Forbidden Love With the Marine Read online

  Forbidden Love with the Marine

  Copyright 2013 Dez Burke

  Prologue

  Ivan Lance knew he would never forget that one night in May.

  The raid had been planned down to the tiniest detail; a mission that could leave nothing to

  chance. More than twenty men strong, the team’s helicopters dropped them into the dusty compound

  dotted with buildings.

  It had taken months – no, more accurately years, to get to this point. And Ivan felt his heart beat like never before.

  When he’d become a member of the Marine’s classified and most elite counterterrorism team,

  he’d known a time like this would come. The search and capture operation that would bring an end to one terrorist’s reign of terror that had spanned decades. It was all going down tonight…

  Countless bullets later, Ivan was standing in a room with nine of his other team members. Their

  guns were pointing at the extremist leader who looked almost unrecognizable from all the photos and video camera shots Ivan had ever seen of him. But there was no mistaking that he was their target.

  And it was only a matter of time before the world would be free from the terrorist’s history of killing and calculated use of violence. When the end came, it happened quickly…

  Chapter One

  Three months later…

  Ivan felt out of place in the crowded party. But since everyone had gone out of their way to

  make this a special night for him he couldn’t complain.

  Not when there’d already been so many good surprises…One of them being a certain brown-

  eyed beauty he’d believed he’d grown immune to a long time ago.

  Looked like he was wrong.

  Olivia Kirkland had a body made for sin. Ivan had known that she was going to be trouble ever

  since she’d started to bloom before his very eyes years ago.

  Seven years younger than Ivan, Olivia had shown great potential from age eighteen that she was

  bombshell material. It was around then that Ivan had started to be away from home for months at a

  time as a Marine - and it seemed like every time he came back, she just got lovelier and sexier.

  Her father, Martin Kirkland, had been like an adopted uncle to him after his parents died in a

  car crash when he was sixteen. Martin and Ivan’s father had been best friends in the army, and Martin had been quick to act as mentor and friend to the younger Ivan.

  Torn with grief from the loss of his parents, he had been on the brink of dropping out of high

  school, doing drugs, or getting involved with any number of the rough gangs in their neighborhood.

  But Martin had proven to be just the father figure he had needed when his own relatives had failed to rein in Ivan’s teenage excesses. Although he lived with a maternal aunt, it was his father’s best friend who’d kept him on the straight and narrow.

  Ivan had always been welcome at the Kirkland home, and in fact, he’d considered the

  Kirklands more of his family than any of his own blood relatives. He remembered the warm, robust

  dinners and holiday visits he’d enjoyed right here in this same house, and the many talks he’d shared with Martin.

  They’d spent lots of time hanging out on a bass boat fishing and Martin had taught him a lot of

  core values, not to mention dragging him to church every Sunday. By the time he was twenty two, Ivan had earned his college degree. Months later, he’d decided to join the Marines and he could remember Martin being in full support of his decision.

  Now age twenty-nine, Ivan had a very successful career as a Marine behind him. He already

  had two bronze stars and a Purple Heart under his belt. Ivan knew he was lucky to still be alive after all the action he’d seen in Afghanistan.

  His job was one of the most dangerous, and life expectancy wasn’t exactly a given. But he’d

  survived well enough so far and had no intention of dying any time soon. Not when there was so much of life waiting to be sampled.

  And there was one thing his raging hormones told him was just ripe for sampling – and right

  now she was coming his way.

  How old was Olivia now? Twenty-two, twenty-three? She certainly filled out that dress nicely

  for her age, mused Ivan. It was an electric blue number that went well with her skin-tone. Her breasts looked full, firm and rounded, jealously cupped by the corseted bodice of the dress.

  She had hips to make you lick your lips, and a waist so small he knew he’d easily span it with

  his two hands. Her legs, visible thanks to the knee-length hem of the dress, were long and lithe,

  ending in matching heels that if Ivan didn’t know better, had “kiss-me” written all over them. Ivan looked, and swallowed, and wondered what it would be like to wrap his arms around her and catch

  those lush lips in a deep searching kiss.

  And then he blinked hard, stopping short as he realized he was nursing carnal thoughts for his

  adopted uncle’s only daughter. Something he’d promised long ago that he’d never do.

  But damn, she was hot as hell!

  There was a smile on her face as she reached him, and he sucked in a breath as her loveliness

  smacked him in the chest. Beautiful dark brown eyes framed with dusky lashes and jet black, wavy

  hair which tumbled to her bare shoulders. Her lips were… hell. A red-blooded man couldn’t look at those lips and not think of sex. Full bottomed and tinted naturally with pink, they looked perpetually swollen and sensual.

  “I saved the first dance for my handsome Marine,” Olivia said teasingly, totally unaware of the

  very unchaste thoughts those curvy lips of hers were causing within his head.

  Her voice was the most surprising of all; smoky and filled with delightful warmth, it vibrated

  straight through his heart and made Ivan grit his teeth at the force of arousal that shot through him.

