Softness burns behind her pretty eyes, softness I want to savor for the rest of my fucking life.
“Parker,” my commander’s voice booms, making all of us jump, “you are late. Showboating on your perimeter runagain?”
Glancing past the sweet girl that just stole my heart, I salute my boss. Beside me, I feel her laugh.God, that sound. It sounds like music or angels or something spiritual. I would give anything to hear that sound every single day of forever. Never knew a laugh could make me feel so stupid.
“Yes, sir,” I answer just to hear her laugh again, “I guess Iwas.”
“Stop playing with my equipment, boy,” he barks, but I don’t miss the twitch of his mustache hiding his smirk.
Beside him, my little beauty bows her head and ducks behind him. I don’t like it. Don’t like that she hides her beauty away or how her mood seems darker now. I want her eyes on me while she laughs just for me. I slide closer to her before I realize she is watching my commander carefully. My eyes swing between the two before I focus on her, as if asking her without words—and without the right—who he is to her.
“Yes, sir,” I reply, straightening my back as my training takes over, “will nothappen again, sir. We were told to report to you, sir.”
Beside me, Gator is in formation, both of us waiting for whatever our commander will ask of us. Both of us not only outshine the rest of our peers in the skies, but we also happen to be Commander Bellows’ favorites. We do as we are told, when we are told, and then some. He likes that extra then some. If that means washing his classic 1950’s Chevy, painting his house, or pressing his blues, we do what he asks of us.
“Yes, uh,” he clears his throat as he fidgets, something I have never seen him do before. Glancing back once, he nods his head and clears his throat again. “My stepdaughter. Perri. Perri these are two of my finest men. They will see to it you get taken care of. Boys, give her whatever she asks for. Is that understood?”
Blinking at my boss and mentor, my heart is pounding louder than a F18. Will I be sure she is taken care of? Giver her whatever she asks for? You are goddamn right, sir. I will give this woman whatever she needs.
“Yes, sir,” we say in unison, saluting him again as Gator and I exchange a confused look.
Since when is our surly commander married with a stepdaughter? A stepdaughter I am thinking dirty, filthy, obsessive, thoughts about. We have worked under the Commander for four years, been to his place, hell we even went fishing for a weekend up at his lake house. No signs of family, no talk of any women, and no mention of any stepdaughter.
Can’tblame him from hiding her away from a bunch of flyboys.
Too bad he just handed her over to this one.