Hale and Brazen exchange an icy glance, and then they both nod at Clay.
“And you,” Clay exasperates while honing in on me. “Can you work with Hale and Brazen while remaining professional in front of the others? No overly exaggerated show of affection toward Brazen, and no arguing, snapping, or barking at Hale. Treat both of them as you would any other captain. Understood?”
I roll my eyes, and then I climb out of Brazen’s lap to sit on the arm of the couch.
“I think I’ve been acting very professional with Captain Banner, and I dated Captain Mordel for months in secrecy at Javeline. I know how to be covert,” I snark.
“I knew the day you conceded to his request for courtship,” Clay chirps while giving me his condescendingly smug smirk.
“Ass,” I mumble to myself.
“Just be professional. Some of these people consider it a high offense to be spoken to with casual demeanor. Some are as laid back as I am. Just find your medium. This is the first time we’ve all come together in a long time.”
“I promise I’ll be a good girl, Commander Jude.”
Hale stands up, and he and Brazen nod to each other as a sign of truce for the time being. Clay sighs as he stands up, and I can see the stress still in his eyes. I suppose being the commander is tough enough without having to worry about our fucked up triangle.
“I’m lifting the lockdown now that we have the threat contained and we know it’s not airborne.”
“Crap,” Brazen huffs accidentally.
“Something wrong, Captain?” Clay muses.
I giggle to myself, my eyes shifting from Brazen to Hale by accident. I always share jokes with Hale, but I can’t right now. I look away, my amusement slipping.
“My mother is here,” he grumbles. “I was hoping she’d stay locked up for the night.”
Hale smiles lightly while looking at me, suddenly realizing why I had giggled and turned to him. It feels good to at least have that little bit of normalcy back. Clay stifles a laugh of his own while shaking his head.
“Sorry, Captain, but I’m afraid I can’t leave us locked down just to keep Mrs. Mordel at bay.”
Brazen smirks, and then he sighs as he leans back into the chair. Clay walks over to hand me my ring back, and I smile as I slide it back onto my right hand.
“Hale said you wanted to keep it, so I had it analyzed for any traces of blood. The radiation shower could cause it to rust though. You might want to look into replacing it.”
“I’ll do that,” Brazen coos while his lips stroke the back of my hand, and he looks up at me hopefully.
Hale winces under the insinuating comment, and I feel guilty for making him watch this even though I shouldn’t.
He fucking cheated on you girl! Have some damn self respect.
“Angelica and Grayson?” I chirp to interrupt the impending proposal Brazen’s eyes are promising.
“They’re together in her home, but Nicholas was locked down on the east side. He’s been worried about you,” Clay answers.
“Me? He should know better than to worry about me,” I chuckle out.
“I’m just glad Hale was there to put the creature down. From now on, you’re not allowed to go on any solo missions of any sort. Until we know what the hell they’re after or what they’re trying to do, no one goes anywhere at all without someone else. I’m going to assign everyone a roommate until this is resolved.”
“You can assign me to Araya’s room for as long as my parents are here,” Brazen grumbles. “We’ll go to my place though if they’re leaving soon.”
Everyone shares a bit of a giggle - well, except for Hale for some reason.
“They’re going to stay until all matters are resolved. I had already assumed you’d be staying with Araya. I’ve got others to tend to now. I’ll see you both later,” he murmurs softly, and Brazen jerks me back to his body in a way that makes me laugh.
Hale’s eyes turn to give me a glimpse of envy, and then he swishes out completely. He is so frustrating, and I’m tired of trying to figure him out. My lips claim Brazen’s, and he jerks my hips to his body to let me feel how badly he wants me right now.
“I love you, baby,” he murmurs against my lips.
“I love you,” I utter while smiling into the kiss, and then he lifts me up while walking to the bedroom.
I feel the bed beneath me, and then his body falls to mine as he grips my ass.
Brazen. Definitely Brazen.
