Free Make Mine a Marine by Julie Miller Page A

silver of his hair and the crow's feet crinkling beside his dark brown eyes. He was a vital, intelligent man, with a wicked sense of humor and an affinity for giving bear hugs, which BJ loved.
    “Bridget,” he smiled down at her, separating himself a little but keeping her in his arms, “I'm sorry to be so late. That last meeting ran on forever. I haven't missed the debut, have I?”
    “Not at all. I'm on my way to start the demonstration now.”
    BJ didn't know how she could feel any more secure than she did at that moment. The man she loved like a father held her under the crook of one arm, and the man who was becoming her spiritual as well as physical protector stood beside her.
    “I want to introduce you to Brodie Maxwell.” BJ tilted her head up toward Brodie, who stood in the middle of the hallway with his feet braced out in a vee and his massive hands balled into fists. A vein pulsed beneath the scar on his left cheek while his eyes bored icy daggers at Damon. Brodie looked the very image of the beefy guard defending the gates of the castle.
    Where was the danger? BJ wondered. Then she realized Brodie would be suspicious of everyone, and that without finishing the introduction, he had no way of knowing that Damon presented no harm to her.
    She touched his arm, willing the mistrust out of his expression. Brodie's gaze dropped briefly to where she touched him, then refocused, just as unflinchingly, on Damon.
    “This is Damon Morrisey, my mentor and good friend. It's all right.”
    Getting no help from Brodie, BJ turned and smiled an apology at Damon. Damon didn't disappoint her. Releasing BJ, he stepped forward. “Mr. Maxwell.”
    For a moment, BJ didn't think Brodie would accept the proffered hand. But then he relaxed his stance a bit and returned the handshake. “Morrisey.”
    Damon folded his arms together and rubbed his hand thoughtfully across his jaw. “Do I know you?”
    Brodie answered without inflection. “You'd remember me if we'd met.”
    “I'm sure I would.” Unlike Rick, Damon seemed curious about, but not intimidated by Brodie. BJ hadn't considered the possibility of the two men not getting along. Without conscious thought, she had imagined the three of them forming a team to track down LadyTech's pirate and stop whoever was playing games with her. Brodie's reaction to Damon concerned her, but this was obviously not the place to discuss it.
    “Let's get this show on the road.” BJ forced the lightness into her voice, hoping to prod Brodie into a friendlier mood.
    No such luck.
    With a grim, self-contained look in his eyes, Brodie excused himself. “You go ahead. I need to check a few things.”
    BJ questioned him silently, but he offered no answers.
    Damon proved to be a more willing escort. He bent his elbow and winked at her. “Shall we?”
    BJ tucked her hand through his arm. “By all means.”
    It didn't feel right to leave Brodie standing alone in the hallway behind her. She wanted to ask him what was wrong, and maybe offer him some of the comfort he had in abundant supply for her. She suspected he hated tonight's party, but endured it for her sake. Brodie gave and gave to her, accepting very little in return. She wondered what a man like him did for fun. She wondered if fun was even part of his vocabulary. She had yet even to see him smile.
    A round of applause when they entered the warehouse startled her out of her theorizing. Damon dropped a chaste kiss at her temple and whispered in her ear. “My young protégée is a hit.”
    “I'm not that young, Damon.”
    “Please. Twenty-seven years old and a multimillionaire, with the respect and envy of her peers? Go. Take your place in the spotlight.”
    Damon gave her a gentle shove. The crowd of guests parted to give her a path to the stage where Jas and Emma stood. “And here is the third member of the triumvirate that makes up LadyTech. I can see I don't need to introduce BJ to you.”
    Jas continued with her speech about the new