Lydia glanced around the room. The two he must have been referring to were probably the twins sitting next to each other. The table was filled with people in camouflage. Some she’d seen the night before, and others she’d never seen before in her life. Briggs sat between the general and a brunette with a scowl on her face. On the other side of the table sat the stunning twins. Their piercing aqua eyes and dimples made her shiver. They were as physically built and as muscular as Rick, but it was something about the way their eyes were drinking her in that set her on edge.
Next to them sat a blonde beauty. The woman was as beautiful as Lydia’s sister Claire. The blonde glanced between the twins and Lydia before she rose from the table and held out her hand. “Hi, I’m Marlaina.” Lydia reached for her hand and shook it. “If you need anything during your stay, don’t hesitate to ask.”
Lydia glanced up at Rick, expecting his gaze to be set on the blonde. Instead, it was pinned on the twins. His lips were pulled into a fine line, and he ground his teeth. He’d completely ignored the blonde but looked ready to kill the good-looking twins across the table. Huh. The general stood and motioned to the only two empty chairs. “Please have a seat and we’ll get started.”
Rick’s palm never left her lower back until he’d pulled out her chair for her to sit. He sat beside her, and they all turned their attention to the general.
The general pointed to one of the twins on his left side. “This is Ridge Connors. He’s my second-in-command.” The general pointed to the identical twin sitting next to Ridge. “The man next to him is Brody Connors.” Brody nodded to her. The general glanced over to Rick. “I believe I introduced you two on the plane. He’s the one that is going to be training Lydia.”
Lydia thought she heard another curse leave Rick’s lips. Just what the hell is going on between those two? The man the general had called Brody was grinning from ear to ear before he confirmed. “I’ve met Romeo, although I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting the beautiful woman who’s with him.”
Lydia felt the heat rise to her cheeks. No one had ever called her beautiful before. The twinkle in Brody’s eyes made her leery of the man’s agenda. Tension filled the air in the crammed conference room, making the atmosphere heavy around her. She felt an invisible brush on her cheek and Brody’s grin grew. He was barking up the wrong tree. Lydia raised a brow and added her own energy to the mix, testing whoever was sending vibrations her way, pushing it back across the table and out of her face. Rick placed his palm on her leg beneath the table and leaned over to whisper in her ear. “Are you doing that?”
Brody chuckled to himself. “Nice.”
Lydia crossed her arms. Rick’s words pulled her attention back from Brody, and she placed her focus on the general. Rick was right. Brody wasn’t a threat, only a man that needed to get a grip on his hormones. The general obviously trusted the man with training her, so maybe she should too. Rick’s words after their kiss resonated in her mind. Lydia nodded toward Brody. “Save your compliments, hot shot. I don’t plan on being around long enough to be a conquest.”
The brunette woman sitting next to Rick she’d yet to be introduced to lifted a hand and covered her mouth, coughing around the sip of coffee she’d just taken that threatened to spew out of her mouth. Brody’s twin, Ridge, chuckled and nudged Brody with his elbow. “Brother, it seems she’s got your number.”
Brody’s eyes darkened in response. Lydia’s cheeks reddened even more. She’d been presumptuous, although it seemed as though her suspicions had been correct. Even if her comment was appropriate, she shouldn’t have verbalized it. Not at their first meeting. “I apologize; I was out of line.”
The general cleared his throat. “Yes, well, you’ve met Marlaina.” The blonde’s hazel gaze was unreadable. The general now gestured to his right toward the brunette who had scowled at her and Rick when they’d first entered the conference room. “And this is Jaime Bloom.”
The general sat back down. “Everyone’s already met Briggs.” The general gestured in her direction. “This is Ms. Lydia Stevens and FBI Agent Rick Thompson. They are our guests and will be treated accordingly.” The general gave her a conspiratorial wink before he turned his gaze on Brody. “Do I make myself clear?”
Brody grinned. “Oh yes, sir. I’ll make sure she feels right at home.”
Ridge elbowed his twin harder in the arm, eliciting a wince from Brody. “Grow up already.”
Brody dropped the grin from his face and cut his gaze back to the general. “Yes, sir.”
The general nodded. “Good. Since you and Lydia share the same special skill of telekinesis, you’ll be training her starting first thing in the morning.” The general looked around the table. “Talk of her abilities does not leave this room, and I expect daily updates on her progress.”
“Jaime, you’re in charge of combat training. Show her how to protect herself if she’s ever in a situation where she can’t use her gift.”
Jaime nodded.