“Oh stop” I groaned
“There is a Marine” Brit butted in and he’s due down here with some papers” I shot her a look
“I know” Uncle Flynn dropped our arms and opened the door to the mess hall “He’s over there” he pointed across to where Ryne was sitting talking to some recruits and a drill instructor.
“Does he know we’re related?” I choked remembering his reaction to finding out the Uncle Flynn was in charge at San Diego.
‘No Ryder called me” he grinned “I did ask him though if he had a girl” I stopped and looked at him “Oh and he went on about you for at least 30 minutes”.
“Okay it’s not true I didn’t do it and it was his fault” I gabbled
“Yes sweetheart I’m sure” he wiggled his eye brows.
“Excuse me one minute” I walked away from Brit and Uncle Logan. Ryne looked up from what he was eating. “Hey Hollywood” I put my hands on my hips.
“Er… I know you have a base I.D. but…” he wiped his mouth with a napkin “Family day isn’t till tomorrow and the mess is restricted till then” he got up.
“I know” I nodded the drill instructor was laughing, he’d been a year above Ryder and I in high school so he knew the family connections. “Hear about Ryder?” I looked at him
“Yeah I heard tell him he’s supposed to shoot them not the other way round” he got up from the table “Stop being mean to this guys Aly” he walked away
“Okay what Family member is here” Ryne held out his hands.
“You know I know the Col in San Diego?” He nodded “yeah well I know the General based here as well” I laughed.
“Oh and you couldn’t have warned me”
“Nope” I grinned shaking my head
“Please don’t ask him what I said about you”
Chapter 41
Dinner date
“Oh I’m going to Ask Uncle Logan all about it” I grinned
“Aly no…” Ryne’s face was an absolute picture
“Okay you’re protesting way too much you must of said something really bad” I put my hands on my hips and tipped my head.
“It wasn’t I just…”
“Sgt Stockwell” Uncle Logan walked over “I didn’t know you knew my Niece” he couldn’t keep his face straight for candy.
“Yes sir she was the one I was telling you about” Ryne pushed his tongue in his cheek.
“Well okay then” Uncle Logan grinned and turned away
“Okay” I looked between the two of them ‘What do you mean okay?” Ryne started to laugh
“Nothing honey” Uncle Logna smiled sitting down at a table next to Brit
“Like he said… Nothing honey” Ryne winked at me
“Or I feel a boxing ring coming up” I ground my teeth together.
“You do” Ryne folded his arms over his chest “Getting put on your ass the other night wasn’t enough”
“I let you off easy and you’ve been talking about me to my Uncle”
“No I was talking about you to a General who asked if I had a girl” he smiled
“But you don’t have a girl”
“Oh kick a Marine where it hurts”
“What the ego”
“Alyssa Tess Tanner…” I hung my head “Stop being like your stubborn mother, Grandmother and great grandmother” Uncle Logan called out.
“Okay I’m going to go see Aunt Beth… See ya Hollywood” I walked out of the mess hall.
“Running out again?” Ryne followed me
“No I’m going to go see my Aunt” I turned and looked at him
“I know we were going to be going out Saturday night… but I think after being so mean and not telling me who else you were related to you should take me out for dinner tonight”
“Oh really” I laughed “I think after you talked to my Uncle all about me and won’t tell me what you said you should take me out”
“Okay deal I’ll pick you up here around 7” Ryne turned on his heel ‘Oh and no jeans” he disappeared back inside the mess hall… Whoa wait a minute there was something wrong her he’d just tricked me into going to dinner with him twice… Oh gosd I’m slacking.
“Hey” I looked round Brit walked over to me “So what did Ryne Tell Logan about you?
“I have no idea but he somehow managed to ask me out for dinner tonight” I groaned walking back to my truck with her.
