“Uh, yeah . . . well, it’s feeling a little better.” He had the decency to look guilty, and the others laughed as I crossed my arms.
“Don’t youdareoverdo it. And let me change the bandages tonight.”
He gave me a salute, and I thrust a vitamin at him. “I’m serious. It’ll be much more fun killing aliens if you have two strong arms, won’t it?”
His face sort of morphed into understanding, like I had finally struck a chord. “Hooah, Doc.”
“She’s got you there,” Rylen said. He stayed by my side as Tex left to get back to work and I hugged the other three and gave them their vitamin doses. They all appeared equally fatigued. I wished we could go outside for some fresh air and sunshine, but we couldn’t risk giving away our location. Also, this place didn’t have a gym, so everyone had to make do with cramped workouts in the dining hall. Half of the group did it in the morning before breakfast, the other half at night after dinner. We pushed all of the tables aside, and did a series of stretching followed by squats, pushups, sit-ups, and jumping jacks. It was a half-assed workout compared to what we’d all gotten used to, but there wasn’t enough food to warrant more.
As I finished, and Devon was talking to Rylen, I sidled next to Shavontae and asked, “Have you heard of the closet?”
She craned back her neck to lift an eyebrow at me. “Heard of it? Did you not hear me sneak out the room at three AM?”
My eyes widened, and I whispered, “I thought you were going to the bathroom!”
“Nope. Three o’clock is rendezvous time. It ain’t the Ritz, and it smells like bleach, but you won’t hear me complaining.” She turned to graze Devon’s wide shoulders with her eyes, and he caught her, returning her stare with a look that made me need to fan myself. Even Rylen caught the exchange and had to chuckle as the two of them walked away, hip to hip. And finally, now that it was nearing lunch, my line was gone.
“What were you two talking about?” he asked.
I’d known this boy since I was six. In fact, there was nobody on Earth now who knew us better than we knew each other, so it was stupid that I was too embarrassed to tell him about the closet. I’d craved him constantly since our one and only time together. It hadn’t been nearly enough. I wanted so much more, especially after thinking I’d lost him during the evacuation.
Oh, my God, I needed to stop thinking about it.
But it was kind of hard when he was looming next to me, giving off heat waves that sang to my libido. Every time he looked at me I felt like he was silently saying, “Hey, wanna go to the closet?”
Yeah, I needed to cool off. I cleared my throat and grabbed the box of vitamins, turning and bending down to lock it in the bottom drawer of a filing cabinet. But when I bent, my ass totally rubbed against Rylen’s outer thigh, making him hiss low under his breath. I felt the heat of his hand like fire land on my hip to keep me from backing into him any further.
“Careful where you’re swinging that thing, Pepper.” His voice shot straight to my core like lightening.
I slammed the door and locked it, shoving the key in my pocket and facing him. Neither of us was smiling, and the sudden tension was delicious.
“Or what?” I asked.
His eyes flashed with sexy, animalistic warning, making me tremble.
“Keep it up and you’ll find out.” He leaned forward and kissed me, sucking in my bottom lip and letting it go with a graze of his teeth. The look he gave me before walking away was enough to make me come right there if I weren’t technically in public . . . and if First Sergeant wasn’t coming our way right that second.
Damn.
I clenched my thighs, feeling all kinds of wrong as Rylen nodded at First Sergeant in passing, and I forced a smile.
“Hey, Top,” I said.
“How’s it going, Tate?”
“Okay,” I told him. “Pretty basic so far. Everyone’s a little stir crazy, and that can wreak havoc. You know, the mental and physical are all sort of connected. These guys are lonely and bored and really need to see the sun and stretch their legs.” And get laid.
He nodded, frowning. “We’re working on it. Let me know if you have any issues, though.”
“Yes, sir.” He looked ready to turn and leave me again, but he stopped and put a hand on he table. “How are you? I know it can’t be easy, leaving behind your brother and friend.”
I dropped my eyes, feeling guilty every time my mind waned from that feeling of mourning, but I had to be honest.
“I don’t think they’re dead, Top.”
He eyed me, then nodded slowly. “Those two and Linette are our only people missing. Something tells me they’re together, and if they are, those three would make a fine team.”
I wasn’t so sure of that. Tater was hotheaded. Linette and Remy were total opposites. But stranger things had happened.
“I hope so,” I said.
Top patted my shoulder, and I accepted the fatherly moment, soaking it in as we walked together to a lunch of packaged MREs. Meals Ready to Eat—military rations. Yum.
