Read Online Off Limits by Sawyer Bennett - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Sawyer Bennett
Ads: Link
and for the first time, in a long time, I am actually having a real conversation with someone that interests me. It's a weird feeling but I press on.
"Oh yeah. Who is that?"
"His name is Sarge. He's like Danny's surrogate father. Danny is my sister-in-law. I assume you know my brother, Ryan?"
"Yeah, I know Ryan. I'll have to talk to her about this guy next time I see her."
"Sarge is a hoot. He actually walked Danny down the aisle when they got married. Sometimes Ryan flies him and Danny's friend, Paula down here to visit. You should make an effort to meet him next time he comes."
I smile at her. For fuck’s sake. A genuine smile and it feels natural. What the hell is happening to me? "I'll do that. It will be nice to talk to another Marine. It's been awhile."
She cocks her head at me. "Don't you keep in touch with the friends who you served with?"
I nod. "Some of them. We're all kind of spread out and moving on with our lives."
"I bet you forged friendships there that will last a lifetime, huh?"
This question makes me stiffen. She is oh, so right about that. When you are in extreme situations, your bonds forge fast and stay strong. But there is a lot of pain and misery that goes along with it. I'm back on guard now and this conversation needs to wind down.
Now.
I stand up from my chair and start walking to the door. "Well, it's late. Go ahead and pack up and I'll see you on Monday."
Emily pushes away from the workbench with an easygoing smile on her face. "Sure thing, boss."
I watch as she pulls her phone out and turns it on, grabbing her purse while it boots up. She takes a quick glance at the screen and grimaces. I'm assuming there is something stalkerish glaring at her. But I'm not going to ask, even though I sort of want to.
She walks to the door and turns to me. "You got big plans this weekend?"
I needed that question. My priorities come back swiftly in line. My walls go up and slam tight into place. I hope she's not trying to ask me to do something with her. Because that would not be good...in any way.
I answer cautiously. "Not really. I'll probably just hang out at Linc's place."
"That's cool."
Well, damn. I expected her to say something more and that makes me curious now. "What about you?"
Her eyes light up. "Yeah, I'm excited. I'm going with my roommate, Fil, to this new nightclub."
"You live with a guy?" The thought of it raises my hackles a bit but I don't have time to ponder the why of it. It seems all I do lately is analyze every little word that comes out of my mouth around Emily.
She gives a laugh. It sounds like gentle, silver bells, which is a nice change. The laughter of other women always seemed to grate on my nerves.
"No. My roommate is a girl."
"Your roommate is a girl and her parents named her Phil?"
"No. Her parents named her Mignon."
"Wait? They named her after a steak?"
"Yup. Fil is short for Filet. It's this whole nickname thing." She's grinning and I can tell she is enjoying the hell out of this discussion.
I shake my head. This will go down as one of the weirdest conversations I've ever had, and trust me, I've had some weird ones in my head.
"Did she murder her parents for that?"
Emily now lets out a bark of a laugh. It's hoarse and sexy, and I would kill to hear that sound again. "No, although I'm sure she's considered it a time or two."
As her laughter dies down and slides from her eyes, her gaze at me is replaced with something else. Almost as if she's looking at me in awe and delight. It's like she is seeing something inside of me that even I don't understand.
It makes me uncomfortable and pissy.
"What?" I demand.
The joy on her face disappears completely and her eyes go dead.
Yup. I did that. My anger made it go away, just with a singular asshole move on my part. Classic Nix Caldwell and I’m sort of relieved to know he’s not completely dead.
"Nothing," she says. "It's just...you have a wonderful smile. Well, you had a wonderful smile just a second ago.
"Oh yeah. Who is that?"
"His name is Sarge. He's like Danny's surrogate father. Danny is my sister-in-law. I assume you know my brother, Ryan?"
"Yeah, I know Ryan. I'll have to talk to her about this guy next time I see her."
"Sarge is a hoot. He actually walked Danny down the aisle when they got married. Sometimes Ryan flies him and Danny's friend, Paula down here to visit. You should make an effort to meet him next time he comes."
I smile at her. For fuck’s sake. A genuine smile and it feels natural. What the hell is happening to me? "I'll do that. It will be nice to talk to another Marine. It's been awhile."
She cocks her head at me. "Don't you keep in touch with the friends who you served with?"
I nod. "Some of them. We're all kind of spread out and moving on with our lives."
"I bet you forged friendships there that will last a lifetime, huh?"
This question makes me stiffen. She is oh, so right about that. When you are in extreme situations, your bonds forge fast and stay strong. But there is a lot of pain and misery that goes along with it. I'm back on guard now and this conversation needs to wind down.
Now.
I stand up from my chair and start walking to the door. "Well, it's late. Go ahead and pack up and I'll see you on Monday."
Emily pushes away from the workbench with an easygoing smile on her face. "Sure thing, boss."
I watch as she pulls her phone out and turns it on, grabbing her purse while it boots up. She takes a quick glance at the screen and grimaces. I'm assuming there is something stalkerish glaring at her. But I'm not going to ask, even though I sort of want to.
She walks to the door and turns to me. "You got big plans this weekend?"
I needed that question. My priorities come back swiftly in line. My walls go up and slam tight into place. I hope she's not trying to ask me to do something with her. Because that would not be good...in any way.
I answer cautiously. "Not really. I'll probably just hang out at Linc's place."
"That's cool."
Well, damn. I expected her to say something more and that makes me curious now. "What about you?"
Her eyes light up. "Yeah, I'm excited. I'm going with my roommate, Fil, to this new nightclub."
"You live with a guy?" The thought of it raises my hackles a bit but I don't have time to ponder the why of it. It seems all I do lately is analyze every little word that comes out of my mouth around Emily.
She gives a laugh. It sounds like gentle, silver bells, which is a nice change. The laughter of other women always seemed to grate on my nerves.
"No. My roommate is a girl."
"Your roommate is a girl and her parents named her Phil?"
"No. Her parents named her Mignon."
"Wait? They named her after a steak?"
"Yup. Fil is short for Filet. It's this whole nickname thing." She's grinning and I can tell she is enjoying the hell out of this discussion.
I shake my head. This will go down as one of the weirdest conversations I've ever had, and trust me, I've had some weird ones in my head.
"Did she murder her parents for that?"
Emily now lets out a bark of a laugh. It's hoarse and sexy, and I would kill to hear that sound again. "No, although I'm sure she's considered it a time or two."
As her laughter dies down and slides from her eyes, her gaze at me is replaced with something else. Almost as if she's looking at me in awe and delight. It's like she is seeing something inside of me that even I don't understand.
It makes me uncomfortable and pissy.
"What?" I demand.
The joy on her face disappears completely and her eyes go dead.
Yup. I did that. My anger made it go away, just with a singular asshole move on my part. Classic Nix Caldwell and I’m sort of relieved to know he’s not completely dead.
"Nothing," she says. "It's just...you have a wonderful smile. Well, you had a wonderful smile just a second ago.
Similar Books
