Read Online Man Of Few Words by Ursula Whistler - Free Book Online Page B

away.”
    “Fine.” He took two steps backward, did an about face, and took the first riser down.
    “Get back over here. We are not starting out like this.”
    “You’ve got that correct. We certainly won’t with that little shit running around.” He pointed down the hallway. “Kirsten, you need to understand that I will not share living space with any of my students. Ever.”
    “Well,” her response died in her throat. “Oh. Well, that bites the big one. Suzy’s been with Eric for a while now. I’m not going to suggest that she end it with him because of us.”
    His throat bobbed as he swallowed. It looked like what he was about to say made him sick if she could tell that from his sudden paleness. “I have to be impartial, distant. It’s my job to make them the best goddamn helicopter pilots on Earth. I can’t be the tough instructor on base and buddy off of it. Until he’s gone—and he’ll go, because he has the attention span of a gnat—we are done. Call me when he leaves. We’ll see what happens then.” He took a few steps down the stairs and turned back to her. “I’m going to miss you.”
    “Well, goddamnit, Duff.” That’s all she managed to say as he took the last flight of stairs to the ground.
    Kirsten stared at the empty deck, amazed at his action. She sort of understood why he couldn’t be seen as having probable favorites. The anger? That she didn’t get. Her feet took her through the door and into the living room. Just when she thought she’d give Duff a real chance, he left. “Fuck that.”
    Another male voice sounded from the hallway. “Lieutenant Groveman reporting, sir.”
    Her shoulders slumped. This really had been a roller coaster of a day. “At ease, lieutenant. The major left.”
    “Ma’am. Yes, ma’am.”
    “And get out of the good Marine mode. I’ve had it up to here with you guys.” She dropped her purse on the kitchen counter. A tiny sliver of sadness pierced the skin of annoyance she had wrapped around her. Hadn’t Duff been the one saying he wanted to begin again? Why had he chosen now to have a burr up his ass?
    Suzy, wrapped in a pink robe, patted the frowning lieutenant on the butt. “Might as well leave now, buddy. Mood’s shot to hell.”
    “Yeah, I got to study anyway. I’m sure the major will can my ass if I make less than perfect on this next eval.”
    Kirsten agreed. “You better study. He’s got his eye on you.”
    Suzy waited until her guy was out of the house. “Oh my lord, Kirsten, what have you done? Eric looked more scared than a wildebeest in a lion’s den.”
    “I was a bad girl, just like you’ve always wanted me to be. I had sex all night.”
    “With Major Duffy? You had revenge sex? Way to freakin’ go, girl.”
    Her shoulders slumped. Somehow she’d gone from wanting revenge sex and learning a secret from the past, to wanting to try again with Duff. Her head spun with the one-eighty she’d accomplished in her relationship goals. “Oh, Suzy. I’m not cut out for this.”
    Her roommate rushed over to her. “Why? And, don’t you dare give in because it’s a little hard.”
    “I don’t have time to explain, except I probably should.” She wouldn’t say it if she thought that her roommate had any serious plans for the younger Marine. “I can’t sugar coat it. Because you are bonking Eric, Duff won’t come around here, which means around me.”
    Suzy wrinkled her nose. “Then, I guess it’s good that I gave him the send off.”
    “You did?”
    “In a way. I told him to leave me alone for a bit with the new semester starting. A student texted me that she saw me last night at the bar. That’s the beginning of disaster.” Suzy walked to the refrigerator and pulled out a soda.
    “For her or you?”
    “Both, but let’s not get into that. What’s the deal with Duff? Something for real?”
    “Not now.” Besides the fact that she couldn’t answer that question, she had other demands on her. “Boomer will be here