Read Last True Hero for Free Online Page A

friend Drake, but his size is formidable to a normal guy my age. He’s tall, at least six foot two if I’m guessing correctly from his seated position, and his muscles are…profound. They leave me breathless as I inspect them. He has sinewy cords rippling in his forearms as he studies his menu.
    “Why don’t you just go take a bite?”
    Lenny’s voice startles me, and I crash backward into the kitchen door. The noise alone is enough to have me hiding beneath the little window once I’m inside.
    “Lenny!” I hiss.
    “Sorry!” She’s laughing, her face reddening as her giggles erupt from her petite body. “I’ve never seen you stare so hard. Army’s a hottie. He a friend of yours?”
    “God, I wish!” I moan as I prepare to walk back through the doors.
    I head to the bar to grab Dare’s and Drake’s beers, and then march back to their table. By this time, Mea is watching me with narrowed eyes, scrutinizing my face and glancing at the table where Dare sits. I’m so busted.
    I set down the Killian’s in front of Dare. He eyes it appreciatively, and then turned his gaze back to me as I set down Drake’s bottle of Bud.
    “You remember all of your customer’s drink orders, Berkeley?”
    Oh . When my name falls off of his lips like that, I have a hard time finding enough saliva to make my mouth function correctly. But I try, anyway.
    “Not all of them.” Good girl! My answer is as cool as a fall evening. Somehow, I’m managing to keep up the appearance that this guy’s incredible looks and infallible charm haven’t affected me.
    He nods, and a slow grin spreads across his face. “Busy night?”
    I nod. “Want me to bring you the same thing you had last time?”
    Drake nods. I smile at him, and then look at Dare. Dare studies me a moment before answering.
    “I want the same thing you brought me last time, plus something extra.”
    I wait. He doesn’t name the something extra.
    With my heart beating just a little faster, I force my lips to turn upward as I nod and walk away.
    When I get back to Mea and Mikah, I send her a pleading glance. She knows I’m silently asking her to wait until we’re alone to bombard me with questions, and she obliges.
    “But, later?” One finely shaped eyebrow arches. “I’m all over this.”
    “I know. I’m simultaneously dreading it and can’t wait to tell you.”
    I spend the next hour serving the tables holding my friends and my newfound acquaintances, building up my courage. When Mea, her brother, and their friends exit the restaurant, leaving me a generous tip, she sends me a meaningful glance before vanishing out the front door.
    I peek toward Dare and Drake, who have just requested their check. I suck in a breath, because Dare’s intense eyes are locked on mine. One corner of his mouth tugs upward in his smile, and the butterflies currently making a home in my gut take flight.
    That’s what I needed. That tiny confirmation from him gives me the gumption to scribble my cell number down on the bottom of their check with a note.
    See? I told you I have nothing against the army. I Dare you to use this.
    I wear a special little smile of my own as I drop off their bill.
    “Have a nice night, boys,” I advise them over my shoulder as I escape.
      
    The next morning, all I can do is analyze my decision to give Dare my phone number. Had he really been flirting, or was it all in my mind? I know military men like I know the formula for scale when designing a room. Army may be a different breed from navy, but they’re all members of the same species.
    A major element in any military guy’s life is his love of women. It’s like they all crave the nurturing and attention that only a woman can bring to their lives. A lot of them end up settling down pretty young and starting families to care for. But for many, the desire for freedom wins out, and they spend their free time with as many different women as they can handle.
    Which of those men is Dare? I have a pretty