  Damn his cursed self-enforced celibacy!

  Ivan had decided to stay away from the girls for a while – no thanks to his recent screw-up of

  his relationship with Molly. He’d been dating Molly on and off for a couple of years – more off than on if he were to be exact. But her clinging ways had made life hell for him and he hadn’t really been sorry to return home with the news that she was now seeing someone else. Ivan had needs like every other guy but he was biding his time before getting involved with any female again – even if just

  casually. And that meant no sex. At all. Period.

  He’d been doing good so far but then the moment he’d set eyes on Olivia tonight, all he could

  think of was how much of a woman she’d become. A very desirable, grown woman who had a face

  and body to make a monk forget his vows.

  “You know I don’t dance, Olivia,” he said lightly, his smile taking off the sting. The music

  filled the air with energy and he could see many their friends and family having fun. He could also see Olivia’s father across the room overseeing the drinks while his wife, Martha was playing the perfect hostess she was, serving trays of snacks.

  Despite his better judgment, Ivan let his eyes run over Olivia one more time. Standing in front

  of him, her charms were displayed to heart-pounding perfection. Ivan had to admit that Olivia in a sexy dress would be top on his list of images to get himself off on when the ice-cold shower failed to work on his raging libido. Closing his eyes briefly, he prayed for strength.

  “Not dancing at your own welcome party? Who ever heard of that?” Olivia enquired in her

>   ever-playful tone. She took hold of both his hands and began to back away, pulling him along with her in direction of the dance area. Shaking his head with a wry smile, Ivan stood his ground, intent on not making a fool of himself. Ivan and dancing were not exactly best buddies.

  Olivia pouted, tilting her head to one side as she suddenly narrowed her eyes at him. “Do I

  make you nervous, Ivan?”

  Ivan paused, and then frowned. “What? How do you mean? No, of course not. Why would you

  say that?”

  “Well…because we used to be best buddies, you know. Five and six. But now you’re this

  tough, big shot Marine and I always take the back seat.” As she spoke, she moved forward to tug a

  little at the collar of his shirt, as if to straighten it. Her closeness brought home the sweet, spicy scent of her perfume that sent him on a cloud of sensual awareness. Damn she smelled so good. He closed

  his eyes for a brief moment and inhaled to savor her sweetness.

  But her words had actually really hurt. It was true they’d always had a strong bond. Olivia had

  taken to him like a big brother and he’d always been there for her growing up, helping her with school work or to get rid of some pesky admirer. He never would have wanted to give Olivia the impression that now he didn’t have time for her.

  Hell, ever since she left her teens and had started spouting curves every which way, he’d had to

  keep his distance for fear of giving in to the most amorous of desires. But even as Olivia had

  developed into the perfect pin-up girl, she still remained Martin Kirkland’s precious daughter and Ivan refused to think of her any differently. Hour-glass curves or not.

  “I’m sorry it looks that way, Olivia,” he said quietly at last. “Besides, I never dreamed you’d

  notice. You had your friends, your life in college…I just felt you’re all grown up now and didn’t need your big brother anymore.”

  “You’re right,” was her soft reply, her eyes looking straight up into his face in a way that made

  his throat constrict. “The last thing I need is a big brother.”

  There was a message in her eyes that Ivan didn’t understand or perhaps chose not to. He dared

  not think about it. He had to tell himself that the look of smoldering heat in Olivia’s sultry brown eyes had to be a figment of his fevered imagination.

  Olivia licked her lips and then began hesitantly, “Ivan, I…”

  Before she could finish, a few of her friends hurried up to them, giggling and surrounding Ivan,

  insisting he had to dance with them. Ivan saw that he had no way to counterforce the bombardment

  from Olivia’s teasing friends. But in a way, he was relieved to have this chance of breaking up what had been a very charged moment.

  Olivia looked far from pleased with the interruption, but she had no choice but to go along with

  it as at last, Ivan was dragged off to endure several rounds on the crowded dance floor.

  Chapter Two

  The cold shower didn’t help. Not tonight.

  Not after the last several hours of watching her, catching her sexy woman scent. Being so close

  to her that he could see deep into the striking features of her face. Hearing that raspy feminine voice of hers which, if he closed his eyes, he could make say anything he wanted. Like, “Kiss me, Ivan.

  Hold me and don’t let me go…”

  Groaning out loud at the thought of Olivia ever saying those words to him, Ivan called himself

  all kinds of a fool for lacking control. Now in his house and alone in his bedroom, he struggled not to give in to the sinful and totally inappropriate thoughts that Olivia had brought to life within him.

  Damn it! He hadn’t felt this hot for a female since his later teens. So horny that even after a

  long, punishingly cold shower his nine inches were still stiff and standing like a flagpole. Obviously he wasn’t going to get much sleep tonight. Not with an erection this hard. Not with the images of the smoking hot woman of his dreams filling his brain until he wanted to explode.

