Houdini studied me, cocking his head to the side. “You really don’t like the guy, do ya?”
“Gee, what gave it away?”
“I’ve just never seen you so upset before. It’s not like you.”
“You telling me you wouldn’t be upset if you were in my shoes?”
Houdini raised his hands. “Not sayin’ that at all, but I’d probably find the humor in it, more like. A sky penis? Come on, that’s pretty damn hilarious. And creative.”
I sighed and pushed my tray away. “Really not in the mood.”
“Wanna talk about whatever else is botherin’ you, then?”
Outside of Houdini, only a handful of people knew the things I kept secret, and I debated whether to let him in on Solo. I knew he wouldn’t say anything, and hell, maybe it’d help to have someone on my side, since Solo was now a hero for that damn sky penis.
“Today isn’t the first time I’ve seen him. Solo.” I reached for my glass and wiped the condensation off with my thumb. “We had a run-in. Didn’t go so well.”
“And?”
“The end.”
“Oh, come on. That’s all I get? What kind of run-in?”
“The kind at a bar you don’t go to.”
“Where do I not— Ohhh. Oh, shit.” Houdini sat back in his chair, his eyes wide. “He’s gay?”
“I don’t think he was there for the drinks and decor.”
“Maybe he didn’t know what kind of bar it was. He’s not from around here, right?”
I raised my brow and waited for the light bulb to click on over Houdini’s head. It only took a few seconds, and then he said, “Did he hit on you? He did, didn’t he? You shoot him down? No, wait, you fucked him. You fucked him, and now you regret it, right? Damn, I’m good.”
“I didn’t touch him. Let’s get that part straight.”
“Sounds like the only thing straight in that bar that night,” Houdini said with a wink.
“Your jokes get worse every time you tell one, you know that, right?”
“Don’t try to deflect. We were finally gettin’ to the good stuff.”
“Is that what my suffering is to you? The good stuff?”
Houdini took a bite out of his meatball sub and shrugged. “You gotta admit, this is some juicy stuff. Now, stop stallin’ and spill the details.”
I sighed and tried to remember why I thought telling him was a good idea. “There are no details to tell, juicy or otherwise. He approached—”
“I knew it, he totally hit on you.”
“I said thanks but no thanks, and that was the end of that.”
Houdini chewed another mouthful of food and swallowed. “Except it wasn’t.”
“Exactly.”
“Fuck me, dude. This is better than a soap opera. Tell me, did he recognize you the second you saw each other again?”
“Well, he’s not blind, so that would be a yes.”
“But hang on a second, if he’s the one who hit on you and you said no, why are your panties all in a twist? Unless…” Houdini nodded like he was onto something. “Is he still wantin’ to pet the Panther?”
God save me from Houdini and his horrible humor. “Pet the Panther? Really?”
“Would stroke have been better?”
“Nothing would’ve been better. But thanks, now I have that in my head.”
“You’re welcome. So, okay, what’s the problem? He wants to fuck and you…don’t?”
At Houdini’s blunt assessment of the situation, words escaped me.
“Or maybe you do. Is that it? I mean, from a straight dude’s standpoint, I can see the appeal. Solo’s hot.”
Oh my fucking God. “Stop talking or I swear on my mother I will shove the rest of that sub down your throat.”
“Ahh, so that’s how you like it, huh?”
As I went for his plate, Houdini pulled it out of reach.
“Come on, I’m just messin’ with you. But seriously, if hookin’ up with Solo is what it’s gonna take to make you crack a smile again, I say do it. He doesn’t seem like the type who’s searchin’ for a long-term commitment, if you get my drift.”
“But he is the kind who has a big fucking mouth.” I sighed and rubbed my jaw. “There’s a reason I don’t date anyone in the forces—shit would get too complicated. And Solo, he’s trouble waiting to happen.”
“I get it, man. I just thought it might ease some of the tension between you two.”
