Temporary Assignment The Complete Collection: A Military Romance Read online

  Temporary Assignment

  The Complete Collection

  By

  KB Winters and Evie Monroe

  Copyright © 2016 BookBoyfriends Publishing LLC

  Published By: BookBoyfriends Publishing LLC

  Copyright and Disclaimer

  This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination and have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.

  Copyright ©2016 BookBoyfriends Publishing LLC

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the copyright owner. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of the trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.

  Contents

  Temporary Assignment

  Copyright and Disclaimer

  Book 1

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Acknowledgements

  About The Author

  Book 2

  Copyright and Disclaimer

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Acknowledgements

  About The Author

  Book 3

  Copyright and Disclaimer

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Acknowledgements

  About The Author

  Book 4

  Copyright and Disclaimer

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Acknowledgements

  About The Author

  Book 5

  Copyright and Disclaimer

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  More from KB Winters and Evie Monroe!

  Acknowledgements

  About The Author

  Temporary Assignment

  Book 1

  By

  KB Winters and Evie Monroe

  Copyright © 2016 BookBoyfriends Publishing LLC

  Published By: BookBoyfriends Publishing LLC

  Chapter One

  I rubbed at my temples where I could feel a magnificently aggravating headache beginning to form.

  “Candice, punching someone in the face is not the appropriate way to handle disagreements.”

  “But I didn’t Ms. Rogers, I swear! I turned to yell at him and he ran into my fist.”

  This was not how I’d planned to spend my afternoon in the slightest. Being the principal at a high school though, meant expecting the unexpected and apparently today that included listening to an interesting excuse for why I had one student with a broken nose and the other with a bruised hand. To be fair, I’d always known that I wanted to work in education, specifically, in an administrative position where I was at the helm of making sure the next generation was capable of some semblance of critical-thinking. I’d worked hard at my university, completing a dual bachelor’s and master’s degree in five-years. At twenty-five years old, I was the youngest principal in my school district, a fact that made my parents, both former teachers in the same district, proud.

  “I promise Ms. Rogers, I did not mean to hit him.”

  “And the cursing?” I asked with one eyebrow raised.

  “Oh no, I meant that.”

  With a sigh I looked at the student before me. Violence was thankfully not something that occurred often at my school despite having what many considered to be an at-risk population. Many of my students were lower-income minority students, but very few incidents had occurred after my first year here.

  I was known by the students to be firm yet fair and by the faculty to be a hard ass. Personally, I thought both descriptions were accurate. I had no qualms with doling out discipline to students and faculty alike. Being as young as I was, I had to be firm in order to maintain respect and control from both populations. I knew the staff was polarized in their feelings for me, but regardless of their personal thoughts, I knew that I at least had their respect due to the reduction in student problems within their classrooms. In fact, most of the faculty at my school had been here from the start of my position and our school was known to have the lowest turnover rate in the district.

  “Fine,” I replied eventually. “I’ll withhold any disciplinary action until I review the cafeteria CCTV footage. Until then, I suggest you keep all of your limbs close to your person on the off chance that someone else walks into your arm span. Agreed?” I stood up from my chair fighting against smiling when Candice jumped up with a relieved smile on her face.

  “Thank you Ms. Rogers! I promise it won’t happen again!”

  The moment the door closed behind her, I sank back down in my chair with a sigh. The school year had barely even started and I was already looking forward to the Thanksgiving holiday. For the first time ever, my parents were not planning on having a big event at the family home so I could stay home and eat frozen pizza and drink cheap boxed wine without guilt. My parents were wonderful, supportive people and insufferable nags at the same time. They seemed to think that because I was now securely at the helm of my own school that I should now be looking for a husband to complete the picture.

  I thought they were insane.

  I couldn’t deny the fact that I wanted a family one day, but I was in no rush to jump into a relationship. Right now, I was completely and utterly focused on my career.

  “So now that that little bit is out of the way, what are you going to wear tonight?”

  I looked up startled that I hadn’t heard my door open again. I gave a tired smile when I realized it was just Heather, the school secretary and the one person I could truly call a friend here. She and I had actually been at university together, but she was a year ahead of me so we never recalled actually meeting one another. Still, her easy-going attitude was refreshing and though I was technically her superior, she was never afraid to tell me if she thought I was full of shit. It was admirable, really.

  “Tonight?” I wracked my brain trying to remember what was going on tonight.

  Heather walked over and leaned her hands against my desk. “Don’t tell me you forgot about Kelly’s bachelorette party tonight? Kelly will kill you if you don’t show up!”

  I smacked my forehead with my hand. Of course, how could I have forgotten about my best friend’s celebration?

  “Shit,” I sighed. There went my thoughts of having a relaxing evening. I looked up at Heather. “Don’t you dare tell her I forgot.”

