“I feel like I’ve said something to offend you.”
“Not at all,” she said quickly.
Charlie stared at her with his piercing eyes that bore straight into her soul. “Do you have something against guns?”
“No, I don’t personally own one, but I have nothing against someone who does. I just feel there is more to life than killing or preparing yourself for killing.” Or in Martin’s case kidnapping.
“Not everything is sunshine and rainbows,” he said defensively.
“I never said that it was. I understand there are bad people in this world and they will do terrible things if it wasn’t for people like you. But I know there are good things in it too.”
“What do you mean, people like me?”
“Is that all you heard?” She rolled her eyes. Men and their selective hearing.
“It’s what I’m focusing on at the moment.” He threw his napkin down on the table and stared her down.
“All I meant was those that fight, like you.”
“And how do you know that I fight and don’t sit behind a desk all day?”
“Why are you being so defensive?” Catherine snapped, throwing her napkin down on the table, losing her appetite. “All I’m trying to do is make conversation, and you are on the defense. I’m guessing you’re a fighter because your scars reminded me of my brothers when he got injured by an IED. That’s all. I’m not trying to steal your military secrets. I’m not trying to do more than getting to know you. I’m sorry if I overstepped.”
“You’re right.” Charlie closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. A vein near his temple on his scarred side throbbed. “You’re absolutely right. I’m acting an ass on our first date. You are just trying to make conversation, and I’m turning it into an interrogation, I’m sorry. I haven’t been on a date in many years, so I’m a little out of practice. You're right about my scars. I got too close to an IED. I can’t say I was handsome before where women swooned all over me. This is me, Catherine. I warned you what my friends call me.”
“Headstrong, silent, broody, and complaintive,” Catherine said quietly.
“I’m sorry if I ruined dinner. That wasn’t my intention. I’ll go.” Charlie pushed away from the table and headed for the door.
“Charlie wait,” Catherine called out to him softly.
He turned back and looked at her.
“I haven’t been a date in a long time either, so we’re both a little out of practice. The thing, is my last boyfriend was very critical, to say the least, about everything. So, I tend to get defensive when I get contradicted.” She stood up and walked over to him.
“That must make work fun.” He teased.
“I pick my battles.” She quipped back.
“Noted.”
“Please don’t go yet. I promise I’ll be on my best behavior.” She smiled warmly at him, and his cock twitched. This woman was more lethal than a group of militias fully armed. One smile from her and he was slain.
“I’ll stay.” He didn’t want to be anywhere else.
Chapter 5
They sat back down and finished dinner keeping the conversation light. Charlie helped Catherine carry the dishes into the kitchen and put them in the sink. She would clean them tomorrow. Right now, all she wanted to do was spend more time with Charlie. She may have had reservations about him initially, but she realized he was nothing like Martin. Charlie was genuinely a good guy. There was no pretending with him. What you saw, was what you got. Since things were going well, she suggested they sit out on the back porch. You could hardly see any stars out with the city lights, but it was quiet, and it was a warm night.
“How has your car been doing?” he asked her, as they sat down on the back porch swing.
Catherine rolled her eyes. “I’m surprised the thing hasn’t died yet. It’s running, for how much longer I have no idea. I think it’s leaking oil, and I need to replace the brake pads.”
“That doesn’t sound safe. Why don’t you get a new car?”
“I would if I could afford it. I put everything I had into moving here and affording this place. Once I can start saving up again, I’ll replace it. Until then it’s all I have.”
“Well, if you ever need a ride, you know you can call me.”
“Thanks, I’ll remember that, but I’ll be fine.”
“If memory serves, I’ve had to give you two rides home now because of said car.”
Catherine elbowed him in the stomach for the reminder. He barely made a sound, but now her elbow hurt. His stomach was solid muscle and her elbow learned that the hard way.
“Don’t hurt yourself.”
“I might. What are you packing under that shirt lead?”
“That is 100% pure me.”
Oh, my. What was she supposed to say to that? Can you lift up your shirt, so I can get a closer look?
“I think I managed to make you speechless finally,” Charlie said, nudging her in the side.
He had. He made her hunger for something that wasn’t food but also made her sensitive about her own stomach. When she elbowed him he was solid muscle. She was not built the same. She was more hearty. Not attractive.
“What’s wrong?” Charlie’s tone suddenly turned serious.
“Nothing, I’m fine.”
“Did you know when you lie your nose scrunches up a little?”
“It does not?” Did it? Catherine touched her nose in question. She honestly had no idea if her nose did or not. No one had ever told her before.
“Yep,” Charlie confirmed. He took her hand from her face and pointed at the bridge of her nose with his other hand. “Right there. So, are you going to tell me why you turned serious all of a sudden?”
“It’s stupid really.” It wasn’t to her. Martin had criticized her weight so much it was ingrained in her head; she was fat no matter what she did.
“Your face says otherwise.”
She might as well tell him because he didn’t seem like he was going to give up until she did. “I felt self-conscious when you nudged me.”
She expected him to laugh it off; that she was being a girl about her size. But in true Charlie fashion, he did the opposite. He stared at her with his piercing eyes and a permanent scowl.
