Текст книги "Fraternizing"

Автор книги: C. Brown

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Текущая страница: 19 (всего у книги 26 страниц)

“We met in Twentynine. Cassie is a Marine.”

“Oh shit, really? No offense, but you don’t look like a Marine. You’re really pretty.”

I laughed. Between her comment and Natasha’s a few nights before, I wasn’t sure what the standard for a female Marine was supposed to be.

 “Well, thank you—I think. But there are actually lots of beautiful females in uniform.”

“I just haven’t seen any, that’s all,” she said, brushing it off. “Anyway, I’ll let Alex take you around because curious eyes are on you two. Everyone wants to know who Alex’s mystery girl is.” She leaned closer to Alex and muttered, “You better get her to Grandma before she chops your balls off.”

Alex grinned, but the comment made me nervous. His grandmother sounded like a hard-nosed, no nonsense woman, and the warm and fuzzy reception I’d gotten from Imelda and Adriana just didn’t seem likely.

“I have to take you to meet Guadalupe, the glue that holds this family together, my grandmother.” He started to walk, but I stood still for a second longer, my eyes begging him to prepare me. “What’s the matter?”

“Alex, your grandmother. She doesn’t sound like your mom and sister.”

“She’s a tough old lady, but loving. You’ll see. No formal handshakes, just hug her.”

I swallowed as he began walking. We passed tons of people, all of them greeting us with friendly hellos for Alex and assessing looks for me.

The garage was unattached, sitting directly behind the house. Passing through the throngs of people hanging out on the patio, I took in the unfamiliar surroundings. There were people young and old, eating, drinking, dancing, and laughing. The plot of grass just to the right of the patio was filled with children, laughing and playing. I was completely out of my element, but excited at the thought that Alex wanted to share this part of his life with me.

When we reached the garage area, Alex let go of my hand and made a beeline for an older woman sitting on a sofa, engaged in conversation with another elderly woman.

“Hola, abuelita!” he said, stretching his arms wide for her.

She looked up from her conversation, mouth agape, looking like she hadn’t seen Alex in years. A smile stretched across her face as she stood, then wrapped her arms around his middle, clutching him tight. “Alejandro, donde has estado?”

“I’ve been busy with work,” he replied, shocking me that he chose to say it in English.

She pinched his cheeks, pointing and wagging her index finger at him while saying something in a chastising manner that came out much too quickly for me to make out.

He took her hand and walked her over to where I stood. Here it was, the meeting that had me turned inside out, upside down, ready to pass out.

“Abuelita, I’d like you to meet my girlfriend, Cassie.”

I did exactly what Alex said and forgot about the handshake, instead grabbing her and pulling her in for a hug. Sadly, the gesture wasn’t reciprocated. She kept her arms down as I held on tight, making me feel supremely stupid. I finally pulled back, looking into Alex’s startled eyes, feeling completely embarrassed.

“It’s nice to meet you,” I said, unsure of how I should address her. The stale air swirling around us made me wish for an escape route, but there was none. She stood measuring me for a few seconds, filling me with apprehension.

“Hello,” she coldly replied.

She turned to Alex and asked, “quien es esa huera?”

“Abuelita, she’s my girlfriend. Her name is Cassie, and she’s a great girl.”

I smiled awkwardly because I had no clue what the hell to say or do in front of her. Disapproval was all over her face, and she made no qualms about trying to hide it. After rubbing Alex’s cheek, a loving look finally emanated from her, and she turned back to me.

“Nice to meet you.”

She turned and walked back into the garage, sitting back down and going back to her earlier conversation.

“She hates me,” I said, finally feeling like I could breathe again.

Alex pulled me close, nuzzling his mouth to my neck. “No, she doesn’t. She’s just old school and suspect about anyone we bring home. Ask Adriana. She hated her boyfriend, Hector.”

“Yeah well she sure knew how to make me feel her suspicions.”

Alex brought his finger up to my lips, halting whatever was due to come out of my mouth next. “We’re not focusing on my grandma right now. I want you here, and that is all that matters.”

Without another word spoken, he took my hand and led me through the abundance of people, introducing me to everyone—I was sure I wouldn’t remember any of the names. Thankfully, the rest of the introductions were warm and welcoming, the polar opposite of meeting Grandma. I met his favorite aunt and uncle, Tia Maria and Tio Joe. They were the only other people whose names I remembered besides his mom, grandma, and sister.