  She smirked. “Take my cafeteria duty next week and you’ve got a deal.”

  I gasped like I was actually surprised. “That’s blackmail.”

  “That’s high school,” Heather said with a very unladylike snort. She sat down in the chair Candice had so recently vacated. “Seriously though, the whole not being good with blood thing still stands. I got out of pre-med because I couldn’t handle bodily fluids.”

  “And you came to a high school? Poor thing; you must be traumatized,” I answered back with a good-natured smile.

  Heather sh
uddered. “Like you wouldn’t believe. I think I might have to sue for emotional distress.”

  This time I snorted. “Good luck with that. If you get anything, share the wealth and remember us little people.”

  “But really, Savannah. How could you have forgotten about tonight? Didn’t you get Tiffany’s super peppy, very bourgeois invitation?”

  “Ugh, that’s what that sparkly abomination was,” I muttered. I was comforted by Heather’s laughter and once again thankful that we worked together. “Now that you mentioned it, I do remember getting it and promptly hiding it under whatever stack of papers I had on hand at the time.”

  “Same. I think it’s under some of the student forms I need to finish entering in before our next round of standardized tests. Regardless, you will be there tonight.”

  I shrugged. “Perhaps. I hadn’t actually—“

  “That wasn’t a question,” Heather interrupted. She pierced me with a sharp look. “And you will be on your best behavior.”

  I muttered some choice words under my breath, but grudgingly agreed. It was not as if I wanted to ruin Kelly, my best friend’s, bachelorette party. She was one of the few friends who’d stuck by me during my university years despite how little fun I actually participated in. Her clear blue eyes would always look at me with unending fondness as I spent my evening’s writing papers or preparing presentations rather than going out with friends. Unfortunately, her sweet disposition extended beyond just me—namely to someone I’d be happy never to see for the rest of my life.

  Tiffany Clifford.

  Just to see that walking blonde bimbo pissed me off, let alone listening to her talk. Her voice was like nails on a chalkboard and I always felt like my IQ dipped down when I was forced to endure Tiffany’s endless discussions of what her newest boy toy gave her that week. Sure, her situation was slightly envious—she continuously had a parade of attractive and attentive men willing to drop money on her at a moment’s notice. With the amount of student loans I had left to pay off, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t wish I had that option—minus having to actually give said men anything in return. I wasn’t a prude about sex, but I also had no desire to get in a situation that skirted the line of legality in terms of what could and could not be sold.

  I always said as much and it was no different when I talked to Kelly later on that afternoon.

  “So do you think you’ll be able to come?”

  Kelly’s softly uttered question brought my attention back to the phone. I hated to hear the person I considered my oldest friend have such hesitance in her voice when asking me anything.

  “Of course I’ll be there,” I answered. I smiled to myself even though I knew she wouldn’t be able to see. “I’ll even go home and change into something a lot more festive than my usual uniform. Plus, I’ll enjoy seeing the look on Tiffany’s face when I do.”

  Kelly’s laughter turned my smirk into an actual smile and I was happy that I’d made her laugh, especially with how stressed she had been lately in regards to planning her upcoming nuptials.

  “Aw, Savannah, she’s not that bad.”

  “She’s a complete and utter bitch and you know it. But she’s your friend and she’s nice to you so I can stomach her presence for a few hours,” I said. I was only half-joking, a fact I knew Kelly was well aware of. Still, I was being honest when I said I could stomach Tiffany’s company for her. I’d do just about anything for Kelly including putting up with people I’d normally steer clear of just to make her happy. Kelly was one of those girls who always had good luck find them, and she was so genuinely nice, you couldn’t hate her for it. Her fiancé was the same. Both of them were really nice people, the kind of people that their lives were the stuff you only found in fairytales.

  It was disgusting really…but I still loved her.

  “Okay, I’ll concede, but I think she’s really trying not to be so…abrasive. Her new guy, Tom, seems to be having a calming effect on her,” Kelly said. Her reassurances weren’t enough to change my mind, but I decided to let things go and humor her.

  “Fine, I’ll be nice.”

  “…Nice?”

  I snorted. “Fine, I’ll be civil. Anyway, I could use some non-work related fun anyway. This week has been a long one and I think I’ve earned a few drinks and a dance or two.”

  “That’s the spirit! We’re meeting at Tiffany’s to grab a taxi over there so no one has to worry about being the designated driver. I want everyone to have a great time with plenty of drinks for all.”

  I wanted to say something smart about having to meet in Tiffany’s lair, but I bit my response back and responded in kind about the drinks and meeting point before we disconnected the call. I could tell that Kelly knew I wasn’t thrilled, but I also knew she’d appreciate me making a genuine effort in not strangling Tiffany.

  I might have to have a drink before I even left my house.

