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His attention snagged on the wo private Her dress swished like a s PFC--Santuci, e on his hand glaring in the bald overhead light A single look at the flirty bat of eyelashes and Santuci smiled
Where the hell was the boy’s lieutenant? Hoet Hell, they didn’t even have to be across the ocean to be lonely He’d been an ROTC student, taken in by a wo for a way out of her hometown Any officer would do for her He’d just bitten first
He and Glenna had lasted all of three years and one kid before she her pay grade "Some days I think it would be nice to wake up without sand in hter Other days I figure I’ll die with a rifle in my hands because I’m a bachelor soldier at heart Knohat I mean?"
"Afraid I do"
Korba twisted open another bottle of the water, reached into his front pocket and pulled out a thin pack of NutraSweet Kool-Aid The powder spread a cherry-red stain and scent Two quick shakes of the bottle and he gulped half while Drew kept a steady lock on the young love in action across the crowded dining hall
The private pointed as if giving directions The petite wo hi Her head tucked, she h hi across the table, Drew tapped Korba’s bottle of Kool-Aid, "Wish I’d thought of that during Desert Stor sand for six o, sir" Jack whipped out a purple packet and skidded it across the table
"You couldain"
Quiet settled between thee of the inevitability of another battle on another day in another place A soldier’s mission Meanwhile, focus on this victory Toh
Korba scraped back his chair "Well, sir, I need to hook up with Doc Hyatt on a few points and it looks like she’s through with the vaccines now"
Drew flipped his wrist to check his watch "It’s about time to sleep, anyway See you toer that, sir," Korba shot over his shoulder already rounding the corner of the table
Dreadded up his napkin, pitched it on top of his half-eaten stew Thuainst his hand idly and hunted for the girl pushing the water cart Damn, but afour tables down, he found her Talking again This titon--Rodeo The copilot’s wide smile flashed across his coffee-toned skin Her hands fluttered through the air with the sa for directions like before with Santuci
Exactly the saestures
Like a concocted excuse to talk
His brain shifted to military mode, never too far of a shuffle The Air Force’s Office of Special Investigations--OSI--would have checked her out But shit happened Stuff got past Losing some of his men to suicide bombers in Iraq had left indelible suspicion
He assessed her more closely, this time as a possible terrorist threat Black dress, Western clothes, but not stylish Length alun strapped to her thigh The dress nipped at her waist, snug enough for him to ascertain no explosives were strapped to her chest No, he could clearly discern the outline of her sh breasts
Breasts?
F--uh, hell LifeSaver Leh hih to be her father So for his troops
Libido reined, he eased back in his chair, flicked the edge of the Kool-Aid packet Tap Tap Tap Waited Watched See in for the kill with the copilot Rodeo The man could handle himself, but it still made for sticky politics to h day for the home team
Almost amused, Dreatched her walk, stroll, assess, definitely on the ood at the gaht haveHe’d just been around longer, seen more than anyone else in the room Been taken in once himself by Glenna His smile faded
The woman paused, in front of Korba this ti hirins and jokes, Korba was an edgy bastard she’d be wise not to tangle with
She was out of her depth here Aing enough for him to sacrifice one of his men for her
The sixteen SEALs rose as one into a huht The SEAL wall, packing M-4s along with their meal trays, moved to reveal empty air where the woman had been before Damn
Of course he would just check in with the ADVON tea the grape Kool-Aid pack in his pocket, Drew stood, kicked back his chair, more than ready to dump this meal and find his bed
The hair bristled on the back of his neck in a battlefield instinct he knew better than to ignore He’d been targeted He scoped Found nothing
Tray in hand, he pivoted "Da into the water cart And the woman How the hell had she crept up on him? That she could catch him unaware scared the shit out of him more than an M-16 jammed in his face
Wo
"Sorry,his way past
"There is no need for you to apologize"
Shoulder to shoulder, he paused, thehim as unaware as her silent tread Dark eyes stared back up at hiht sky seen fro? Hell Apparently some daone soft reading all that baby psychologyhis tray to the table, Dreaited for her to play out her bogus request for directions And waited while she stared back, searching Desolation ht splash of color fro it This woman was desperate
And deterot a ht her around in front of hih for him to catch her scent-- soap, incense and a sultry, ss to his insides he had no da He was not soer for God’s sake
Let this desperate lady find another mark And when she did, he’d have no choice but to boot her out so they could all rest easier
He debated whether to get her naeous behavior Or to find her nah the intel contact
And then she ain to pass hio Hell’s bells, he’d been pitched into the reject heap with Santuci, Korba and Washington He shook off the notion Damned ridiculous when he was too old for someone like her, anyway With any luck, the wo for the latrines and was too scared or embarrassed to ask
Air whispered, smoky, soapy, spicy, as she passed Her cool hand brushed his, twisted that gut awareness into a painful knot worse than taking a bullet Shit Shoulder to shoulder again, she hesitated long enough to slide her hand in his
She squeezed
Then she was gone So fast that even with battle-honed reflexes he didn’t have ti stunned stupid like soazine