Vince: One Night with a Marine: A Second Chance Military Romance (Anchor Me Book 2) Read online

  Vince

  One Night with a Marine

  Lisa Carlisle

  LisaCarlisleBooks.com

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  Also by Lisa Carlisle

  Anchor Me

  Navy SEALs, Marines, and hometown heroes. Each one encounters his most complicated mission yet, when he will find a woman from his past—who changes his future.

  Antonio (a novella available for free here)

  Angelo

  Vince

  Matty

  Jack (All Released in 2020!)

  Underground Encounters

  Steamy paranormal romances set in an underground goth club that attracts vampires, witches, shifters, and gargoyles.

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  Book 2: FIRE (a witch / firefighter romance)

  Book 3: IGNITE (a feline shifter / rock star romance)

  Book 4: BURN (a vampire / shapeshifter rock romance)

  Book 5: HEAT (a gargoyle shifter romance)

  Book 6: BLAZE (a gargoyle shifter rockstar romance)

  Book 7: COMBUST (vampire / witch romances)

  Book 8: INFLAME (a gargoyle shifter / witch romance)

  Book 9: TORCH (a gargoyle shifter / werewolf romance

  Book 10: SCORCH (an incubus vs succubus demon romance)

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  Gargoyle shifters, wolf shifters, and tree witches have divided the Isle of Stone after a great battle 25 years ago. One risk changes it all…

  Knights of Stone: Mason

  Knights of Stone: Lachlan

  Knights of Stone: Bryce

  Seth: a wolf shifter romance in the series

  Knights of Stone: Calum

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  Meet your perfect match the night of the super moon — or your perfect match for the night. A cop teams up with a gargoyle shifter when demons attack Boston.

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  Immortal Resistance

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  A shared author world with the vampire blood courtesans.

  Pursued: Mia

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  Vince

  Copyright 2020 Lisa Carlisle

  Edited by Mellow Wood Editing

  Cover by Talia’s Book Covers

  The right of Lisa Carlisle to be identified as author of this Work has been asserted by her in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in retrieval system, copied in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise transmitted without written permission from the publisher. You must not circulate this book in any format.

  This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be resold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please do so through your retailer’s “lend” function. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return it and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  To obtain permission to excerpt portions of the text, please contact the author at [email protected].

  All characters in this book are fiction and figments of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Find out more about the author and upcoming books online at lisacarlislebooks.com, facebook.com/lisacarlisleauthor, or @lisacbooks.

  Created with Vellum

  Contents

  1. Chapter One

  2. Chapter Two

  3. Chapter Three

  4. Chapter Four

  5. Chapter Five

  6. Chapter Six

  7. Chapter Seven

  8. Chapter Eight

  9. Chapter Nine

  10. Chapter Ten

  11. Chapter Eleven

  12. Chapter Twelve

  13. Chapter Thirteen

  14. Chapter Fourteen

  15. Chapter Fifteen

  16. Chapter Sixteen

  17. Chapter Seventeen

  18. Chapter Eighteen

  19. Chapter Nineteen

  20. Chapter Twenty

  21. Chapter Twenty-One

  22. Chapter Twenty-Two

  Epilogue

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  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Book List

  Vince

  A Second Chance Marine Romance

  Lisa Carlisle

  She has a rule. He has two problems. But can one night lead to forever?

  Emma - I've sworn never to date another man in the military.

  It's non-negotiable. Not only was I burned, but my mom, too.

  Except the hot Marine I had a one-night stand with just popped back into my life as the EOD tech I'm working with.

  Awkward.

  Especially since Vince in real life is even more irresistible than the sexy stranger at the wedding.

  Too bad it won't work.

  It can't.

  Unless I forego my one rule and let my heart be the guide.

  But will it lead me to being burned again?

  Vince - I'm only in town for a short time, but Emma wants nothing to do with the military.

  Before my holiday break home in Newport, I'll be spending time with Emma--the hot caterer I had one amazing night with at my brother's wedding.

  She's full of contradictions.

  And I can't resist a puzzle.

  Or a beautiful woman I have chemistry with.

  I won't be here for long, so we can't enjoy ourselves for a little while?

  But when someone breaks into her apartment, my interest grows into more than just being friends with benefits.

  I need to ensure she's safe.

  Can I protect Emma while shielding both of our hearts? Or will we end up casualties in the explosion?