“Oh he’s good and I think he’s got a small crush on you” I looked at her
“Okay I think I might have gathered that already” I opened the door and got in “I’ve been told no jeans”
“You bring the pirate costume?” she giggled
“Er… No” I shook my head “I did bring that black dress I had for my birthday”
“You bring the shoes as well because you know they were the best gift you got” she grinned
“Yes I brought the shoes and you brought them so you could borrow them” I laughed
“Okay so we have to get you looking so hot he’s literally going to be drooling” she rubbed her hands together “Putty in your hands type of Marine so you can…”
“Right you need a cold shower and a hot Marine girl… what the hell is wrong with you”
“I found the guy that pushed the right button’s and tweaks the right pierc…”
“ENOUGH Ew my little cousin is a sex addict”
“No a sex addict has to have it a zillion times a day and I’ve waited for Marek to be done with… OMG that’s his Aunt and his Mom” she slid down in the seat we drove by two women that seemed to be watching everything going on while they talked with their heads together scars clear on both of them even from this distance “Apparently they we’re both military of some sort… better rough stuff that got Marek and his sister in trouble” I looked at her “His sister was almost killed by someone poisoning her”
“Wow so does he have some hot scars”
“That would be telling he doesn’t have a tattoo yet though so I don’t know how he’ll fit in with you guys?” she smiled at me “and I’m dying to get a look at Ryne’s ink”
“Ask him to show you” I pulled into the drive of the house “I’m sure Ryne is the type of guy that given the chance he’ll strip off” I got out
“Yeah but I think he might want to keep that for you” I shook my head at her and grabbed my bag and walked into the house.
“Okay so let me get this right” Aunt Beth grinned as I walked down stairs. “You and this Marine have fought with each other and you even tried to choke him on his brothday” I nodded as I looked in the mirror by the front door and pushed in my earring “And you got into a boxing ring with him and he survived”
“Yes Ma’am” I nodded “I don’t know what the hell it is with him he’s just irritating as hell but…”
“He’s hot” Brit butted in
“Hot isn’t everything I mean look at your Uncle” we all looked to Where he was snoring in the recliner hi mouth open.
“Okay we saw the pictures when he was younger and he was as hot as any of the marines in the family” I smiled pushing my cell into my purse. “Right I have to leave I’m late” I hugged Aunt Beth and Brit
“You’ll knock him dead” Brit grinned as I walked to the door.
“I probably will by the end of the night if he pisses me off” I closed the door behind me.
Ryne was leaning on the front of his truck talking to two recruits as I walked over to them.
“Damn” One of the recruits whistled “I mean wow” Ryne stood up and looked round.
“No Marine I think you were right the first time” he laughed “You know I was half expecting you to show up in jeans and a hoodie… or stand me up all together”
“I had my Aunt my cousin and my Uncle giving me crap believe me dinner with you is a way to escape” Ryne walked to the passenger door and opened it for me. “and you’re going to tell me what you told the General”
Chapter 42
Walls down
Ryne drove us off the base to a familiar restaurant to me it was a special place the family used a lot for different occasions since my Great, Great grandparents met and dated here.
“Okay don’t tell me your family has something to do with this place” Ryne sighed looking at the smile on my face.
“Nope just a lot of fun times and sore feet” I sighed getting out “Guys in dress blues”
“Oh so I’m under dressed” he laughed looking down at the pants and the Dark blue shirt he had on.
“No you’ll do” I shrugged
“Well I feel underdressed next to you” he reached and opened the door for me. “Ma’am” I shook my head and walked in
“Table for two” the overly flamboyant Maitre D’ gestured “We have a beautiful…”
“We’ll take a table by the fireplace on the patio” I smiled at him.
“You’ve been here before” he laughed, I nodded “Right this way” Ryne put a hand in the small of my back as we followed the Maitre D’ through to the patio He went to move my chair But Ryne ducked in before him. “Marine right?” the Maitre D’ clicked his tongue.
“Oh yes” Ryne grinned as he sat down
“Typical” the Maitre D’ rolled his eyes
“There will be dancing after dark” he looked at me and smiled “but then you know that right?” I nodded “your server will be with you shortly” he walked away
“Dancing”
‘Yep” I nodded taking the menu
“I hope you mean like in a club” He chuckled
“Nope”
“Okay am I going to get more than one word answers from you tonight” I looked at him and cocked my head.
“Maybe”
“And you say I’m irritating”
“Well you tricked me in to dinner tonight” I sat back
“Okay I’ll give you that one” he nodded
“So what did you say to my Uncle?”
“He hasn’t told you?” I shook my head “Good”
‘Oh come on if Ryder had been talking about Ana wouldn’t you like to know” I leant forward resting my chin on my hand
“No he’s a Marine it’s all good” he shrugged, he chewed his lip “Has he said anything”
“Ha see you want to know. So come on what did you tell the General?”
“You’re not going to get that sort of information out of this Marine without something in return” He mimicked my pose
“Okay I won’t choke the life out of you tonight… fair deal?”
“Baby you got the better of me a couple of times you won’t get by me again” He shook his head.
