by Susan Stoker
Blade leaned over and touched Wendy’s knee briefly. “No, don’t ever think that. They’re thrilled as can be that I’m dating. I’m basically the last one in our group to have a steady girlfriend or wife. It’s just good-natured teasing, that’s all. Besides…even if they didn’t approve, I wouldn’t give a shit.”
“Tell me about them.”
“My friends?”
“Yeah. You sound really close with them.”
“I am. We’ve been through a lot of shit together. I’d give my life for them, just as they’d do for me.”
“That’s awesome,” Wendy whispered. She turned until she was semi-facing him, her knee hiked up on the couch, her beer resting on her knee. “Did you go through basic training together? Is that why you’re so close?”
Blade knew he couldn’t tell her that they were on the same Special Forces team together, but he could tell her some things. “No, we didn’t meet until about five years ago. We’re on a specialized team in the Army, and we get sent on missions together. It’s not really like a regular platoon, where the guys get shuffled in and out all the time. We’re stationed here together for the long haul.”
Her brows drew down, and Blade knew she didn’t understand. But he went on, hoping she’d be more interested in the details about his friends than the logistics of how his “special team” worked.
“Ghost is the oldest and our captain. His girlfriend’s name is Rayne, and they’ve been together since he helped rescue her from a coup over in Egypt.”
“Wow, really?”
“Really. Fletch is married to Emily, and they have an adorable little girl named Annie. I can’t wait for you to meet her. She’s seriously amazing. They also have a little one on the way as well. Coach is married to Harley, and I have a feeling she and Jack will get along really well. She’s also super smart and designs video games for a living. She and Coach met when she went skydiving, and he was assigned to be her jumpmaster for the day.”
“Why is that funny?” Wendy asked, obviously noting his smirk.
“It’s not really funny, but Coach was knocked unconscious by a bird during the jump, and Harley had to safely get his ass back to the ground.”
Wendy inhaled. “Oh my God, that’s not funny at all!” she exclaimed.
“It is if you know Coach. He’s super protective, and he’d told her over and over that she had nothing to worry about, that he’d get her safely to the ground.”
“Still not funny,” Wendy insisted.
Blade couldn’t help but smile wider. “Yeah, I guess it’s not…but it’s funny every time we jump now. We all give him shit and tell him to ‘duck’.”
“Men and their senses of humor,” Wendy said, rolling her eyes. “Is that all on your team?”
“Nope. Hollywood is married to Kassie. She’s also very close to her sister, but their parents are still in the picture, so it’s not exactly the same as you and Jack. She’s also pregnant. Fish is a de facto member of our group, but he now lives out in Idaho with his wife. She’s a genius. And I don’t mean that she’s simply smart. She’s literally a genius. Truck is unofficially officially with Mary. We know it, but for some reason, they’re playing this game where they act like they don’t like each other or something. It’s weird, but Truck loves that woman with everything in him.”
“So, she’s playing him?”
“No,” Blade said immediately. “She likes him back…it’s complicated.”
“Sounds like it,” Wendy muttered.
“Then there’s Beatle and my sister, Casey.”
“Your sister is with one of your friends? Isn’t that against some sort of man code or something?”
Blade immediately shook his head. “Who the hell knows, but I was ecstatic when he told me he was interested in her. Of course, he told me when we were in the middle of the jungle as we were going to rescue her from the assholes who kidnapped her, but it wouldn’t have mattered if we were sitting in the middle of my living room. I know Beatle as well as I know myself. He’ll move heaven and earth to make her happy and to ensure she’s safe. Why wouldn’t I want him with one of the people who mean the most to me?”
“Gosh, when you put it that way…not all men think like you though.”
