Page 62 of The Commander

Do I?

“Okay, but soldiers get married and have kids.” I can see by her expression she’s trying to tread lightly, and I know she cares.

“I know,” I reply quietly, but I’m not sure anymore, and after last night everything feels a little more confusing. I am waiting for Noah to turn up, and he hasn’t yet.

Then my eyes widen. “Oh! I need to break up with Mark. You know, because of last night.”

“On that we agree.” Jeannie nods, then steps back from the camera and runs her hand over her baby bump.

A twinge in my chest has me picturing Noah lifting our daughter up into his arms, and the thought almost steals my breath away.

Why am I thinking these things now after one damn orgasm? To be fair, it was an incredible orgasm. But surely Noah Jenkins doesn’t have the ability to destroy my brain cells.

It was good.

“Yeah, um, okay, I should do that now before it gets late.” I reach for the phone before any more images of Noah and our fictitious family consume me. “Love you.”

“Love you back. Think about what I said, okay?” She gives me a wave.

“I will.”

Disbelief crosses her face before the screen goes black. Nothing can change our situation, no matter how much I fantasize.

Anyway, can you imagine if I brought Noah home for dinner and announced I was marrying him? The colonel would choke on his glass of port. He’s made it very clear what he thinks of Captain Jenkins. And that me being involved with him is completely unacceptable. It would be the last nail in the coffin of my father thinking my entire Army career was a total joke.

Suddenly, I hope Noah stays away.

I need to break up with Mark. I search for his number in my phone and then call.

“Hey, Quinn, I’m just going into a late meeting here. Can—”

“We need to break up,” I spit out because if he can’t give me three minutes after barely speaking to me for days, then I’m not softening the blow.

“Oh,” he replies; then there’s an awkward silence. “Because?”

It’s a fair enough question even though we aren’t serious. He deserves an answer.

“It’s just not what I want anymore.” I chew my fingernails as I pace the carpet, a bit of guilt hovering as I recall Noah between my thighs. “We were just casual, after all.”

“Yeah. Sure,” Mark says, then, after a pause adds, “Did you want to be exclusive?”

I recoil slightly. “Exclusive? I thought we were?”

“No,” he replies, and my brows shoot up.

“Wait, were you seeing other people?” I gasp.

“Yes. I thought we agreed.” Mark sounds annoyed.

“No. That would require a conversation stating clearly that you were fucking other women, Mark. Jesus!”

The fact that another man had his face in my pussy last night means I can hardly talk, but it wasn’t planned. It wasn’t a date. It shouldn’t have happened.

“Calm down.”

He did not just say that, did he?

“Oh my God. I can’t believe you told me to calm down after telling me you’ve been fucking other women.” I fling out my hand, despite him not being able to see me. “Let’s...forget it. I don’t want to see you anymore, and clearly, I wasn’t paying enough attention.”