COTTON
November 07
Dear Shiloh—
Sorry to leave you hanging like that. Just writing his name made me ill and I had to go hurl. I’m fine now. Feeling better.
Justin was my ranking officer in the Public Affairs office. He scheduled my assignments; I reported to him, went to him if I had questions, yadda yadda.
He was pretty freaking hot, but off limits, obviously. Tall. Gorgeous blue eyes. Muscle-y without being heavy, you know.
When he started flirting with me, I was flattered. I shut him down, very politely, because of the rank thing.We’re not allowed to fraternize.
Didn’t need any shit like that on my record.
Shy, he wouldn’t stop.
He made excuses to keep me late. Started showing up everywhere I hung out. He even showed up on my running trail. That’s when I got a little snippy with him. I’d been running that damn trail for nearly four fucking years, and not once had we crossed paths. It wasn’t coincidence.
So, I told him that. Told him he needed to leave me alone. Stop following me. Stop being a fucking creeper.
He laughed. Did this fucked up gaslighting thing where he acted like I had lost my feeble female mind. I’m married, Bishop. Even if I wasn’t, I’m your ranking officer. Looked me up and down. I’d never sacrifice my career for pussy.
Does it make me sound stupid to say that his dismissal actually hurt that one last feeling the army hadn’t hardened into stone, yet?
Yeah. I felt pretty stupid.
FROM THE CENTER ISLAND IN THE POOL HOUSE’S KITCHEN,SHILOH,TWIGGY, ANDIWATCHED THE GUYS OUTSIDE ON THE PATIO AND PRETENDED TO MAKE A SALAD. The salad had been finished ten minutes ago, but we still chopped vegetables and nibbled, our gazes straying too often for our own good.
They were eye candy, plain and simple. Sammy was a sweetheart, handsome with a lean build and dark brown hair highlighted by a burnished red. He was beginning to put back on some of the muscle weight he’d lost after his accident, and was looking strong and healthy.
Then there was Gunner. Shiloh had won the lottery with him. He was her brother’s best friend, and had been crazy for her from the time he was fourteen and she a few years older. I had always thought he was too sexy for his own good, with his thick black hair, blue-gray eyes, and sheer masculine size.
Brodie held his own with the two, of equal height and mass to Gunner, but solid and faintly intimidating where Gunner’s size and strength felt comforting because of my familiarity with him. He had longish hair, pulled back as it had been the other night in a knot. While I wasn’t normally attracted to long hair on a man, Brodie’s clean, russet waves made my fingers itch to touch. His eyes, framed by thick dark lashes and eyebrows, were a warm, pale brown. He was beautiful, in a manly sort of way.
“He’s cute, huh?” Shiloh’s voice broke into my musings and I looked her way, wiping my face of all expression. She was grinning openly at me.
“They’re all very good-looking men,” I demurred. “Even your little brother.” Opening the cabinet beneath the counter, I pulled the trash can out and started sweeping scraps into the bag.
“Hold up, now. Sam is mine,” Twiggy laughed.
“Yeah, I don’t need to hear about that.” Shiloh slid the salad bowl to the side and started pouring drinks. “I think he likes you,” she said, nudging me.
“Not interested.”
She stopped moving and I felt the weight of her gaze on my face. “Cotton Bishop not interested in an attractive man who’s proven his worth and intelligence? What is happening here?”
I rolled my eyes. “A man’s good looks do not necessitate interest on my part, Shy.”
“Well, la-di-dah. What does necessitate interest?”
“Uh, I don’t know. I think I must first have an interest in being interested. And then…a sense of humor? Keen wit. Chemistry.”
“You can’t tell me there’s no chemistry. I saw you staring at him.”
I shrugged and pulled the steak sauce from the refrigerator. “He’s pretty. I was wondering what he washes his hair with; it’s really shiny and —”
Shiloh didn’t let me finish. She gave me a playful shove and threw a cucumber slice at my face, so I retaliated with a leaf of lettuce.
