Текст книги "Fraternizing"
Автор книги: C. Brown
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Текущая страница: 2 (всего у книги 26 страниц)
Chapter 2
Cassie
What a night. My first weekend in Twentynine had been more exciting than I ever imagined it could be. Sure, this place was in the middle of nowhere with cactus and bushes stretching out as far as the eye could see, but the excitement felt at that bar on Friday night had me almost bursting at the seams. If that encounter was any indication of what the next six weeks held, I was more than ready to move things along.
I had never done anything like that. No, usually that sort of behavior was reserved for my friends, back home. They knew what they wanted and made sure to go after it. I normally knew what I wanted, but stewed on the sidelines, hoping it would come to me instead. I guess hanging out with Angelica, and watching her flaunt everything she had, made me want to break free from my usual confines.
I'd noticed that hot as sin guy sitting there, nursing his beer, and apparently she had too. I thought for sure when she found her way over to him that I’d missed my chance, but apparently he was eyeing me, so when I saw my opportunity I threw caution to the wind and pounced.
Only now, I have no clue who he is, where he is, or how to get in touch with him. That kiss seared me, in all of its luscious tequila and beer filled glory. Those soft, full lips crashing down on mine, his strong and aggressive tongue overpowering my own, claiming me out on that dance floor... it excited me in ways that I had never experienced before.
I felt his erection growing and noticed the twitch when I rubbed against him, he wanted me, and even if I were going against my rational thinking mind, I wanted him too. If his kiss and the aggressiveness of it were any indication of what he could do to me in bed, I was definitely willing to test him out.
Unfortunately, because his friend was a drunken dipshit, he had to run out of there before we could exchange names.
Damn!
My sole regret from that night.
I was certain that he was a Marine. We were stuck in a military town, and if the low haircut, his clean shaven face, and well put together ensemble were any indication, he had been in for a while. Of course, he was stationed at the base here, but honestly, how easy would it be to find him? Not easy at all. Not with thousands of Marines walking around.
"You ready for this?" Angelica asked in a rather curt tone. We had only met one another a few days ago—that Friday, in fact. She was my barracks roommate, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a tad bit intimidated by her when I first saw her. She was gorgeous; tall and curvy, with beautiful golden skin, and hair from the shampoo commercials. She looked model worthy, with Marine Corps confidence to go along with it.
"As ready as I'll ever be," I replied with a smile.
Angelica was pissed at me from Friday, her Latin temper flying off of her tongue as she chided me, crying about how she'd seen that guy first and how I'd snuck in and stolen him away. But I hadn’t. He seemed to have chosen me. Plain and simple.
Standing in front of the mirror, brushing my long, blonde hair back and laboriously working it into a sleek bun, I added a light spritz of hairspray to tame the loose strands, then grabbed my cover, or the Marine Corps equivalent of a cap. Angelica finished up whatever she was doing and made her way to her side of the room and threw on her blouse, then we walked out the door.
Standing in formation, the scalding heat from the desert morning was hitting my face, making me painfully aware that we were, in fact, stuck in this poor excuse for a town for the next six weeks. I stood next to Angelica, waiting to get our day started.
I was ready.
Going through thirteen weeks of hell for bootcamp, four weeks of combat training, and now finally Military Occupational School—MOS school– I was now one step closer to becoming a fleet Marine.
"Attention!" a female voice called out, prompting all of us to stand rigid and erect. Nerves began swirling around inside of me as the next chapter was slated to begin. This dream of mine was finally becoming a reality.
I’d dreamed of becoming a Marine ever since I screwed myself out of college. When my mom came down on me, telling me how much of a disappointment I was to her, and how I would never amount to anything, I took that as a challenge and set my sights on becoming one of the best. Even then, she told me that I’d never make it; that it would be too hard, and I would quit.
But I didn't quit.
I proved her wrong every step of the way, and now there was only six weeks until I was out of school. Then I’d be able to finally flip her my pretty little middle finger while smiling and telling her, "I told you so."
"At ease," the woman said, striding out front and center. "I am Sgt. Castillo," she belted out, her cold, dark eyes scanning the rows of students standing before her. "I work in the admin section here at Comm School. Any and all paperwork will go through my section. If you need something, let your instructors know and they will get it taken care of for you."