  Olivia…

  When had she got so smoking hot? It felt like just yesterday that she was in pigtails and mooning

  over the latest tween heartthrob; enduring Ivan’s constant teasing.

  Olivia…

  From lanky teenager to sex kitten with the killer curves and sultry gaze to match. With tits that

  had seemed so ripe, outlined by her dress, which also sheathed her curvy hips in ways that hinted at their tempting promise. Yes, truly a body for sin; a body designed just to please and drive you

  crazy…

  Eyes shut tight, Ivan tried to think of world hunger – the U.S. economy. Anything that would take

  his mind off the thought of Olivia’s pretty luscious lips and what he wanted them to be doing to him right at this moment.

  No doubt he had it bad for her. Big time.

  Just like that, Olivia Kirkland had got under his skin and he knew that if she was right here, in

  this room, he may just decide to forget every honorable promise he’d made to himself not to mess

  with Martin’s daughter. And yet…though Olivia might be grown up now – all grown up – Ivan told

  himself that there were still some lines even he wouldn’t cross.

  At least in person. He crossed them many times in his head right then as he lay in bed trying to

  fall asleep…fantasizing that he had Olivia’s mouth on him. She’d be moaning and telling him how

  much she wanted him. Ivan let out another long groan, rolling on his back as the hot pressure in his crotch made sleep evade him the more.

  Her quizzical words of earlier that night at the party, when she’d asked him, “Do I make you

  nervous?” now changed in his mind to “Do you want to kiss me? ”

  Shit! Ivan thought, finally flinging off the covers and heading back for the shower. Damn it all to hell!

  For heaven’s sake, he was a trained soldier. From constant training as well as the very

  demanding missions he’d gone on, he was used to cold water conditioning. He could remember “Hell

  Week” which had been part of the extreme activities he had to go through as a trainee.

  There’d been the surf-torture where he and others had to train oblivious to sub-zero

  temperatures as well as their own physical comfort. If he could survive all that, plus enduring four to five nights of training with a maximum total of four hours sleep – then hell he’d endure as many ice-cold showers as he needed to get over his rampaging desires for Olivia.

  He let out a long sigh as he stepped under the cold wet spray. Well, at least now he’d stopped

  denying it. Finally, he admitted to himself the same thing he’d been trying to refute all these years. The same thing that had made him take on more and more assignments that sent him away from home for

  longer periods of time.

  He loved being a Marine and the time-consuming schedule had never been a problem, but now

  he knew that a part of him had been happy to have an excuse to keep running away from the truth that had now kicked him in the balls.

  He didn’t just want her, he craved Olivia.

  But there was nothing he could do. He’d have to keep his inflamed lust for her as hidden as

  ever. She must never suspect – and neither must her father or in fact, anyone they knew. Martin

  Kirkland had trusted him, given Ivan a second home. The last thing Ivan would dream of doing was

  destroying that trust and losing the only thing that meant anything to him apart from his work in the service: his family.

  That was right; Olivia was family and he shouldn’t be thinking of jumping in between her legs.

  Maybe it was time, Ivan decided, to get into the dating scene again. Now that he was back

  home, he’d carve out some “me” time f
or himself. Go out with pals, get to meet some women. And

  probably get laid. Maybe that would keep his sexual appetites off the one woman he was determined

  not to claim…

  Chapter Three

  Olivia could have any man she wanted. She didn’t believe in false modesty and was well

  aware that, from her college days and up to her entrance into the professional field of business

  finance, she’d been a prime target for male attention.

  They couldn’t seem to keep away from her. Whether at work or at play among her equally feisty

  friends, she was never short of admirers. Some with less than good intentions. In fact, many made it known they would give anything for a taste of her treasures.

  But Olivia had never been tempted. Just a few months after her twenty-second birthday, she

  was getting steadily better at rejecting “suitors”. Men just didn’t seem to get why she was far from ready to jump into their beds; not with her partying and clubbing ways. Not with the seductive way she looked.

  She loved to surprise people with the way her bold, daring fashion sense contrasted with her

  demure, even prudish principles. That was why she always laughed when any of her handsome dates

  got fooled by her “glam doll” exterior into thinking she would be an easy lay. She knew they could never give her what she wanted.

  And that was the same thing she’d wanted ever since she started to understand her feelings for

  Ivan Lance.

  As a clueless teen, she’d adored him for his protective if sometimes teasing nature. An only

  child, like him, they’d formed a connection that she’d never dreamed she’d want to take to another level. But as they’d matured, he’d turned into a walking, talking sex god and the next thing she knew, she was crushing hard on him.

  While in college, none of the gorgeous jocks or cool, brooding geeks had appealed to her. All

  she could think of was her handsome “hero” Ivan who’d become a Marine. He’d joined unexpectedly

  after he’d graduated from university, and for more than two years, she hardly ever saw him as he

  completed his training and got deployed to his base. And then, when he finally got shipped out to