by Lea Hart
Courtney leaned back and let out a laugh. “Desperate much?”
“Not at all. You’re fucking gorgeous, and I’m putting my name in the hat for a chance at a bit of time together.”
Courtney tapped her finger against her mouth and then smiled. “Step back so I can see what I’m dealing with.”
Caid looked down at Lisa and lifted his shoulders. “Is she serious?”
“Of course, why would a woman consider a man before she knows what’s she getting?”
Straightening his T-shirt, he stepped back and held out his arms. “One hundred percent grade-A American male.”
“You’re cute; I’ll think about it and let you know.”
Caid snorted and then stepped forward. “I’m a man who never gives up, so get ready ‘cause I’ll be coming for you.”
“You have to find me first,” Courtney replied with a laugh.
Lisa pushed Caid away and flapped her hand. “Go away; I need to finish my conversation.”
Stepping forward, Caid waved to Courtney and winked. “Get your mind right, babe, because once I find you, I don’t plan on letting you go for a good long while.”
“I suggest an appointment with a therapist before you come looking ‘cause I’ve got no use for crazy men.”
Caid slapped his hand against his heart and groaned. “I think I’m in love.”
“Go do it someplace else because I need to talk to Court without your mooning.”
“Fine, I’ll catch you ladies later.”
Lisa watched him walk away and shook her head. “Is insanity required when joining the Teams?”
“No, but testosterone is, and it’s pretty much the same thing,” Courtney replied.
“Amen, sister.” Twirling a piece of hair, she looked up. “Where were we?”
“I forgot.”
“Hi, honey, who are you talking to?” Ace asked as he strolled up.
“My best friend.”
“Let me see him,” Courtney said loudly.
“I didn’t think this was going to be a party.”
Caid slid into the seat next to Lisa and put his arm over her shoulder. “Hi, I’m Ace.”
“You’re a lot better looking than Lisa described and don’t seem to have any horns.”
Lisa dropped her head to the table and bumped it a couple of times. “Stop talking, Court.”
Ace lifted her up and kissed her head. “Horns?”
“A slight exaggeration,” Lisa replied.
“She called you devil boy and told me you made her cry. As her best friend, I forbid you ever to upset her again. Since you two were making out last night, I’d like you to do that instead of yelling and whatever nonsense you’ve got going on.”
Covering her face, Lisa rested her head on the table. “Goodbye, Courtney. I love you and will kill you when I get home.”
“Okay,” she replied as she blew a kiss and ended the call.
“Devil boy?”
Lifting her head slowly, she pushed her hair out of her eyes. “You have been mean to me for the last month.”
“I was frustrated and angry that you were in danger and I’m sorry.” Cupping her face, he bent down and kissed her. “Maybe the next time you call me that, it’ll be because of the dirty things I did to you in bed.”
Feeling her face heat, she pushed him away. “Don’t talk about that in front of God and everyone. I’ll lose my street cred as an intrepid, fearless journalist.”
“Pretty sure the two can co-exist.”
Waving her hand, she moved away and stood. “I need more coffee.”
“Let’s get some chow and then we can eat together.”
“As long as you don’t talk about sex in the middle of the mess, I’ll agree.”
Jax walked up and looked between them. “Why are we talking about sex when I have zero chance of getting any?”
Groaning, she walked away and wondered if it was time to start eating in her barracks.
***
Ace slung his arm over Lisa’s shoulder and drank his coffee and prayed she was staying on base. The thought of her venturing out had his gut churning worse than it ever had and he didn’t see it ending until her ass was on a plane home. “So, what’s on the agenda today?”
“Writing.”
“Here on base?”
“No, I thought I’d run into town and sit in Starbucks and enjoy a double mocha macchiato with extra whip.”
“Smartass.”
“I know you’re fishing, so you can try and talk me out of whatever I have planned.”
“You have a very suspicious nature.”
“Sort of works with my chosen profession.” Moving away from his arm, she turned and raised an eyebrow. “Honesty is important and a lot easier to deal with than passive aggressive nonsense.”
Crossing his arms, he frowned. “Fine, but you asked for it.”
“Just spit it out.”
“I want you to stay on base, so I can have one day where I don’t have to worry.”
She put her hand on his arm and wrinkled her nose. “I can’t decide if I should enjoy your concern or be totally annoyed.”
“You should enjoy it since it means someone cares if you stay in one piece.”
“I suppose you’re right, but it’s a little weird, Ace. We really don’t know one another, and you’re acting like a boyfriend, which is weird.”
Taking her hand between his, he shrugged. “Believe me; I get that and know it doesn’t make any sense.” He lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed it. “Can’t seem to control it, though, so let’s just assume it’s not going away.”
“Lucky me,” she replied while rolling her eyes.
“You do that eye rolling thing a lot; have you seen a doctor about it?”
“I have, and it was suggested that if I avoided people who made idiotic and ridiculous statements, it would probably go away.”
“Interesting.”
Leaning against his shoulder, she let out a sigh. “And what are you doing today to right the world’s wrongs?”
“We have an op tonight, so I’ll be off base.”
“Any chance you can tell me what and who it involves?”