She was a short Hispanic woman—young, probably slightly older than me, but had obviously joined straight out of high school. The confidence she exuded while speaking to a group of new Marines who towered over her was on par with what I had grown accustomed to in bootcamp. It was remarkable.
"I'm turning you over to your instructors now. Welcome to Twentynine," Castillo said, making a sharp turn and walking away from the formation.
Standing there waiting, even if it was only 7AM, was torture in the morning heat. Fire bearing rays raced down from the sun and connected with my long, thick cotton cammies, inducing a sweat worthy of an intense workout session. And I hadn't even exerted an ounce of energy.
A tall, slender man walked out, followed by two other males. They took their spots in front of the formation, glaring ravenous eyes at us all as if they were ready to pounce and eat us for breakfast. I had been warned that even though we'd made it through bootcamp and were now Marines, to the veterans we were still a bunch of nobodies.
"Attention!" he barked out, his low, gruff voice startling me out of my sweating pity party. I swallowed and stood straight, looking forward but at no one in particular.
"I am Sergeant Newsome, one of your instructors here at Comm School, and this is Sergeant Jensen and Sergeant Cruz," he said, pointing to the two men behind him. The rest of whatever he said fell on deaf ears as I fixed my eyes on the two accompanying instructors, instantly recognizing them as the two guys from the bar on Friday night. My heart sank and a heavy, throbbing lump lodged in my throat, making me stifle a choke as I immediately remembered that Cruz–now that I knew his name–was my bump and grind, tongue twirling, lip smacking partner from that excitement filled night.
"Shit. Better you than me. I ain't mad anymore," Angelica whispered to me, smirking as she said it.
If I could have, I would have smacked the smirk from her face. I was slowly sinking in my own embarrassment and lust.
The feelings I’d felt on Friday came crashing back like tidal waves. Cruz was sexy as sin at the bar, dressed in jeans and a tight fitting t-shirt, but in uniform he looked good enough to taste and then go back for seconds. His cover was pulled low on his head, hiding his beautiful hazel eyes, and his face was held tight, probably trying to appear rough and unapproachable. His bulging arms stood out from his rolled up blouse sleeves, showing just a slight hint of a tattoo underneath the material. His posture was of a stocky bulldog, waiting to be unleashed on a bunch on unsuspecting students who all appeared firmly afraid.
I wasn't afraid of him, per se. I wasafraid that he would remember me and that this would instantly turn awkward and somehow wreck my budding career. Of course, he was about three sheets to the wind that night and quite eager to get into my pants, so chances were good that he wouldn't remember me from any other girl he normally went for.
I could only hope.
"In the next six weeks, you will go through a series of coursework, tests, and field trainings. If you fail Comm School, you will be recycled to a new MOS not of your choosing," Jensen barked. He was tall and quite good looking. He was also very stiff, never once relenting on the deep scowl that seemed to be permanently embedded into his face. I remembered him as the one who broke our earth shattering kiss just before I was sure that I was about to be whisked off somewhere and fucked until my brains spilled out. We never got that far.
And now I was certain that we would never get that far again.
"I'm Sergeant Cruz, lead instructor for Alpha company," he said, his perfectly plump lips moving with each word spoken, further drawing me in. He walked forward, with perfect posture and a stoic face. His voice rumbled as he spoke, instantly taking me back to the bar where he gruffly said, " You're mine tonight," in my ear, sending tingles aggressively shooting up and down my legs He didn't know it in that moment, but I would have gladly surrendered myself to him if we had gotten the opportunity.
"…sound off as I call your name," Sgt. Cruz commanded, throwing more force behind his already intimidating voice.
My mind began to wander again, wondering how I would make it through the next six weeks unscathed by my thoughtless actions. If even half of my brain had been with me that night, I would have never allowed myself to go to places I didn't normally go. I would have never allowed that dance session to take place, and I certainly wouldn't have allowed myself to get swept up in that kiss that I swore took my breath away. What the hell was I thinking? Of course, hindsight is 20/20, but in a military town I should have known better.
"… Private First Class Cassie Bennett." My name came out of his mouth, and I lifted my head ever so slightly to meet his hardened gaze, silently praying that I was unrecognizable to him.