“Someone has said something about your weight.” It wasn’t a question.
“My ex. I was never pretty enough for him or skinny enough. He stopped taking me out because he was embarrassed to be seen with me.” Saying it out loud made it sound harsher than it had felt. Her rejection by Martin had hurt, but not as much as seeing what he had done to other people. That had hurt far worse than his words ever could. Catherine had never been the popular or skinny girl growing up. She was more of a plain Jane. Fading into the background. When Martin had first shown interest in her, she had been flattered. Her infatuation with him had blinded her to see the monster that hid inside of him.
“Tell me his name.”
That was so not the response she thought he would give. “Wh-what?” She asked wide-eyed. She had never seen Charlie look so serious, and deadly as he did at that moment. She had a feeling few saw this side of him and lived to tell the tale.
“His name. I want to know his name.” His tone broached no argument.
“Why?” She may not like Martin anymore, but that didn’t mean she wanted to unleash Charlie on him if he was even still around. Since she fled her old home several months ago, she didn’t know what had become of Martin, and she didn’t care to know.
“So, I can kick the ever living shit out of him,” he said in a lethal tone. Catherine shrunk back from him, but not out of fear of him. She had no doubt Charlie would never hurt her but what he would do to Martin was a different story.
“Please forget about him. He means nothing to me.” She should never have mentioned him. The night was ruined all over again, and it was her fault. Again. Why couldn’t she have kept her mouth shut?
“But he hurt you. He should pay for that.”
&n
bsp; Martin had hurt others far worse than her. “Just let it go.”
“Does he live here in San Antonio?”
Catherine pinched her lips together. She needed to get Charlie off the subject of Martin. Charlie looked ready to leave and find her ex one way or another.
“You know I can call a friend of mine to find him. It wouldn’t be that hard.”
“His name is Martin; I refuse to tell you his last name. I haven’t seen him since before I left Fort Hood. The last I heard of him, he was involved in an attempted prison break at Leavenworth Federal Prison. Now, can we please talk about something other than my ex? I’m sure you have a crazy ex-girlfriend in your closet.”
Charlie lost some of his anger and settled back in the chair next to her. “I’ll drop the issue of your ex.” For now, was left unspoken. “I don’t have any crazy ex-girlfriends because I’ve never had a girlfriend.”
“How is that possible?” Catherine couldn’t understand how women weren’t attracted to him. Was it because of his scars?
“With a mug like mine, women don’t exactly come flocking.”
“Please don’t put yourself down like that. I don’t like it.” Catherine reached out and touched his cheek. Charlie leaned into her touch.
“I’ll make you a deal. You don’t ever say you’re overweight again, because to me you’re perfect, and I won’t say anything negative about my face.”
“It’s a deal.” Catherine removed her hand from his face and leaned back to look out at the night sky. She was getting chilled in only her short sleeves. Heat radiated off Charlie so she scooted closer to him to stay warm.
“Do you want to go inside? You look like you’re getting cold.” She didn’t want to move from this spot.
“No, I’m fine. I’m getting a little chilled, but I’m not ready to go in yet.” Because once they went in he would leave, and she wasn’t ready for the night to be over. The more time she spent with Charlie, the more she realized he was nothing like Martin. He would never lie and worm his way into her heart as Martin had. Charlie’s reaction to her talking about her weight had been genuine. He would have gone after Martin had she asked him to. Not that she would have. Martin was in her past. After she heard he tried breaking a guy out of prison, and the guy had died she fled Fort Hood as fast as her car would let her. She hadn’t gone far, but far enough she felt safe from Martin if he was still alive.
Without a word, Charlie wrapped his arm around Catherine and pulled her close to his side. She was immediately surrounded by his heat and the subtle hint of his cologne. Catherine closed her eyes and for the first time in a long time felt safe. She closed her eyes, and for a moment allowed herself to pretend all was perfect in the world. It was the last thing she thought before falling asleep.
She awoke when she felt herself being lifted into the air. She opened her eyes and saw that Charlie was carrying her into the house. She tried to sit up, but Charlie kept a firm hand on her. “Charlie, please I can walk.”
“I like carrying you. Your light.” Well, that was the first time she had heard that. But then he was used to carrying heavy gear so she was light in comparison. She watched him as he brought her into the house and set her down on the couch.
“How long did I sleep for?” She hadn’t even known she had been tired.
“Not long, maybe twenty minutes.”
Catherine opened her mouth in shock. “What? And you let me sleep?”
“You obviously need the rest.”
“I’m so sorry for falling asleep on you. I’m the worst date ever.”
Charlie rolled his eyes. “Hardly.”
“How would you know you’ve never had a girlfriend?” She growled at him.
“Girlfriend, no. Dated, yes.”
Catherine saw red thinking about all the women he had gone on dates with. She shouldn’t be. He didn’t belong to her, and yet she was jealous. That was new for her.
“Sheath your claws, Catherine. They were dates, not girlfriends, though I have to say that’s the first time anyone has ever been jealous over me.”