  Meet the DeMarchis family in this series by USA Today bestselling author Lisa Carlisle. Navy SEALs, Marines, and hometown heroes -- each encounters his most complicated mission yet when a woman from his past challenges his plans for his future.

  Chapter One

  Vince

  “’Til death do you part? That is one messed up mission.” Vince gave his older brother, Angelo, a lopsided smile.

  They stood before Narragansett Bay where Angelo had just married his fiancée, Catherine, in an outdoor ceremony. An occasional sea breeze rolled i
n with its heady fragrance, cooling the heat of the summer day. The sun had begun to set, painting fiery streaks across the sky.

  “And he volunteered for it, no less,” Vince’s younger brother, Matty, added.

  They all wore matching tuxedos with blue cummerbunds. Angelo and Matty had trimmed their hair and beards for the wedding, while Vince had his Marine-required clean-shaven face and close haircut.

  “It’s a marriage, not a mission.” Angelo laughed. “When you find the right woman, you go for it.” He nodded as if it was a solid declaration.

  Vince and Matty exchanged a skeptical glance.

  “That explains why it took you two over a decade to get hitched,” Vince quipped.

  Angelo grunted and smiled. “You know what I mean. We were kids back then. Our lives went in separate directions.”

  “Just giving you a hard time.” Vince patted Angelo on the back. “Congrats, man. I’m happy for you.”

  His mother walked towards them with arms raised for a hug and smiling, although her eyes were glossy. Her dark hair was coiled without a strand out of place and she wore a blue dress with several silky layers. “Here comes Ma.”

  Matty covered his mouth and whispered, “Mother-of-the-Groom-Zilla.”

  Vince knew what was coming next. Since Angelo had announced he was getting married, their mother had been relentless. His engagement instigated many questions about when Vince and Matty would settle down.

  “My eldest married!” She wrapped her arms around Angelo, and then attempted to pull Vince and Matty into the hug as well. They both leaned in to the awkward embrace with their mom as she tried to hug the three grown men.

  “I never thought I’d see the day! What with you boys deployed here and there and it being almost impossible to get you all in Newport at the same time.” She pulled back and moved her hard-stare along them like a drill sergeant. “Family is the most important thing.”

  Vince had been reminded of that many times, but he didn’t blame his mother for repeating it. She was the one who was responsible for keeping their family together while their father had been out to sea, which had happened many times during his career in the Navy. It couldn’t have been easy raising three raucous boys largely by herself.

  “When am I going to see the two of you getting married?” Her eyes traveled from Vince to Matty.

  Damn, that was quick.

  “To each other?” Matty teased. “We’re brothers! That’s not really legal, Ma. Besides, Vince is too pretty for my taste.”

  She swatted Matty’s arm. “You know what I mean. Everything’s a joke with you. One day, you’ll meet the right woman, and then you’ll start to take life more seriously.”

  “Until then, I’ll live the dream.” He cocked his head and stared out to the sea with a carefree expression.

  She pulled her gaze to Vince, waiting.

  “Not going to happen while I’m in the Marines, Ma.” He glanced out to the other attendees, focusing on his cousins, Jack and Antonio, from Boston, who were also Marines. He’d catch up with them more later, but for now, he had to escape the pressure to settle down. He deflected the attention to Angelo. “Now that Angelo’s married, maybe you’ll have grandbabies soon.”

  She clutched her hands. “I’ve been waiting to be a grandmother for so long!”

  Angelo shot Vince an I’m-gonna-kill-you look.

  While she refocused on Angelo, Vince stole the opportunity to escape as she could be more tenacious than a Devil Dog when it came to her sons.

  Matty’s voice trailed after Vince. “Aaand Vince disappears with his classic Irish goodbye.”

  Vince acknowledged them with a wave, but didn’t turn back. He needed some space. He slipped inside the venue, an elegant stone seaside inn on the ocean. A woman with honey-brown hair pulled into a bun captured his attention. A strand fell across her cheek. She wore black slacks and a white blouse and carried a tray of cupcakes. He caught her gaze, and sucked in a breath.

  Seconds passed and neither spoke. His heart hammered in his chest. He should say something, but he continued to stare into her wide brown eyes.

  Where did all the oxygen go?

  Her full pink lips parted as if she was about to speak, but then she tore her gaze away and shook her head as if confused. He blinked and inhaled, just as taken off-guard by his reaction. So what if she was hot? It wasn’t as if he’d never seen a pretty woman before.