"Here, Sergeant," I sounded off, turning my head away and catching a glimpse of Sgt. Jensen's face. Dammit. He recognized me almost instantly. His eyes lowered, and his face twitched, making me nervous as sweat beads began trickling down the back of my neck. I tried hard to remain calm, not wanting to look like a total ass in front of the entire class, but Jensen's gaze seared me on the spot, indicating that Sgt. Cruz would be next.
Now my heart was pumping overtime, beating to a very erratic drum. As I stood with my hands clenched, the sweat began pouring out, and I felt the sudden urge to pee.
Only I couldn't move because I was stuck under the watchful eye of Sgt. Jensen.
When I finally gathered up the courage to look back to Cruz, he was fixed on me, furious lust filling his eyes. My eyes locked with his, and even though they were hooded by the brim of his cover, I could feel the intensity his gaze poured into me, damn near stifling all of the air from my outdoor surroundings. I didn't know what to do or what to say as he stood there like a hungry wolf, ready to devour its prey. He had definitely recognized me, and all I could hope for was that we could move on like mature adults.
Cruz swallowed hard, accentuating the large Adam's apple poking out in his throat. He cleared his throat and continued on.
"Private First Class Angelica Ruiz," he bellowed out, annoyance seeming to seep into his voice this time.
"Here, Sergeant," Angelica called out, her smirk slowly creeping back in.
Cruz quickly moved on, not even bothering to look at her a second longer than he had to.
My skin began to tingle as parts of my body went numb, and I felt the color drain from my face. This was not a good situation I had found myself in, and I just wasn't sure how I was going to work my way out of it. I hadn't slept with my instructor, but I’d got pretty damn close.
"Be back here at zero eight with your binders," Cruz roughly commanded. The brashness of his tone brought feeling back to me, even though it should have done nothing of the sort.
"Yes Sergeant," we all yelled in unison, only I barely contributed since I was feeling weak and feeble. I mouthed it to make it look believable.
"Dismissed," he barked, standing almost directly in front of me with both hands behind his back. Our eyes locked again, only this time a sinister, seductive gleam went off in his, almost like the gaze he gave off at the bar. He didn't look away, and neither did I. His tall, muscular body was highlighted in his cammies, causing dark, enticing thoughts to scour my brain.
Sgt. Jensen walked up behind him and whispered something into his ear, finally breaking our stare down. He slightly turned his head to listen to what was being said then nodded, looking back at me with narrowed eyes before turning and walking off in the opposite direction with Jensen.
"Well, damn. If you haven't been fucked twice by Sgt. Cruz in only a matter of days," Angelica said, laughing wildly.
"What are you talking about?"
"Don't play stupid. You've been dry fucked and eye fucked by that man."
"That doesn't even matter. We have jobs to do."
"Right. We have jobs to do, and none of these lustrous feelings you two have are going to get in the way." She laughed again. "Like I said, glad it was you and not me. For once, I'm happy I didn't get the guy."
"Right. Because your attitude all weekend proves how badly you didn't want him," I sarcastically retorted, annoyed by the fact that she seemed to be taking pleasure in my torment.
She rolled her eyes and walked off, leaving me standing there, pissed at myself and turned on at the same time. I looked at my watch and realized it was 7:30AM, leaving me only thirty minutes before I had to be back.
All feeling had come back to my body, leaving my nipples standing so hard from our intense stare down that they were beginning to throb. I kicked the cement pillar next to me, my boot making a low thud, hoping to let out some of the sexual tension and frustration that had crept into my body just a few minutes before. I ached with need, hunger and want.
And none of the three looked like they'd be quelled anytime soon.
Chapter 3
Alex
"Fuck!" I yelled, anger touching on every nerve ending in me. How the fuck did I allow myself to get into this situation? As soon as I was back in my shared office, I yanked my now sweat slicked cover off of my head and heaved it onto the desk before violently thrusting my body down into my chair. Leaning my head back and shutting my eyes, I thought about that night and how I missed the fact that she was a Marine because I was too fucking drunk for my own good. Nothing good comes from being that plastered. Nothing.
"Shut this shit down now!" Jensen snarled, removing his cover and slamming the door behind him. His eyes were full of fury, and I couldn't blame him. I felt the same way. "What the fuck were you thinking?"
