Commander in Briefs (Commander in Briefs Series Book 1)

by Kristy Marie

  I keep talking about leaving, but when it comes down to it, I really like living with her. I know it’s wrong and I don’t deserve it, but what can I say? I’m a selfish bastard.

  “Yeah. Are you excited?” She’s skipping, swinging our hands like a little girl. It’s hard not to smile when she acts like this.

  “I don’t really know,” I admit honestly. “I’ve never been there and don’t really know what to expect.”

  She scoffs and waves her hand like that’s ridiculous. “It’s like every other place. But the team is fun. It’ll be a good experience for you. We can call it our mini vacay.”

  I chuckle at her easy nature about everything. Well, not everything. She can turn it off and give you a verbal lashing like some of my old drill sergeants.

  “You really want me to come with you?” I ask pathetically. I can’t help it.

  She stops skipping, skidding to a halt. “You go where I go. We’re a team, remember?”

  I nod in affirmation, too choked up to speak.

  She resumes skipping and under her breath mutters, “Stop being a dumbass.”

  This girl. No wonder Theo would fight to the death over her. I’m starting to think I would, too.

  Back at the house, I shower and change. Theo is lounging over the entire sofa, taking every inch of space he can. What a prick. He’s watching game footage while he scarfs down the peanut butter cookies Anniston made me. Taking a deep breath, I count to ten. Okay, more like twenty. I make my way over and ease myself into the recliner. I would rather be on the sofa. Eating my fucking cookies.

  I glance at the man who’s been a pain in my ass for the past week. He smirks at me and crams a whole cookie in his mouth. Crumbs fall from his mouth, landing on his pristine shirt. With his mouthful, he smiles like the devil he is and says, “Last one.”

  My leg twitches. It’s taking all I have to stay in this recliner. I want to launch myself at him and beat the bloody cookie right out of his pretty-boy mouth. I didn’t know it was possible to hate someone so much. But yes. It is. Washington’s own golden boy is my own form of hell.

  He moans loudly in obvious pleasure. Whether it’s from knowing he pissed me off or the six delicious cookies he just put down, I don’t know. All the same, hate brews in my gut. When he brushes the crumbs onto the floor, my patience flies out the window. I lunge for the remote.

  “What the fuck?” He’s on his feet quickly, reaching around my back, seeking the black controller.

  Taking a step back, I smirk. Game on, dick.

  “Give it back,” he demands loudly. Probably hoping Commander will hear.

  “Here’s the thing, champ.” I spit the word “champ” like it’s yesterday’s vomit. “Since neither of us is going anywhere, it’s best we get this shit squared away.”

  Theo’s arms have folded in, resting against his chest, his eyes steaming with hatred. He is not my biggest fan, that’s obvious. But you know what? I don’t give a fuck. I’m no cheerleader of his, either.

  “I’m not leaving.” Tucking the remote in my waistband, I take a step closer. “I owe Anniston and I’m not leaving until she asks me to. So how about you get over yourself and grow a pair?”

  His eyes grow narrower and he takes a step closer, like we’re repeating the grocery store incident.

  “She’s mine,” he growls. It would be funny if he didn’t look like he was a second from murder.

  “Does she know that?” It’s poking the bear. This little motherfucker needs to be put in his place. Anniston belongs to no man. That much is obvious. Granted, she and Theo have some kind of relationship. I just haven’t quite figured out what kind exactly. Is it trainer and player? Best friends? Fuck buddies? Boyfriend, girlfriend? I need more time to figure it out, but I’m not letting this asshole intimidate me in the meantime.

  His chest is heaving. I don’t think I have seen him this quiet before. “Yes, she does.”

  “Hmm. Well, could have fooled me.” I give him a little smirk, shrug and start to walk away. But I’m not able to leave it at that. “You might want to step up your game then because I’m on deck and I never miss.”

  Before I realize what he’s doing, he charges me and takes me to the floor. Something breaks. We’re rolling around on the floor exchanging body shots like a couple of heathens.

  “Fuck you!” Theo snarls as he hurls a blow to my ribs.