“We both know that’s not possible.”
“What if I offered you your choice of sexual favors?”
“I thought you didn’t want to talk about sex in the mess.”
“I’m allowed if it helps me get a lead on a story.”
Letting out a laugh, he lifted her chin. “Sorry, that’s not going to happen.”
“I figured, but thought I’d give it a shot.”
“But go ahead and ply me with as many as you’d like, just in case one of them works and I’m having a weak moment.”
She leaned up and pressed her mouth to his and smiled. “Maybe later.”
“Better than an outright no.” Taking her mouth, he tasted the coffee on her tongue and dove in, cupping her head. Kissing her like his life depended on it, he feasted on her plump lips and instantly had a situation in his pants that was damn uncomfortable.
Hearing his phone ring, he reluctantly tore his mouth away and sucked in a breath. “You’re dangerous, woman.”
“You started it.”
“I guess I did.” He shook his head, then picked it up, reading the message. “TOC wants us in the team room.”
Scooting back, she smoothed out her hair and nodded. “Good thing because if you were here for a minute longer, then we’d likely be the talk of the base.”
Adjusting himself, he let out a rough laugh. “Still might be.”
Looking down, she covered her mouth and stifled a laugh.
“This is all your fault.”
Holding up her hands, she scooted away. “That’s a hell of a big thing to be responsible for.”
“Not helping,” he replied as he stood. “I’ll buzz you when I get back and see which sexual favor you want to start with.”
“You better plan on feeding me first because I expect a proper
date before any sexual favors will be offered.”
“Fair enough.” Bending down, he kissed her head. “You were right; kissing is a hell of a lot more fun than fighting.”
“As long as you keep that in mind, we’ll be fine.”
“Oh, we’re going to be a lot more than fine.”
“Doesn’t sound horrible, so I accept your fine and raise you a fanfuckingtastic.” Squeezing his hand, she nodded. “Stay safe, Ace.”
“Always.” Walking backward, he waved and then turned around, striding toward the door. Caid stood just outside, and he slapped him on the back. “Let’s get some, brother.”
“You get any intel on the friend?”
“No, didn’t know you needed it.”
“Next time you see Lisa, get me the down-low on Courtney, so I can figure out what my first move is going to be when we’re stateside.”
“You serious, man?”
“As a fucking heart attack. The woman had a smile bursting with mischief and a mouth filled with sass. Considering no one loves a naughty woman more than me, I figure she’s perfect.”
“All right, if that’s what you want.”
“I do; so don’t let me down.”
“I never have and don’t plan on starting now.” Giving his buddy a fist bump, he grinned and thought about misbehaving with Lisa. When his dick reacted immediately, he let the thought go and wondered when they were going to be pulled out of Yemen.
The scuttlebutt he’d heard over the last couple of weeks suggested Congress was ready to put an end to their targeting mission.
Apparently, the powers that be hadn’t been totally forthcoming with the committee about his team not being limited to a non-combat advisory role and it was causing a storm on the hill.
Seems their actual mission of aiding the Saudi military in locating and destroying Houthi missile caches wasn’t popular enough with the public for the legislators to risk votes.
The blurred lines of train and equip missions and combat were tough for the people on the hill to understand, and no one wanted to admit that they supported the SOF community aiding in the capture of the rebel leaders. Which is why most of the missions he and his brothers took on were shrouded in secrecy. “Have you heard any updates on the status of the mission tonight?”
Caid shook his head and adjusted his hat. “Not a peep, which I hope means we’re a go.”
“If we acquire the target, then I bet were done since keeping us here for low-level Houthi leaders doesn’t make any sense.”
“Agreed and that means we could be home by next week.”
“Which sounds fricking fantastic, since we’ve had back-to-back deployments.”
“Based on the way you and Lisa were acting in the mess, I’m assuming you’re going to pursue this thing when we get back.”
“Yeah, definitely.”
“Damn proud of the girl for asking you out since she’s had a thing for you for a while.”
Ace glanced over and frowned. “Are you serious? I never had a clue.”
“Not sure how you missed it since every time we ran into her, she’d look at you like you hung the fucking moon despite the fact you were yelling your head off.”
“Guess I was too busy being pissed off to notice much of anything.” Adjusting his sunglasses, he shook his head. “I was a fucking idiot in more ways than one.”
“Admitting it is the first step to fixing it.”
“Yeah, can’t argue with that.”
“The only piece of advice I’m going to give is: make sure you’re done with Victoria before you start anything new. Lisa is too damn nice to get caught in the middle of the stupid shit you two have going on.”
Lifting his hand, he flipped Caid off. “We ended it back in January, so you can forget your nervous nelly worrying.”
“You saw her in April and were all fucked up afterward.”
“That was a huge mistake, and it’s never going to happen again.”
“Hope so because seeing you two go around and around isn’t anything I need to see again.”
Ace scraped his hand over his neck and nodded. “Everybody gets one crazy-ass person in their life, and Victoria was mine. She’s got nothing I want anymore, and I’m immune to her manipulations.”
“Hope so, brother, because there’s no vagina magic enough to put up with her brand of crazy.”