"I wasn't thinking," I bit back, finally sitting up in my chair. "It doesn't fucking matter anyway. It didn't go very far, and that's where it ends."
"You're damn right about that," he quickly responded, taking a seat in his own chair.
The realization that I had just embarked on one of the biggest forbidden regulations in the Marine Corps made me sick to my stomach. I felt sicker than I had at Coyotes on Friday night. The walls felt as if they were closing in on me, and at any second I was going to throw up in hopes of quelling the sudden nausea that had overtaken me.
Fraternization was a serious offense, one that could derail everything that I had worked so hard for up to this point. Even though I had kissed her without knowledge of who she was, it didn't matter. If anyone said anything, especially with her being in my class, I could lose everything. I had to make sure that she–and her fucking friend–didn’t say a word.
"I have to get her out of my class," I lowly growled, standing to retrieve a bottle of water, downing the contents in one large gulp. My throat felt as if someone had shoved it full of glass shards.
"What? Why?"
"Because, I can't remain her instructor after what happened on Friday night. It's fuckin' awkward, man."
Jensen stood and walked over to me. "She remains in the class. If you go to First Sergeant and request that she be removed, questions will be asked, and you'll rat yourself out. Think, man!"
"I can't fuckin' think when she's around me," I bellowed out, growing more and more frustrated by the second. "My dick swelled up out there. How do you think I'll make it through six weeks of having to look at her every fucking day?"
"Because you need to remember that a pussy isn't worth throwing everything down the drain. You're about to pick up Staff Sergeant in six very short fuckin' years. That the oath you took when you swore to protect your country and the promise to uphold the morals and values of the Marine Corps means more than some chick who gets your dick excited." Thick, angry and over worked veins bulged from his neck as he spoke, his eyes filled with rage.
I knew he was right, but it was my brain that was aware of everything I stood to lose. My cock didn't seem to care because, from the second that our eyes locked on one another in that formation, it jolted to attention and throbbed at the need to get inside of someone.
And that someone was none other than Pfc. Cassie Bennett.
"I know all of that, man–"
"Then shut this shit down," Jensen briskly interrupted. He moved back to his chair, seemingly satisfied with the fact that I seemed to have everything back in perspective. "You need to set some ground rules for these students. Limit these chance encounters."
"I know. As soon as we get back out there, I'm laying everything out. This shit isn't happening again."
"Good, man." He stood. "Your career means more than some chick who knows nothing about the Corps and everything it's done for you."
I nodded, signaling to Jensen that he could leave. He shut the door behind him, leaving me to my contradictory thoughts. I knew that my career was worth everything, but for some strange reason, that fucking Pfc. had gotten to me, and it didn't look as if it would be easy to remove her from my mind.
I was fucked.
Standing before the class, I let Jensen do the roll call while I stood in the back, stealing glances at Bennett every now and then.
The sun was barreling down on us as we stood outside the schoolhouse building, roasting us where we stood, but that wasn't what had me sweating.
H er... standing there...images of her body up against mine...her hardened nipples begging me to rip her shirt off and devour them...
It had me sweating like I’d just run three miles uphill on the mountainous terrain that surrounded us.
I hated it.
I hated everything about the feeling.
No chick had ever gotten me to lose my bearings with just the sight of them. I wasn't sure what it was about this one, but I was finding it hard to reign myself in.
After roll call, I walked the students into class, the air conditioned building, helping me feel a bit more composed. This building was my safe place; where I was in control.
"First things first," I said, walking through the rows of students. "Any bars or clubs, on base or off, are off-limits to all students in Alpha Company. Even if you are of age, bars are now restricted." I stole a quick glance in her direction, and she swallowed, but unless you knew why the swallow came at that moment, it wouldn’t seem like anything out of the ordinary.
"While you are students, your number one priority is making sure that you pass this school and get assigned to a unit. Bars and clubs are distractions, and as your instructor, I am here to keep you focused." I made a quick left, avoiding her seat and making my way back up to the front of the room. I noticed her friend, Ruiz, smirking in her direction. This might be harder than I thought.