“Okay so what do you want?” Oh I shouldn’t have asked such an open question
“Well what I want and what I’m going to get I know will be two totally different things” He sat back “I’ll tell you everything if you open up to me about what happened in Texas” I felt my face drop “Fairs fair”
“Wow I think I’d rather just kiss you” I rubbed my head with my hand
“Oh Damn well that works as well” he started to laugh.
“I was thinking out loud” I groaned
“So…”
“Okay I got into a slight spot of trouble with a ranch hand at my Uncles horse ranch” I sighed “he wanted more than I was willing to give, he disrespected tattoo’s” Ryne started to laugh “and he didn’t think the Marines or the Military were a big deal” Ryne stopped laughing “And to a girl that’s been raised by the best and lived with the toughest that’s a huge no, no”
“You kick his ass like you tried to kick mine?”
“Oh I chewed him a new one and busted his lip to the point it needed stitches” I handed the waiter the menu back as we ordered
‘So is that it?”
“No… I got thrown from my horse and cut my head and he was the only one there. So he took off his shirt and soaked up the blood while I was giving him crap. He asked if anything shut me up and I told him I only shut up when there was something in my mouth” Ryne snorted “I was meaning food” I groaned
“I know” he grinned “Go on what did he do or don’t I want to know?”
“He kissed me”
‘Okay so not to bad”
“Right till he became sort of obsessed”
“Like stalkerish?”
“No he thought we were in a full blown relationship… I was there to figure out if I wanted to find a Marine like my family does or if the grass was greener with a guy that didn’t risk his life for his job and was in the country more than 10 minutes a year” Ryne nodded “We went for a walk one night and he got pissy because I’d gotten these” I showed him my wrist tattoos.
‘I think they’re sexy as all hell” Ryne added
“Yeah well I got into it with him over tattoos and I took off my shirt to show him my others”
“You had a bra on right?”
“Yeah… he got a little rough should we say and told me he would look past them and ignore them” I fidgeted “I told him I wasn’t interested and no meant no” Ryne’s face darkened “He didn’t listen” I sat back and looked over the rail to the ocean.
“You said no that should be enough”
“Says the guy I said no to a hundred times” I laughed
“Yeah but that was for a date and dinner not sex”
“I’m trying to make a joke” I looked away from him again
“Did you tell anyone?”
“Yeah people know and Mom almost broke his neck and your CO in Cali was armed with a rifle” I nodded, the waiter took away the empty plates. Plates I hadn’t realized we’d eaten and talked for almost an hour.
“And this son of a bitch is still breathing?”
“Yes I prefer my family not to be in jail” I snapped a little harshly “I’m sorry… The other night when you met Ryder and we ended up in the ring” he nodded “I’d had a call from my Cousin in Texas to tell me that Justin was supposed to be heading to North Carolina to find me”
“Is that why you left early?’ I nodded “No wonder you were so damn angry”
“Like I said I’ve had a rough summer so far and you just seemed to come in at the wrong time and you knew how to press the right buttons to get me firing”
“I’ve been told I’m good” he laughed I groaned “I got you to smile then”
“Between my Brother and cousin and Dad getting deployed and then Ryder getting shot and the Justin shit” I hung my head.
“You know you could have told me that and saved us all a lot of fighting” he picked up his drink.
‘And what fun would that have been” I looked back at him “So there all walls are down razor wire is cut and you know everything… so fairs fair what did you tell my Uncle?”
Chapter 43
Tough assed chick
“I think you should dance with me” Ryne got up and put his napkin down.
“You’re avoiding” I was getting irritated as usual
“No I want to get the best out of my time with you” he offered me his hand “Or do you need me to be in my blues”
It would help” I smiled getting up Ryne pulled me to him his arm snaking round my waist while he held my other hand.
“So it’s just the uniform you like?’ he pushed his tongue in his cheek.
“Avoiding” I moaned
“Come on I promise I’ll tell you in a while” he moved me round the floor “So what is it with Marines?”
“Okay if I brought home another branch of the military I think my family would about die. Marines have better ink, Marines are Marines” I shrugged “and Yes the dress uniform is hot as hell and when you got to one of our family weddings the civilians stick out like sore thumbs” I chucked.
“So what if I had been a Navy seal?”
You wouldn’t be here dancing with me because you wouldn’t have been given the papers to bring down here”
“Smart ass” he grumbled
“what you asked” I pulled a face “and like I said t
he seals I’ve met have egos the size of an aircraft carrier and dicks the size of pins… well so Brit said but she was looking in the changing room window at the gym” I shook my head “But then Sgt Stockwell you have an ego and attitude bigger than most so what about…”
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