  Pain shoots through my side. Did he just fucking break a rib? I dislodge my arm that he pinned and strike him in the lower back. He doesn’t even grunt.

  Damn. For a pro athlete, he sure knows how to handle himself. I’m impressed. Reaching around to try to flip him, I’m shocked with a blast of freezing water. “Ahhhh!”

  “Ans!” Theo’s hold releases and we jump up, trying to avoid the freezing spray.

  “You assholes want to act like dogs then you’ll be treated as such.” Anniston is fuming at the kitchen sink, armed with the sprayer.

  I clear the water from my eyes and brave a look at her.

  “You have some left over energy, Major?” She points the sprayer directly at me.

  Oh shit. This is not looking good.

  The sprayer pivots in Theo’s direction. “How bout you, Theo? You need a release?”

  Theo shakes his head slowly. He looks like a kid about to be sent to his room.

  Anniston grabs the hand towel and throws it at me. “Clean this up and change. I want you both outside in five minutes.” She heads outside without another word.

  “Fuck me,” Theo groans and runs his hands through his hair. “Just great. Way to go asshole.”

  “Me?” I scoff. “You started it.”

  “Whatever. She’s about to kill us both now.”

  I nod and start wiping up the water. Theo grabs another towel from the drawer and helps.

  “Where did you learn to fight?” I ask, curious. It took me off guard.

  He laughs. “You’re not the first guy I’ve had to fight off.”

  Ah. He’s probably done this for years. If I liked him a little better, I would have felt sorry for him, but alas, I don’t.

  We get the water cleaned up and rush off to change. I throw on running gear because I know that’s what she’s about to make us do. Anniston believes that running will solve anything. Tired? Run. Pent-up? Run. Excited? Run. Can’t sleep? Run. You get it. It’s exhausting living with someone like that. But I wouldn’t have it any other way.

  Theo sidles up beside me as we hesitantly reach the backyard. Anniston is lying in the grass, gazing at the moon. The pond is lit by tiny lights on the gazebo.

  Theo groans beside me. I don’t ask him why. It must be bad.

  “Boys,” she barks.

  Oh shit.

  We move toward her slowly, like we’re marching toward the guillotine.

  “It’s a beautiful night for a swim. Don’t you think?”

  It’s sixty degrees. I think that’s the point. Theo doesn’t speak.

  “Why don’t you boys hop in?” It’s not a suggestion.

  Theo silently strips down to his compression pants and shorts. I follow as he eases in the water. Clearly, it’s freezing, but he makes no remark, only complies. I follow soundlessly, as well. I don’t want him showing me up.

  The bottom of the pond is gooey. It feels disgusting between my toes. Apart from the pins and needles feeling from the cold, it is oddly refreshing. I can’t see to the bottom, but soon it will be completely dark and we won’t be able to see shit.

  “I want you to swim together for one hundred laps. If one fails, you both fail, and we’ll start all over.”

  Holy shit. I look over at Theo. His eyes are locked with hers. He only nods. Shit.

  She blows a whistle and Theo dives underwater. I don’t think I have swum in years but I dive in and mimic Theo’s technique.

  “Keep up,” he hisses. “I don’t want to be out here all night.”

  “Do you do this a lot?”

  “Occasionally.”

  “Wh
at does that mean?”

  We’re both huffing out breaths and we’re only three laps in. This is going to suck major balls.

  “I told you. You aren’t the first guy that has tried to take her from me.”

  We turn for another lap.

  “She does this to me every time she thinks I’ve forgotten my place.”

  “Your place?”

  “Yeah. We have a complicated relationship.”

  “I can tell.”

  He starts to slow his pace. Thank heavens. My arms are on fire. “You love her?”

  “Yes,” he admits.

  “Are you together?” I wheeze out between strokes.

  He spits out a mouthful of water. “I’m paying for a mistake.”

  Well, that’s cryptic.

  “Keep up.”

  “I am. Worry about yourself,” I bite out.

  “I’m fine. I don’t want to do another one hundred laps because you are out of shape.”

  Who cares that I was starving and homeless? Pushing forward, I keep pace, never slowing so he can blame me if we go another round. Fortunately, we don’t have to.

