Page 27 of Instinct & New Identity

He saw me looking him over and began to walk closer,Iassumed, soIcould see them better since he was easily ten to twelve feet away from me.Now, he was right in front of me.Hischest was mere inches from my face.Isaw what looked to be a military insignia with a series of numbers on the right part of his chest near his collarbone.

ThenIlooked to his left side and saw a familiar image inked on his upper chest.

“You got a tattoo of my cat?”Iwhispered as my fingers reached up to touch my familiar business logo—the imageI’ddrawn for him on our very first letter so many years ago—butIpulled my fingers back.

“You told me it would protect me,” he whispered back, andIwas so closeIcould feel his breath on my face. “SowhenIcame home on leave,Igot the tattoo.”

I looked up at him, so many emotions running through me.Surprise, warmth, and pride that he liked the design well enough to permanently put it on his body.Andalso a bit of awkwardness because what did you even say to that?Thankfully,Ididn’t have to say anything becauseValwent and made the moment even more awkward by opening her mouth.

“Ha-ha!Ohmigod,Ijust realized he has a picture of your pussy…cat…on his chest,”Valsaid and laughed hard at her own joke. “Onthat note,I’mgoing to take a shower and get ready for my training shift.”

She laughed even more as she walked out of the room.

I thought about what she’d said, and as crude as my sister’s comment was, it was also kind of funny too.Istarted to laugh myself but covered my face, too, since there was definitely a level of embarrassment as well.

“I’m sorry about her,”Isaid, uncovering my face and looking back at him.

He was smiling back at me, and that made me feel more at ease.

“It’s all good.She’sfunny,” he replied.

“She’s funny, but she doesn’t always think before she speaks, so sometimes the jokes aren’t always appropriate for the time,”Iexplained.

“Honey, sitting around a bunch of bored guys in a sandbox overseas,I’veheard it all,” he said. “There’snot much she could say thatIhaven’t already heard or that would offend me.Now, how about some coffee, yeah?”

“That sounds divine, thank you.”Ismiled and followed him to the coffee pot, expecting to get it myself, but then he turned around and grabbed my arm softly.

“Go sit, babe.Igot it,” he urged.

Babe.Thisman and his endearments.

“You want cream or sugar?” he asked.

“Both, please.”

“What about food?Youwant some eggs?Idon’t have a lot at home in the fridge butIdo have eggs,” he went on, and it felt nice.I’dbeen self-sufficient for so long that even something as simple as having someone get my coffee seemed like such a big deal.

“I’m okay for now,”Iresponded. “Ineed caffeine in me first beforeIeat real food.I’musually quite the zombie beforeIhave at least a full cup of coffee.”

“I’ll have to remember that.”Asmirk tugged at the corner of his mouth as he brought over my coffee and set it in front of me.Ilooked back up at him to thank him and noticed the tattoo again.

“I can’t believe you actually got that tattooed on you,”Isaid barely above a whisper, whileIadmired the work.Itlooked exactly like the oneI’ddrawn him.Thesame one that was now my company logo.

“AsIsaid, you promised me it would protect me,”Vincejested, his grin smug.

“I meant it metaphorically,Vince,”Itold him with a small grin on my own face.

He shrugged. “Well, the guys thought it was great and even gave him a name.”

I blinked. “Theynamed your cat tattoo?”Iasked, thinkingIhadn’t heard him correctly.

“Yep.”Hepaused, waving in front of the tattoo as if to give it a dramatic introduction. “MeettheClawmander.”

I threw my head back and laughed.Thisman was too much sometimes, butIhadn’t laughed and smiled this much in a while, andIloved it.

WhenIglanced back over toVince,Inoticed he was looking at me with a sly grin on his face.Iwasn’t sure whatI’ddone to make him give me that look.

“What?”Iasked.

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