Read Because of You: A Loveswept Contemporary Military Romance for Free Online

an overdose of adrenaline. He had no idea how the wives and girlfriends who were left behind managed while their soldiers unplugged and shipped out. Well, he had an idea, but most of them didn’t cheat like his ex had.
    But he was a soldier and duty called. Being a soldier meant leaving behind the soft kisses and warm beds. It meant toughing it out in the heat, dirt, and sand for the guy next to you. It took a special kind of woman to wait for the wars to be over.
    He might not have someone waiting when he came home, but that kiss was going to keep him company through the long nights of his deployment. It would give him something good to think about when the weight and responsibility he carried got a little too heavy.
    Shane shifted on the bleachers, tensing as his stomach clenched and pain burst through his gut. He should have been more careful last night while trying to keep the fight between Randall and Carponti from getting out of control. It was never a good thing when sergeants felt like they could take a swing at an officer, especially an officer in his company. And Randall was just petty enough to complain to Trent about Carponti’s insubordinate conduct. Never mind that Randall had hit on Carponti’s wife. That little fact would likely be left out of the report.
    Nearby, the gym’s main door slammed open, hushing the dull noise of the crowd as everyone turned toward the boom. Shane looked up as Carponti strolled in, his arm draped around his wife’s shoulders. Shane narrowed his eyes as they stumbled toward him. “He better not still be drunk,” he mumbled beneath his breath.
    Shane had no idea how Nicole put up with all of Carponti’s antics, but she did. It looked like neither of them had slept. He was happy to see that there was laughter in Nicole’s eyes—so much better than the tears he’d seen in the other wives. Carponti had a wife who’d stood by him no matter how many times he went off to war. He was one of the lucky ones. Shane glanced around at the myriad of couples saying their last farewells, wondering how many of the wives and girlfriends would be here when they returned. And wasn’t that a cheerful thought.
    Nicole peeled away from her husband and ducked into the bathroom. Meanwhile,Carponti strolled up to Shane, dropping his assault pack next to him on the bleachers. “What’s got your panties in a bunch?”
    As he dropped his gear on the floor, Carponti removed his patrol cap, and Shane damn near choked on a laugh. He’d shaved his red hair completely off except for a tiny patch on the top of his head.
    “Is that supposed to make you look tough?” Shane asked, covering his mouth with his hand.
    Carponti shrugged and slid his hand over his ghost-white scalp. “You’re just jealous because I can still grow hair and yours has long ago surrendered the field to old age.”
    Shane scowled. “Are you drunk?”
    “Nope, cold sober. Wish I was still at home in bed with my wife, though. But no. Not drunk.” His grin spread across his face as he plopped down next to Shane, elbowing him in his stitches. “Watch out, here comes the sergeant major and oh, he looks so happy to see you.”
    Shane and Carponti both stood as the major approached. Carponti raised his voice several octaves as he imitated a deliriously happy teenage girl, as Shane, once again, wished that annoying people in charge wasn’t one of Carponti’s favorite pastimes. “Morning, Sarn’t Major. Did you bring a pillow and a blankie for the flight?”
    Shane shoved Carponti behind him as he assumed the position of parade rest, hands folded at the small of his back, his feet spread. Sergeant Major Giles didn’t laugh at Carponti’s smart-ass remark. A smirk didn’t even dent the creases in Giles’s hard-lined face. He glared, pinning Shane with a hard look. Light glinted off his smooth scalp.
    “Want to explain what happened last night?” Giles stopped in front of them, his feet braced shoulder-width apart, thumbs