Page 65 of Dangle

I sighed. “You couldn’t have said that when you told me to shut it?”

Without looking up, his eyes landed on my face. The warm chocolate color blazed with something I didn’t understand, but that spark glinting in his gaze set me on fire. Nerve endings sparked. My cock throbbed.

“Go. Lock. The. Door.”

With a huff, I walked back to the door and flipped the lock. “Anything else I need to do before I walk back to the kitchen?”

Indecipherable muttering came from the kitchen. Just a low hum of sound. Taking that as a no, I traced my steps backto him. He stood in the same spot, same pose, as if he hadn’t moved at all.

“What are you doing here?”

“I had to see you.”

“Why now?”

“What do you mean?”

“Why now? Why not two months ago, or even two weeks ago, or, fuck, last week when we saw each other?” He pushed away from the island and folded his arms over his broad chest. I could imagine him in his uniform. Tall. Strong. Imposing. Authoritative. I knew we had to talk more about why we hadn’t spoken, but I wanted to lock down our… connection? Dynamic? Whatever the right word might be. I wanted us together before I revealed how idiotic I was for fucking my twin roommates for years and being oblivious that they’d caught feelings while I was only having fun.

So, instead of answering the question he asked, I said, “I know the difference now.”

“What difference? What are you talking about?”

Confusion looked hilarious on his face and had the added benefit of pulling him from what I could only describe as surliness.

I walked toward him, pausing because he appeared nervous. If it made me a prick, I didn’t give a fuck. It tickled me. He’d kept me on my heels since I caught sight of him in the stands. When he didn’t move, I stepped toward him one step at a time until I stood in front of him.

“I know the difference between the Corps and the Army.”

A slow, lazy smirk crept onto his face. “Oh, you do, huh?”

My lips curled into my mouth, and I nodded. “Yep.”

“And how’d you come by that info, kid?”

“Google, YouTube, Reddit. You know, all those sites you old guys haven’t heard of yet.”

His hand shot out, gripping my face. Thumb on one side, the other four fingers on the other. “You are poking a bear?—”

“Bear? You look nothing like any bear I’ve ever met.”

He growled under his breath. “The way I want to bend you over and fuck the brat out of you…”

“I thought you liked brats.”

“I do. Doesn’t mean I don’t want to fuck it out of you for a limited time being.”

The image that those words created forced heat into my face. I wanted that. So fucking much. “So, what does a guy gotta do to take you up on that offer?”

He smiled. The hand gripping my chin slid to cup the side of my head, the other sliding around my waist to pull me against him. His mouth lowered to hover over mine, but far enough away that our eyes didn’t cross. I tried to capture his lips. I can be an idiot, but I’m not fucking stupid.

“Nuh-uh. Not yet.”

“Please,” I begged, and ignored the whiny tone it took.

“Fuck me, you beg pretty, but it will not get you anywhere.”

“So what will? Because I’m not above dropping to my knees.”