“I’m not jealous,” Catherine mumbled. She was. She totally was.
“If you say so. Anyway, I’ve been on some pretty rough dates, so you falling asleep on me was not even on my Richter scale.”
Well, it was mortifying for her. “Next time will be better, promise.”
“So, you’re planning on asking me out again or do I get a chance to?”
“Did you want to go out with me again?” She asked instead. She shouldn’t have allowed herself to get ahead of herself.
Charlie crouched down next to the couch, so they were eye to eye. “That sounds like you’re asking me out again.”
“I was asking if you would go out with me not when.”
“Is there a difference?” He asked in question and cocked his head to the side.
“To me, there is.”
“If you say so.” He didn’t see the difference.
“So, are you going to answer my question or leave me waiting?” Catherine scooted closer to the edge of the couch getting closer to him.
“My aren’t we impatient.” Charlie tucked a stray hair behind her ear. Catherine leaned into his touch and looked up at him with hooded eyes. He looked like he wanted to kiss her. She leaned forward to kiss him but then he pulled away from her altogether.
“I have to go.” He said, standing back up and back pedaling towards the door.
Wait, he was leaving. Now? When he had been about to kiss her. “You don’t have to leave yet.”
“Yes, I do.” Was all he said before he ran out her door leaving Catherine sitting up on her couch looking stupefied.
What the hell just happened?
Chapter 6
“You did what?” Oreo asked him the next day during their morning run. The whole team trained together, but Oreo and Charlie ran together every morning at O Four Hundred. They lived a few blocks away from each other. As soon as they started running Charlie told him about his date with Catherine last night.
“I don’t know what happened. She looked up at me, begging me to kiss her and I panicked. I said I had to go and fled.”
“Bulldog, I have known you for five years now, and I have never seen you run from something before.”
“You’re telling me. When she looked at me like that, my instincts told me to run, so I did.”
“Yes, because that’s what any sane man would do when a willing woman is asking him to kiss her with her eyes,” Oreo said drolly.
Charlie tried to block out Oreo and run faster, but Oreo easily caught up. “Run Forest, Run,” Oreo said in a high pitch voice.
“Will you knock it off.” Charlie pushed Oreo in the arm. Oreo anticipated the move, never missing a step.
“You need to talk to her and make this right,” Oreo said, pulling a cookie out of his shorts pocket, and started munching. It wasn’t unusual for Charlie to see this, so he ignored it. As long as he’d known Oreo, the man always had a stash of Oreo cookies somewhere on his person. Hence, how he earned his name.
“I don’t know how.” Charlie gritted out. He was an idiot for walking out on Catherine. She had done nothing wrong. Last night had been perfect. The best date of his life minus the little argument over guns. She hadn’t stared at his scars. He grew facial hair to cover the worst of the scarring, but you could still see it. But Catherine didn’t even seem to notice them. She had called him handsome on more than one occasion. She had even touched his scarred face more than once. Another anomaly. So why had he fled? Simple, because he thought she would reject him like all the others or laugh at him afterward. So, he ran first.
“You could try by apologizing for being an ass and ask her out,” Oreo suggested, pulling Charlie from his thoughts.
Charlie briefly thought about it but discarded the thought. “No, I don’t need the distraction right now. We have a competition with the Delta Force team from Fort Hood in three weeks. We have to be prepared for it.”
Or
eo rolled his eyes at him. “Oh yes, because racing down the river walk for charity needs our full concentration.”
“If we hope to win we do.”
“Keyword in what I said. Charity. We don’t have to win.”
“You want to lose to another Delta Force team and be made fun of?” Even though it was for charity, no one wanted to lose.
“If it got you laid and finally turn that frown upside down. Yes.”
“I won’t do it. No one else on the team would agree to lose either. Besides we have to find out who set us up in Panama.”
“I thought you said Midas and his team were looking into it?”
Charlie slowed down and veered off the path down an alley as another group of runners ran past them. “They are but do you want to leave everything up to his team?” He asked once they were alone again.
“What are you suggesting?”
“Ghost’s team has a contact, Tex. He’s a wizard with computers. I was going to reach out to Ghost and have Tex do a little digging.”
“You want to bring another party into this? You have no idea how far up the chain of command this thing goes. The details of our mission were top secret. Very few knew about it and you want to tell another Delta team about it?”
Charlie didn’t want to involve more people into this, but what choice did he have? He needed answers, and Tex seemed the most likely to get them. Charlie knew little about the hostage that Midas’s team brought back. For all he knew, she could be working with the enemy. It wouldn’t be the first time a woman was supposed to be a hostage but worked for the enemy. “We don’t have any option. What if the mole came from our base? The next mission we go on could be our last.”
“That’s always a possibility whether someone leaks intel or not.”
“Then what do you suggest?” Charlie stopped in his tracks in the middle of the alley and threw his hands up.
Oreo stopped next to him and grabbed another Oreo from his pocket. “Man up and ask the girl out.”
Charlie’s eyes narrowed to slits. “About the mole, idiot, not the girl.” Charlie gritted out.
Hiding Catherine Page 4