  Anniston stops us when it looks like we are seconds from drowning. My arms are like jelly when I hoist myself on shore, gurgling out water with a moan. Theo’s not fairing much better, crawling alongside me, blue and shivering.

  “Fifty push-ups.” She’s eyeing Von Bremen.

  Wordlessly, he extends his legs and starts counting them off.

  “Major! I said fifty.”

  I drop down, nearly unable to even hold my body weight. Props to Theo for making it this far. I take a hard hit to the ground, collapsing in a heaving mess. I’m spent. I can’t do one more.

  “Major. Do you have any leftover energy?”

  I moan out a “No.”

  “Good. Go shower. I’ll be up in a minute.”

  I nod and drag myself to a sitting position. I just need a second before I walk all the way back to the house.

  “You going to puke?” I look at Anniston, ready to respond, but realize she’s asking Theo.

  Theo is still rising and falling. The man is a damn machine.

  “Yes,” he gurgles.

  “That’s enough,” she tells him.

  He lies on the ground unmoving until she rolls him onto his back, grabbing his face like only a lover would do. “You good?”

  I start to feel the jealousy bubble up.

  He nods as best as he can with her restraining him. Roughly, she smashes her lips to his, swallowing his moans of pleasure.

  I take that as my cue and get the hell out of there.

  Anniston ravages my lips like a hungry lioness. I’m shivering in violent shakes, but I don’t dare say anything. I love when she’s like this. It makes the torture so worth it.

  “You drive me fucking crazy,” she mumbles between sucking and biting my bottom lip.

  I snake my hand into her leggings. Seek her wet heat, which is dripping by the time I slide my finger in. “You love it.”

  She stops abruptly, and I slow my finger, waiting for what she’s going to do.

  “Go shower.” She hops off of me and the cold air hits my finger.

  She extends her hand, helping me up, and we walk silently back into the house where I split off to the bathroom, restless to get these wet clothes off.

  “Come back down when you are through,” she yells.

  “Alright.” My teeth chatter in a very unsexy way.

  I steam up the bathroom in no time. The hot water is pounding the day away when someone knocks.

  “Commander wants you downstairs.”

  Cade. Fucking Cade.

  “Tell her I will be down when I’m finished.”

  She’s not my fucking Commander. I’ll be down when I am good and damn ready. The only reason I even played her little swimming game is because I know she gets so turned on she can hardly control it. And I needed to burn off all those cookies I ate just to piss Cade off. I don’t even like peanut butter cookies. She baked chocolate chip ones for me earlier. I’m saving those for later.

  The look on Cade’s face as I forced down that last cookie was worth the miles of swimming. I have to give him some credit though. If the situation were in reverse, he wouldn’t have gotten that last one down. Don’t come between me and food. Especially my cookie. Get the reference there?

  “Whatever, man. Your funeral.”

  Gah! Is he still at the door? I ignore him, praying he’ll take his butt-kissing ass downstairs. Just because I let my guard down a minute does not mean we are friends. That is my fucking girl. You are either gay or a threat. There is no in between with Ans.

  Drying off as slow as I possibly can, I finally relent and get dressed. Cade’s seated at the island eating a sandwich when I enter the kitchen. Mmm. I hope she made me something, too.

  “Bout time, Von Bremen.”

  I shrug at her rude comment. “It takes effort to look this good.”

  She tries not to smile. It doesn’t work. “Sit down, handsome.”

  I do as I’m told and sit at the table, my fingers playing a drum solo on the glass top. My ADHD has been pretty bad since ole Cade came to town. I’m not sleeping. I’m antsy and anxious all the fucking time. Not a good combination for my pitching stats.

  Anniston notices and gives me a questioning stare. I tilt the corner of my mouth in a half-ass smile and sit on my hands.

  “You hungry?” she asks, heading to the fridge.

  “Yeah.”

  She starts making me a sandwich. I don’t even have to tell her what I want. She knows, but I would eat whatever she put in front of me.

  “Where are all the cookies I made this morning?”

  I feel a fucking grin pull at my lips. Checkmate, Cade.

