Up until now, Morrison had squirreled himself away. And this was the first time that he was going to publicly stand in the sun and face the public. Possibly to put out some spin that helped win him public approval, and perhaps sympathy, before they started to seat the jury.
Surely, he had some shit to sell.
Was anyone going to buy it?
“Auralia, when you can, we need to talk.” Creed’s voice was warm and gruff and mmm just the right kind of masculine. It was a come-hither rumbled with morning grogginess. Typically, on days when he had work, he sprang from the bed like ajackrabbit leaping away from a fox’s mouth. But on Sundays, he was slow and luxuriant.
It was the kind of work-life balance that Auralia could enjoy.
This morning, he wasn’t calling her to his arms so he could wrap her tight and ask about all the things. He wouldn’t be encouraging her to share her stresses, and he wouldn’t be rejoicing with her about her successes, both big and small. No gossip from home. No news from friends. No plans for the day.
Because, despite the tone in his voice, they’d both be working—her as a reporter along with Doli, him as a K9 handler and operator for Iniquus’s Cerberus K9 Tactical Team Charlie. He’d be working alongside Gator and his team, Strike Force.
And how did she know Gator would be there? Certainly not because Creed talked to her about anything mission-oriented. No, it was because, very strangely, Gator had sent over two bullet-resistant vests last night, one for her and one for Doli.
Auralia stepped into her black lace panties.
Auralia had already worked through the whole conversation in her head. This morning, Creed would surely want to review a safety plan with her and remind her that he was on the clock for work. If things turned really bad, he’d drop everything to get to her side. Then she’d protest that she didn’t need him to be her knight in shining armor and remind him that her job was to go into the turbulent parts of the world to report. He would say something about how proud he was of the work she felt chosen to do, but still be careful with his heart. He’d look deeply and sincerely into her eyes as he accepted her promise that she wouldn’t take unnecessary chances.
It was a dell in rural Virginia, for goodness' sake. She didn’t have any new truth bombs; what could possibly go wrong?
And if something were to go sideways, there might even be some Marines around.
Auralia picked up the matching bra, with the tiny pink ribbon that would rest between her breasts, and leaned over to pull all of the straps and bands into place. She adjusted her breasts into the cups, then came upright.
Tease?
Sure, well, she would need Creed to be a bit distracted because the next subject he’d want to tackle was that today wastheday.
Today.
She had been low-key stressing about this since Gator’s wedding, when there was a seismic shift, and she saw Creed anew.
Creed was a constant in Auralia’s life. While Creed was too young at the time to remember when Auralia was born, he had been Gator’s first friend and constant companion, so he’d been around when she’d made her debut. Creed and Gator had signed up for the Marines together, had gone to boot camp together, decided to become Marine Raiders together, and had each other’s backs through the horrible wars.
Gator had decided to leave and take a gig with Iniquus, while Creed had stayed in the service up until a few months ago, when Cerberus Tactical mounted a new K9 team, Team Charlie. It was a coveted position there—they were few and far between, and applicants had to have at least one Iniquus operator vouch for them as a whole package, from capability to ethics. Gator and Deep, Creed’s fellow Marine Raiders, had put his name forward. And after Iniquus had rigorously vetted him, Creed was offered a place.
Career-wise, it was a good move for Creed. And had made Auralia's relationship with him easier now that he lived in Northern Virginia, where Auralia had her home base.
They had been a secretthemfor a while now.
Yup, it was a dance at the Gator and D-Day’s wedding that turned into a moonlit kiss that changed everything.
A year and a half wasn’t a long time for a couple that had just met, but Auralia had always known Creed. And there was never a time when she hadn’t loved him.
It was just the kind of love they felt for each other that had undergone a seismic shift.
A private. Quiet. Not to be shared seismic shift.
Until today.
Auralia took a deep breath and blew out a puff of air.
She might as well go in and get it over with.
They both knew that their time in the cocoon had come to an end.
Auralia rounded out of the bathroom into the slightly over-stuffed Victorian-themed suite.