“That’s the truth,” Blade said with a nod. “I’ve seen some bad shit in my lifetime,” he told her. “Shit that no one should have to see or experience. The only reason I’m able to deal with it is because of the six men I work with. They’re all amazing. The one thing we have most in common is a deep desire to make the loved ones in our lives happy. To make sure they’re safe. There’s something in our DNA that won’t allow us to settle when it comes to our life partners. In just about every case, the second my friends saw their current girlfriends or wives, they knew they were it for them.”
Blade didn’t look away from Wendy’s wide-eyed gaze, willing her to understand.
“We fight hard, we play hard, and we love hard. That’s just the way it is. Beatle loving my sister is like we both won the lottery. He’s always been my brother-in-arms, but eventually, he’ll be my brother legally as well.”
“You’re lucky,” Wendy said quietly.
“I am,” Blade agreed immediately. “I figure as a reward for doing what I do for a living, and seeing what I see, I was given this amazing group of men, and now women, to be friends with. I’m blessed.”
“I like that for you.”
“Thanks. What about you?”
“What about me?”
“What about your friends?”
Once again, Wendy looked away from him, and Blade knew she was going to deflect the question. Frustration welled inside him.
“I’ve been really busy with Jackson. I haven’t really had time for friends.”
“Everyone has time for friends,” Blade chastised gently. “What about the parents of his friends? Or people at your work?”
“I’m younger than most of the other parents, and because I’m just an aide, I don’t have much in common with the nurses at the home.”
“How old are you?” Blade asked.
“Does it matter?”
She still wouldn’t look up at him.
“No, I guess not,” Blade said, knowing he wouldn’t get any answers from her right now.
“Can I ask something?” she asked.
Blade knew she was going to change the subject, and he let her. He didn’t want to push. He was enjoying spending time with her and didn’t want to rock the boat as far as their relationship went. He’d have plenty of other chances to get to know her. Once she felt more comfortable with him, she’d open up more. He hoped.
“Of course you can. Ask me anything. I’ll tell you everything, I don’t have any secrets—although you should know, I can’t promise to always be able to answer all your questions about my job. Not because I don’t want to but because I’m literally not allowed. A lot of what I do is top secret. I can’t tell my sister, or you, or anyone else. I don’t want you to take it personally if I tell you I’m not able to talk about something.”
“Oh…okay. All I was going to ask was about your friends’ names. They’re a little unusual.”
Blade laughed so hard another snort escaped, which in turn made Wendy smile at him. “They’re nicknames, sweetheart. Ghost because he can move freaky quietly. Fletch because his last name is Fletcher. Coach got his nickname in basic because he was always coaching others. Hollywood is the pretty boy of the group. Could’ve easily been an actor, but instead, he joined the Army. Fish because he was always the best swimmer; Beatle because his last name is Lennon. However, he also can’t stand bugs, which is hilarious and makes his nickname that much funnier. Truck…you’ll understand when you meet him.”
“And yours? Do you have a nickname?”
Blade nodded.
“Are you going to tell me? Or is it top secret?”
He was slightly uncomfortable. His friends all had names that could easily be passed off as something funny or non-threatening.
His wasn’t. He debated telling her, but in the end, decided that he didn’t want to keep anything from Wendy. He wanted a relationship with her. A long one. And if they both started off by keeping secrets, it didn’t bode well for that relationship.
“It’s Blade.”
“Like that movie with Wesley Snipes?”
“Not exactly. I used to just be called by my last name, Carlisle…I didn’t have a fancy nickname. But after a particularly nasty fight overseas, I earned the nickname Blade. We were pinned down and had run out of bullets. We had to resort to hand-to-hand fighting, and I guess my…skills…with a knife impressed my captain at the time.”
Blade didn’t take his gaze from Wendy’s. He wasn’t ashamed of his nickname, it just wasn’t something that he thought would endear him to the woman sitting next to him.
“Hmmm,” she murmured. “I suppose that’s better than ‘Tree’ or something, especially considering what you do for a living. The bad guys wouldn’t exactly quake in their boots if they heard ‘Tree’ was on their heels, would they?”