  Still, he tracked where she walked. She headed toward the main room where the reception was being held. Guests were tearing it up on the dance floor to Uptown Funk. No way would he join in. He didn’t get the appeal of flailing arms and legs like an idiot in front of an audience.

  The ring bearer ran into the pretty brunette’s path, followed by the flower girl.

  “Watch out,” Vince warned, rushing over.

  It was too late. She tripped over the kids.

  He managed to reach her before the cupcakes crashed onto the tiled floor.

  Some of the cupcakes fell off the tray, frosting first, yet they’d salvaged the tray, for the most part.

  “Are you okay?” He placed the tray on a nearby table.

  She blinked a few times. “Yes. I didn’t even see them coming.”

  His jaw tightened. Had he distracted her with his idiotic stare? “They came out of nowhere.”

  She glanced at the tray and straightened the toppled cupcakes. “Crap.”

  “You’re down a few troops, but I think they can be salvaged.” He picked up a couple of cupcakes and placed them upright.

  She gazed at him as if perplexed and then shook her head. “Thanks.” She brushed the hair out of her face but managed to smear white frosting on her cheek.

  A chuckle burst out of him without warning as the ridiculousness of the situation caught up. Here he was in a monkey suit at his brother’s wedding with a beautiful woman and fallen cupcakes.

  “What’s so funny?” Her brows furrowed.

  He reached out and wiped some frosting off her cheek, displaying it on his finger tip. “Just a little frosting.”

  “Oh!” Her cheeks turned pink. “I’m a hot mess.”

  He chuckled. “Hot, yes. But not a mess.”

  “Thanks, I guess.” She picked up one of the cupcakes off the floor. With a wry grin, she asked, “Have a sweet tooth?” She raised the cupcake toward his cheek as if ready to smear him.

  He stopped laughing and waved his hands in surrender. “No, I can’t mess up this tux. It’s a rental I have to return tomorrow.”

  “Fine.” She conceded with a tilt of her head and a sassy grin. “But, only because you helped me avoid a catastrophe.” She tossed the cupcake in the garbage and used a rag to wipe the remaining frosting off the floor.

  “At a wedding no less, that’s colossal confectionery carnage.”

  “That’s quite the alliteration over a cupcake collision.” Her eyes twinkled and her lips curled into a demi-smile.

  Wordplay? Hell yes. Nothing hotter than verbal foreplay. How could he keep them talking?

  Ah, he’d be a gentleman and offer to help. He lifted the tray from the table. “Where can I bring these?”

  “You don’t have to do that. It’s what I’m here for.”

  “Not a problem. I’m the best man. I can at least do something more useful than standing around in this penguin suit.”

  “Okay then. This way.” She led him to a table where a white three-tier wedding cake stood. “We’ll put the cupcakes on either side of the cake.”

  He stared at the selection. “Cake and cupcakes? I’ve already been hit with a sugar rush.”

  “Everybody loves cupcakes. Trust me, they’ll likely be all gone while the cake will remain barely touched.”

  He shrugged. “You’re the expert.”

  While she went to the kitchen, he debated his next move. Would it be wrong to hit on the caterer at Angelo’s wedding?

  When she returned, he said, “I’m Vince. I apologize for my family and friends in advance. A
n Italian and Armenian family and a Navy crew. Who will be the loudest and most boisterous is a tough call.”

  She grinned. “I’m Emma. This isn’t my first wedding. I think I’ve seen it all.”

  Might as well hone in. “To make up for a loud night and messy cleanup ahead, how about I take you out tomorrow, Emma?”

  Maybe not the slickest segue, but it was out there.

  She eyed him, studying his face. In the few seconds that followed, his pulse quickened.

  “Sorry, but I don’t date military.”

  Damn. Shot down. Still, he wasn’t ready to retreat yet. “How do you know I’m military?”

  “Your haircut announces it like a billboard in Times Square. And like you said, a Navy crew is here tonight.”

  True. Although he’d let it grow before the wedding, the signature high-and-tight style still gave him away. “Not Navy.” He took smug satisfaction in announcing that separation, just as he and his brothers had ribbed each other a thousand times. “Marine.”

  “Even worse!” She snorted. “Do I need to get an extra place setting for your ego?” she added with a flirtatious smile.

  “No, I left it on base while I’m on leave.” He stepped closer to her. “Which means I’m alone and could use some company.”