by Selena Kitt
At the back door, she pulled it open, flooding the alley with the beat and lyrics of a popular hip hop song. He would have thought she would quickly re-enter the establishment and escape what had happened in the alley. Surprising him, she paused and turned his way. She stared into the dark, he was sure she couldn't see him deep in the shadows, but her gaze seemed to reach for him, meet his.
He wanted to do something, say something. It just didn't seem like this should end so abruptly. Sucking in a breath, he switched the ignition to start and allowed his Harley to roar to life.
She smiled, waved, and then was gone.
Never one to sit around like a smitten buffoon, he turned his bike toward the back part of the alley, the opposite end, and rode away. He'd gotten his rocks off with a woman he didn't know, and there were no strings between them. Freedom was still his.
Why there was an empty gulf now residing in his gut, he didn't know.
Wouldn't analyze.
Chapter Two
"Are you ready for your move back home?" Chrissy teased her first thing Friday morning.
"Cici, girl, yes." Kerrigan glanced at her reflection in the rearview mirror as she sat at a red light. There wasn't a hair out of place from the tight, slick bun she had pinned her hair into. Her light, natural type make-up didn't give anything away, either. No one would know she had not slept a single wink most of the night after she got home from the club. Every time her eyes closed, her mind played back visions of an ultra-hot man. The same one with the short platinum locks and dark eyes. Her body hummed and begged for more of him. Still feeling tender between her thighs from his size and attention wasn't enough to discourage the need.
She couldn't believe herself last night. It wasn't her thing to meet a guy in an alley and have sex with him. What had come over her, taken over her body and shoved her intellect to the back of her mind and locked it up, she didn't know. It wasn't that she regretted having the most amazing, mind-blowing sex of her life, it just wasn't her style. Unprotected, for that matter. She knew a couple of her friends who would have jumped at such a reckless adventure, and made all of them laugh and gasp in shock. His hair was kind of out of regs in its length, but his disposition screamed military. In this area, he was either Air Force or Army—either way, in days, she would be gone, so she didn't have to worry about running into Jax or Jaxon again. With a silent sigh, she thought she could almost taste his name on her lips.
The honk from behind her jarred her out of her thoughts. Foot to the gas, she got moving. "Did the new appliances arrive Saturday?"
"Yes. I put the boxes untouched in the pantry so you could unpack them."
"Tell the truth. You had no clue what you were doing."
Her sister's laughter came through the car speakers. "You know I don't, Kerri. Honestly, I don't even recognize what some of your contraptions are supposed to do."
She smiled and chuckled with her sister. It would feel so good to work with Chrissy and be around her again. Even though their last business venture had been a lemonade stand when they were little girls, she missed her sister. The thought of working side by side with a woman she both respected and loved made her smile bigger. "But you can follow the hell out of some instructions."
Over the year they had kept the recipes very simple, working more with families so she could teach her sister those things, because Chrissy was a decent cook. However, they were moving their catering offerings to more fine dining nights for couples in conjunction with their marital or couples education group. Kerrigan's department. "Don't worry. I don't know shit about helping couples or families talk out their problems, either."
Relationships were not her thing. When she was younger, guys had looked beyond her to her more skinny or bigger-breasted friends. When the military had helped her tone and firm up her shape, she was more interested in making rank and enhancing her culinary skills. She didn't want to think about the fact that having a one night stand in the dark with a stranger hadn't been an example of how to maximize boyfriend potential, either.
"Well, together we work and, as we have seen over the last year, so does our business."
"Hell, yeah, we do," Kerrigan cheered as she turned onto the street that would take her to the base.
"I'll pick up your apartment keys in about an hour. I have to drop Maddie back at home to her dad."
Jameson, Chrissy's husband, was some Fiber Optics Direct tech for an internet company and worked from home, making it easy for her sister to be away and build a business.
"What did the doctor say?"