“The only tension between us is over the fact he acts like a teenager out to prove his dick is bigger than everyone else’s.”
As Houdini opened his mouth to respond, I aimed a finger at him and said, “You mention that fucking sky penis one more time…”
Houdini grinned like a fool and went back to his sub, and all I could think was how I was going to survive not only this competition and training, but being paired up with someone who made my usual focus seem like a distant memory.
10 Solo
IN HINDSIGHT, THE sky penis probably wasn’t the best way to kick off my first day, but I didn’t regret it. Not one bit. How could I when it had riled Panther up in such a delicious way? Other than coming out on top in the academy, provoking Panther had now moved up to number two on my list. A couple reasons for that—first, he was too fucking hot to leave alone, and second, any distractions would make him lose focus, which would only make it easier for me to kick his ass. Not that I needed the help.
The rest of the day passed by uneventfully, just some in-class training, and then I took off with Gucci to a nearby bar—and yeah, the faint outline of my sky dick was on display, which apparently was pissing off the locals enough that the news vans had made an appearance as I was leaving. Unfortunately, the Navy wasn’t releasing the perpetrator—moi—so any TV interviews were off the table. Bummer.
I revved the engine of my ruby-red Yamaha YZF-R1 motorcycle as I waited for the traffic light to change, and as soon as I saw it flip to green, I took off, roaring down the road. After leaving the bar, I’d taken one look at the sunset and decided a drive along the ocean would be the perfect end to a pretty kickass day. It was so open out here: nothing but sky, water, and hills off in the distance. Nothing like some of the claustrophobic places I’d been during my travels. If I ever decided to have a home base, I could see it being a place like this. Not that I’d be tying myself down somewhere anytime soon. No, I much preferred the freedom of never knowing where I’d head off to next. Some may call that a lonely existence…and hell, maybe it was. But the good thing about being alone was that you were always a bar away from some company.
As the sun finally submerged itself into the water and night fell, I headed back to the barracks. It hadn’t taken much to move in, since I didn’t come with more than an oversized duffel, but at least I didn’t have to worry about sharing the small space with a roommate. No, the Elite got their own rooms, a serious perk after years of sharing bunks. I wouldn’t have minded having Panther as a roommate, though I’d probably have to sleep with one eye open so he didn’t smother me with a pillow in the middle of the night.
I slowed to a stop as I went through the security leading into the base, and then veered the bike off toward the single-story barracks I’d call home for the next few weeks. There was a seriously sick-looking ride already parked in a space near my room, and I pulled in beside it, glancing over at it as I cut the engine.
Damn, that was a sleek crotch rocket. A black Ducati 848 in pristine condition. After I slid off my bike and removed my helmet, I walked a circle around the hot ride.
You didn’t touch another man—or woman’s—bike, but damn if I didn’t want to run my hand over the glossy paint and then take it out on the freeway to see what it could do.
I was on my way back around the front of the wicked piece of machinery when I caught sight of a door being pulled open, and what do you know, Panther, of all people, stepped outside.
I wasn’t sure what it said about me, but when his eyes zeroed in on me standing next to what I now assumed was
his bike, and a scowl crossed his face, my dick kicked inside my jeans.
Of course the bike belonged to him. Like the guy wasn’t sexy enough. Imagining him straddled over the back of this baby was enough to make my cock go from interested to rock fucking hard in an instant.
Panther stepped outside and eyed me where I stood. No pleasantries were exchanged, just a stare-off that I had to say was doing shit for dampening my desire to get closer to him.
The guy was just so intense, so serious all the time, and as he stepped down into the parking spot where I was standing and stopped in front of me, I couldn’t resist the urge to poke at him—since I was such a glutton for punishment.
“So, I see you do like something nice and thick between your legs on occasion. Good to know. I was starting to think you might’ve wandered into the wrong bar last night.”
Panther said nothing as he crossed his arms and stood his ground, his black t-shirt stretching nice and taut across the chest I’d been fantasizing about ever since I’d run into him last night.
