AllFreeNovel
Share Us
3
Rylie
Waiting interminablyfor my father to finish up with Ethan, my mind is still wandering. Seems I can’t keep it focused on anything but the Major. I wonder what color his close crop would be if he were allowed to grow it out. Maybe black with some salt and pepper? But his eyes are so blue, maybe it would be dusky blond like Brad Pitt.
Ethan is younger than my dad but still nearly forty. Last night they were talking about his upcoming birthday.
“I’m going to be over-the-hill and stuck being single,” he’d joked.
I wanted to shout to him that I’d sign up to make sure that didn’t happen, but they didn’t realize I was eavesdropping. My father would have made me do 50 pushups and run 5 miles for punishment.
“I’m sure you’ll find a good woman,” daddy said. “You’re a JAG officer and a USC graduate. What more could any woman desire?”
Nothing.
Not a fucking thing.
Then the man god emerges from dad’s office and with the door open, my father looking out sternly but not unkind. I know he’s desperate to recruit me. Ethan barely glances in my direction as he left. Why is he being so ice cold to me today all of a sudden? What if it’s because after he took off to meet Lisa and never came back for dinner, perhaps they hooked up again. Sharing a kid has to be a major glue.
“Come in, Riley,” Dad says wearily. Perhaps he won’t push too hard now Ethan’s tired him out. Christ, I wish that man would exhaust me too, but solely with those rock hard muscles, no army business.
“So how long was he married?” I ask casually as I sink into the chair. Still warm from Ethan’s….no, do not think of that tight round ass you just watched like a she-wolf as he exited the office without a word. Not in here. My father’s eyes narrow. Is he suspicious at my interest in his friend?
“About three and a half minutes,” he says. “No one could stay married to that flaky bitch. Now can we get back to the issue of your recruitment and stop gossiping about my pals?”
It’s another hour before I leave my father’s office. Our convos are always interrupted multiple times by personnel needing his sign-off. This time was worse than usual. Perhaps there’s a crisis in the White House.
Maybe the President is planning a golf trip to the islands? I rarely get to find out what my dad is taking care of. And he’s always distracted in his dealings with me when he’s in the office. I don’t want to whine but sometimes I feel like second place behind his important duties.
I stride out past the pimply private, ignoring his attempt at hiding a leer. It’s not like I want guys to stare at my tits, but it feels weird when they don’t even notice me at all. Then, without realizing I’m doing it, I scan the hallway for Ethan.
He’s nowhere in sight.
I shake off the disappointment, reminding myself that ogling him will only lead to frustration.
Once in my father’s car I turn the A/C on full blast. I’m so grateful that he allows use of the caddy, which I call the boat, it’s so huge. He also always ensures the gas tank’s full too, which I really appreciate. I’m pulling out of the lot when an MP squad car pulls up behind me. The military cop has me blocked in and nervousness prickles up my spine even though I haven’t done anything wrong, so far as I can recall. Nope – always the good girl. Unless my father knows about last night and plans to ship me somewhere out of Ethan’s reach. When I turn back to the window after reaching into my purse for ID, my heart turns over a triple somersault.
“Oh,” I gasp. “Ethan.” That comes out in a breathless little whisper as I fight to inhale the suddenly even more humid air.
He’s just as surprised, judging by the jolt across his gorgeous features. He must have been expecting my father when he rapped on the glass.
“I assumed you were—”
“My dad,” I say. “I get that a lot.” Suddenly my cheeks blush hot which creates a ripple effect of embarrassing me even more, so I have to say something, anything. “Why are you in a cop car?”
“I got into an accident last night,” he says.
“Oh my God!” I squeal just a little too much like a high school cheerleader. “Are you okay?”
His features morph into a pensive frown. “Yeah, I’m fine. Everyone’s fine. My car, Not so much…”
Ethan’s no longer the unimpressionable solid rock he was a while ago in my father’s office. He seems slightly frazzled and on edge.
“I wasn’t thinking,” he says, looking down at me. I realize his hand is still covering mine, resting on the window frame, from when he went to take my ID then didn’t. Little quivers of warmth slide into my core as he admits, “I was thinking, actually. About what happened, about the…Sorry, forget it. I shouldn’t be burdening you with my problems.”
“That’s okay, burden away if it makes you feel better.”
Shit, that sounded dumb but I guess Ethan doesn’t think so. He’s staring at me that way again. Like he’s ready to devour a chunk of searing flesh and it isn’t one sliced from a cow.