The aroma of the homemade food had my stomach yearning for it. There were pans of carne asada, chicken, bowls of rice, beans, and what looked like freshly made tortillas. My stomach did cartwheels, taking in the scrumptious aroma of it all–food that I loved, but hadn’t had in what felt like forever.

“Dig in,” he said, handing me a plate.

If I had taken him literally, I would have shamed myself and taken large amounts of everything that was available to me. Instead, I kept it modest, only taking a couple of tortillas and making two carne asada tacos, filled with plenty of cilantro and pico de gallo. Alex finished off my plate, placing spoonful’s of rice and beans onto it before squeezing lime juice onto my tacos.

“You have to eat the rice and beans. They’re my mom’s, made from scratch with plenty of love.”

I laughed. “Yes, sir.”

We took a seat at one of the tables next to a couple of guys who looked to be about Alex’s age. One of them was in a wheelchair. Alex jumped up and grabbed us a couple of beers, returning with two cans of Tecate. He popped my top and slid the can over to me, finally taking his seat and digging into his food.

“Hey, sorry. This fool is rude as fuck. I’m Danny, Alex’s cousin.”

I hurried and swallowed the food in my mouth before reaching out my hand and shaking his.

“Sorry, I’m Cassie.”

“Nice to meet you, Cassie.” He positioned his wheelchair at the table and began talking to Alex. “So we don’t see you for who knows how long, and you show up with a fucking beautiful girl on your arm? Fuck you, Alex.”

Alex laughed, swallowing his food before turning and hugging Danny.

“Sorry, man. I get so caught up with work.”

“Is she work related?” Danny asked, nodding his head in my direction.

“I guess you could say that.”

Danny turned to me, his eyes bugging out of his head.

“Fuck, I should have become a fucking soldier if it meant I could pull chicks like this one.”

“Marine, asshole,” Alex corrected, chuckling at his cousin. He looked across the table at me, honey eyes beaming with pride. “Sorry, Danny has no fucking filter, but he’s harmless.”

“Yeah, I don’t bite,” Danny said, winking at me. He was friendly. I liked him. “How long have you been a Marine?”

“Not long. Only a few months.”

“You like that shit?”

I laughed. “Yeah, I do.”

Danny nodded his head appreciatively. “Much respect to you two. That’s some crazy shit you guys do.”

“Thank you.”

A second later, Adriana was behind me tapping my shoulder, asking me to help her with dessert. Alex looked at me, nodding his head almost as if he was granting me permission.

“Don’t try to steal her, Adriana. I want her back.”

“Oh shut up, Alex. I’ll bring her back in one piece.”

She whisked me off into the house, beelining for the kitchen. A pan of cupcakes sat on the counter, waiting to be frosted. She reached into the cabinet, pulling out the frosting.

“So how long have you and Alex been together?” she asked, not wasting any time. She handed me a butter knife, silently asking me to help.

“Not very long. A few weeks at most.”

“Really?” she asked. The surprise in her voice and on her face made me cautious on what to say next.

“Yeah.”

She stopped frosting and looked at me. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to freak you out. It’s just that Alex hasn’t been serious about anyone since his ex-wife. And even with her, he didn’t look the way he looks with you.”

Now she had me intrigued. “Really?” I asked, hoping she would delve a little further.

“Yes, really. Alex is very closed off. I mean, he loves his family, but his personal life is his personal life. We usually don’t know much about it. He hasn’t brought another girl over here since his ex, and that was like over a year ago.”

“I didn’t know that.”

“Yeah. So the fact that he brought you with all of the family here, it means a lot.”

“Yeah, I was a bit shocked when we showed up here. Everyone’s been very nice, although I’m sure your grandma doesn’t like me too much.”

Adriana laughed, throwing her head back and holding her butter knife.

“She doesn’t know you to like you or not. My grandma is old and protective. She’s weary of newcomers until she gets to know them. Once she gets to know you, you’ll be just another member of the family.”

“I hope so.”

“Oh you will, don’t worry. And the fact that Alex has you here with the family means he plans to have you around for a while.”

The door opened and the cutest little guy strolled in, looking like a mini Alex wearing black shorts, a muscle t-shirt, and a pair of Chucks.

“Mama, I want cake.”

“Abel, go back outside. I’m getting it ready for you.”

The little guy looked to me with furrowed brows. He had no clue who I was, and it showed on his little face. He walked back outside, then Adriana stopped frosting and turned to me.

