Fake Boyfriend - Miley Maine Page 0,1

sheets. At that point, I’d have taken a blanket and a cot, which would still be a step up from many places I slept. I fell asleep immediately.

Smoke clogged my throat. Dust stung my eyes. On my stomach, I crawled forward. A blast rocked the ground next to me. My ears rang; my head spun.

I jerked awake. Someone was in the room. I rolled sideways to grab my gun, but my hand hit a combat boot.

“Watch it,” my teammate said.

Dammit. A nightmare.

I rubbed my hand over my mouth. “How’d you get in here?” It’s not like we were crammed together in barracks; the U.S. government had sprung for separate rooms.

My teammate loomed over me, but not too close. He had the heel of his boot on my gun, which was smart. “Broke in.” He pointed to the adjoining door, where the handle was now missing. Great.

“You screamed,” he said.

“I was dreaming,” I said. I was not telling him about my nightmare. We were close, but not that close. “Must have thought I was at Disney World,” I said.

“Yeah, I bet. That Dumbo roller coaster is something else.” He gave my leg one last friendly kick. “Good news. We’ve got a month of leave. Boss says good job. The dumbass you rescued is fine, and his daddy is so thrilled he donated a shit-ton of money to the armed forces.”

That was… good. Numb, I tried to muster some enthusiasm for the upcoming holiday from work.

“I’m going to Atlantic City,” my teammate said. “Cannot wait.”

That sounded like hell. Crowds. People. Noise.

I wanted to be alone.

He wandered back to his room, where I could hear the television blaring, thanks to the missing doorknob.

I sat up and leaned against the wall. What the fuck? Why was I having nightmares now? This hadn’t been my worst mission. My team was alive. The kid was alive. The Ambassador was apparently thrilled if he was throwing money around. And we were all sleeping inside. It wasn’t the Ritz, but it was damn near close.

I wiped my hand over my mouth and it came away smeared with blood. I’d bitten down on my own tongue.

Christ, I did need a break.

I rolled onto my back and closed my eyes. I had a month off. I could go anywhere in the world. I wasn’t rich, but I had plenty of hazard pay saved up, and I never had a reason to spend it.

I could go to my grandfather’s cabin in Alaska. I’d spent most summers there growing up. The cool air had always been a welcome break from Florida’s heat, where I’d lived as a kid. Now that I was stationed in Georgia, I experienced the same kind of heat while I was in the States.

Alaska in the summer was perfect. I could go there and get a handle on myself, and quit freaking out about nothing.

Chapter Two

Loren

I tapped my champagne glass against my cousin’s. “Congratulations,” I said. “I’m so happy for you.” The words flowed from my mouth, but I didn’t really mean them. Who in their right mind wanted to get married at twenty-one?

My cousin did, I’m sure, because that’s what her parents wanted. The adults in my family weren’t like most parents these days, who wanted their kids to experience what life had to offer first, and get married second. Nope. They wanted us tied down early. It was a side effect of living in the Deep South.

What a waste of her prime years.

“We don’t want to wait,” Marie said. “We’re getting married next week!”

“Next week!” I took another sip. “That’s sudden.” My cousin had just met her fiance Douglas three months ago. He was a nice enough guy. And he was wealthy, and that was what mattered most to my family. He was a little nerdy, but at least he was older, which was the only way to go. Guys in their twenties were insufferable.

“It’s fast, but not sudden.” She grimaced in my direction. “We’re in love.”

Right. Love. “I bet your mother’s not too happy about the date.” My aunt would want maximum time to plan. Or more accurately, to have the wedding planner plan, so the photos would look amazing in the society magazine.

“No. No one’s happy,” she said. But they’ll be fine. The wedding’s going to be in Alaska!”

“Alaska! Wow. That is awesome.” Awesome, and unexpected. Everyone in our family had gotten married at the Lutheran church and then held the reception at the country club. Our family did not like any of us