Sworn Promises: Sworn, #1

By Jill Monroe

She's his best friend's sister.

He's the guy who never looked twice.

Then Vegas happened.

 

Future astronomer Piper Larson is happy to plan her brother's quickie wedding. Until Ryan Bullock signs on as her partner. She's secretly fantasized about the navel rescue swimmer since moment one. But the sexy, real life hero remains forever out of her orbit.

 

Ryan lives and breathes loyalty. His buddy's little sister? One hundred percent off limits. But he's never craved a woman as much as the sunny Piper. On his long, lonely deployments, he thinks of the forbidden beauty with stars in her eyes and nothing else.

 

Now, as they traverse Sin City for the most romantic locales, all bets are off.

 

People say what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas…

…but what if it doesn't?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jill Monroe
• Release date: May 3, 2021
• ISBN: 9780998308111

Book preview

CHAPTER 1

R eady for your palm reading?

Ryan Bullock glanced up from his phone to see a mysterious woman standing too close for comfort. As the only person in the USO airport lounge not wearing a uniform, she stood out, and yet, no one paid her any attention. Dressed in a flowing skirt and dozens of bracelets that violated every military dress code, he couldn’t pinpoint her age. Somewhere between twenty-five and fifty.

Didn’t realize I was in line, he said, his voice dryer than the desert where he was headed later this week.

She held out her hand, staring at him with expectation. So, she had directed the ridiculous question at him. Ryan knew she expected him to present his palm to her. Along with a big wad of cash. Unease lifted the hair on his arms. Weird. Also irritating. In less than a week, he’d ship out for his next deployment. He’d just visited his grandad, still had to fly back to San Diego, drive to Las Vegas and he wanted to be left alone.

The intruder wiggled her fingers as military personnel filed through the lounge. No one else appeared to notice the out-of-place woman.

Ryan refocused on his phone. Can’t. Don’t have time.

Which wasn’t a lie. In three days, his best friend Jason may or may not be getting married. Organizing the saber arch, a mainstay of military weddings, fell to Ryan, and he took his duties seriously. He was still sending texts, asking guys to clear their schedule for the soon-to-be or not-to-be wedding. If Sienna declined, Vegas provided plenty of distractions.

Where better than Sin City to drown the guy’s sorrows? He could almost hear the chimes of the slot machines and clinks from the change. Strange. The usual background noise of a busy airport had faded when this woman approached him. As if someone had lowered the volume. No announcements sounded over the speakers. The footsteps of weary service members as they shuffled through the lounge decreased. Dishes no longer clanged near the snack center.

The woman squinted at him, and the unease intensified. He only heard her. Loud and clear. Ryan had learned two important lessons while in the military–trust his training but listen to his instincts. Right now, his instincts screamed at him to avoid this interaction at all costs. His gaze clashed with hers, and a trickle of disquiet juddered down his back. He’d disappoint his PopPop if he weren’t polite, but as he lifted his hand, the foreboding doubled.

Her fingers wrapped around his wrist and she turned his hand over to inspect his palm. He expected piercing chill or damp, but a comforting warmth spread along his skin. She ran the edge of a black-tipped nail beneath his pinky finger. You have a good marriage line. Unbroken and deep.

Ryan answered her with a snort and attempted to pull away. Should have gone with his first instinct. Good marriage line? Ha! Maybe for his granddad. Even widowed young, his love and commitment to her never wavered, but his own parents? More like broken and shallow. Nothing doing. Matrimony was not in his future.

A burrow formed between her eyebrows, and his movements stilled. Why do you respond this way?

Because I’m not getting married. Ever. Nice try, though. He understood her con now. Who wouldn’t want to hear their marriage path in depth? For a little over the going rate, she’d tell him where he could find his true love, right?

Once more, she peered at his outstretched palm and shook her head. No. It happens soon.

I’m organizing a buddy’s wedding. Maybe you’ve switched our, uh, energy. He tugged his hand again, and this time her grip loosened.

Bears do love their honey, she said, her voice lower now, snagging his full attention. And good for you that honey heals wounds. The shiniest coin will lead the way.

Whenever he thought of honey, images of his best friend’s sister, Piper Larson, came to mind. The elusive scent that reminded him of flowers and sunshine at the same time clung to his clothes for hours after she’d left his presence. Get Jason’s sister out of your head.

Ryan opened his mouth to tell the palm reader his hand said nothing about honey or marriage, but with a swish of her skirt, she disappeared into a group of Army Rangers. He scanned between the soldiers as they shifted, but her slight frame never reappeared again, though his unease dissipated. Ryan dropped his gaze back to his phone, ready to fire off his next text. Weird.

You’re sure you want me to plan your wedding? Piper Larson asked her brother in disbelief. He hadn’t even popped the question yet, right? Maybe the spotty connection from the naval ship made her mishear. I mean, I’m happy to do it, but it feels too…personal?

Jason groaned. I’m sure. I screwed up when I didn’t ask Sienna to marry me before I deployed.

It wasn’t often her older brother admitted when he was wrong, so Piper wouldn’t miss this opportunity to rub it in. Yep, you did. Major. Do you think she’ll even show up in Vegas? Since joining the Navy, Jason celebrated the end of each deployment with a mini vacation. This time he’d chosen Sin City. I remember Sienna mentioning a date Friday night.

Her brother made a growly sound. Her future Friday nights will be occupied. If she’ll have me. I can’t believe I told her not to wait for me.

Yeah, why did you? she asked him.

It seemed noble at the time, but I knew I was an idiot the second the plane went wheels up. Bitterness weaved through each of his words.