“I don’t know how much Alex has told you, but he’s like the golden boy of the family.”

“Really? He didn’t tell me that.”

“Yeah. Our dad isn’t around. He hasn’t been around for the greater part of both of our lives. Alex was a shithead as a kid, always fighting, always in trouble. When he got into big trouble, and then finally made the decision to join the Marines, everyone was excited because it meant he would get away from it all. And it’s a good thing he did because he used to run with my ex-boyfriend, Hector. He’s Abel’s father. They also ran with our cousin Danny and few other knuckleheads.”

“He told me he got into a bit of trouble. Is Hector the serious trouble he got into? If you don’t mind me asking?”

“I don’t mind. And no, Hector is not the asshole that Alex beat the shit out of. I met Hector after, but he’s locked up. Another freakin’ winner.”

“What happened to Danny?”

“Danny was shot in the back. He and Hector ran with some gang members, and some shit went down and Danny got shot. He’ll be in a wheelchair for the rest of his life.”

“Wow.”

“That’s why Alex is looked up to so much in this family. With all of the negative going on, Alex made a choice and it bettered his life. My grandma used to say he was going to die young because of all of the trouble he used to find himself into. So when he joined the Marines and transformed himself, she couldn’t believe it. They try to get him to talk to the younger cousins, showing them that they can do better as well. I made him Abel’s godfather. His dad is locked up, so he needs good, steady role models in his life. Alex isn’t here on an everyday basis, but he calls often, and on holidays and birthdays he makes sure to come and see him.”

A pang of guilt hit me. His family had him placed on a pedestal, and what we were currently engaged in could tarnish the image that they had of him. I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t want the guilt to come spilling out of me.

“Anyway. That’s why I said Alex must really see a future with you to bring you here. If he hasn’t told you that he loves you, it’s coming because this family is tight, and he doesn’t just bring anyone in.”

I stayed silent, smiling at her before going back to work on the cupcakes. I had already ruined a friendship, I certainly did not want to be the cause of a rift with him and his family.

“Heavy shit, I know. I’m sorry, but I had to let you know.” She turned away from the cupcakes and moved over to the fridge. “My very own flan. You’ll have to try some.”

“Can’t wait,” I responded, thankful that the conversation had shifted.

“Grab those cupcakes, please. They’re for the kids.”

I grabbed them from the counter, then followed her out the door. The kids came running up to me, reaching up and taking one. Adriana took the flan to the garage and began slicing it before bringing a plate out for me and Alex. I took a seat next to him, digging into the moist and delicious dessert. Alex noticed my demeanor.

“You alright?”

“Yeah,” I replied, nodding my head, trying to persuade him.

Adriana took a seat across from us and started up small talk, telling us all about Abel and all of the new things that he was saying and doing. Danny came back over, throwing in hilarious one liners and bringing laughter to the table. It was a welcomed distraction. My thoughts were running away with me, and this was not the time nor the place for that.

Just as I was getting comfortable, a song came on, jolting damn near everyone out of their seats.

“Get your ass up, Alex,” Adriana called out, running around the table. She tugged on him and he stood, pulling me up with him. The patio was full of dancers, everyone singing along and dancing to the fast paced beat.

“What is this song?” I asked, having to yell into his ear.

“It’s called Suavemente. It’s a very sexy song.” He turned that lust filled gaze on me, heating up my core.

I watched the women around me moving their hips in a way that I didn’t know how. Alex placed his hand on my hips, trying to guide me before Adriana pulled me away and showed me the steps. As I practiced, Imelda swooped in, dancing with her son.

“Watch my mom. She’s really good.”

I watched her, in utter amazement at how well she moved. No amount of training would get me to that point. She reached out her hand for me, pulling me closer as she tried to guide me on how to do the dance. I slowly began to pick it up, not feeling so awkward since everyone was deeply engaged in the song and was paying little to no attention to me. Adriana and Imelda danced together, looking like a reflection of one another.

Alex’s grandma danced over to us, using facial expressions to ask to cut in. I graciously obliged. They danced for a minute or so before she kissed his cheek and walked away. My heart swelled at the sight. She was still cold and distant towards me, but that didn’t matter. The love she possessed for Alex excited me. It also scared the living shit out of me.

We stayed for another half hour before Alex began his goodbyes. We had a long trek back to Twentynine and sadly, we’d have to cut out earlier than he may have wanted to. He went around the yard, saying goodbye and hugging everyone. His grandma made her way over to where I stood, using a semi friendly voice to say goodbye. The interaction was brief, but it was much better than the initial meeting, so I took what I could get. Imelda and Adriana followed us out, Abel in his grandmother’s arms.