  “The chocolate ones you made for me are in the bedroom.”

  Cade’s glass slams on the island. Hard. Snorts of laughter escape my lips. Cade is staring daggers at me like twenty-five years in prison might be worth it to get a couple stabs in on me. I blow him a kiss and his chair scrapes across the tile. He’s about to blow.

  Anniston, completely unaware of his potential meltdown continues, “Where are the peanut butter ones? They were all on the counter.”

  I can’t help it. I double over laughing.

  “What did you do, Theo?”

  Her voice isn’t mad as much as it is amused. She’s used to my bullshit.

  “He ate them all.”

  Tattletale, tattletale.

  “That’s why we were fighting.” Gah. What is this? Confession?

  “Theo!”

  I sober up to roll my eyes at Cade. “I just ate a couple.” Or twenty. I lost count.

  I start devouring my sandwich before she can scold me anymore.

  “I’ll make more. I apologize for his lack of manners,” she tells him.

  Cade grins at me. Fucker.

  Anniston worries over Cade after his confession. Making sure he takes a supplement. Wipes his ass. Okay, that didn’t happen but damn! Send him to bed!

  “I’m tired. I don’t need it,” he argues.

  Wait. What did I miss? Anniston has her arms folded across her chest, her no-bullshit face aimed at him.

  “Just for tonight,” she negotiates as she slides the dreaded blue pill across the counter.

  He slides it back. “I’m okay.”

  She pushes it back across the counter. “Take it.” She looks to me. “You’re next.”

  Fuck me.

  “I’m tired too,” I argue. If Cade gets to argue, so do I. I hate sleeping pills. Sometimes they are a necessity for someone like me who is hyper and suffers from insomnia. Anniston has figured out small behavioral changes that help and most of the time I don’t need them, but with Cade here, I haven’t been sleeping. Neither has he from what I hear.

  She gives me a look, opens the bottle, removes a pill and is on me before I have a chance to stop her. Her lips press against mine. I know what’s coming, she’s done this before. Her
tongue sweeps the seam of my mouth. Her hand caresses my balls. I moan. Fuck! Her tongue drives inside, tasting me. Controlling me. I’m swept away by her distinct taste when the little pill hits my tongue. Her hand tightens around my balls. Not painfully but enough to serve as a warning. I swallow. Her hand goes back to rubbing me.

  “Go upstairs,” she whispers.

  I nod, dizzy from her onslaught. She pushes coconut water into my hand.

  Turning to head upstairs, I hear, “What’s it going to take, Gorgeous?”

  It better not take what it just took for me.

  “I’ll take it,” his voice is low and obedient.

  I don’t stay to see what happens. I bound up the steps and hop in the bed to wait for my prize for taking the dreaded pill.

  “What’s with the pissing match?”

  I’m snuggled in the down comforter somewhere between dozing off and slightly conscious. The feeling is welcome after the hellish day I’ve had. My eyes rove up her firm five-foot-five frame. Her body has become slimmer, more toned. I mean, it always has been, but since she has been training Cade, it seems more defined than usual. Her pajama pants hang a little looser on her hips, her abs dipping lower into her ribs with the weight loss. She’s a work of art.

  “What do you mean?” I fake ignorance. I’m not sure I want to have this discussion at the moment. My mind is fuzzy, my body humming with a chemical high.

  Her lips purse in annoyance that I am taking this approach. I don’t care. If I have to talk about Cade one more fucking time, I think I might explode. It’s not that difficult to understand. I hate him. I hate him being here. I hate that she is forcing my hand.

  “Don’t play dumb. You know what I mean.” She moves to the edge of the bed, perched on the side like one of those angels you see on old church stained-glass windows. Those blonde tresses fall past her delicate shoulders in disarray, just begging to be pulled. She spears with me with one of her no-nonsense looks.

  Reclining farther back into the pillows, I release a sigh, knowing I am about to endure a long-ass conversation. One way or another I will be falling asleep easily tonight, whether it be from the pill or her yammering on and on about fucking Cade.

  When I don’t answer immediately, she tries again. “Why did you eat all his cookies, Theo? That was ugly.”