"Blood test came back, an allergy to gluten. So I really need you here so you can teach me how to cook good things that don't contain wheat."
"I'm on it." Kerri reached over and grabbed her wallet from her purse. "You know Madelyn probably got her allergy from Mom. She was allergic to everything."
Chrissy guffawed. "I remember. I was in college before I tasted a peanut butter and jelly sandwich."
Kerrigan slowed down behind a car in the line leading into Pope Air Force Base. "Our childhood was tragic," she joked. Their life had been good, even if it was organic and vegan within the walls of their home.
"Well, I know you have a busy day and week, so I will see you Saturday if that's still your plan."
"It better be, because TMO has already picked up my stuff this week, and I only have the rental furniture and two suitcases to get me through my final out process next week with MPF and finance."
"All those alphabets should be in a soup." Chrissy laughed, after ten years of Kerrigan being in the military, her sister still didn't understand much about the Air Force. "I have to warn you that Mom has already lined up three guys that I know of to start hooking you up."
Kerri groaned and smacked a palm against the steering wheel as she inched up through the morning rush into base. "No. No. Stop her. You know I don't like being matched up."
"I've told her. But I will keep trying. Remember, this woman is on a mission for more grandbabies."
"Uh, you have three. She should be happy with that."
"Never. You know since she and Dad retired, the kids are all they live for."
Kerrigan did know that. Still, she wasn't going to let her mother pair her up with one of her parents' friends' kids or any other available male Marcy Morgan met. Maybe if her mom came across something sexy on a Harley…
No, not even then.
"Anyway, you have a function to host. Gotta go. I love you. See you soon."
"Love ya, too, partner. Get well, sweet Madelyn," she called out to her nine-year-old niece.
"Thank you, Aunt Kerri," came the small voice through the line.
After she'd hung up, Kerri rolled the window down to the Senior Airman Security Forces guy checking IDs.
He greeted her before lowering his gaze to the card. "Have a great day, TSGT Morgan."
"Thank you. I will." She smiled at him, then drove away. This was it. After tonight, her days were numbered in the military. A part of her would miss it, the camaraderie and the unity atmosphere, but this was needed. Destiny awaited.
* * *
"Alexander!" Franklin grinned wide and came around the desk in the expansive office.
"Your driver and car weren't in your spot, so I hope you don't mind me parking there." Jaxon met his brother in the middle of the room with a brisk pat on the back and firm hug. Only his older brother and their deceased parents had ever called him by his first name. All his Marine Raider buddies called him Jax, Master Gunnery Sergeant, or the younger guys sometimes called him Top.
"Hell, no." Franklin patted his back one last time. "You still got your Harley?"
"Yeah, but I brought the truck from the hotel." No matter how old Jaxon was or how high his rank got in the Core, he felt like the unsure kid in his big brother's presence at times. Franklin's opinion counted to him, and he tried to make him proud when he could. "Good to see you, Franklin."
Franklin leaned back, still grasping him by the shoulder. "Damn, it's good t
o see you, baby brother. You know I worry about how many downrange assignments you keep taking."
The concern was written all over his brother's face. Older by seven years, Franklin a lot of the time took on the role of father figure; scolding him or praising him as if he were his own son. Even though Jaxon was thirty-three years old. When he'd been younger, he'd hated his older brother usurping authority over him, but when their parents died during Jaxon's first year in college, when Franklin was just a first lieutenant in the Air Force, the guardian role his brother took on felt good.
He'd dropped out of college and enlisted in the Marines instead of following his father and brother's example of becoming officers in the Air Force. Jaxon had needed the noise and chaos of the Marines, and hard training to block out the pain he didn't know how to handle or deal with.
"I know you do. But I'm good. I promise." He ran a hand through his hair, longer than he liked to wear it. But where he got deployed to, barbers were not readily available.
"Promise me you'll slow the hell down. I'd like to see you thinking of settling soon."
"Ah, I wondered how many minutes I had to be here before lecture time." Jaxon lips tilted in a grin.
