by Gary, Codi
Loud groans and curses rose up, but Best’s scowl shut them up fast. Despite his easygoing nature, Best hadn’t survived in the Marines because of his bad jokes.
When the kids were out of earshot, Oliver turned his attention back to Eve. “Hey, what are you doing here?”
“I just stopped by to see how the training was going,” she said.
“We’re getting better,” Oliver said. He stood up, keeping a hold of Beast’s leash so he didn’t get drool on Eve’s dress. “You look great. Hot date?”
He was surprised by how casual he sounded, even as he silently willed her to say no.
“Hardly. I’m heading up the hill with a few friends to go to Red Hawk Casino.”
“I didn’t take you for a gambler,” Oliver teased, relieved.
“I’m not really, but I’ve never been, so it should be fun,” she said. “What are you up to tonight?”
Oliver caught sight of Best by the fence, making a spanking motion with his hand. Oliver took a step toward him, but Eve turned around to see what had caught his attention and he blurted, “I’ll probably just head out to Mick’s with the guys.”
“That sounds like fun,” she said.
Heavy silence fell between them, and despite the tiny voice telling him not to ask, he couldn’t help himself. “Did you really drive over here to check on training, or was there something else you wanted?”
A rosy hue spread over her cheeks, belying her words. “No, nothing else. I just wanted to make sure that everyone is going to be on their best behavior for the fund-raiser.”
“I think we will be good,” Oliver said.
He watched Eve, trying to read more into her words and expressions. After almost three weeks of talking and spending time with her, he still couldn’t figure her out. Just when he started to think her resolve about being with him was softening, she’d put up that shield.
It had kept him in a perpetually frustrated state, and he hated it.
“Great,” she said. “Well, I should probably go. I’ve got an hour drive up the hill, and I’ve got to pick up my friends, so . . . yeah.”
“Got it, you got to go.”
She shot him a glare, but he had no idea what he’d said to piss her off. He didn’t even have a chance to ask before she was spinning on her heels and walking away.
What the hell was that about?
WHY AM I such an idiot?
It was the fiftieth time that night Eve had asked herself that, and still, an answer hadn’t presented itself.
“Where are you, and why aren’t you with your two besties having the time of your life?”
Eve turned to her friend Megan Bryce and answered her question with more snap than she intended. “Because the time of my life usually doesn’t involve me losing money.”
“Meow, what crawled up your butt?” Allison Breslin asked from the slot machine next to Megan.
“Yeah, you’ve been acting like a crankster since you picked us up,” Megan said.
Eve sighed, feeling like a heel. “I’m sorry, guys, I’ll shake it off.”
“What’s up?” Allison asked.
Eve considered telling her friends, but how could they really understand? Allison, also an army brat, was a sweet-faced blonde who had met her husband, Luke, while he’d been stationed in San Diego in the navy and she’d been at San Diego State. She understood Eve’s point on marrying a military man, but she’d also told Eve that even if she lost her husband, she’d never regret the time she had with him.
And Megan, well, Megan had followed in her father and three older brothers’ footsteps and joined the army right out of high school, eventually becoming an MP. She was tall, lean, and athletic with short brown hair and bright blue eyes. If she hadn’t been injured and medically discharged, she would have been a lifer. The three of them had met in high school and clicked, staying close despite distance and hectic lives. Yet, when it came to what they wanted out of life, their ideals were very different.
“Nothing’s up,” Eve said. “I’ll just be back to my normal, fun-loving self when this fund-raiser is over.”
“Why, are the guys at the base giving you shit?” Megan asked.
“No, they’re fine,” Eve said.
“Evie, don’t you know it’s not nice to call people fucked up, insecure, neurotic, and emotional?” Megan joked. “Besides, I heard some women are into that sort of thing.”
Eve looked at her slot machine, but she could feel Allison watching her.
“Do you like one of them?” Allison asked.
“Come on, Ali.” Eve tried to sound derisive but didn’t think it worked.
“Fuck me, you do!” Megan crowed.
