Page 3 of Bodyman

It had taken all of my self-control to stay professional and continue managing the situation from afar until things were settled and the rebel forces had been securely neutralized. We had twelve hours left in flight, and I felt like we’d already been in the air for days. My chief of staff urged me to get some rest, knowing we’d be slammed from touchdown until all of the relevant teams had debriefed us back in the Situation Room.

One of the dueling military advisors whose disagreement had contributed to our losses looked as upset as I felt. The other looked smug. He clapped a big hand on my shoulder. “We got ’em in the end, didn’t we? That’s what matters.”

I bit my teeth against an angry retort, my emotions riding higher than I could easily contain.

As I made my way out of the senior staff room and up to my private quarters, Commander Harper followed me on silent feet. I felt his strong presence behind me and wondered if I could make it to the bedroom and dismiss him before my raw emotions got the better of me and caused me to punch a wall or, worse, break down crying like a child.

“You, ah… you don’t need to come with me,” I began, already knowing how the conversation would go.

He remained silent.

“I’m fine,” I said, trying again. My nerves were shattered, and I couldn’t help but think of the phone calls I would have to make to the loved ones of the fallen soldiers.

“Yes, sir,” he murmured. His soft footsteps on the plush carpet never fell out of rhythm.

We reached the door to my bedroom and entered. Once he’d followed me in, the door clicked closed behind us.

“Dammit, Commander,” I snapped, my voice rough and angry. “I said I don’t need you!”

My hands shook, and my lips felt numb. I’d had to call the families of many military members in my four years in office, but none had felt so personal, so much… my fault… as these did. I was on the verge of doing the unthinkable—I could feel my eyes filling already—and I needed Kenan Harper to get the hell out of my presence so I could suffer my mortification alone.

When I didn’t hear him open the door to leave, I spun around to snap at him again. He was closer than I expected, right behind me, in fact. So when I turned, my hip brushed the front of his suit pants, glancing off a muscled thigh.

Heat roared through me at the feel of his warm body so close.

CHAPTER FIVE

KENAN

There had been many times in the past four years I’d struggled to stay silent. Many times, I’d wanted to assert myself to defend or aid my president. But my job was to neither be seen nor heard. My job was to stand silently in the corner and wait to be needed.

So I’d done my damned job even as the two asshat blowhards had allowed their overinflated egos to interfere with the safety of a mission. Because of them, three good Marines had died. Because of them, my president felt like he’d single-handedly killed them himself.

And I couldn’t stay quiet anymore.

“You did not do this,” I said quietly.

Garner’s eyes looked up at me, bright green and heartbreakingly shiny. “You saw what happened.”

I nodded. Once. “Yes. I saw those fuckers cause good men to die. I saw them use their reputations against you. It was repugnant and fucking criminal.”

As I spoke, his eyes widened in surprise. “Tell me what you really think, Commander.”

We still stood too close. The brush of his hip against my soft cock had lit me up inside, and my body trembled with a familiar urge to touch him. My urge to comfort him, to distract him from his pain, was too strong to hold out much longer. “I think they took advantage of you in a moment of…”

“Weakness,” he spat. “Go ahead and say it. Everyone claimed my lack of military experience would be my downfall, and look what happened. They were right.”

“They were wrong,” I gritted out. “You’re the smartest person in that room, sir. And they all know it. But you’re also respectful of each team member’s own expertise. It was their responsibility to bring that expertise to bear and counsel you appropriately in a timely manner. They failed.”

“The buck stops here, Commander,” he muttered, seeming to deflate right in front of me.

“With all due respect, Mr. President, spare me the Trumanesque bullshit. Those Marines’ deaths were avoidable, but the mission they participated in wasn’t. They—and you—helped save the oppression of thousands of innocent people by stopping those rebels. If you’re going to assign blame, then you’d better assign credit too.”

He studied me, green eyes raking over my face. “Since when do you eschew opinions, Commander Harper?”

I considered keeping my mouth shut. I’d already said way too much.

When my voice came out, it was barely audible. “Since I can’t stand seeing you in pain.”

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