Franklin chuckled.
He knew his brother thought hearth and family were the cure.
The year of their parents' death, Franklin's and Helen's twin girls had just turned six. Thirteen years had gone by so fast.
"So how are my nieces? Their first year in college go okay?"
"I'll let them tell you. We can meet the girls and Helen at the O Club. Want to do breakfast? I'm just cleaning up a few last minute things here. Packers come in this afternoon."
"Did the base put you out of the house already?" Jaxon teased.
"Nothing like that. I still have a little over two weeks before the new residents sign into it. Today I'm just trying to keep out of TSgt Morgan's way."
Jaxon's brow pulled in. "Who's that? If we can do lunch, that'd be great. I want to get a haircut before the lunch rush."
"Even better," Franklin declared. "The family is trying to stay out of the way of my enlisted aide and her staff at the house. I'll call the ladies now."
At that moment, there was a tap at his door.
When Franklin called out, his receptionist, Verna, an older, petite black woman who had been sweet and kind to Jaxon when he showed up, said, "General, Commander Spivet from CE and First Sergeant McCoy are here."
"Thanks, Verna." His brother seemed to stand a little taller, and more bass and authority dropped into his voice. "Let them know I'll be ready in a couple minutes."
"Yes, General." She offered them both a warm smile before closing the door behind her.
"Well, I see you have things needing your attention. A base to command," Jax jested with his big brother.
"Until I sign in at the Lackland in two weeks." Franklin smiled like a man ready to take on a bigger command. One day, after his brother had completed thirty years in, Jaxon could easily see him in the cabinet of some president—ordering, directing and strategizing was in Franklin's blood.
"I'll let you get to it." The two of them moved to the door.
Outside the office, Franklin didn't hesitate to give him another hug, even though he was in uniform and other military personnel were observing them. "All right, baby brother, see you at lunch."
With that, he was dismissed, and walked away giving the two Airmen in sharp blues a nod and telling Verna to have a nice day. As he walked down the plush corridor with all the Air Force regalia and memorabilia, he was glad he had made it here for his brother's big event.
* * *
"Let's go. I need that watermelon prosciutto, salmon and cucumber wraps, and those beet and goat's cheese Napoleons out the door," she commanded her serving staff. Kerrigan was in her element. After eleven hours in the kitchen, creating and managing the arrangements around the property, she ensured everything was set for the celebration party.
The base had done some official things for him to congratulate the General, but this was a private affair. Only his closest sixty friends. The only family that would be joining were the General's twin daughters whom they picked up from Clemson, and his younger brother, Alexander J. Rogers, as it was listed on the invitations she'd handled with Mrs. Rogers, the General's wife.
"Headed out, ma'am, except the beets. Melanie is in the guest bathroom being sick again," SSgt Handler, the guy who would take over with the new Base Commander, called back to her.
"Shit," she bit out through tight lips. "I should've sent her home earlier."
The Senior Airman was competent when she wasn't having evening sickness from her pregnancy. Normally, Kerri only used Melanie for daytime events in the last two months, for this very reason. But during something like this, she needed all hands on deck. All she could do was pray Melanie's symptoms passed by the time the actual dinner had to be served.
Moving quickly, Kerrigan added the final ingredients to the pot she stood over. "Airman Janson, stir this continuously until I get back." She stared hard into the A1C's eyes. "Don't let that peppercorn whisky sauce burn, or it's your ass, and you can forget the recommendation for your flight attendant package."
"Yes, Tech Sergeant. Got it." The bubbly black girl from California picked up the whisk with a smile.
Kerrigan went and grabbed the second tray of beets and headed out. Through the side door of the kitchen, she crossed the back patio, then went down the steps and into the grass. There were people laughing and smiling on the well-lit manicured lawn, with a classic jazz band creating the ambiance for the affair.
