Chapter 28
Garnet woke close to noon. She’d slept so long she felt totally confused about where she was and what was going on. It took her more than half a minute to remember what had taken place and why she was at Ansley’s place.
She glanced out the window, seeing a military truck outside, two guys watching the street. Relief seeped in. She was safe for now.
When she made it downstairs, Ansley came out of the front room, which she was using as an office. “Hey, good morning, or I guess good afternoon.”
She glanced at the clock on the microwave and chuckled. “Yes, good afternoon.”
“I have coffee pods. Pick a flavor, and I’ll make you a cup.”
“Oh, thank goodness you have coffee.”
Ansley’s laugh lightened the mood even more. “I’m glad you were able to sleep.”
“So am I. Your bed is very comfortable.”
“Oh, that’s nice to know. It’s a guest room, so I’ve never slept on that bed.”
She nodded. “I don’t have a guest room. Not much room in my apartment in DC.”
“Do you like living in DC?”
“I do. But it is a big city, which means loads of traffic. How about you? Do you like it here?”
Ansley smiled as she nodded. “I like being with Link. The area isn’t beautiful, not like California was. Sure, there are trees, but it’s sandy and scrubby otherwise. There are snakes and spiders, which I don’t like, but I was on a Marine base before this, so having my own place with Link is good.”
“I don’t think I would have done well in the military. I’ve always been a little too…I don’t know.”
“It’s not right for everyone.”
“I think I’m too involved in my own thoughts.”
“Yeah, individual thinking isn’t a highly sought-after trait in the Marines.”
“How did you deal with it?”
Ansley shrugged. “I was a translator, so I had some unique assignments. It was really good for a while, but I grew tired of having no say in what happened with my life.”
“Was having unique assignments nice?”
“It was. Some of the people I was in basic training with hated their jobs in the Marines. They were bored, and I guess I was lucky because my job was only boring part of the time. I went out with different units and saw some exciting stuff. I also saw some scary stuff. That last mission, I thought for sure I would die. That was when Link saved me.”
“That’s awful. That had to suck big time. Not meeting Link, but the rest of it.”
“It did. I like my life now, though. If I’d never met Link, I don’t know what I would be doing. I was already planning on leaving the Marines, but I wonder if I would have gone back in just to have some sense of familiarity.”
Garnet nodded. “I get that. Link seems like a nice guy.”
Ansley giggled. “He is. He’s also hot.”
Garnet’s face heated. “Brady, or I guess you all call him Bean, is hot.”
“He is hot.”
She felt comfortable with Ansley and wanted to talk to her, but doing girl talk didn’t come easily to her. Would it be odd to talk about what she was thinking? “So this is weird, and I don’t usually talk about this stuff. Heck, I’ve hardly dated.”
Ansley touched her shoulder. “Hey, you can say anything, really, no judgment.”
She held Ansley’s gaze, then nodded. “So I just met him. Like I’ve not known him long at all, and I want to do things with him. Is that wild?”
Ansley shook her head. “Girl, when you feel it, you feel it. I certainly wasn’t hopping into one bed after another before Link, but I dated around, at least enough to know what I had with Link was real, but when you feel things, you feel it.”
Garnet held onto her coffee mug, letting the liquid warm her hands. “I’ve had sex before…once. It wasn’t great, but I don’t think it would be the same with Brady. When he touches my arm, it tingles all the way through my body.”
“Yeah, that’s the magic. These guys are intense. I’ve known many guys who are regular military, and there are some out there with the same intensity, but there are others who treat everything like it’s a dull task. Brady isn’t one of those guys. He’s not dull at all.”
Garnet nodded. “I feel weird thinking that way. I mean, brains and academic stuff have always been important to me. But when I kiss Brady, good lord, my whole body feels on fire.”
Ansley’s smile spread. “Oh yes. I totally get that. When he gets home, tell him what you feel and that you’re not experienced. He’ll go slow for you.”
“Do you really think he will?”
She nodded. “Yeah. If he wants you in his life, he’ll do everything he can to make sure you feel right about it. He’ll make it special.”
Ansley was right about one thing. She had to tell Brady how she felt. And as embarrassing as it would be, she had to tell him that she was very inexperienced. She wanted him, though, and the embarrassment would be worth it once they were together.