I was asking O'Connell here to breakfast. Just the
two of us."
"And
five hundred of your closest friends? Come on, Reaper, you'd leave a brother
behind?"
"When
it comes to O'Connell?" He snorted. "Hell, yeah."
"I
have a suggestion." Delaney stopped. "Why don't the two of you have
breakfast, and I'll check in with my commander, get a shower, and hit my bunk."
"Are
you assigned to Camp Leatherneck?" Cory asked, his face brightening.
"I
am. But I want you both to know, I'm not fraternizing with either of you."
She pointed to Reaper then to Tuck. "Got it?"
Tuck
figured she was telling them both to keep their relationship on the down low.
He nodded, grinning. Determined to play along. "Come on, Reaper. Let's see
if the chow hall is open this late."
Reaper
snagged Delaney's hand. "I meant what I said. I love you, O'Connell. And
come hell or sandstorms, I mean to marry you some day."
"Cory,
I—"
"I
know." He raised his free hand to stop her. "You don't want to make a
decision until we get back stateside, and you're probably thinkin' I'm a flirt
and couldn't be satisfied with just one woman. But you're wrong. If that one
woman is you, I know I'll be perfectly happy to give up the others."
She
laughed. "So noble, Cory." Her voice dripped sarcasm.
He
sighed. "Just don't say no or make up your mind until I've had a chance to
prove it to you."
"But
I—"
"Please.
Don't decide yet." He grinned, kissed her fingers.
Like
a royal pain in the ass and let go. Tuck grimaced.
"Come
on, Tuck. I'm starvin'."
Tuck
cast a frowning glance back at Delaney.
She
shrugged and turned the opposite way, most likely heading for her tent and a
shower.
Being
on the same post as Delaney had its challenges. When deployed, the situation
was even more difficult. Though he and Delaney were equal rank, having sex or
sexual relations while deployed was frowned upon.
His
groin tightened. Tuck never backed down from a challenge, but if he was going
to risk his career as a Navy SEAL, Delaney O'Connell was worth it. And SEALs
were known for taking risks most men wouldn't dare.
Delaney
stomped away from Tuck and Reaper, steaming as she went. Why the hell hadn't
Tuck told Reaper about them? They'd had over a week in which he could have
brought up the subject at any time.
She
ground to a halt, her flight bag banging against her knees.
Unless
Tuck wasn't ready to make the fact known to his closest friend that he was in a
committed relationship. Which he wasn't and had made it clear he didn't want to
commit. Ever.
Was
he that gun-shy when it came down to commitment? His parents had really screwed
with his brain. For a big, tough, eats-bullets-for-breakfast SEAL, he was
running scared of her and the fact they could be in love. He probably thought
that, like every other person in his life, she'd leave him.
His
mother had left him every time she'd found a new lover or husband. Worse,
she'd left him with his father who'd been the harshest disciplinarian with no
love left for the boy he'd help bring into the world.
Damn.
She would have to break it to Cory that she loved him as a brother, and there
was no way the feeling would grow into anything more. Hell, she'd tried. But he
hadn't let her get a word in edgewise.
She
continued on her way to the operations tent where she reported to the Officer
In Charge, debriefed on the mission, and then gathered her flight bag and
headed for her tent. Exhausted, in need of a shower and some time alone, she
was disappointed to find her tent mate wide awake and in the mood to talk.
Captain
Lindsay Swinson sat on her cot with her feet up, removing the polish from her
toenails. The sharp scent of acetone permeated the tent.
Delaney
wanted to grab her towel and clothes and make tracks for the shower tent, but
she had to get past her red-haired roommate first. A friendly, outgoing woman,
Lindsay loved to talk. She worked as a nurse at the medical clinic on Camp
Leatherneck, and knew a lot about what was going on in
two of us."
"And
five hundred of your closest friends? Come on, Reaper, you'd leave a brother
behind?"
"When
it comes to O'Connell?" He snorted. "Hell, yeah."
"I
have a suggestion." Delaney stopped. "Why don't the two of you have
breakfast, and I'll check in with my commander, get a shower, and hit my bunk."
"Are
you assigned to Camp Leatherneck?" Cory asked, his face brightening.
"I
am. But I want you both to know, I'm not fraternizing with either of you."
She pointed to Reaper then to Tuck. "Got it?"
Tuck
figured she was telling them both to keep their relationship on the down low.
He nodded, grinning. Determined to play along. "Come on, Reaper. Let's see
if the chow hall is open this late."
Reaper
snagged Delaney's hand. "I meant what I said. I love you, O'Connell. And
come hell or sandstorms, I mean to marry you some day."
"Cory,
I—"
"I
know." He raised his free hand to stop her. "You don't want to make a
decision until we get back stateside, and you're probably thinkin' I'm a flirt
and couldn't be satisfied with just one woman. But you're wrong. If that one
woman is you, I know I'll be perfectly happy to give up the others."
She
laughed. "So noble, Cory." Her voice dripped sarcasm.
He
sighed. "Just don't say no or make up your mind until I've had a chance to
prove it to you."
"But
I—"
"Please.
Don't decide yet." He grinned, kissed her fingers.
Like
a royal pain in the ass and let go. Tuck grimaced.
"Come
on, Tuck. I'm starvin'."
Tuck
cast a frowning glance back at Delaney.
She
shrugged and turned the opposite way, most likely heading for her tent and a
shower.
Being
on the same post as Delaney had its challenges. When deployed, the situation
was even more difficult. Though he and Delaney were equal rank, having sex or
sexual relations while deployed was frowned upon.
His
groin tightened. Tuck never backed down from a challenge, but if he was going
to risk his career as a Navy SEAL, Delaney O'Connell was worth it. And SEALs
were known for taking risks most men wouldn't dare.
Delaney
stomped away from Tuck and Reaper, steaming as she went. Why the hell hadn't
Tuck told Reaper about them? They'd had over a week in which he could have
brought up the subject at any time.
She
ground to a halt, her flight bag banging against her knees.
Unless
Tuck wasn't ready to make the fact known to his closest friend that he was in a
committed relationship. Which he wasn't and had made it clear he didn't want to
commit. Ever.
Was
he that gun-shy when it came down to commitment? His parents had really screwed
with his brain. For a big, tough, eats-bullets-for-breakfast SEAL, he was
running scared of her and the fact they could be in love. He probably thought
that, like every other person in his life, she'd leave him.
His
mother had left him every time she'd found a new lover or husband. Worse,
she'd left him with his father who'd been the harshest disciplinarian with no
love left for the boy he'd help bring into the world.
Damn.
She would have to break it to Cory that she loved him as a brother, and there
was no way the feeling would grow into anything more. Hell, she'd tried. But he
hadn't let her get a word in edgewise.
She
continued on her way to the operations tent where she reported to the Officer
In Charge, debriefed on the mission, and then gathered her flight bag and
headed for her tent. Exhausted, in need of a shower and some time alone, she
was disappointed to find her tent mate wide awake and in the mood to talk.
Captain
Lindsay Swinson sat on her cot with her feet up, removing the polish from her
toenails. The sharp scent of acetone permeated the tent.
Delaney
wanted to grab her towel and clothes and make tracks for the shower tent, but
she had to get past her red-haired roommate first. A friendly, outgoing woman,
Lindsay loved to talk. She worked as a nurse at the medical clinic on Camp
Leatherneck, and knew a lot about what was going on in
Similar Books