“Safe drive back, guys. And don’t be a stranger, Cassie,” Imelda said, leaning over and kissing my cheek.

“I’ll try not to be,” I replied.

“Yeah, Alex, you better not keep her locked up in that shitty ass desert. Bring her down more often.”

“I’ll see what I can do,” he replied, taking his sister in his arms and squeezing her tight. He took Abel from his mom and kissed his cheek. “See you later, little man.”

“Bye, Nino,” he replied. He waved to me.

Imelda took Alex in her arms, squeezing tight and not wanting to let go. I thought I saw a tear fall from her eyes. “I’m so glad to see you happy. Don’t be a stranger.”

“I won’t, Mama. I love you.” He kissed her cheek then pulled away, handing Abel back to her.

I waved at everyone as Alex opened my door, and I climbed into the truck. He went around to his side and hopped in, starting up the loud roar of the engine and pulling off. We sat quiet until we reached the freeway entrance and Alex finally broke our silence.

“So, you were thrust into the lion’s den. How was it?”

“I had a good time,” I replied, inching a smile across my face.

“You sure? You don’t look like you did.”

“I’m fine. I had a great time. Your family is great.”

He still didn’t look convinced. “I’m not dumb or blind, Cassie. What happened? Why are you so quiet?”

I sighed. He wasn’t going to let up on this. “It’s just something running through my mind. Something Adriana told me.”

“What did she tell you?” he asked, his voice low and gruff.

“Nothing bad, but it got to me thinking.” I looked over at him to find his stoic face, awaiting the rest of whatever I was about to tell him. “She was just telling me how much you mean to your family. How much everyone looks up to you. I don’t want to be the reason your family looks at you differently.”

“Listen to me. I’m a grown fucking man. I make my own decisions, and I live with the rewards or the consequences. If my family were to change how they view me that would fall on me and them, not you. You understand that?”

I nodded my head. He seemed to be growing more agitated by the second.

“I made the choice to start sleeping with one of my students. I didn’t know I’d fall in love with her, but I have, and right or wrong, I’m glad it happened, and I wouldn’t change it for anything. So whatever happens, happens. If they want to be ashamed or disappointed in me, fine. If they want to continue idolizing me, fine. The fact of the matter is that youare what fucking matters to me. How you see me matters, and your approval is all I’m looking for.”

My heart swelled as butterflies flew widely inside of me. Alex had just admitted to loving me, something I had no idea was coming.

“Alex, you just said you love me.”

“I did. And I mean it.” He placed his hand on my thigh. “You have no fucking clue what you’ve done to me, Blondie. I’m ready to be publicly shamed if it means I get to have you with me. I’ll walk through fucking fire if I have to.”

I unbuckled my seat belt and scooted over to the middle seat, directly next to him. I placed my head down on his shoulder and took his hand, kissing the top of it repeatedly.

“I love you too, Alex.”

The music collection on his phone was playing through the speakers again, and as luck would have it, Shamelessby Garth Brooks played on the radio.

“You listen to country?” I asked, lifting my head, a little surprised by it.

“A little bit, as long as it’s not about losing my dog or my truck,” he responded, before singing along to the song.

I laughed at the stereotype, then rested my head on his shoulder again, singing along with him as he barreled down the freeway, taking us back to our other, less enjoyable world.

Chapter 25

Alex

Tuesday morning came much too quickly.

My lonely bed had me craving the warmth of Cassie’s body snuggled next to mine. I fucking hated putting her into that taxi last night, sending her back to her own personal hell. Thankfully, she had Dalton in her corner, and I was slowly but surely seeing him for the loyal friend that she needed. My guard was always up though. You just never could be completely sure of everyone’s sincerity.

Ruiz was another story. I couldn’t stand the thought of her alone with Cassie. Just thinking about it was like being punched repeatedly in the face. It was painful, and the more I thought about it, the more defensive I became. The thought to have one of them removed came to mind, but like the fight with Allen and his roommate a few weeks prior, things like that got investigated and sifted through with a fine tooth comb. Surely something would come up that would spill everything, so it was best to just leave things as they were and hope for the best.

Riley was already up and in the kitchen when I walked out. He stood leaning against the island with a mug of coffee in his hand, reading the newspaper again. He looked up when he saw me.

