AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He couldn’t help the soft laugh that escaped him as he laid a hand on his side gingerly, fighting back the urge to cough, and smiled. Dragging himself up slowly, trying not to tense or use anything that could cause him pain, he finally got to his feet and sat down gingerly on the loveseat to fold his things.
Looking around, he noticed there were nothing but baskets along the wall in cubbies, and pulled out the first one, closing his eyes and swallowing.
Not that one,he thought and hesitated, looking in the basket again.
“Oh mannnn,” he breathed, unable to fight the urge. It had been so long since he’d been on a date, been around women, or even slept with one, and there before him were these tiny little panties with baskets of fruit on them. Another pair had small little rainbows with pots of gold – and he smiled.
“I’ve got your Lucky Charms, babe…” he uttered aloud to himself under his breath, grinning as he touched the satin and imagined them on her.
“WHAT ARE YOU DOING?”
Jake slammed the basket back into the cubby – catching his hand between the wicker basket and the wood before jerking it out and scraping the skin off the small bone on his wrist, wincing.
“N-Nothing!” he uttered, his voice breaking and squeaking like he was twelve years old again. “Nothing. I was doing nothing. I was going to put some of my stuff away and saw that baskets were being used, so I was closing the drawer, and I saw nothing. I swear.”
Lena marched over there and jerked out several of the baskets, exchanging them with some of the lower ones along the wall – and then glared at him, getting almost directly in his face. His eyes widened in awareness, and he could smell her perfume. Her dark eyes met his, and he couldn’t help but stare in wonder at the woman before him.
“Do NOT touch my panties again, you pervert. I am not your maid, nor your girlfriend, nor anything else. We are sharing a tiny space for a brief amount of time and only to sleep. Got it, Ortega?” she said pointedly, not backing down.
A slow smile touched his lips as his eyes dropped to hers before he looked at her again. Gosh, he liked this fire within her.
“Jake,” he said hoarsely. “My name is Jake.”
This seemed to deflate her just a bit, making him wonder what else would in that moment – and he was really glad she couldn’t read his thoughts.
“If you would be a half-decent person and quit being some macho, arrogant creep, then maybe we could become friends. Friendship, trust, and understanding are the three things that Jill preaches here,” she said bluntly. “I’m trying to be nice, but you are making itverydifficult.”
“I don’t need those things from a casual roommate.”
She jerked back from him as if slapped, bumping her head into the case, and looked at him like he was some horrible person. He watched as she started to open her mouth, hesitated, and then closed it again before throwing her hands up in the air in defeat.
He had been here less than two hours.
“Lena?”
“I’ve got chores to do,” she said simply. “And leave my panties alone.”
“We’ll see,” he called out after her, goading her deliberately.
* * *
Several hours later, after exploring the area, looking at the barn, and introducing himself to the man who was there and helping him for a bit, Jake hoped that Lena had a chance to calm down before he riled her up again.
He and Gideon walked toward the main house, making small talk, and it was nice to talk to another guy who’d seen some action. Gideon was a Ranger, and while he wasn’t stationed overseas right now, he did do a tour in Iraq.
As they walked inside, both brushed the snow and debris off their boots, removing their jackets, and Jake inhaled the incredible aroma of something mouthwatering – that didn’t smell like flowers like his little ‘roomie.’
Gideon did the same, and the two men shared a pointed look. Whatever it was, it was bound to be better than MRES or anything else served in the field. No, this was something meaty and spiced just right to where he could practically taste it.
“Oh man, that smells good,” Gideon volunteered. “That is not chili mac in a pouch.”
“No kidding…” Jake chuckled as he followed the other man into the dining room, where the table was being set for everyone. His eyes immediately went to Lena, who was obviously avoiding looking at him. Her lips were pursed, and she kept her eyes down, unwilling to make eye contact.
That was fine.
Two could play that game.
As Houghton entered, he kissed his wife on the cheek and murmured something that caused her to smile, and Jake felt a pang of longing, wishing for something like that himself.