Snorting, he fist-bumped Caid. “True that.”
Walking into the building that housed their temporary HQ, he knew he was ready for something real, and picturing Lisa’s face, he wondered if she might be too.
CHAPTER FOUR
“What a shit show,” Lisa muttered as she stood inside an abandoned building with another journalist and photographer from the Guardian. “I didn’t think the rumors were true about the STC making a move in the district today.”
Glancing over at Moshe, who was reporting for the European office of the Guardian and Al-Jazeera, she shrugged. “You don’t seem fazed by the gunfire.”
“I grew up in Israel; this is not an unfamiliar sound.”
Gabriel lifted his camera and took several shots of the fighting that was happening at the end of the block. “I bet they exchange gunfire all day.”
“I agree,” Moshe said as he checked his phone. “The UAE-backed STC has control of the government offices, so they have no reason to back down. They’ll play all day and use the toys the princes of the United Emirates gave them.”
“Why are they backing this horse when their brethren have backed Yemen’s government’s forces?” Lisa said to herself. “I’ve never been able to come up with a clear answer, and it’s so frustrating.”
“If there were one, then I would’ve written about it and have a Nobel Peace Prize. And would finally have the opportunity to sit in an air-conditioned office writing my memoirs.”
“You can’t write memoirs before you’re forty, Moshe.”
“I could if I answered that question with any sort of accuracy.”
“True.” Pulling a bottle of water out, she took a slug and noticed it was getting close to six. “So, should we make our way back to the marketplace and hook up with our driver?”
“Absolutely because being here after the sun goes down is not going to be good for our survival,” Gabriel responded as he lifted his camera again.
“I have a total of eight dead, what do you have, Moshe?”
“Same, though I don’t have the nationalities.”
Lisa checked her notes and then shook her head. “I don’t either.”
Moshe nodded and looked down the street. “The STC must’ve gotten tired of all the promises never materializing. It was their separatist movement that sparked the war, and this is a deadlock that has no signs of ever ending.”
Lisa heard an explosion that seemed closer than the last and cringed. “There’s a part of me that wants to stay and continue writing about the poorest country in the Arab region. But being in this violent playground for regional and international powers is going to get me killed long before any real change occurs.”
“I can’t believe you lasted a month,” Moshe replied. “I had a bet you’d leave after a week.”
Narrowing her eyes, she frowned. “I’m glad you lost.”
Moshe lifted his hands and let out a small laugh. “You have the face of an angel, and this place is too ugly for someone like you.”
“That’s a very sexist and inaccurate statement, and I may tell your wife, so she can give you a hard time.”
“Trust me; she does fine without any more ammunition.”
“Good for her.” Leaning against the doorway, she noticed the conflict was moving their way. “Let’s move south and cut across the plaza, so we don’t end up in the crossfire.”
Gabriel nodded. “Sounds good to me. I don’t need to destroy any more equipment, and I’m not interested in another bullet being dug out of my body.”
“Heard the last one was in your ass, so I feel ya,” Lisa responded with a smile as she li
fted her backpack. Hearing her phone buzz, she pulled it out of her pocket and didn’t recognize the number. Sliding her finger across the screen, she answered, “Good evening, Lisa’s war reporting, may I help you?”
“Is that fucking gunfire?”
Holding the phone away, she frowned. “Who is this?”
“Ace!”
“Should’ve known since there’s no one else with the guts to talk to me that way.”
“Where the hell are you?”
“Aden.”
“There’s fighting in Aden.”
“Since I’m here, don’t you think I know that?” Hearing him curse, she let out a long breath. “I’m kinda busy here, so if all you’re going to do is yell, then I’m going to hang up.”
“How close are you to the live fire?”
“I’m not going to answer that on the grounds it will give you an aneurysm, and Caid asked me not to do that.” When another string of curses filled her ear, she ended the call. “Some people are so touchy.”
“I could hear that from here,” Moshe said as he zipped up his bag. “Who was that?”
“Ace. He’s on the Teams, and we’ve run into each other a lot over the last month. He seems to think he’s my personal sheepdog and likes to give me a hard time.” Her phone started buzzing again, and she ignored it because the last thing she needed was Ace filling her ears with his concern.
“Is he the one you were kissing in the mess the other morning?”
Sliding her hand on her hip, she raised an eyebrow. “Where did you hear that?”
“In the press room. You know nothing happens on base that doesn’t get circulated instantly.”
“Journalists are the worst gossips.”
“You make out with a man at breakfast, and people are going to talk about it,” Gabriel said before emptying a bottle of water.
“Whatever, it doesn’t give him the right to yell.” Hearing another mortar explode, Lisa covered her ears and decided she didn’t need to hear the sound very many more times in her life. “Ready?”
“Yeah, let’s get out of here,” Moshe said as he stepped out. “God willing, we’ll make it out alive.”
“Yeah, alive would definitely be preferable,” Lisa responded as she looked down the long street and saw people exchanging gunfire. Saying a short prayer, she followed Moshe along the alley and decided it was her turn to yell at Ace. He’d done enough of it, and if he thought he could call her during her workday and curse, then he had another thing coming.