“So, how was it?”

I nodded my head, still feeling a bit empty at the fact that I was sucked in and standing firm in my reality once again. Not having her near me was brutal, and the day before when she was dreading the return, and I was trying to make light of it, it didn’t dawn on me that it would gut me this way.

“I’ll see you later, man. I have to get shit set up and ready for class today,” I said, not bothering to grab anything before I walked out the door.

Pulling into the parking lot, I spotted Castillo getting out of her Jeep. The sight of her disgusted me. I’d let shit get much too far, and as far as I was concerned, I needed my mind bleached and scrubbed to remove the guilt-ridden memory of it all. I parked and rushed over to her before she could get inside and around people.

“Hey, Alex. Long time no see. How was your weekend?” She was acting so casual, like the desperate lie she’d told had never come out of her mouth.

I stepped closer, glowering at her. “My weekend was just fine. How was yours? And was that amazing fuck we had before the weekend everything you imagined?”

Her eyes shot open; no amount of words could have expressed the shock permeating her face.

“I didn’t—“

“Save the bullshit, Leti. I let you put that filthy fucking mouth of yours on my dick, and I regret the hell out of it. I should have never fallen for your shit, and I want to kick my own ass for letting it happen.”

 My look grew more sinister as my body temperature rose and my jaw clenched. “Let me make myself ab-so-fucking-lute-ly clear. Every time I’ve been with you has been a colossal mistake. I’ll be the first to admit that some people need to learn the hard way, and I’m one of those people. But I’ll be damned if I let you tell blatant lies about me and get away with it.”

I leaned closer, our faces nearly touching one another. “Take this as your one and only fucking warning. I’ll keep my dick out of your mouth, and you keep my name out of it as well. You understand me?”

Before she could fix her mouth to answer, I turned and marched away. Pleasurable memories of the beach came back, pissing me off even further now that I was stuck in this hellhole of a desert with Cassie so close, yet so far away.

I had spent the early part of the morning inputting test scores from the last test taken before I took off for the long weekend. Cassie was the top scorer again, a ninety-eight percent this time, putting her in the lead for the challenge. I had to figure out a way to get some time off if she were to win. I needed to spend another free flowing weekend with her, away from the constant bullshit that this place was stuffed with.

Jensen led the students in. The pull between Cassie and me was strong. So strong that when I looked up from my work, my eyes immediately landed on hers, and her eyes were glued to mine. A slight twitch of my lips curved into a smile, but I quickly turned away, not needing to give Jensen any ammunition. We were work associates, and that was as far as it needed to go.

“I am passing back your tests that you took before the long weekend. Your score is on top, and the rankings are listed on the back wall. Once we get started for the day, you’ll have a chance to see where you stand. Remember, a seventy-two is riding on this.”

I passed back the papers, Ruiz never once looking me in the face as I strolled over to her and dropped off her paper. I guess she was finally taking me seriously. When I got around to Cassie, I dropped her paper off, standing over her for a minute while images of the beach, the dog tags, the fire—all of it—came rushing through my head. These next few weeks would be the hardest ones yet—even harder than the first few that had me teetering like a fucking seesaw. Now that things had been laid out and cemented, I wanted her every second of the day, and restraining was proving much more difficult than I wanted it to be.

“Yeah. That’s right!” Allen shouted as I laid his ninety-six down on his desk. He was pounding his chest, the whole caveman like persona grating my fucking nerves. Jensen walked through and high-fived him, further annoying me. What he liked so much about Allen I just couldn’t understand. He was much too loud, and much too obnoxious, for my taste.

“Alright, today you’ll be pairing up to work on a mock radio system. I don’t care who you work with, just find a partner and wait for directions. Go!”

The room became a chatter box with students moving here and there, trying to figure out who they would be working with. Ruiz, thankfully, didn’t approach Cassie. I wouldn’t have allowed that shit if she had tried. My number one goal right now was keeping her safe, and I was going to do it any capacity.

“Hey, Bennett, I’ll be your partner,” Allen said, stomping over to where she stood with a pompous grin on his face. But when I turned and watched her face, dread completely took over, letting me know that this wasn’t a friendly gesture.

I stepped in his way, intercepting him and turning him around to a pair that I was about to break up.

“Pfc. Taylor, you’re now working with Private Allen. Pfc. Jones, you’re now working with Pfc. Bennett.”