  My mind was preoccupied as I drove home and when I walked into my bedroom and opened the closet door I sent up a short prayer for a little inspiration and a whole lot of luck. The truth was, I hadn’t bought anything other than blazers, blouses and pencil skirts in almost a year. On my off time, which was typically spent at home or by the lake, I lived in yoga or sweat pants and well-loved sweaters. I couldn’t even remember the last time I’d actually gone out unless it was for a work function where the company I was with meant once again donning my normal daily uniform.

  Sadly, I hadn’t been on anything that even loosely resembled a date since my undergrad years. Even then, the dates (if they could even really be called that) had mostly been mediocre attempts at getting me into bed as quickly as possible. I’d never been a prude and I didn’t base my self-worth on how many bed partners I’d had, but when it came to actual dates, I was looking for more. After a few disastrous months of not finding that spark or connection I was looking for, I’d decided to just devote my time and energy into achieving my goals. Still, every now and then I got that itch that needed scratched and tonight was one of those nights.

  “Shit,” I mumbled as I weeded through the innards of my dismal looking closet. I had a few sundresses and one really horrible looking bridesmaid dress from years ago, but I couldn’t find anything that would actually be good for a club or dancing. “I knew I should have taken advantage of that Labor Day sale.”

  Listening to the hangers being shifted around was turning my mood south until I found a dress I hadn’t seen since my senior year of college. But now I had a new dilemma…would it fit?

  I looked up at the ceiling sending out silent prayers as I took the dress off the hanger. I kept up my flow of thoughts even as I stepped out of my sweat pants and t-shirt and pulled the dress over my head. I promised whichever deity listening that if the dress fit, I would even be nicer to that bitch, Tiffany, when I saw her.

  “Holy shit,” I breathed out in awe as I zipped the dress up. “It fits!” I stared at my reflection in the mirror. I’d always been diligent about exercising over the years, more so in terms of stress relief than any real desire to be fit, but I’d never actually stopped to look at myself in an objective way.

  My one vanity had always been my hair. It was thick, wavy and brown with natural golden streaks. Most days I wore it pulled back in a tight bun to give myself a polished look, but on the rare occasion that I wore it down at work, I would get compliments from faculty and students alike and I knew from previous hookups that it was wonderfully soft to the touch. I’d also been told often that it paired well with my hazel eyes and pale skin. Being so pale was the one thing I wished I could change, but tanning had never really appealed to me since I tended to turn a very painful red that then faded right back to pale. Maybe I’d been a vampire in my past life. I’m sure some of the faculty at work would probably agree.

  Assholes.

  Still, I knew I looked good, especially the way the dress cut off a little above mid-thigh showcasing my legs. Other than my hair, my legs were probably my second vanity. I’d always made s
ure to tone it down at work, and my usual weekend uniform of sweat pants didn’t really show them off, either. Still, tonight I wanted to change it up even if just to see the look on Tiffany’s face. Seriously, the woman made me think uncharacteristically evil thoughts.

  My plan of doing something different, including a full face of makeup that I’d hoped didn’t have an expiration date, came to fruition when I walked into the reserved section of the club and saw all of my friends in awe.

  “Holy shit, you look sexy as fuck!” Heather exclaimed. At school everyone knew her as the nice little secretary, probably going off antiquated and laughable stereotypes about Asian women, but away from school grounds she was a foulmouthed, badass lesbian who could probably kill a man in seven ways with a paper clip.

  “Savannah, you look great.” Kelly gushed as she rushed over and gave me a big hug. I hugged her back, but couldn’t help shooting a smug smile over her shoulder. The look on Tiffany’s face looked as if she’s swallowed something sour. Already I knew it was going to be a great night.

  Or at least it was until we got to the dance floor and I had some sweaty creep thrusting against my ass.

  “Don’t touch me,” I hissed out. I slapped at his hand where it rested on my hip.

  “Oh come on baby, don’t be like that,” he said with a sneer. He wasn’t the least bit attractive with his greasy looking hair and monobrow. “With the way you’re dressed, I know you’re looking for a little love.”

  “If I was looking for love,” I bit out with a sneer of my own. “I definitely wouldn’t be looking for it from you—now let go.” I smacked his hand again, this time as hard as I could.

  “Hey! Little bitch. What the fuck is your problem?” The man grabbed my upper arm in a painfully tight grip.

  “You’re my problem, asshole!”

  “Listen you fucking—” The man yelped as he was physically jerked away from me and his hand fell away from my arm.

  “I think the lady asked you to let go of her.”

  A new voice joined the conversation and I focused my gaze behind the asshole who had accosted me. He wasn’t looking at me though—he was staring at the other man. There was a moment when I thought for sure the two men might come to blows, but surprisingly, the asshole I’d been dealing with threw his hands up in surrender before walking away without a second glance. I was alone with my unwanted savior.