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The Marine And Me
Cathie Linz
How on earth had an intrepid U.S. Marine just gotten maneuvered into dating the librarian next door? Mark it down to a sense of duty but for Steve Kozlowski, meeting Chloe Johnson was like walking over a land mine.For beneath her frumpy exterior was a spirited, sexy woman who could definitely use a lot more excitement in her life. And this die-hard bachelor was just the man to provide it. At least he was until he discovered how much fun he was having with sweet, kissable Chloe. Had Steve's time-honored strategy for sidestepping a more lasting engagement just backfired?
“I’m proposing we spend some time together,” Steve suggested
“Neither one of us wants a romantic entanglement, this is a sure way to avoid them. You and I…both be on the same page,” Steve added.
“Forgive me if I don’t appear suitably impressed.”
“See, I like that about you.”
“What?” Chloe asked.
“That you speak your mind. That you’re not easily impressed. We have a lot in common. Now, tell you do for fun.”
Chloe was at a momentary loss. “I enjoy reading. And I do some knitting.”
“And?”
“And…I don’t know. I’ve been too busy to have fun.”
“We can fix that.” Steve’s grin was a gradual progression from a smile, making it even more potent.
Dear Reader,
As the days get shorter and the approaching holidays bring a buzz to the crisp air, nothing quite equals the joy of reuniting with family and catching up on the year’s events. This month’s selections all deal with family matters, be it making one’s own family, dealing with family members or doing one’s family duty.
Desperate to save his family ranch, the hero in Elizabeth Harbison’s Taming of the Two (#1790) enters into a bargain that could turn a pretend relationship into the real deal. This is the second title in the SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE trilogy. A die-hard bachelor gets a taste of what being a family man is like when he rescues a beautiful stranger and her adorable infant from a deadly blizzard, in Susan Meier’s Snowbound Baby (#1791)—part of the author’s BRYANT BABY BONANZA continuity. Carol Grace continues her FAIRY TALE BRIDES miniseries with His Sleeping Beauty (#1792) in which a woman sheltered by her overprotective parents gains the confidence to strike out on her own after her handsome—but cynical—neighbor catches her sleepwalking in his garden! Finally, in The Marine and Me (#1793), the next installment in Cathie Linz’s MEN OF HONOR series, a soldier determined to outwit his matchmaking grandmother and avoid the marriage landmine gets bushwhacked by his supposedly dowdy neighbor.
Be sure to come back next month when Karen Rose Smith and Shirley Jump put their own spins on Shakespeare and the Dating Game, respectively!
Happy reading.
Ann Leslie Tuttle
Associate Senior Editor
The Marine and Me
Cathie Linz
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
Books by Cathie Linz
Silhouette Romance
One of a Kind Marriage #1032
* (#litres_trial_promo)Daddy in Dress Blues #1470
* (#litres_trial_promo)Stranded with the Sergeant #1534
* (#litres_trial_promo)The Marine & the Princess #1561
A Prince at Last! #1594
* (#litres_trial_promo)Married to a Marine #1616
* (#litres_trial_promo)Sleeping Beauty & the Marine #1637
* (#litres_trial_promo)Her Millionaire Marine #1720
* (#litres_trial_promo)Cinderella’s Sweet-Talking Marine #1727
* (#litres_trial_promo)The Marine Meets His Match #1736
* (#litres_trial_promo)The Marine and Me #1793
Silhouette Books
Montana Mavericks
“Baby Wanted”
Silhouette Desire
Change of Heart #408
A Friend in Need #443
As Good as Gold #484
Adam’s Way #519
Smiles #575
Handyman #616
Smooth Sailing #665
Flirting with Trouble #722
Male Ordered Bride #761
Escapades #804
Midnight Ice #846
Bridal Blues #894
A Wife in Time #958
† (#litres_trial_promo)Michael’s Baby #1023
† (#litres_trial_promo)Seducing Hunter #1029
† (#litres_trial_promo)Abbie and the Cowboy #1036
Husband Needed #1098
CATHIE LINZ
left her career in a university law library to become a USA TODAY bestselling author of contemporary romances. She is the recipient of the highly coveted Storyteller of the Year Award given by Romantic Times and has been nominated for a Love and Laughter Career Achievement Award for the delightful humor in her books.
Although Cathie loves to travel, she is always glad to get back home to her family, her various cats, her trusty computer and her hidden cache of Oreo cookies!
To all the wonderful librarians out there, like Joyce Saricks, John Charles, Mary K. Chelton, Lynne Welch and Shelley Mosley, among many others. You all open so many doors to readers with your work and dedication, and for that I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Librarians Rock!
Contents
Chapter One (#u957ea4b8-5845-5db7-adb0-4f15e021cfcc)
Chapter Two (#ub1e057aa-2ea2-537c-a658-886ac53e436d)
Chapter Three (#ua0e44c94-dbf3-5ad9-a3c8-58682c2599d3)
Chapter Four (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Five (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Six (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Seven (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Eight (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Nine (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Ten (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Eleven (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter One
Steve Kozlowski had been in the Marine Corps for over a decade. He’d survived the most rigorous training in the world. He’d faced hostile forces in Afghanistan, survived temperatures of over one hundred and thirty degrees Fahrenheit wearing full-battle gear, seen the worst of conditions on half the continents on the planet.
He was one of the few, the proud, the tough.
Which meant he could handle his matchmaking Polish grandmother, no problem.
Even if his Busha was after him to meet the bookworm librarian next door, Steve could handle it. Or so he told himself. If necessary, he’d use evasive maneuvers to sidestep any matrimonial-minded booby traps that may have been laid down for his benefit.
That was the plan.
The reality was that he’d waited a minute too long.
The knock on the back door told him that much.
Steve could ignore it. He could sneak out the front door while his grandmother was in the bathroom.
But that smacked of cowardice, and Marines were not cowards.
“Aren’t you going to open the door?” Wanda called out from down the hall, obviously hearing the continued knocking.
“Affirmative.” Steve briskly yanked the kitchen door wide open.
A female stood there, frowning at him. “Uh, um, I’m looking for Wanda?”
“And you are?” As if he didn’t know.
“I’m Chloe Johnson from next door.”
“Right. Chloe the librarian. I should have guessed.” He nodded at her dumpy clothes—the charcoal-gray sweater that looked two sizes too big, the white parochial-school shirt and black skirt that sagged around her ankles. The combat-style boots were a bit of a surprise, however.
Her dark hair was in a tight bun on top of her head. She wore black-rimmed glasses that stood out against her pale skin like ink on a newspaper. She had to be the mousiest woman he’d ever seen.
“My grandmother is unavailable at the moment.” Steve deliberately kept his voice low, so as not to scare the poor female.
“Oh, uh…” She glanced around the room as if searching for something. “She told me to stop by and pick up some kolachkis for the library event tonight.”
“Right.” He’d already stolen three from the plate. “Here you go.”
“Thanks.”
“I’m Wanda’s grandson, Steve, by the way.”
She nodded. “Nice to meet you. Bye.”
An instant later she was gone.
A minute after that, his grandmother reappeared in the kitchen and beamed at him. “So what did you think of Chloe? Isn’t she a sweet girl? Better than those wild women you seem to favor.”
Steve had to admit that in the past his taste in women had tended to lean toward good-time girls.
Then he’d met Gina. She’d been classy and smart.
He’d thought Gina was different. He’d been wrong. Thanks to an unexpected inheritance from his deceased Texas-oil-baron grandfather, Steve was a Marine with money. Lots of it.