"Hors d'oeuvres?" She moved around the area, grinning and offering the small bites to the guest. The tray was half empty when she came upon the man of the hour and the small group gathered around him. Her smile stretched wider. She really did admire the man, he'd been an excellent and supportive boss. His wife was kind and an amazing wife and mother, a perfect pairing to the great man.
She nodded at Mrs. Rogers as she smiled at her before taking a beet appetizer from the tray; the General's wife's favorite.
"Ah, TSgt Morgan. I wasn't sure I'd get a chance to introduce you to my brother." General Rogers gestured beyond her shoulder to someone. "Here he is."
During the years she'd worked for General Rogers, Kerri had been looking forward to actually meeting the Base Commander's younger brother. He spoke so highly of him. The pride for the man often filled his voice when he talked about him, and how Alexander was serving his country. She never asked many questions about his brother, trying to respect her Commander's privacy.
"Alexander, this is my Enlisted Aide, TSgt Morgan. This is my younger brother…"
Kerri turned to face the new arrival and froze. The man's proximity, as well as the shock of coming face to face with the guy she'd had sex with just twenty hours ago, had her completely flummoxed. She didn't hear anything else the General was saying as Jaxon now faced her fully.
Stumbling to the side, looking for an escape, she nearly ran into the hospital commander and his wife.
"Whoa…" Jaxon reached out and took hold of her arm.
"No, please. I—" Trying to avoid his touch, she upended the platter back onto herself.
"Kerrigan, are you all right?" Mrs. Rogers was looking at her strangely, as if the older woman saw a second head coming from her neck.
That situation may have been better than this one.
Refusing to meet anyone else's gaze, Kerri simply held the tray tight to her chest so as not to get the red vegetables drizzled with balsamic vinaigrette on any of the guests. She mumbled an apology as she rushed away.
Each step toward the side of the house, she cursed at herself. She wasn't worried about her pristine white uniform jacket because, for just such a reason, she kept at least two on hand in the servants' closet off the kitchen. It was quicker to get to it without having to maneuver through all the guests if she went through the side door of the garage. She was embarrassed and appalled at her own actions. This w
as why she always did the responsible and sensible thing—to avoid such situations like this. This could only happen to her. To think she'd had sex with—no, it was more crude than that, Alexander, or Jaxon, whatever his name was, she'd let him fuck her in an alley up against the outside of a bar.
He'd done it well, too.
She pushed that wayward erotic thought aside as she entered the tight closet unseen by any of her staff.
With all of the exploits her friends had, they never ended up with this kind of thing happening. Screwing her commander's brother. She groaned as she peeled down the tray and scraped off as many Napoleon layers as she could manage. She set the tray on the small table, she'd take it out after she had changed.
Next, she removed her smock as carefully as possible so she wouldn't get anything on her pants, too. She laid the top over the sink they used to wash their hands. Behind her in the mirror, she saw the door open.
"One second, I'll be out—What are you doing in here?"
He shut the door behind him. He looked so different, clothing wise, from the last time she saw him. Gone were the sex cupping jeans, black T-shirt and boots. Now he was dressed in a navy blue suit jacket with matching slacks and a light blue shirt, no tie. The sexy swagger was still there. "I thought I imagined you for a moment there, Kerrigan."
"You followed me?" she whispered, not wanting anyone to hear her and come investigating. Even though she doubted that, what with all of her crew split between the kitchen and the yard, busy. Which was what she should be instead of sealed inside the small space with the bigger than life, sexy man.
"Are you all right?" His dark eyes took in her white T-shirt.
She put her hands over her chest, trying to keep him from seeing the black bra she wore beneath it. She needed to get into her clean top, but the walking sex god was in the way. "I'm fine. You can go now. Whoever you are."
"All night, I couldn't stop thinking about you." He stepped forward. In the tiny area, it brought him practically against her.
"Maybe you should have been thinking about you not telling me who you really were, Alex-xan-der Rogers." She made a shooing motion toward the door. "I need you to leave now."