You’ve sailed on that ship for six months. Why wait until now to tell her you messed up?

I’m gonna fall back on the idiot excuse again. Plus, I had some stupid fear she’d think it was the loneliness of deployment talking, not that…that I’m in love with her.

Her heart tightened at the forlorn note in her brother’s voice. Of course, I’ll do whatever I can to help. But mom and dad will lose it when they find out you got married in Vegas.

He made a choking sound. As they eloped themselves, they’ll understand. Plus, we’ll do it all over again for the family. Hers. Mine. Friends. Pets. I don’t care where we get married, but as we’ll already be in the marriage capitol of the world, it only makes sense. I need to know she’s mine now.

Her heart swelled in her chest. Growing up, her brother often got in his own way, creating barriers and obstacles that blocked him from moving forward. Sometimes he reverted to that old habit, like breaking up with Sienna. The Navy taught him teamwork and gave him leadership tools that led him toward a steadier path. Committing to a wonderful woman who loved him was just one more step in the right direction. What’s the game plan for winning her back? I need to know what I’m working with.

The guys said I gotta go big or go home. Alone. This is me going big. There’s no place where the stakes are higher than in Vegas. I meet her at the luggage return, take her someplace nice to propose and boom! Married.

Piper adored Sienna and loved the idea of becoming her sister-in-law, which was why she hated acting as the harbinger of reality. I think you’re glossing over a few details. Like a dozen at least.

That’s where you come in, he told her, as hope returned to his voice.

Guess I walked into that, she said, laughing.

Yes, you did. He joined in her laughter for a moment, but then he audibly swallowed. I uh…thank you. Since I can’t plan the ceremony myself, there’s no one I trust more.

She sagged against the wall, her throat choking with tears. I won’t let you down.

Of course you won’t, Pipeline, he told her, using the dreaded nickname. Jason had first trotted it out when she was four. Piper no longer remembered why she’d hated the moniker so much, but rising to the bait had become a habit. His using it now tore them away from the danger of heavy emotions, so she’d let his transgression pass.

So, what sounds good? You want Elvis, something more traditional or completely over-the-top?

Romantic. Sienna loves romance novels. So, I gotta go for broke. His heavy sigh resonated unmistakably from half a world away. I hope this works. She loves flowers, like daisies. Bubble baths with tons of suds.

She bit back a smile. Not sure how I can work that into a ceremony.

Jason tsked. I was thinking for the honeymoon suite. Oh, and she’s always first in line to take goofy pictures, so maybe set up one of those photo booth things with the different hats and stuff. She’d also love a candy bar.

Like a single one or a package? Because what an odd request.

No, it’s a buffet, but instead of mini-quiches or kebabs, it’s candy. All different kinds. She went to one of those and raved about it for the rest of the week. She brought back a sack full of the stuff.

Consider it done. Piper saluted her phone even though her brother couldn’t see her. She’d probably rave about a smorgasbord of candy, too.

Toss in every gushy, adorable touch you can think of. I’ll email you a list of her likes and dislikes. The relief hung heavy in his voice, and Piper much preferred the hopefulness rather than the forlorn tone from earlier.

I’m going to take that as having carte blanche with my glue gun and your credit card, she teased, grinning at his good-natured chuckle that followed.

If that means Sienna says yes, break out the glitter.

Piper had her work cut out for her. Jason had broken Sienna’s heart when he’d left nearly seven months ago. Not only had he not proposed after two years of dating, but he’d also suggested she forget about him. If you see news reports of a woman running wild in Las Vegas, you’ll know it’s me.

That’s why I asked Ryan to help, her brother said.

Butterflies flapped to life in her stomach, and her heart rate kicked into high gear. As in Ryan Bullock?

Which Ryan would it be? he teased. Yeah, he’s coordinating the saber arch. A favor to me before he deploys next week.

Ugh, of course her brother’s best friend would organize her favorite part of a military wedding. Fate never failed to throw them together. While he was Jason’s friend, they’d all grown up with one another. But Piper had kept her distance from the prickly boy next door. Ryan hoisted his sullen attitude like a shield–do not approach. Though tight-lipped about his home life, Ryan had spent most of his time with her family. Each summer, he escaped their hometown of Akron to stay with his grandfather.

Ryan hightailed it out of Akron the day after graduating. Like her brother, they’d both tried a year at college, but it didn’t stick, so both bummed around from job to job for a while. She had lost track of her former neighbor when Jason gave working at their family restaurant a shot. But customer service was not his thing, and when Ryan enlisted in the Navy, Jason had, too.

It was at her graduation party when it all changed. For her.

Jason got leave to attend her commencement, and Ryan tagged along. The boy down the street had returned from boot camp a man. One who’d kept her tongue-tied and at peak levels of awkward. His thick dark hair was gone. Clipped to a finger-inviting crew cut. Always a head taller than Piper, he now towered over her, a true powerhouse. His clothes molded to his rigid pecs and muscle defined shoulders.

In one summer, his do-not-approach vibe had shifted to a caution–do not touch. But there was an unfortunate quirk to her personality. Warnings existed to be tested, and she’d been locked in a battle against herself ever since. The grumpy naval rescue swimmer had left her mind reeling and body shaking with even the most innocent of touches. Though he had appeared one hundred percent unaffected.

Throughout the years, the man never glanced in her direction. Ever. Had he sensed her attraction to him? Because he’d made certain they were never alone together like it was his second job.

Nope. No chasing after Jason’s best friend. Any attempts on her part would only make everybody uncomfortable. So, the battle to resist staring at him waged each Thanksgiving