“I don’t!” Catching their skeptical looks, Eve reluctantly said, “Okay, I might, but I don’t want to.”
“Who is it? Come on, details, woman,” Megan said.
“There are no details to tell. I don’t even know if I like him, it’s more that I just—”
“Want to strip him naked and eat chocolate off his abs?” Megan offered.
Eve thought about that, grinning. “His butt, too. He’s got a great butt.”
“So, do it. What’s the hold up?” Allison asked.
“Well, my dad hates him, so that always makes things easy,” Eve said.
“What did he do to piss off the general?” Megan asked, amused.
“Remember when I told you Hank got arrested a few weeks ago for drunk and disorderly conduct after fighting with a guy from the base?” Eve could tell they did because their eyes widened and they nodded. “Yep, I picked that guy. Out of all the guys I could fall for, I pick the one my brother and dad despise.”
“Wait, fall for? Like, you could fall in love with this guy?” Allison asked.
“No, I mean . . . I just meant that I like him and I’m trying really hard not to. But then I find myself calling him for no reason and showing up at his work because I want to see him, only to make an ass out of myself . . . ” Both of her friends were staring at her like she’d grown a third eye. She buried her face in her hands and groaned. “Ugh, what is wrong with me?”
“Could you be going through a late-in-life rebellion?” Eve shot Megan a glare, and she held her hands up. “Hey, the alternative is that you, Miss Evelyn Reynolds, are smitten with someone your father would definitely not approve of.”
“Thanks for stating the obvious, Meg. How do I make it go away?” Eve asked.
“Why would you want it to?” Allison was watching her seriously, and Eve bit her lip to keep from saying the first thing she thought, which was that she didn’t want her mother’s life, but was that really how she felt? Her mother had been married to the same man for almost thirty years, had two grown, mostly well-adjusted children. There were worse things to aspire to.
“Because we aren’t right for each other and I’m not looking for someone to just hang out and kill time with until I meet the right guy.”
“Why aren’t you right for each other?” Allison asked.
“You mean besides the obvious?” Eve thought for a moment. “He’s never been in a relationship.”
“Neither have you,” Megan said.
“Yes, I have. I dated Dylan for almost six months.”
“You only dated him that long because you were afraid to break up with him because he had stalker tendencies,” Allison said.
“Fine, but I would have relationships if I found the right guy.”
“Or maybe you’re scared to find the right guy, so you self-sabotage,” Allison said.
“How do I self-sabotage?”
“Your apartment, for one thing,” Megan said.
“God, now you sound like my dad,” Eve said.
“Look, we just think that maybe you’re afraid of getting hurt, so you date guys you know will never measure up to your expectations and drive away the good ones,” Allison said.
“Well, on that high note, I’m out of money,” Eve said.
Megan stood up with her and wrapped her ar
ms around Eve’s stiff shoulders. “Come on, love, don’t be pissy. We only say these things because we love you.”
“Ha, I think you bear false love,” Eve said, fighting a smile.
Allison hugged her, too, and before long, they were laughing. When they pulled away, Megan said, “Where is this bad boy who’s got you wound up? Let’s go check him out.”
MICK’S BAR WAS in the heart of Old Town Sacramento, and the two-story building reminded Eve more of an old Western saloon than a dive bar. Eve had dropped Allison at home on the way down, but Megan had insisted on following her, wanting to get a look at “Mr. Chocolate Butt.” As they wove through the crowd, Eve kept her eye out for Oliver.
“Holy yum, there is some talent here tonight!” Megan exclaimed.
Eve snagged a table in the corner, and as they sat down, she could have sworn she saw a familiar shaved head at the bar. She kept her eyes glued to the spot. A few bodies shifted, and there he was, leaning against the bar, smiling at a petite dark-haired girl in a short denim skirt.
Eve turned her face away, afraid he’d sense her gaze on him, and suddenly felt like a stalker. “This is stupid.”
“Did you spot him?” Megan asked.