"Throughout the week, barracks checks will take place at twenty hundred, meaning you don't have free reign to be out and about at all hours of the night. On weekends, twenty-two hundred. Do we understand?" Jensen quipped.
"Yes, Sergeant," the class yelled in unison.
Eight in the evening seemed reasonable for a school night while ten in the evening on weekends was more than enough. It was the best way to keep these students tied to their barracks where we wouldn't have to run into them.
"We are not here to babysit you. We are here to teach you. If you can't follow orders, your time here will be a living hell. And I will personally make sure of it," Jensen threw in for good measure.
Newsome stood in his corner, surveying the room but not saying anything. He was never much of a talker, so having him and his intimidating presence was all that was really needed.
"Open your binders and take out your duty station preference sheet," I commanded, walking up and down the rows again. "You will select three preferences, but keep in mind that your preference doesn't mean a thing to the Corps, so you will be placed where you are needed. Some of you will get the duty station of your dreams, and some of you will end up in your worst nightmare. I don't give a shit where you end up because it isn't my job to care, so when those assignments come out, do not come crying to me or any other instructor. It won't be our doing where you end up, and we will have no power to change it."
The class got to work on their sheets, marking shit that more than likely wouldn't matter to Headquarters, but they had to do it anyway. Jensen, Newsome, and I strolled up and down the rows, checking on selections and answering any questions that the students had.
"Why can't I select Germany, Sergeant?" some twerp asked, instantly annoying me.
"Because this is the Marine Corps, not the Army. We are amphibious by nature, so most of your duty choices are going to be on the coasts," I lowly responded with irritating malice.
Most of the students were selecting places like Hawaii and overseas, with hopes of living a carefree life. Little did they know that the Hawaii duty station was slim, but I wasn't about to fill them in on reality. They would quickly learn for themselves.
Strolling the classroom, I found myself standing over Bennett and looking down at her paper. She selected West Coast, Hawaii, and the East Coast as her preferences. Her pen stopped moving as she noticed my presence, but she didn't look up to me. I stood there, hoping that she would look up. When she finally did, a nervous grin was spread across her face.
It was refreshing to know that I wasn't the only one affected by our encounters. At the same time, it was exhaustingly frustrating that I couldn't do anything about it, or make the feeling go away.
"I need to speak to you," I whispered to her, moving away from her desk before she even had the time to realize what I’d said. Looking back, she seemed flustered, and her cheeks were red as she looked around the room, probably hoping no one was aware of what was going on. The only other person who did know was Ruiz, and I also had to make sure that she kept her fucking mouth shut.
I made my way back over to Jensen and let him know that I’d told Bennett I needed to speak to her, and that I would need to speak with Ruiz as well. He offered to handle Ruiz, stating that I probably didn't want to handle both of them and rouse suspicion. I agreed, not really caring because all I wanted to do was speak to Bennett and shut this shit down.
Before long, it was time for lunch. The morning had seemingly flown by, and I was somehow able to contain my sporadic erections whenever I looked over at Bennett, but the frustration that had my body locked up like a stiff board was making me uncomfortable.
"Attention!" I called out, prompting the students to stand. "You are to return to the classroom for a thirteen hundred formation. You are dismissed."
Everyone filed out of the room, and while it seemed Bennett lingered a bit, I tried hard not to look at her, instead focusing on the guys who were discussing lunch plans.
"I'm headed off to Subway. You guys want anything?" Newsome asked.
"No, I'm good. I'm going to the gym," I replied, feeling the need to burn the tension away. It was now noon, and given that I had allotted an hour for lunch, I felt I could do some damage with that amount of time.
"I'll go with you, man. You sure don't want anything Alex?" Jensen asked, eyeing me suspiciously.
"Bring me back an Italian BLT with loads of onions and peppers. I really need to hit the gym." I gave Jensen a pointed look, and he caught on, understanding why I was anxious about getting away from everyone and everything associated with this schoolhouse. He nodded his head, and the two of them made their way out of the building.
I jogged out to my truck– a black, lifted Dodge Ram—and hopped in, making my way over to the gym and quickly changing before throwing myself down on the flat bench and bench pressing my frustrations away.