It took a second for the fact that she wasn’t turned off or made uneasy by his nickname to register, but once it did, he couldn’t help but laugh. He laughed so hard he was snorting almost nonstop, but the best part was that Wendy joined in. She was giggling so much she had to put her beer on the table in front of them so she didn’t spill it.
When Blade got himself under control, he said, “Yeah, I think I’ll keep Blade. ‘Tree’ just doesn’t have the same ring to it. But you aren’t allowed to ever suggest that as a nickname around the guys. They’ll immediately decide it’s perfect and refuse to call me Blade again.”
“What’s it worth to you?” Wendy teased.
“Are you blackmailing me?” Blade asked, his eyebrows raised.
She coyly smiled. “Maybe.”
Blade slowly leaned forward and put his beer on the small table and angled his body toward her. If she knew him better, she might’ve realized he was readying to pounce, but she didn’t. “Soldiers like me don’t do well when blackmailed or threatened,” he said—then lunged.
Wendy shrieked as he threw himself at her, but then giggled when he grabbed her around the waist and turned, carefully throwing her onto her back on the cushions of the couch. Blade kneeled over her, holding her wrists in his hands.
He loved how she remained boneless in his grip. How she wasn’t freaking out and didn’t seem to be scared of him in the least. He’d probably gone too far, but he couldn’t help it.
“Let me up, Aspen!” she said, finally squirming under him.
And just like that, the atmosphere went from casual and teasing to charged and erotic. Blade was straddling her hips, and the second she shifted under him, he got hard. Looking down, he could see her nipples pressing against her blouse and her breathing had increased.
“Aspen,” she said breathlessly, and just his name on her lips made him harder.
He lifted his hips so he wasn’t grinding himself between her thighs and stared down at her. He wanted her. Wanted the right to move his hand from her wrists down her body. Wanted to take her tits in his hands and tease them until her nipples were hard little spikes. Wanted the privilege to make her explode with passion before pressing inside her body.
Blade’s hands tightened on her wrists to keep himself from doing everything he’d just fantasized about.
He opened his mouth to say something, he wasn’t sure what, when the door to the apartment slammed open with a loud bang, effectively interrupting the sexually charged moment and changing the mood from mellow to intense in a heartbeat.
Chapter Six
Wendy had barely heard the door slamming against the wall before Aspen had moved. He was kneeling next to the sofa with one hand resting protectively on her shoulder—the other was holding a knife.
She had no idea where he’d gotten the knife, but with a nickname like “Blade,” she supposed she shouldn’t be surprised. She should be more freaked out about the fact he had a knife on him, but for some reason, she wasn’t. In a weird way, it made her feel protected. He hadn’t threatened her with the knife, and it was more than obvious he knew how to handle it.
Almost as soon as she saw it in his hand, he’d put it away after seeing who was at the door.
What she had been surprised about was the chemistry between them. One second she was teasing him and the next she was lying under him, feeling his erection pressing against her core. As soon as she’d felt his excitement, he’d lifted his hips to a respectable distance, but that didn’t make the sudden flare of lust she’d felt at being held down by him go away.
She liked Aspen. A lot. And if she wasn’t mistaken, he liked her back. She didn’t like keeping things from him, but there was no way she could tell him she didn’t have any friends because she didn’t trust herself not to spill too many things about her past that might get her, and Jackson, in trouble. He’d been frustrated with her, she knew that, but he hadn’t pushed, which she appreciated.
There were still a lot of things she didn’t know about Aspen as well, but what she did know she liked. A hell of a lot. She liked that he was protective of his sister. Liked that he had friends who were as close as brothers. Liked that he seemed to be interested in hearing about Jackson.
She’d been out with men in the past who didn’t give one little shit about her brother. In fact, had seemed annoyed that she even wanted to talk about him. Those relationships didn’t last, because anyone who couldn’t accept the fact that Jackson was one of the most important people in her life, wasn’t someone she wanted to be around.
