Getting Lucky by Susan Andersen Page A

his objective; he could feel it in his bones. It would be beneficial to know where they were headed, but surely an island destination meant this endless road trip was about to reach its culmination. And not a moment too soon, if you asked him.
    He didn’t like driving these American highways. Gringo drivers were too quick with the rude gestures whenever he made a mistake. He spit on them— they made mistakes all the time, so he ought to be allowed a minor one or two. At least he had the excuse of unfamiliar thoroughfares that were much busier, if a lot smoother, than those to which he was accustomed. What excuse had they?
    Finding himself once again growing tense, he drew yet another deep breath and forced himself to relax. He need only practice patience for a short while longer. For, soon, the opportunity would present itself to him.
    Then the master sergeant would see how it felt to lose his woman.
     
    Lily’s forehead furrowed as she glanced over at Zach. Had his shoulders grown wider since the last time she’d looked? She could swear that the longer they were confined in the car, the more space he took up.
    Watching his hands as they tapped a restless rhythm against the steering wheel made her strangely itchy. They were tanned, tough-skinned, and sort of beat-up-looking, marred by nicks and calluses. His nails were clean and clipped, but his left thumb sported a nail that was ripped below the quick on one side.
    She looked down at her own hands with a ruefulsmile. They weren’t exactly smooth as silk themselves. But she was a chef, so cuts and burns were a hazard of the job. Besides, compared to Zach’s, hers could have belonged to some pampered magnolia blossom on one of those old-time southern plantations. With his wide palms and large-knuckled fingers, Zach’s hands were just so indisputably male .
    A moment later she snuck a peek at his mouth, and found her gaze lingering on the thin, pale scar that bisected his upper lip. Her nipples tightened to attention, and the spot deep between her thighs went all tight and achy, and she jerked her gaze away. Oh, man. This was not good. This was not good at all.
    She was suddenly hornier than a convict out on parole, and where the heck had that come from? She’d never tried to deny Zach’s hunk appeal, but she had sort of blithely assumed his insulting attitude toward her would act like a vaccine against it. Surely regular booster shots of his lousy personality would render her permanently immune.
    But he’d played nice today. Well, nicer, anyway, but when one was used to dealing with Baboo the Barbarian, almost human behavior made an amazing difference, and she’d found her opinion of him softening considerably. The deciding factor, of course, had been that hint of vulnerability he’d displayed this morning talking about his parents. It had tugged at every sensibility she possessed, worming its way more deeply into one of her soft spots every time her thoughts drifted back to it.
    And wasn’t that just too pathetic for words? Good grief, women had been falling for that tough-guy-disguising-the-hurt-inner-boy ploy for centuries. She shifted in her seat, straightening her spine defensively. Well, if she couldn’t be smarter than that, she’d simply have to be vigilant. Because no way on earth did she plan to fall victim to that sorry cliché.
    Still, sneaking looks at his mouth, she couldn’t help but speculate. Zach was well traveled and came from a monied background that usually landed its brethren deep in the Old School Tie network. So how in heaven’s name had he gotten from there to the macho Marine thing he had going? And why did the conviction keep sliding into her mind that far from preppie polite, he’d kiss like a guy from the wrong side of the tracks?
    She pressed her spine hard into her seat back. Good glory, Lily, are you out of your cotton-picking mind? The man thinks you’re a money-grubbing slut, and you’re wondering how he kisses ? Why not