When I looked back to Cassie, relief shrouded her face. I knew then that I would need to straighten some things out. Allen was an overbearing little shit, but her look didn’t convey that. There was something more, and I was determined to figure it out.

The next couple of hours were devoted to various tasks on the radio systems: trouble shooting, jamming, and programming. The room grew quiet as concentration filled the space. They had no idea, but they would be graded on how well they performed each task since each one had been covered in class over the last few weeks. Newsome, Jensen, and I floated around the room with clipboards, verbally asking questions while also watching the students fix numerous problems. I made sure not to be the one to test Cassie. I knew Jensen’s watchful eyes were on me, no matter where I stood, so I let Newsome be the one to do it, but I was never too far away.

A few of the students stood after their testing, walking over to the standings listing. Ruiz skimmed the list, finding herself in third place. She was smart and picked up on the material rather easily, so I knew if she just kept her fucking nose where it belonged, she’d make a fine Marine. If not, well, I had no problems destroying all of that for her. I went to the far corner of the room where I questioned a pair on their troubleshooting when I heard Allen cry out, “Second place? How am I in second place?”

Jensen walked over to him, placing his hand on Allen’s shoulder. “We still have more tests, devil dog. You’ll get there.”

I was puzzled by the whole thing. Was it because Cassie was sitting in the top spot and he wanted to see anyone other than her win this thing? I remembered that Allen acted like a fucking barbarian at the initial PFT, and it was Jensen who congratulated him on his shit. Maybe his like of Allen had nothing to do with Cassie? I was too wound up, and nothing fit quite right for me. Paranoia in the form of protection was beginning to set it, and it was already frying my fucking nerves.

By the time the lunch hour rolled around, I was starving, and not for food. I needed to know what the deal was between Allen and Jensen. I needed to know if Jensen was trying to be a little bitch and keep Cassie from being the top earner. And I most certainly needed to know what the fuck had Cassie so startled when it came to Allen. The look on her face when he came near her was emblazoned on my brain.

I texted Riley, knowing he would do anything I needed him to do.

Me: Hey, man. Take Jensen out to lunch. I need to be alone with Cassie.

His researching skills were needed once again. If he could get Jensen alone and shoot the shit with him, all under the guise of just catching up, he would be doing me a world of good.

Riley: Man, I’m all for supporting, but seriously? At the schoolhouse? I’ve gotta draw the line.

Me: I’m not fucking her. I need to get some info.

I looked up, scanning the room to make sure that eyes weren’t fixated on me.

Me: Find out why Jensen likes Pvt. Allen so much.

Riley: You’ve got it. And, Alex… don’t fuck her here, man.J

I grinned at the text because I just couldn’t promise that. I shot Cassie a quick text, telling her to leave herself available for me for lunch. The sexual innuendo in that statement had her trying to hide a grin that was threatening to erupt into a full blown smile. I liked seeing the effect my words had on her mind and body.

Once everyone filed out, Jensen left the room without speaking more than a few words, telling Newsome where he’d be. I stepped out the back door and peeked around the wall, seeing her ditch her crew and scamper over to where I was. When I got her inside, I couldn’t help myself; I pinned her up against the wall, kissing her hard before she playfully pushed me away.

“Well good to see you, too.”

“Fuck the greetings. Do you even know what having you in this room does to me?”

“I think I’m beginning to figure it out.”

“Just now beginning? What the fuck is that? You should already know.”

She kissed me again, her soft, moist lips placating me for the moment.

“So I need to know something,” I told her, taking her hand and leading her over to the front desk. Her eyes shifted down to it as she softly smiled.

“Not in the classroom, too.”

I looked down at it, remembering the delicious lunch I’d gotten out of her on the desk in my office.

“I’m starting to realize that you as my meals is turning out to be pretty damn healthy for me. But, no. Not in the classroom—not yet anyway.”

She hit my arm and I caught her hand, taking a seat on the desk and pulling her in between my legs.

“On a serious note,” I said, my voice turning harder, “I need to know what’s going on with Private Allen and you.”

Her look of shock and disgust caught me off guard.

“Are you asking me if we have something going on?” The acid in her tone was noticeably apparent.

“Not so much. Calm the fuck down. I just noticed the look on your face when he offered to be your partner, and I wanted to know where it came from.”

 “Allen is just an idiot. I don’t want to have anything to do with him if I can avoid it.”

She started to pull away, but I wrapped my arm around her waist and pulled her closer. “There’s more to it, Blondie. I know it. I’m going to do some digging on this shit, believe that.”