beautiful Greek island.
She imagined that for a second. A Greek isle, Matt doing unspeakable things to her on isolated warm sandy beaches. Cocktails in the bar, Matt doing unspeakable things to her in their villa.
She shook her head. She’d be surprised if she would even get him to talk to her about anything other than his mission here, ever again. Of all the unlikely places and ways to meet one of Danny’s friends. It beggared belief.
Really
. And he was so hot. It was so unfair.
For all her inner fantasies, a small part of her was devastated for his obvious pain and wanted to help him. Help him move on. But how? Maybe that was just something one had to do by themselves, like she had.
After Danny’s death, in retrospect, she’d been too young to know how to deal with the fallout. She’d moved in with his parents, who although well-meaning, tried to make her into their daughter. They insisted on choosing the college she attended and the friends she made, and she was just too young and devastated to fight back. Even when they picked college courses that Danny had planned on doing with his G.I. Bill education benefit.
When she’d finally broken away from their control, she’d changed her name back to Markowitz, a name Danny had always loved. She hadn’t been turning her back on Danny when she changed her name, as his parents had claimed, but celebrating the life they had before their very short marriage. Their life before the military.
She shook off the memories and got ready to meet the others downstairs. She wore a maxi dress made of cotton, with long, loose sleeves, and a scarf wrapped around her hair. She swung around in front of the mirror and watched the dress billow out. She almost looked like an Arabian princess, except for the light eyes and hair.
Would Matt like it?
Damn, must not think about Matt.
She grabbed her bag, the gift for Ain, and locked the door behind her.
Everyone was already there. Matt and Jason sat on opposite sides of the foyer, the latter playing with his phone, and Molly and Mueen were standing chatting at the bottom of the stairs.
“You look lovely,” Molly said.
“So do you. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen you out of pants before,” she replied with a smile. It was true. Molly was wearing a long jersey skirt, with a crisp white blouse and a belt that fell low on her hips. Usually she wore jeans and cargo pants cut at various lengths, depending on where they were going. She wondered whose benefit the skirt was for. She hoped Jason’s, because the thought of Molly and Matt together made something in her stomach ache.
“Am I late?” she asked Mueen with a little concern. She always messed up the time on her watch when she changed time zones.
“Not at all,” he half bowed to her. “Everyone else was quite early.”
Harry laughed. “I’m sure Molly’s been telling them about Ain’s food. I, for one, can’t wait!” She looked toward Matt to find him staring at her, expressionless. That nagging in her stomach twitched again, and she wondered if she’d have an ulcer by the time this project was over. She beckoned to him. “Molly, go get Jason. We should get going.”
Matt strode to her. All in black he looked like he was ready to smear boot polish on his face and go into the night on a mission. His jacket showed a slight bulge, and she wondered if he was armed.
“Are you okay?” she asked, shoving her arm through his almost forcibly.
He tensed and then relaxed his arm so he could escort her. “I’m starving,” he said with a tight smile. She stroked his arm, meaning it to be a friendly gesture, but her fingers scraped his bare wrist, and the heat radiating from his skin made her hand hesitate there. His wrist was thick and strong, and just having skin-on-skin contact, no matter how innocent, scorched her in a very personal way. She felt her whole body drawn to his.
He looked down at her, and she wondered if he’d somehow felt her body’s reaction to him.
She imagined that for a second. A Greek isle, Matt doing unspeakable things to her on isolated warm sandy beaches. Cocktails in the bar, Matt doing unspeakable things to her in their villa.
She shook her head. She’d be surprised if she would even get him to talk to her about anything other than his mission here, ever again. Of all the unlikely places and ways to meet one of Danny’s friends. It beggared belief.
Really
. And he was so hot. It was so unfair.
For all her inner fantasies, a small part of her was devastated for his obvious pain and wanted to help him. Help him move on. But how? Maybe that was just something one had to do by themselves, like she had.
After Danny’s death, in retrospect, she’d been too young to know how to deal with the fallout. She’d moved in with his parents, who although well-meaning, tried to make her into their daughter. They insisted on choosing the college she attended and the friends she made, and she was just too young and devastated to fight back. Even when they picked college courses that Danny had planned on doing with his G.I. Bill education benefit.
When she’d finally broken away from their control, she’d changed her name back to Markowitz, a name Danny had always loved. She hadn’t been turning her back on Danny when she changed her name, as his parents had claimed, but celebrating the life they had before their very short marriage. Their life before the military.
She shook off the memories and got ready to meet the others downstairs. She wore a maxi dress made of cotton, with long, loose sleeves, and a scarf wrapped around her hair. She swung around in front of the mirror and watched the dress billow out. She almost looked like an Arabian princess, except for the light eyes and hair.
Would Matt like it?
Damn, must not think about Matt.
She grabbed her bag, the gift for Ain, and locked the door behind her.
Everyone was already there. Matt and Jason sat on opposite sides of the foyer, the latter playing with his phone, and Molly and Mueen were standing chatting at the bottom of the stairs.
“You look lovely,” Molly said.
“So do you. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen you out of pants before,” she replied with a smile. It was true. Molly was wearing a long jersey skirt, with a crisp white blouse and a belt that fell low on her hips. Usually she wore jeans and cargo pants cut at various lengths, depending on where they were going. She wondered whose benefit the skirt was for. She hoped Jason’s, because the thought of Molly and Matt together made something in her stomach ache.
“Am I late?” she asked Mueen with a little concern. She always messed up the time on her watch when she changed time zones.
“Not at all,” he half bowed to her. “Everyone else was quite early.”
Harry laughed. “I’m sure Molly’s been telling them about Ain’s food. I, for one, can’t wait!” She looked toward Matt to find him staring at her, expressionless. That nagging in her stomach twitched again, and she wondered if she’d have an ulcer by the time this project was over. She beckoned to him. “Molly, go get Jason. We should get going.”
Matt strode to her. All in black he looked like he was ready to smear boot polish on his face and go into the night on a mission. His jacket showed a slight bulge, and she wondered if he was armed.
“Are you okay?” she asked, shoving her arm through his almost forcibly.
He tensed and then relaxed his arm so he could escort her. “I’m starving,” he said with a tight smile. She stroked his arm, meaning it to be a friendly gesture, but her fingers scraped his bare wrist, and the heat radiating from his skin made her hand hesitate there. His wrist was thick and strong, and just having skin-on-skin contact, no matter how innocent, scorched her in a very personal way. She felt her whole body drawn to his.
He looked down at her, and she wondered if he’d somehow felt her body’s reaction to him.
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