“There are people watching us.” She chooses right now to be shy. I shrug. I really don’t care; let them look. I’ll teach them all how this is done.
“Harris is going to get his ass beat if he says one more word to you. It would be different if his intentions were noble, but we both know they aren’t. He wants you.” Her gaze borders on the verge of a smug smile. She knows damn well that shit is getting to me.
“You have nothing to be jealous of. I’m not yours, nor am I his, and if you don’t get that through your thick alpha skull, I won’t let your ass near me. Check yourself, Maverick. I’m not a fucking piece of property for you to own, and I’m sure as fuck not a piece of meat for you two to tear apart while you fight over me.” I pull her wrist against my side, while she spews her words in my face.
She’s feisty and not at all afraid to tell me off and remind me how it is. Goddamn, she will be so much fun to play with when I get her back home. The thoughts of all the possibilities cause a smile on my face, which only pisses her off even further.
“Kaleb. I’m tired. I’m not dealing with this pissing match. You’re going to have to get over yourself and relax a little.”
“I’ll relax when I can slip inside that sweet * of yours again. Until then, I’m going to be worked up. It comes with the territory of running a big mission like this. I’ll need to blow off this aggression somehow, and I can only think of one way that sounds perfect.”
“Do you always think with your dick?”
“No. I assure you, honey, there’s so much more of me craving you than just my dick. I’m not just here to fuck around, Jade.” I pull her closer as I speak close to her ear. She tucks her arms into my chest as I wrap my arms around her before she pushes away. Her hurt arm is wrapped, but she's still moving it.
Using her big, beautiful eyes to look straight into mine, she begins again. “You’re insane. Kaleb, please don’t do this shit in front of the guys anymore. I won’t have anyone thinking I’m fucking my way into these missions. I’ve worked too damn hard for my career to throw it all away like that. I respect these guys, and I want them to continue to respect me. Just because I had a lapse in judgement a few times with you doesn’t mean I’m yours to toy with for all eternity.”
I open my mouth to respond to her lapse of judgment lie, a damn hit to my fucking gut, but see Harris behind her, returning with a shit ton of food in his arms. She turns to see what my eyes are focused on and instantly moves to help him. He must be telling fucking jokes when she reaches him, because she throws her head back and smiles the largest smile I've ever seen on her face. My heart skips at least once, knowing I've never been the reason for her happiness. That's something I plan to change very soon.
JJ and Roberts walk up from their trip to find the latrine, and I exhale knowing I've fucked up my last moment alone with her. From here on out, the team will be tight in our vicinity. I know my seat is next to hers, and I made sure JJ is on the opposite side of her. Harris is in a different fucking row, and I don't give two shits who he's stuck next to. The guy had my back on that mission, but I know damn well he’s not on my side when it comes to Jade.
I don't eat anything he brings back, but I do watch them all interact as a group of great friends. That's what I miss most about being active. The comradery among the guys begins lifelong friendships that lead to so much support, and in the worst cases, heartache as they all come home from the extremities of being on active duty.
Lives change and evolve like the seasons, and a soldier deals with the most extreme cases of that. Going from training for years then to active duty for even more, it's extremely difficult to fit in at home after being away for so long. I should know, I still don't. I have my brothers. Brothers I met when I served and who haven't faltered since. My real blood brother is a piece of shit who doesn't even deserve a mention from my mouth. He’ll get his one day. I don't even have to serve it to him. He fucks up enough that karma will do its job.
Her laughter pulls me from my thoughts, and I watch her stand to land a punch to Harris’ shoulder, tucking her injured arm against her body. I wish to fuck it was a real punch to his face, but it wasn't. It was more like a playful, flirty slug that just irritates the shit out of me. I can either stand back here and sulk, or join the party.
I guess it's time I start to play the game. I don't lose. I want her, and I will make her see that we’re going to be great together. She's just not in the right mindset to focus on that right now. There are too many emotions at the surface with everything that's going on for her to think about anything except going home.