“I mean, I was fairly certain you weren’t mistaken with the way you all but plastered me to the back wall of the place. But after today’s little game of denial, it’s nice to know I didn’t imagine the whole thing.”
Panther’s eyes narrowed, and when it was clear he wasn’t going to rise to the bait, I turned my attention back to his bike. “She’s a real beauty.”
I wasn’t sure what I expected from him then, maybe a “get the hell away from my bike,” but when Panther said, “What makes you think it’s a she?” I almost fell flat on my face.
I cocked my head to the side to make sure I’d heard him right. But just like before, there was no smug look on his face, no teasing smile on his lips. He stood there still as a fucking statue and just as remote, and if I hadn’t heard him with my own two ears, I would’ve thought I’d made it up to torment myself.
“So, you’re telling me this wicked-hot ride you straddle every day is a he?”
Panther ran his eyes down over me and then turned to stroke his fingers along the top of the tank. “I’m not telling you anything.”
“Now where’s the fun in that?”
Panther glanced over his shoulder at me, and for a split second I saw the same glint in his eyes from last night, before he blinked and it was gone. “The fun is, it annoys you not to know.”
“Well, it’s not like you were super subtle about it.”
“Do you even know what the word subtle means?”
I shrugged and slipped my hands into my pockets. “Sure. I can be subtle.” I then aimed my eyes to where Panther’s jeans hugged his incredible ass. “I really like your jeans. The fit is just right.”
“That was being subtle?”
“Well, yeah, what I really wanted to say is your ass is one of the best I’ve ever fucking seen. See? Subtle.”
Panther stared at me and then shook his head. “You gonna do this the whole time we’re here?”
“I don’t see why not. I can’t imagine anything better than you coming along.” Then something occurred to me, and I looked over Panther’s shoulder to the room he’d left. “Is that your room or should I be jealous?”
Panther crossed his arms and smirked. “None of your business.”
“Oh, but see, it is,” I said, running my fingers along the seat of his bike. I didn’t feel bad about touching it when the owner was standing a foot away, though he was watching my moves like a hawk. “The room beside it is mine.”
He didn’t give me any reaction to that, but not because it didn’t affect him, of that I was positive.
“So?” he said.
“Seems mighty convenient. Partners in class, next-door neighbors…”
Panther shrugged. “A coincidence.”
“Or fate.”
“Considering there are twenty of us, it doesn’t leave much room or space.”
“Halle-fuckin-lujah,” I said, walking around the back of the bike, closer to where Panther stood, unmoving. “Think we have adjoining doors?”
“No.”
“That’s too bad. Maybe I can carve out a peephole. You know. Keep an eye on…things.”
What Panther did next surprised me. He laughed. He fuckin’ laughed.
11 Panther
IT WAS AMAZING what a few beers could do to take the edge off. After our final class, I’d headed to my room, waiting for the lashing phone call from my father that was surely coming. No way in hell I wanted to be on the receiving end while out in public, so I’d popped a few bottles, and after a couple hours of silence and a good buzz, the events of today felt like a distant memory.
At least for now.
So when Solo made the crack about a peephole into my room, I couldn’t help but laugh. The guy was so fuckin’ ridiculous that I couldn’t help myself. Ridiculously good-looking, too, the voice in the back of my head said. It was a shame that the same guy drawing dicks in the sky and behaving like a rebellious fuck who didn’t give a damn was the one making my cock sit up and take notice.
As Solo rounded the back of my bike and came to a stop next to his, I was able to take a good look at the motorcycle that fit him to a T. A sporty red Yamaha that looked like it would outrun anything on the road. Combine that with its owner—brown hair disheveled and sexy from the helmet, a trim leather jacket and jeans low at his hips—and it was a dangerous mix.
“Is that a laugh?” Solo said, raising an eyebrow. “I didn’t think you knew how to do that.”
