скачать книгу бесплатно
Christmas With The Marine
Candace Havens
Subject: Major Ben HawthorneMission: To make one sexy civvy's Christmas wish come trueChristmas is almost here, and guys are the last thing on personal shopper Ainsley Garrett's list. But her icy resolution melts when she sees an incredibly hot Marine shopping for toys. A man in uniform with a hot bod and a heart of gold? Maybe a gal can believe in Santa after all…Major Ben Hawthorne has his career to think about, but when it comes to Ainsley, he's willing to break his own rules, at least for one night—provided they can get this insanely wicked attraction out of their systems. Only, once isn't enough. Now Ainsley's checking her list twice…before she falls for a Marine who's naughty and nice
Subject: Major Ben Hawthorne
Mission: To make one sexy civvy’s Christmas wish come true
Christmas is almost here, and guys are the last thing on personal shopper Ainsley Garrett’s list. But her icy resolution melts when she sees an incredibly hot Marine shopping for toys. A man in uniform with a hot bod and a heart of gold? Maybe a gal can believe in Santa after all...
Major Ben Hawthorne has his career to think about, but when it comes to Ainsley, he’s willing to break his own rules, at least for one night—provided they can get this insanely wicked attraction out of their systems. Only, once isn’t enough. Now Ainsley’s checking her list twice...before she falls for a Marine who’s naughty and nice.
“You’re going to need all your energy tonight...”
It was the way Ainsley said it that made Ben do a double take.
She smiled but didn’t look at him. “Those abs really were impressive. I might like a little alone time with them.”
“So are you saying you want to touch them?” He’d always been direct, and wasn’t into games.
“Yep, all over.”
He laughed. “Well, at least you’re honest. What happened to not wanting to date?”
“I didn’t say anything about a date. I just want to run my hands across those abs more than I want to breathe.”
He nearly tripped.
“It’s bad for me to want you this much,” she said. “But those abs mixed with that big heart of yours is kind of my kryptonite. Just sayin’.”
“Ainsley, my abs are waiting for you...”
CANDACE “CANDY” HAVENS is a bestselling and award-winning author. She is a two-time RITA® Award, Write Touch Readers’ Award and Holt Medallion finalist. She is also a winner of the Barbara Wilson Award. Candy is a nationally syndicated entertainment columnist for FYI Television. A veteran journalist, she has interviewed just about everyone in Hollywood. You can hear Candy weekly on New Country 96.3 KSCS in the Dallas–Fort Worth area.
Christmas with the Marine
Candace Havens
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
Dear Reader (#u416de16e-e1aa-5fbd-ab64-b728ed8a32d1),
The holidays can be a wonderful time for so many, and at the same time painful for those who are alone, or who have loved ones deployed overseas. I wanted this book to reflect happier times. So for my Marine, Ben, his first Christmas spent at home in a long while had to be one filled with love and surprises.
He and Ainsley represent the good in the universe to me. They are from different worlds, but they find their way to one another.
I’d love to hear from you on Twitter, @candacehavens (https://twitter.com/candacehavens), or on Facebook. I hope that you have a glorious holiday season filled with love and joy.
Candace
This book is dedicated to the Blaze readers. Thank you for all of your support.
Contents
Cover (#u3d44ee87-c45d-5741-894a-fee31cf66b0b)
Back Cover Text (#u387a60a9-738c-5d07-b453-650fd3a32dff)
Introduction (#ue3b476c1-c17b-5d9b-98ef-eb03eb3bcc99)
About the Author (#u6367e5ce-d95c-50aa-a352-367166b29f57)
Title Page (#u60cff3cc-0f4c-5fb8-af27-9fa201bd7b91)
Dear Reader (#u0c38c672-8dbf-5aa2-86a0-04726db5640b)
Dedication (#ue13c8d9c-fda0-5edb-8176-b7ea6efa596b)
Chapter 1 (#u36689c52-e24e-5c9f-9bcf-8c6d3045ff6a)
Chapter 2 (#ub58b17a9-86f2-570a-add8-c267510f210d)
Chapter 3 (#u4bb6c6d9-a7af-5bf8-9444-647ba61505b2)
Chapter 4 (#u4458f053-a3b2-55a4-9549-770462dc8002)
Chapter 5 (#u4e6a26f8-94cc-5036-8c03-0646e95d6497)
Chapter 6 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 7 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 8 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 9 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 10 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 11 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 12 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 13 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 14 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 15 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 16 (#litres_trial_promo)
Epilogue (#litres_trial_promo)
Extract (#litres_trial_promo)
Copyright (#litres_trial_promo)
1 (#u416de16e-e1aa-5fbd-ab64-b728ed8a32d1)
MARINE MAJOR BEN HAWTHORNE had served three tours in the Middle East. He’d survived being shot and a near-fatal helicopter crash. But this... This was beyond his capabilities. This is what happened when people gambled.
They ended up in giant toy stores in the Barbie aisle, trying to find the right one for a six-year-old orphan.
He’d rather go on another tour. Not that he didn’t want the child to have her toy, it was just difficult. There were so many. Doctor ones and scientists, and an underwater one. And they came in all sizes. But all the child had listed was “Barbie.” And Ben had lost a bet with his friends, so he was on his own buying more than one hundred gifts for the Toys for Tots program.
