Model Soldier by Cat Johnson Page B

that fact away for later use.
    Today was turning out to be pretty interesting all around.  

    Chapter Nine

    In the dimly-lit comfort of her hotel room, Emily stared into the haunting eyes of Staff Sergeant David “Hawk” Hawkins and realized her heart was not only beating faster, but parts lower were beginning to throb as well.
    Darn it.
    She reached out one finger and ran it down the side of his cheek, shaking her head. He was an idiot, a total jerk one moment, and then he came up with the perfect suggestion for their shoot the next moment and he actually cooperated during it.
    The man was gorgeous to look at on the outside, and a male chauvinistic pig on the inside.
    And she wanted him.
    Emily leaned back from the laptop screen and the photo of Hawk, decked out in his dress uniform, chest covered in ribbons or medals or whatever they were called, face stern, as usual, his jaw firmly set, his eyes piercing straight through her.
    There might be more inside this man that she’d only glimpsed. Of course, that something more could be either good or bad. There was no telling for sure, but she would never know.
    Emily sighed. She left for New York tomorrow. She and Jai had tickets on a morning flight out of Germany. She was returning to work and to her boss a success with enough photos for a kick-butt ad campaign. She was also returning home without her Prince Charming, and in that respect, this assignment had been a failure.
    A knock on the door made Emily jump nearly out of her desk chair.
    She heard Jai’s voice follow the knock. “Em! You still awake in there?”
    Happy she hadn’t taken the time to change into her flannel pajamas and knowing Jai would tease her relentlessly for certain if she had, Emily opened the door for him.
    “No, I’m not asleep. And if I had been, you sure would have woken me up.”
    He grinned. “But you weren’t sleeping, so it’s all good. And since you’re awake… There’s a Ratskeller right next door to the hotel. What do you say we go out and sample some of the local culture in the form of German beer and nightlife for our last night here?”
    “I don’t know. I thought I’d work on some more print ad mock ups…”
    “You can do that tomorrow during the flight while I sleep off a nice dark lager hangover.”
    Emily laughed. No doubt that would be exactly how the flight would go. “Okay.” Then she looked down at her wool trousers and sweater, the same ones she’d worn all day. “Am I dressed alright for a Ratskeller? I don’t think I’ve ever been to one.”
    “Em, it’s just a bar. You’re overdressed, I’m sure. Just come on.”
    Trusting Jai’s fashion advice because one, she had no other choice and two, the rest of her wardrobe packed in her luggage looked pretty much like what she had on but in a different color, Emily grabbed her wallet out of her briefcase and headed out.
    The minute Emily walked into the bar she felt it, eyes on her, lots of them, all male. And judging by the fact that Hawk stood in the center of the group of males watching her, she guessed they were all soldiers from the neighboring garrison. They weren’t in uniform, but they did all sport the signature military cropped hair, two of them even walked in sync when they crossed the bar to the jukebox together.
    Hawk smiled and crossed the room himself, but he wasn’t following the other two, he was heading right for her. Emily took a deep breath and prepared for another verbal battle.
    Nodded a greeting to Jai, Hawk turned to her. “Hey, Goldilocks. Fancy seeing you here.”
    “Good evening, sergeant. Em. I’m going to get us two beers. Good with you?” Jai asked her, grinning in amusement at what was apparently her new name, at least as far as Hawk was concerned.
    She scowled at her supposed friend but accepted his offer. “Yeah, fine. Thanks.” Glancing back at Hawk, she had a feeling a beer, or two, would be in order tonight.
    As Jai left them alone, she raised her chin to confront