Free Make Mine a Marine by Julie Miller

touch her again before this investigation is finished, Chambers, and I'll throw you out of here by your ponytail.”
    “Brodie, that's not necessary.”
    “It's all right.” Rick oozed conceit once again. “We all know Emma hired him to help with your …” he paused to squeeze sympathy into his voice, “…memory lapses. I'm willing to help in whatever way I can. You can count on my full cooperation.”
    After Rick closed the door behind him, BJ muttered, “In a pig's eye.”
    “What was that all about?” Brodie asked.
    “I'm not sure. Rick can be rude and hot tempered, but he's never behaved like that before. Of course, he's got a lot at stake with that promotion. There's no other position he can advance to here at headquarters.”
    “Then he's never threatened you like that before?”
    “No.”
    The protective rage that filled the room softened a little. Brodie had just been doing his job. But BJ felt as cherished and championed as any lady whose knight had just ridden in on a white horse to save her. Rick's unsuspected violence angered her, but what made the whole scene truly frightening was how out of control she felt. She was once more the victim, not the director, of her own destiny.
    All day long she’d put off Brodie's attempts to discuss the night before. She knew she must have done something awful to find herself bare breasted and panting on top of him. But despite her humiliation, Brodie had done nothing but treat her with gentleness and respect. He kissed away her fear and confusion, and tucked her into bed. Her sixth sense told her that he had even stayed in the room with her until she found restful sleep.
    Her first impression of Frankenstein's monster altered into another fairy tale. One where a man of true kindness and caring spirit had been enchanted with a hideous appearance to punish him for a crime. BJ couldn't imagine what crime her gentle giant could have committed.
    Her giant? Where did that possessive, protective feeling come from? Brodie could definitely take care of himself, and he had made it very clear by his words and actions that he wasn't interested in belonging to anyone.
    “You're not all right.” Brodie pushed aside some books and sat on the edge of her desk, bringing his body several inches closer to her size. He pulled her hand into his and brushed his thumb lightly across her knuckles.
    It was hard to push aside her new feelings when he made it so easy to give in to his strength and caring.
    “You look a little peaked.” The archaic expression rumbled in his deep, soothing voice added to the old-fashioned charm and chivalry that BJ found so endearing.
    “I'm okay,” she whispered, feeling his comfort and warmth slipping around her, chasing away the stress of the unpleasant encounter with Rick. “I just can't shake this headache.”
    “Do you want me to take you home?”
    “I can't leave. There are too many people downstairs waiting to see my latest creation.”
    “You don't owe them anything.”
    BJ reached for the right side of his jaw. She cupped her fingers gently there when he didn't pull away. “I can't run and hide, either. Besides, you'll be there with me, right?”
    His eyes darkened to a turbulent storm cloud color before a shade was drawn and they reverted back to icy, emotionless gray. “I'll be there.”
    Despite his promise, BJ could feel him withdrawing, shutting the doors to his inner self. Respectfully, she pulled her hands away, allowing him that distance.
    Brodie was the one to press her hand reassuringly before they separated entirely. “Let's go.”
    BJ preceded Brodie into the hallway, bolstered by his encouragement. A third figure came around the corner and BJ immediately slowed down, expecting Rick had returned.
    But when she recognized the tall, distinguished man walking toward her, her anxiety vanished and she ran, smiling, into the welcoming arms of Damon Morrisey.
    “Damon!”
    Damon's sixty years were evident only in the distinguished