I needed a strict game plan on how to handle Bennett, and I needed it quickly. Trying to come up with a way to handle her and keep my focus on my job was becoming more of a task than I wanted it to be. I couldn't form any coherent thoughts; all I saw were her toned legs, and her beautiful ass that rubbed against me, making me harder than a fucking rock. Her long, flowing blonde hair, and that sultry vanilla and fruit flavored smell came back to me in waves, and I yelled out as I finished a rep and placed the bar back on the stand.
"Need a spotter?" a familiar voice asked. I turned to find Castillo standing there. She had a smile on her face that I couldn't reciprocate. I was too wound up, too frustrated, and it showed through my short pants and sweat filled face.
"Not really, but you can spot me if you want."
"You look like you need a drink," she joked, instantly making me freeze.
I looked at her, breathing hard, but not saying a word. Instead, I added another twenty-five pounds to each side of the bar, bringing my grand total to two-hundred and fifty pounds, and laid down, taking the bar from her and trying to lift my frustrations away for the second time.
I lifted furiously, breathing short, hard breaths with every lift. Castillo tried a few times to take the bar after ten reps, but I couldn't stop. The extra weight seemed to be doing the trick, so I kept going, focusing only the bar and staring up at the gym lights that shone down on me.
"Done!" I breathed, holding up the bar for Castillo to take. She took it, placing it back in the holder and handing me a towel.
"What's got you so riled up?"
"Nothing," I said, glancing up to her and finding her unconvinced. "It’s Monday, and I drank too much this weekend. I need to burn it off." I wiped my sweat off with the towel, turning and throwing it into the bin before standing and walking over to the punching bags in the far left corner.
"Friday was crazy. Is Newsome alright? I saw what happened."
I began punching the bag relentlessly, picturing my own face and drilling it harder and harder with each punch, figuratively punishing myself for getting caught up and not being around to protect my brother.
"He's fine," I said through a short breath, landing more and more punches on the bag. "What happened anyway?"
"I don't know how it started, but I saw some guy push him in the back, and he turned and punched him in the face. The guy punched him back, then fists were being thrown everywhere. Smith grabbed Newsome, and Jensen ordered them out of the bar while he went to look for you." She paused for a second. "Where were you anyway?"
I stopped punching and looked at her, breathing hard as sweat beads rolled down my face. "I was nursing a beer and trying not to puke all over that bar," I lied, but it seemed to placate her as she laughed and took her stare off of me.
"Alex Cruz–drunk off his ass–having to nurse a beer. Never thought I would see the day."
"Yeah, well, those days are over. Never again," I said, throwing short, quick, but powerful punches into the bag, releasing the pent up aggression that had manifested itself in me since the morning. "Nothing good comes from that shit, and as it is, Newsome could have gotten into some serious trouble."
"Well, Smith was there with him, so I'm sure you're forgiven."
"I know, but I don't like leaving my brothers like that. I had my celebratory night, so I'm good."
"Suit yourself. I'm off to the treadmill. Care to join me?"
"Naw. I need to shower and get back, lunch is waiting on me."
"Sounds good. See you later."
"See ya."
I hustled off to the showers and threw myself under the cold water. The workout on the punching bag had definitely alleviated stress, but it hadn't taken it all away. While beating my face to a pulp felt good, the impending thought of seeing Cassie Bennett was back and looming large, causing all of that tension to seep back into my body. I stood under the water, pleading with myself to figure out a way to see her as just another student. It didn't work because as soon as I was dressed and back in my truck, my thoughts shifted to her long blonde hair in my hands while I worked my way inside of her. I wanted to peel out of the parking lot and floor it back to the schoolhouse, but there were strict speed limits and military police scattered all over the fucking place, so I drove back going twenty miles per hour while thoughts of the girl who I wanted to erase from my memory were moving a mile a minute.
Back at the schoolhouse, I marched out to the formation without so much as looking in her direction. I hated that she had such a powerful effect on me with only the sight of her. We made our way in and Newsome started with the introductory chapter on radio communications in the Marine Corps. I sat in the back, plugging things into the computer while he and Jensen took over the class. I wasn’t in the mood to stand before students today, so being the head instructor, I shifted the lectures over to the guys, freeing myself up.
Before long, it was 1530, and time to release the class for the day. I had never been so thankful—thankful to get her out of my presence and thankful to find my bearings and get a hold of myself.
