Page 20 of What I Should Have Done

“You said you would.” She let her knees fall away from her chest.

“Yeah, but I changed my mind.”

“You don’t get to just change your mind,” she sassed, mimicking me with the final three words.

“I can do whatever the fuck I want.”

“I bet it’s just because you’re embarrassed about how you got your call sign.”

“You wouldn’t believe me if I’m the one to tell you,” I answered, leaning forward as her eyes darkened. Something fuzzy, like television static roared low in my stomach. A strange feeling as this woman I barely knew sat across from me.

“Try me.” She cocked a brow and scooted toward me. I tipped my head, watching as she breathed slowly, her chest rising and falling rhythmically. Her uniform sat rather comfortably around her athletic body. My heart jumped into my throat as she placed her palms against the ground and braced her weight on them.

Triceps on her sable-colored arms popped beneath the pressure, and it surprised me that I found myself drawn to them; I was curious as to how strong she was. “How about this: Pick the lift, and if you beat me, I’ll tell you.”

“No way. I’m not an idiot. I can see all your muscles. There’s no way I could beat you.” She traced a hand through the air over my torso.

“But I’ve had a shirt on all the time. There are lifts that don’t involve the arms.”

“Uh, the way you tossed dead bodies over your shoulder? And I’ve seen you without your shirt when you were changing. You have more than just arm muscles.”

“Like what you saw?” I said without thinking.

Her eyes immediately widened and her cheeks flushed red.

My stomach flipped, falling beneath my boots where I stomped on it myself.

“I’m sorry. That was inappropriate,” I quickly retracted, looking at everything but her. “Look, I just… It’s been a long time since a woman… I’ve never gotten with a woman in the military, and don’t intend… I’m just—”

“It’s fine.” From my peripherals I watched as she slid away from me, putting space between us.

Fucking idiot. I was an absolute idiot. It wasn’t even like I was attracted to her. After an entire leave spent without flirting with a single woman, plus the letter from Rachel, I was caught off guard. Yeah, that had to be it.

The awkwardness spread thickly like a blanket over the tent. Why had no one else returned?

“So,” I stupidly said, trying to fill space that had become extremely uncomfortable.

“So,” she muttered, sliding herself back even farther. Her back bumped against the tent wall and her rifle case flopped over. Scottie darted a hand toward it and attempted to lean it back up. I watched as she attempted three different times to get it to return to its usual spot, biting back my widening grin the entire time.

“Have you ever heard the expression about what insanity is?” I teased, and she spun around, shooting me a glare that should’ve sliced my nuts off at that moment.

“That is not what’s happening here.” She twisted back around and shoved the case up against the tent wall.

Again.

It fell over.

Again.

“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over yet expecting—”

“I know what it is!” She cut me off and shoved the rifle case one more time against the tent wall. Where of course, it didn’t stay upright. “Don’t you dare open your fucking mouth!”

I grinned, waiting as she ran a hand over her bun and slowly pulled out the pins while turning to face me. The smile fell unintentionally from my lips as my eyes tracked her fingers dancing over her hair.

“You’re not going to tell anyone, right?” she whispered, letting the bun loose. “About my hair at the moment.” A braid untwisted and fell down her back. Long. Brushing against the bed roll she sat on.

An uncontained urge to run my fingers through it roared hot in the pit of my stomach. She wasn’t that far away and we were alone…

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