Chapter 11 Tahoe
ELEVEN
Tahoe
“I have to do it,” I say, a sheen of sweat cropping up across my hairline.
Leif is on the other end of the phone. “Can I leave next week?” I have dinner with Caroline’s parents tonight, and I really, really don’t want to miss it.
We’ve jumped out of the airplane about eight times today.
It was the stress relief I’ve needed. It’s the adrenaline I’ve craved.
My muscles are coiled hard, and my mindset is intense.
“Yeah, next week shouldn’t be a problem,” Leif says, rattling off details about the mission I’m needed on.
One of my brothers in San Diego has business to attend to, and I’m needed to go fill in for him.
It should be a quick mission—one that is in and out and has me back to Bronze Bay in a few weeks.
They’re confident I’ve had enough time away to jump back into the game, if only for a bit.
My shooting is still top-notch, and if anything, my mind is clearer now than it’s ever been.
As Leif tells me about the terrorist quad we’re hunting in NYC, I let my gaze trace the vast landscape of the airport until I see her.
She’s been ghosting around all day—staying out of our way almost completely.
She’s wearing that fucking white dress and a pair of Converse sneakers, her hair up in a massive bun on top of her head, arms full of some sort of metal piece that looks half the size of her body.
Aidan rushes to help her carry the part the rest of the way into a hangar. She lets him.
“Three weeks, you said?” I ask when there’s a lull on the other end of the line.
He grunts. “Yeah, maybe longer, but you saw the intel last week. They can’t have moved very far.
” When Leif called today, I knew exactly who they were going after.
We may be on the opposite coast, living in small town, USA, but they do a good job of keeping us up to speed.
“It will be a quick flight from Bronze Bay, so you can leave any time of the day, really, especially now that we have our planes and pilot there,” Leif explains.
After a beat or two he adds, “You’re going to miss your puppy. Awww.”
“Shut the fuck up, Leif,” I retort. “I can’t wait to get back in it. I’ve been out of the game so long.”
“Don’t pretend you aren’t having the time of your fucking life here.
With her,” he throws back. “You are constantly smiling like a lunatic, and your testosterone levels are at an all-time low. Don’t fuck up again.
Before, it was because you were overworked.
Now, it would be because you’re underworked and underfucked,” he says, changing our conversation completely.
Not for long, I muse. Readjusting the parachute harness caging my chest, I look back at the hangar.
Aidan and Caroline are laughing about something.
Her white smile is visible from here, and Aidan’s body language says everything.
He touches her arm before bending over to touch a part on whatever the fuck thing Caroline is working on.
“Fuck you, Leif,” I mutter, then click off the call.
With deadly purpose, I march toward the hangar. Mentally flipping through all the jealous insults I can’t say for fear of being judged by my friend, and they would offend Caroline in a way I’d never dream of.
Their backs are toward me when I stop at the wide opening. “You didn’t reply to my text,” I growl. A greeting would be too easy, too simple.
Aidan spins first, his eyes wide and fists clenched and ready. Caroline merely turns her head, a wide, lovesick smile on her face when she sees me. Guilt washes away any trace of envy.
Her cheeks pink as she stands and covers her mouth with a dainty, grease-covered hand.
“The phone,” she exclaims. “It’s in my bed.
I’m not used to carrying something like that around with me.
I’m so sorry. You messaged me?” Her blue eyes are clear and hopeful.
If Aidan didn’t realize I had her so completely before, he does now—his narrowed eyes and pinched mouth a clear indicator of defeat.
“What does it say?” she says, lowering her hand to show black streaks now on her face.
I tilt my head toward my friend. “We’re in mixed company right now,” I say as an explanation. “Read it later.”
“Aidan knows a lot about planes. I didn’t realize that jumping out of them and working on them went hand in hand,” she explains, looking between us.
“Not all of us have that kind of interest,” Aidan replies, a small smirk appearing as he looks at Caroline. “I’ve always loved aircrafts.”
“Why didn’t you become a Navy pilot then?” she asks, genuinely curious.
We both scoff. This is common ground. “SEALs have more fun,” Aidan says, relaying both of our sentiments exactly. “It’s the hardest thing you can do in the Navy.”
She shuffles one foot forward and backward. “It’s not like you guys are having that much fun here,” she says, but it’s more of a question. “I had the news on last night, and there’s a lot going on over on the West Coast. SEALs are always handling something, it seems.”
