One Night of Pleasure: Military Romance Featuring a Sexy Navy Hero (Take a Chance Book 5) by Caridad Pineiro Page B

female, but even as she pictured his reaction, she told herself that he’d never be interested in the real woman beneath the glamour.
    The real woman was just not his style, but for this one night . . .

Chapter 2
    “Where is your poker face, Mark?” asked Rafe Castillo as he stood beside him at the head of the ballroom.
    “This is my poker face,” Mark said in a playful monotone, belying the fact that he’d been busy scanning the crowded ballroom, looking for her.
    “She’s not here yet, but Maggie and Trevor just came in.  I suspect Bridget is not all that far behind,” Rafe said and gestured in the direction of the ballroom entrance.
    “Am I that obvious?” he said, but had no sooner spoken when she walked into the room and the sight of her sucker-punched him.
    He actually had to take a second look, just to make sure it was her, but it was.
    “Wow,” he muttered.
    “She cleans up nice,” Rafe said.
    “ She is not a car or some other object that needs cleaning,” Rafe’s wife Elena warned and nudged her husband mischievously as she stood by his side.
    Mark glanced in Elena’s direction and smiled at the woman, who was no slouch in the beauty department.  A stunning Latina with dangerous curves, she would draw the eye of any man.  Coupled with her brains and easy-going nature, Rafe was definitely a lucky man.
    “Be easy on him, Elena.  He’s still acclimating to being back on the block and having women around.”
    She slipped her hand into Rafe’s as he smiled at her and said, “Forgive me.”
    “Forgiven, but you’d better make a move, Mark.  You’re not the only ones who’ve noticed Bridget,” she said and jerked her head in the direction of the other woman as she walked in and looked around, as if searching for someone.
    Elena was right about Bridget snagging the attention of quite a few males in the crowd.  The midnight blue dress she wore hugged her slender curves, making him itch to touch them.  The low cut of the neckline exposed lots of cleavage and when she took a step forward, a high side slit revealed a tempting length of sexy leg.
    His cock stirred to life at the thought of all that femininity tucked against him. Of moving aside that fabric to explore what was beneath.
    “Thanks for watching my six,” he said and hurried away to escort Bridget to their table.  As he neared, she stuttered to a stop and met his gaze, obviously uncertain.
    He suspected it wasn’t just about where she was supposed to go as her ocean blue gaze swept over him and a becoming blush spread across her cheeks.  The color brought out the smattering of freckles across the bridge of her nose.
    When he reached her, he said, “You look lovely, but then again, you always do.”
    She surprised him by chuckling and shaking her head. The thick waves of her dark brown hair shifted against her nearly bare shoulders with the movement.
    “I guess you haven’t seen me on the job site, covered in mud.”
    He raised an index finger to keep her from saying anything else.  “But I have seen you on the beach volleyball court, covered in sand.  Does that count?”
    The flush on her cheeks deepened and her blue-eyed gaze darkened with desire.  The feeling was mutual as he remembered the sight of her in a bikini.  It was making him hard and something inside had him laying a possessive hand at her waist to draw her just a bit closer.
    She peered at his hand for a brief moment before she met his gaze directly.  “I’m not into playing games, Captain Smith.”
    He leaned close and the smell of her, a sexy combination of woman and a clean citrusy perfume, added to his growing desire.  Against the shell of her ear, he whispered, “The name is Mark and I’m not into games either, contrary to what you might have heard.”
    With her sexy fuck me heels, they were the same height.  That made it possible for her to lean forward and whisper back, “I’ve heard you’re an honorable man, so don’t disappoint