From Sanctum with Love (Masters and Mercenaries #10) - Lexi Blake Page 0,1

just walk away from the damn Army, she’d sworn he’d never loved her and that she would have her revenge.

Two days later she’d called and begged his forgiveness. She’d explained it was only nerves about him being so far away, but Kai had started to think that asking her to marry him had been a mistake.

Maybe everyone was right and they were too young.

He parked his rental in the driveway behind Jared’s beat-up old Jeep and a late model Ford. Likely that belonged to whoever Jared was sleeping with. Jared never mentioned women in his letters. Mostly he’d talked about his audition for some local TV show about physical fitness or asked questions about how to do simple things like pay the water bill.

Kai groaned. His little brother’s letters had taken on a tone of desperation. The kid was nineteen. He should be able to write a damn check. Kai sent him all the money he had. Their aunt had lived with Jared until he’d turned eighteen. She’d certainly taught him how to run the house, but his brother rarely listened. No. He expected the rest of the world to take care of him because he was so damn beautiful.

Kai hopped out of the car, eager to get inside, get cleaned up, and go over to Hannah’s. He might be able to avoid Jared for a while. It was still morning and his brother liked to sleep in.

He stepped onto the porch and found his keys in his pocket. Hannah. What the hell was he going to do? They’d met in college, about six months before he’d gone into the Army. They’d been at a frat party together.

God, that felt like a hundred years ago. Now the thought of partying at Sigma House made him sick to his stomach. He’d seen so much, knew what the real world was like now. This whole place seemed like a dream.

He wanted to see her, hold her. Maybe once they were together in the same place, Iraq would be the dream. Nightmare. Although he’d also met some of the best people he’d ever known. It was what he couldn’t get her to understand.

He sighed as he stood outside the door to the house he’d grown up in. Once he’d seen her again, everything would fall into place and all these horrible cravings he had would go away. He would see Hannah and remember how much he loved her.

God, he hoped that was what would happen.

What the hell was he going to do if it didn’t?

With a long sigh, he opened the door. A weariness set in. Maybe he’d grab some sleep first. He’d been traveling for almost two days. He didn’t sleep well on a plane. Or in a damn airport for that matter. His leg was aching. He was a fucking mess.

Yeah, a couple of hours of sleep and he would be ready to face her.

“I made you some coffee,” a feminine voice said. He could barely hear her.

“Look, I’m not trying to be mean.” That was his brother. It sounded like they were in the kitchen. “What happened between us was a horrible mistake and I need you to leave. It’s not going to happen again.”

There was a familiar husky laugh. “Oh, I think it will.”

Was that? No. She wouldn’t. He wouldn’t.

Kai moved toward the hall that led to the small kitchen and family room. There was a tiny table where he’d sat and helped his brother with homework. He’d been the one who had to watch his brother while their mom had worked two jobs. He’d had to figure out how to cook dinner and get his brother to bed and try to help around the house because she would be so tired when she came in at midnight.

“It won’t. I was drunk that night. I…I want the keys back. You shouldn’t have them. You need to leave.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Jared. If you think I’m giving you up after that night, you’re crazy. We were good together.”

Kai pushed through the swinging door because he had to see it with his own two eyes. He had to face it and understand what was happening. Perhaps his ears were faulty. Maybe the chick only sounded like Hannah.

Nope. There she was. She was standing in his kitchen looking smoking hot in tight jeans and a tank top that showed off her breasts. Well, he and Jared always had the same taste in women. Curvy, gorgeous women. And like all women, apparently Hannah preferred