“Yeah, but he’s busy.” Eve didn’t want to admit that the uncomfortable churning in her gut was jealousy, but she didn’t like seeing him with another girl.
That smile was hers.
“Is he the stud in the blue shirt talking to the tiny cheerleader?” Megan asked. At Eve’s nod, Megan whistled. “Nice. He definitely looks edible.”
“Dude, stop staring or he’s going to see you,” Eve warned.
“Too late,” Megan said. “He’s coming over.”
“What?” Eve turned in her seat, and sure enough, Oliver was heading their way with a gigantic grin on his face. Her heart did a little leap of joy as she noted that he’d ditched his companion the minute he’d spotted her.
“Hey, what are you doing here?” he asked. One of his hands rested on the back of her chair, and the brush of his hand against the bare skin of her shoulder sent shivers down her spine.
“Just felt like getting a drink. Oliver, this is my friend Megan.”
“Hey, Megan,” Oliver said. He leaned over Eve’s shoulder to hold out his hand to Megan. As he did so, he pressed against Eve, and it affected her—like pulse-racing, skin-on-fire, drumming-tempo-between-her-thighs affected her.
“Oliver, so nice to meet you. Eve just keeps going on and on about your b—”
Eve kicked Megan hard in the shin and glared at her furiously.
“You’ve been talking about me, huh?” Oliver asked. Eve glanced at him and caught his satisfied smile.
“I was just telling her about us working together,” she said.
“Of course, that’s what I thought she meant. Why else would you be talking about me?”
Megan laughed at his teasing, and Eve silently vowed revenge.
“Can I get you ladies a drink? You are more than welcome to join me and the guys downstairs,” Oliver said.
“Actually, I just remembered that I have to be up early tomorrow,” Megan said, hopping out of her chair.
Eve stared hard at Megan and mouthed I’m going to kill you. Megan mouthed back you’ll thank me.
“Well, that’s too bad, maybe next time,” Oliver said.
“Definitely.” Megan gave her a little finger wave and took off, leaving Eve alone with Oliver.
“She set you up good, huh?”
Eve turned in her seat and smiled sheepishly. “Yes, she did.”
Oliver slid a piece of hair that had escaped from her headband behind her ear. “I’m glad you came.”
“I’m not crashing your party?” Eve hated asking, but the woman at the bar still bothered her.
The meaning behind her words seemed to dawn on him, and he shook his head. “There was never going to be a party. The plan was to stay a couple hours and go home to let Beast out of his kennel.” Then he went and shattered her, leaning over to whisper in her ear, “And then I was going to lie down and think of you until I fell asleep.”
His words were heady, and before she could think of the repercussions, she grabbed him by the back of the head and pulled him down for a kiss.
OLIVER MET EVE’S lips and took charge, stepping into her sitting form and sliding his tongue inside her open mouth. From the minute he’d seen Megan staring at him and recognized the back of Eve’s head, he’d hoped she was there for him. He wasn’t a romantic guy, at least, he never used to be, but Eve made him say things—feel things—he wasn’t sure what to make of, and at times, they made him want to run the other way.
But right now, he didn’t want to run. He wasn’t thinking of his career, his friends waiting for him downstairs, or even Evelyn’s dad. His mind, body, and senses were so filled with her that there wasn’t room for anything else. The noise from the bar faded to a dull roar as she gripped his shirt and pulled him as close as he could get and his hands settled on her hips.
Suddenly, a voice Oliver recognized broke through the hum. “Ow, Martinez, you are getting me hot, bro!”
Oliver pulled away and whispered, “I am so sorry.”
“Why?” she asked.
Oliver turned, keeping Eve behind him. “What’s up, Tate?”
Kevin Tate was an MP, and although Oliver worked with him, he didn’t like the obnoxious asshole. Oliver saw that most of his squad was with Tate and nodded at them.
“Nothing, just getting some beers with the guys,” Tate said, trying to look around Oliver. “Who’s your friend?”