Wendy moved slowly, scooting up on the couch until she could see who had burst into the apartment.
Her brother was standing in the doorway, glaring at Aspen. Jackson looked extremely put out and irritated.
“Jackson?” she asked, as Aspen moved away from her and slowly stood.
He didn’t answer her, but grabbed the door and slammed it closed.
Wendy winced. She hadn’t seen her brother in a mood like this in a long time. He was generally very even-keeled. She couldn’t help but worry he was upset with her, but he’d told her earlier that he liked Aspen. That he was happy for her. So her being on the couch with him couldn’t really have upset Jackson this much…could it?
She stood and eyed her brother warily. “What’s wrong?”
He mumbled something under his breath as he wandered into the kitchen.
“Jackson, what’s wrong?” Wendy repeated.
Her brother let out a sigh and slumped against the counter. “Nothing you can help with,” he said finally.
Frowning, Wendy started to head into the kitchen, but was stopped by Aspen’s hand on her arm.
“Do you want me to leave?”
She didn’t. But Jackson didn’t look happy at all. She looked from Aspen to her brother helplessly, biting her lip in indecision.
“He can stay,” Jackson answered for her. “I’m just upset about something that happened this afternoon after lacrosse practice.”
“If you want to talk to your sister, I can go take a walk,” Aspen volunteered.
Wendy’s eyes went to his. She was somewhat shocked that he’d do something like that.
Jackson snorted. “Taking a walk in this neighborhood wouldn’t be the best idea,” he said. Then he sighed and repeated, “You can stay.”
“I might be able to help. I probably have a different perspective than you or your sister,” Aspen offered.
Wendy wanted to go to her brother and comfort him. Obviously, whatever happened wasn’t good. She hadn’t seen him this agitated in a very long time. He usually didn’t let things bother him.
She felt Aspen’s thumb caress her arm for a moment before he let her go. She looked up at him, but his attention was all on her brother. She liked having his support. It felt…nice.
She shook herself out of the fog she’d been in and headed for Jackson. Deciding to let him talk in his own good time, she stood between him and
Aspen.
“Jack, I’d like you to officially meet Aspen. Aspen, this is my little brother, Jack.” It was a little late for introductions, but better late than never.
“He doesn’t look so little to me,” Aspen said with a slight grin as he came forward and held his hand out to Jackson.
The two shook hands and Wendy took the time to study her brother. Aspen was right, he wasn’t the little boy she’d taken under her wing a decade ago. He was taller than her five-eight by a couple inches, and she had a feeling he wasn’t done growing yet. He ate as if he had a bottomless pit inside him and every couple months, she had to shell out the money for new pants as he was still outgrowing the ones he had. Jackson was lean where she was…fluffy. He had a five o’clock shadow on his face, and that reminded Wendy of the day she’d had to show him how to shave.
He was definitely growing up, and the thought that he’d soon be moving out and getting on with his life was almost depressing. She’d spent the last decade raising him, spending every free minute she had with him, and she suddenly understood how moms could get so weepy when their kids graduated from high school and moved on.
“Dinner should be ready before too long,” Wendy told the men sizing each other up in the kitchen.
“I was serious about listening,” Aspen said, as if he hadn’t heard Wendy’s inane comment about dinner.
Jackson took a long swallow of the water he’d retrieved from the fridge then nodded.
Wendy was surprised. Well, maybe not. Aspen was extremely easy to talk to. She supposed that Jackson innately knew that as well as she did.
Her brother walked over to the table and collapsed into one of the chairs. She followed slowly and stood next to the chair to his right. She felt Aspen’s hand on the small of her back, and knowing he was there somehow made this easier. Made her not worry as much.
He held out her chair and she sank into it. Aspen sat next to her and looked at ease…as if he hung out with them all the time.
“What’s up?” she asked Jackson.
“I really shouldn’t be so upset,” he began, “but those guys made me so mad.”