She looks up at me. “Not that I watch the news very often, but I was curious.”
Aidan says something about how he’s glad he’s in Florida because of the operation tempo. “There’s plenty of stuff going on that’s not on the news, Caroline. We’re all happy to be here for more than one reason.”
Aidan clears his throat. “I’ll see you next Friday,” he says, gaze lingering on her face longer than I’m comfortable with.
She responds with her sweet smile. “I’ll have this part taken apart by then.
You can take a look when you have downtime,” she says, gazing at the huge metal piece like a mad scientist. Aidan says goodbye, lets his eyes slide to me briefly, and exits into the sunshine.
“You forgave him awfully quick,” I growl.
She spins, a screwdriver in one hand and the other perched on her hip. “Well, he does know a lot about aircrafts. That sped things up a touch. Women never forget, Tyler,” she says, using my given name, sending a shock of lust to my dick.
Swallowing, I let my eyes skirt down her midsection, down her tan, bare legs. “Why are you wearing a dress to do work? It’s almost as if you’re showing off for someone.”
Her lips form a thin line. “Just because I’m a woman who can turn a wrench doesn’t mean I’m not a woman. It is too hot for pants. Shorts are restricting. Plus, I was in the office going through accounting stuff for most of the morning.”
“Don’t make excuses on my behalf,” I reply, grinning. “Unless you say you wore it for me. Because you know how much I want to fuck you when you have it on.”
Her blue eyes widen the moment her mouth pops open. “Is that what the text message said?” she says, her voice a small whisper.
I move in and use my thumb to try to smear the black grease spot off her face.
“In some form or another. Yes,” I reply.
Caroline licks her lips. Sighing, I say, “What time is dinner? I have a dumpster arriving at the B and B in a couple hours,” I say, looking at my watch.
Now that I have the mission, I have a lot of planning to do and not a second to waste.
“I’ll pick you up after, and we can ride up the hill together? ”
She grins. “You’re catching on.”
I shrug. “What kind of boyfriend would I be if I didn’t?”
“The kind that kisses his girlfriend even though she’s covered in grease?” she replies. My heart does that melty thing it tends to do anytime she says something so sweet. Leif is right, my fucking testosterone is being demolished a little day by day.
Leaning over, I press my lips against hers.
She tastes like fresh air and the indescribable scent that is…
Caroline. She pulls closer, but I don’t let her, breaking the kiss before it truly begins.
It gets harder and harder to remember why I wanted to wait to fuck her.
Quite literally. “Tonight after dinner, how about we go a little faster? Your place?” I say, tone low.
“I need more of you.” Does she know what it costs to ask?
That it causes me physical pain to not have her in all ways?
“A little faster?” she asks, breathless, dropping the screwdriver on the cement floor to place both hands on my chest. “What does that mean exactly?”
My breaths come quicker as her question sparks a million ideas of what I want to do to her and with her. “It means you trust me not to fuck you tonight.”
She nods, complete compliance, utter infatuation with the idea of fucking me. It’s so obvious anyone can see it. I wish Aidan were here right now. “Careful with Aidan,” I say.
She smirks. “I only want you.”
“Doesn’t mean he won’t try.” He’s a solid player—weaseling in at any sign of interest. I’d pat him on the back on a normal day. Now, I’ll sleep with both eyes open.
“Stake your claim,” she retorts.
I raise my eyebrows. “Okay then.”
She swallows hard and backs away. “You’re finished jumping for the day?”
I nod. “See you in a bit.”
“I’m going to clean up,” she replies.
“Not too much,” I say, biting my bottom lip as my eyes drop to the hem of her dress. “I like you dirty.”
Turning, I adjust my uncomfortable hard-on and head back to my troop. Tonight. Tonight. Tonight. The beast, the old Tahoe, can come out to play, just a little. Enough to give her pleasure and enough to tamp down the lust coursing through my veins.
Just the tip.
May cracks another joke about the military.
He doesn’t mean to be offensive, it’s just that jokes are the only things these people know about the military.
With the closest large base four hours away, little trickles down this far.
Caroline, wearing another goddamn sundress, sits next to me at the long table in a fine dining room.
Her mom buzzes around the room clearing dishes and refilling glasses that are perfectly full.