“None of your business,” Oliver said. He was pissed at Tate for interrupting but more concerned with Tate knowing who Evelyn was. Everyone knew about the beef between the general and him, and he wouldn’t put it past Tate to think that Oliver was using Eve to get back at her old man.
And Oliver was scared as hell she might believe it.
“What’s the matter, Martinez, she ugly or something?” This came from Dwight Cameron, whose glassy-eyed expression said he’d had one too many already.
“Oh, jeez, this is ridiculous,” Eve said at his back. He felt her push at him so she could stand and come around to his side. “Satisfied, gentleman?”
The group of men stared at her, some in appreciation, but a few in surprised recognition.
“Eve?” a guy Oliver didn’t recognize said. He was medium height with blue eyes and sandy blond hair.
Eve looked unhappy to see him. “Andy.”
“It’s been a long time,” he said.
“Not nearly long enough.”
The guys snickered and coughed, and Andy’s cheeks flushed angrily. “I see you still got a thing for guys in uniform.”
Oliver didn’t like the guy’s insinuation that Eve was a uniform chaser and barely resisted the urge to pop him.
“Actually, I don’t,” she said.
A twinge of disappointment pinched Oliver’s chest, but to his surprise, she took his hand. “But I’m making an exception for this guy.”
Andy’s smirk melted away.
“Wanna get out of here?” she asked, her tone flirty and seductive.
Oliver squeezed her hand. “Lead the way.”
Chapter Eight
EVE’S HEAD SPUN as they walked along the rows of old buildings, neither of them speaking. Part of her had been humiliated when Andy had alluded to her infatuation with him, and she’d wanted to tuck tail and run, to get far away from all of them and never look back.
But then she’d seen Oliver’s face. He’d been staring at Andy as if he’d wanted to separate Andy’s head from his shoulders, and she realized it was because he cared about her. He’d been ready to protect her, and suddenly, she hadn’t cared what Andy or his goons thought of her.
All that mattered was how she felt about Oliver.
“So, you and that guy . . . ”
Oliver’s unfinished question was hesitant, as if he was afraid to ask, and she smiled. “We snuck around one
summer, before I found out it was some kind of challenge his bunkmates and he came up with. Part of the reason I avoid military guys as a rule. They either want me because they want to get at my dad or to prove something to their friends.”
Oliver stopped and pulled her into him, leaning against the front of a darkened clothing store. “You know that this thing between us has nothing to do with your father, don’t you?”
“I wouldn’t be here if I thought that.”
Oliver cupped her face and brushed her lips gently with his, liquefying her insides and setting her knees to melt-down mode. She gripped his arms as he deepened the kiss, coaxing her sweetly to rest her body against his. His hands moved down to encircle her waist, his big palms resting on her lower back, just above her butt.
Pulling her mouth away from his, she gasped, “Maybe we should take this someplace a little less public? After all, we haven’t exactly had the best of luck making out in plain sight.”
“Oh. God, yes,” he groaned. Taking her hand, he strode down the sidewalk, dragging her along with him.
Eve laughed, thrilled he was as caught up in her as she was in him. “Let’s go back to your place.”
“I wanna see yours,” he said.
Nope, bad idea. Not only was her apartment looking a little worse for the wear, again, but it would be just her luck if her dad showed up while Oliver was there.
“But you said that you had to let Beast out,” she said.
“Well, I’ll go let him out and meet you back at yours.”
“There’s no point in you going home, just to drive back out again,” she said.
Oliver stopped, staring down at her with suspicion lurking in his eyes. “Are you a hoarder or something?”
“What? No.”
“Then why don’t you want me to come over?” he asked.
“Because I haven’t had a chance to pick up and there could be things I don’t want you to see.”
“Like?”
“I don’t know, dishes in the sink? Bras hanging over doorknobs? It just isn’t company-ready,” she said. His persistence, while usually endearing when it was in the pursuit of her, was irritating now.
Suddenly, he swung her up in his arms and gave her a smacking kiss to cover her squeal. “Fine, I’ll give you some notice before I invite myself over. But for the record, you can leave the bras anywhere you want.”