“Maybe I just don’t find you as funny as the others do.”
“Or maybe you suffer from a debilitating lack of humor.”
“I make up for it in other areas.”
Solo’s eyes sparked. “Like?”
“Wouldn’t you like to know.”
“Yes, that’s why I’m asking.” He pointed at himself. “Not subtle, remember?”
“I don’t think I’ll be able to forget.”
“Good. Then mission accomplished.” Solo waggled his eyebrows. “You didn’t think my likeness in the sky today was all for Gooch, did you?”
Jesus, I needed to get away from him, and now, because as relaxed as I was feeling, his flirting was starting to wear me down.
“If that’s true, then you might want to go see a doctor, ’cause you were a little lopsided down below.”
Solo flashed me his heartbreaker grin. “Or I could just get you to check for me.”
At that tempting offer, I backed up and shook my head. “Not gonna happen.”
As Solo followed, I took another step back. I’d let this go on too long. I needed some distance and I needed it now.
“Why not?”
Deciding my best course of action was to say nothing, I turned on my heel, about to hightail it back to my room, the one sharing a wall with the man now coming for me. Well, not coming for me but…after me. There would be no scenario in which Solo would be coming for me. Not now, not ever.
“Panther?”
I knew I should keep walking. Get inside, shut the door, and lock it for good measure. But what did my dumb ass do? I stopped and turned around—and immediately regretted it.
Solo was now up on the sidewalk standing opposite me. His gorgeous eyes locked with mine as though he were waiting for me to respond. But all I could do was look at those full lips that were so close, all I’d have to do was reach out and grab him to get a taste.
If we’d been any other people in any other place, I would have; there’d be no way I could resist. But the distant rumble of a plane taking off reminded me of who we were and where we were currently standing.
“What?”
“Can you at least admit, for one second, you were just as hot for me last night as I was for you?”
I eyed him for a beat, wondering what his angle was, because with Solo there was always an angle. “Why? It’s not going to get you anywhere. Certainly not past this door.”
Solo’s lips, those sinful lips, curved, making my dick throb a little harder. Christ
, he was easy on the eyes. He made it difficult to look away.
“Now that’s where you’re wrong. It’s totally going to get me off. But guess what?”
Fuck, I was so not equipped to handle someone like Solo in my day-to-day life. Outside of work, hell yes. He’d no doubt be the hottest fuck of my life. But here at work, he was a temptation that would land me in a world of trouble.
“Tonight when I shout out your name, you’re gonna be able to hear, Grant.” With a wink designed to make my cock ache, Solo sauntered over to his door, unlocked it, and glanced back over to where my stupid self remained in front of the door. “Feel free to call out Mateo if you like, ’cause when it comes to…coming, I really don’t like to be Solo.”
12 Solo
“YO, SOLO! GET your ass over here.” Gucci’s voice could be heard over the music blaring as I headed down the beach toward where my fellow trainees were gathered for tonight’s bonfire. With the first week of training under our belts, it was time to let loose, and the party tonight was our first chance to really hang out outside NAFTA’s walls. Personally, I was more interested in checking out a half-naked Panther, but I’d humor the others for a few hours.
I dropped my towel near a cooler and walked over to where Gucci was setting up long red sticks in the sand.
“I need you on my team,” he said, pushing one of the sticks deep and covering the base so it stood upright.
“What the hell are you doing?”
Gucci grabbed a couple of plastic cups and rose to his feet. “So, the game’s called Flick n Sticks. These suckers go on top of the sticks face down. Our opponents try to knock ’em off, and if they do, they get a point, but only if we don’t catch the cups before they hit the ground. Make sense?”
I glanced over to where Houdini and Whiplash were setting their end up just like ours.
“And what are we using to knock the cups off?”
“This.” Gucci held up a Frisbee, and I snorted.
“Please tell me this is a drinking game.”
“It’s whatever the hell we want it to be.”
Danger Zone (The Elite Book 1) Page 5
