn, stubborn man . “I heard Uncle Henry ask you to watch me. Are you going to boss me around the entire time he’s away? Personally, I think this is an extreme plan to see my naked butt.”
    She caught his blink and watched his mouth curve in a sensual grin. Her heart sped up without warning, and her face heated. She wanted to fan her cheeks but kept her hands clenched at her sides. “How old are you?”
    “Twenty-nine, almost thirty.”
    Good, another black mark to add to the dreaded bossy factor. He was way too old for her. The article in Miranda magazine suggested a five-year age gap was good, and she agreed. Besides, she didn’t want to tie herself to one man, and the more her family interfered, the more determined she was to have fun and make up for lost time. Clear relief at his advanced age made her chirp, “I’m twenty-two.”
    “Is the first-aid stuff in the bathroom?”
    Stuck record. Clearly, he wasn’t going to back down. “Yeah, in the bathroom cabinet. I’ll get it.”
    “You’ll need to lie down. Your bedroom is the best place.”
    No. Definitely not, especially when she pictured her single bed and the lineup of stuffed bears. She imagined Nikolai touching her, gazing at her rear end. She shuddered. That was a big fat no. Dirty laundry covered the floor, still lying where she’d tossed it earlier. Underwear… She shook her head emphatically. “I don’t think so.”
    “God, you’re stubborn. Just like Henry. No more arguing or I’ll paddle your butt.”
    Right, that did it—underhand tactics required. She spun around and fluttered her lashes. “Oh, kinky. Sounds like fun.”
    They stared at each other until he cleared his throat, breaking the silent challenge flaring between them. “I’d be gentle with you.”
    A shiver rippled through her, and it had absolutely nothing to do with the temperature in the dimly lit passage. “Yeah, but would you respect me in the morning?”
    A bark of laughter escaped him, changing the harsh angles of his face to handsome. “I thought we’d established I’m too old for you to hone your skills on.”
    She forced herself to move. What the heck was wrong with her? She wasn’t usually susceptible to a military man. “We discussed it, but I wasn’t aware we’d come to an agreement.” Oops, what had happened to the naïve country girl from Eketahuna? And the decision that he was