And he’d do it. As a kid, he’d lived through more than one Christmas without much under the tree. He understood how it felt to wake up with next to nothing there, not that it had bothered him much back then. He’d tried to make sure his little sister always had at least a couple of toys, even if they weren’t exactly what she wanted. Seeing that smile of hers was something he’d sorely missed while being out of the country for the past ten years.
So he felt a lot of responsibility to get this right. That was one of the reasons he hadn’t thrown much of a fit when he’d lost the bet.
Still, a Barbie was not his forte. GI Joe maybe, even Superman, but these dolls were beyond him.
“Hey, are you okay?” He glanced down to see a pair of light blue eyes staring back at him. They reminded him of the color of the sky on a clear day and were framed by a heart-shaped face and beautiful long strawberry-blond hair.
“What?”
Well, that was cool. Beautiful woman talking. Pay attention.
“You keep looking at the list and then the shelf. Do you need help? Are you buying something for your daughter?”
Her voice was soft and she didn’t have a drawl like most of the people who lived in Corpus Christi. Even a lot of the guys on the base where he taught had a Texas accent. He’d grown used to it.
“Do you work here?” Of course she didn’t work here. She was dressed in an expensive leather jacket and jeans and carrying one of those purses that probably cost more than his truck. The last woman he’d dated had treated that same kind of purse like it was her child. She’d definitely liked the purse more than she had him.
This lady laughed and heat warmed his lower regions. Come on, he told himself, she’s trying to help you.
“No, but thanks to my twin nieces I’m well versed in everything Barbie. If you tell me a bit more about the little girl, I can probably help you.”
She was beautiful, but more than that, he was desperate. If she could just point him in the right direction, he’d be her love slave for life.
Where the heck did that come from? Dude, chill.
He handed her the list. “It says she wants to be a vet when she grows up,” he said. “Each kid has a short, one-line description about them.”
Her eyebrow went up as she scanned the page. He pointed to the name of Jolie, the little girl in question. “She also likes puppies.”
“This is a long list of kids. Your family must be huge.” She frowned as her chin dropped and then she flipped to the next page and then the next. “There’s more than fifty names here.”
“Oh, no.” He laughed. “I kind of lost a bet and I’m having to get the gifts for the Toys for Tots program. I’m from the Marine base.” He pulled the other list out of his back pocket. “I also have a list of elderly patients from a nursing home facility who also need gifts.” It was the last time he’d be playing poker with his friends Brody and Matt. They’d been in charge of the Christmas event, and now it was all on him.
“Wow. That must have been some bet.”
He grunted. “Yep. Anyway, we have a fund everyone on the base donates to throughout the year, and then the first week of December we try to buy as many items as the money allows.”
“This, my friend, is your lucky day.” She grinned again, and then actually winked one of those beautiful blue eyes. It did all kinds of crazy things to his body.
Funny, he was thinking the same thing—about it being his lucky day. He’d practically been sent an angel for his very own Christmas present. He cleared his throat. “How’s that?”
“Well, I happen to be a professional shopper.”
His brows drew together. “So you like to shop?”
“More than that, it’s my business. I shop for busy professionals. That’s why I’m here. On the hunt for a few gifts for a CEO’s kids.”
“Wait. People pay you to shop for them?”
She smirked. “Yes. It’s a real profession, and I do just fine, thank you.”
He’d offended her, and held up his hands in surrender. “Sorry. I’ve just never heard of anything like that. But it’s cool. I didn’t mean to insult you. I’m the guy standing here staring at a million dolls without a clue what to do.”
She shrugged. “I’m used to the attitude. My family feels that way about my chosen profession. Since you’re doing this for charity, and I think it’s sweet you’re taking this so seriously, trying to find the right gift for each child, I’ll help for free.”
“Oh, I don’t mind paying for your services.” That sounded really wrong. A woman walked past them and gave them a dirty look. “I mean, uh, I’d be grateful. So much so that I’ll pay the fee.”
She started laughing. “Sweet. But you can’t afford me.”
Another woman walked by, yanking her kids along, giving them more dirty looks. They would get arrested if they kept this up.
“Before we get thrown out, maybe I should hurry up and say thanks. And can I buy you dinner, at least?”
She laughed nervously. “Hmm. We’ll see.” She held out her hand. “I’m Ainsley Garrett.”
He shook her hand and her skin was so smooth. “I’m Ben Hawthorne, and thanks again.”
“Go get two more carts. I’ll start on your list.”
* * *
TWO HOURS AND six carts of toys later, he had everything he was supposed to buy. He and one of the store clerks were piling the bags in the back of his SUV when Ainsley walked out carrying a couple of large bags of her own.
“Hey,” he called to her and waved. “I really would like to thank you. Let me take you to dinner.”
“It isn’t necessary. Besides, I have plans.” And just like that she shot him down. Figured. Someone as beautiful as she was wouldn’t be alone. But at least he’d tried.
“Okay, but I feel guilty about not paying you for your time.”
“No worries. It was fun.”
If she said so. Even though the toys were for a good cause, shopping gave him a headache.
She turned and walked away, and he wanted to say something. Pull her back into his orbit. Even though he understood she was way out of his league—from her designer shoes to those sunglasses perched on top of her head—he was sad their time together was up.
