“Afewminutes,” he said. “We’re up against the instructors today, so get your ass out of bed and pretend you care about your spot at the academy.”
“I do care. I’m just focused right now. Is it my fault your ass is distracting me?”
“Get up.Now.”
I sat up and pulled the pillow from under my head, hurling it across the room. It hit Panther’s bare ass right before he disappeared behind the closed door.
As much as I hated to admit it, he was right. I’d been late a couple times now, and honestly, Commander Levy was probably looking for an excuse to tear me a new one. So I swung my legs over the side of the bed and cracked my neck. From behind the bathroom door I could hear the faucet going—Panther doing a quick cleanup before pulling his jeans on was my guess—and as I got to my feet and stretched my back, I reveled in the delicious ache.
Damn, I’d wanted to feel it this morning, and boy did I. Panther had worked me over, and good. I hadn’t felt this satisfied…ever.
Just as that thought entered my head, the bathroom door opened and Panther stepped out dressed just as I’d suggested. With the overnight stubble and slicked-back hair, it was a miracle my knees didn’t give out.
He looked hot as fuck.
Not worried in the least by my lack of clothing, I walked over to him and reached out to finger the chain of his dog tags, then I hooked my finger behind them and tugged him down to take his lips one last time.
Panther opened to me immediately, taking this final moment before we had to head back to base and pretend nothing had changed since yesterday. But when he wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me flush against his body, there was no denying it—everything had changed.
As we pulled apart, Panther reached behind him for the door handle, and I walked to the bathroom, about to go and get ready. But before I could shut the door, I heard him call out my name. Not my real name. But my call sign:Solo.
I glanced back at him, and that was when it became crystal clear that Panther was also feeling things he hadn’t felt the day before, because he’d plastered on that familiar, inscrutable expression. “Don’t think this changes anything. We’re still competitors, you know.”
I knew he was trying to re-establish some distance before we had to see one another in class, but that ship had sailed. There was no erasing this from my mind, no pretending it hadn’t happened. So I ran my eyes down over him and reached for my cock to give it a bold stroke.
“As far as I’m aware, we neverstoppedbeing competitors. The only question that’s really left now is which one of us will come out on top next time.”
And with that, I kicked the bathroom door shut behind me.
38Panther
I ARRIVED AT training with only minutes to spare, after a record-quick shower and change of clothes. The rest of the guys were already in class waiting for today’s brief, and as I stepped through the door and spotted Solo sitting in his usual chair at the back next to Gucci, I had to do a double take to be sure I wasn’t seeing things.
How in the hell had he beaten me to class? I’d left before him. Hell, the last time I’d seen him, he’d been butt-ass naked and in no hurry to go anywhere. But as Houdini spotted me and called me over, Solo looked my way, raised his arm, and tapped on his watch.
Smartass fucker.What’d he do, beam himself up?
“’Bout time you showed your ugly mug around here,” Houdini said as I slid in behind my desk. “You’re not usually late. Everything all right?”
With Solo no doubt listening over my shoulder, there was no way in hell I was about to say no. Instead, I nodded at Houdini and pulled out my binder.
“Everything’s fine. Just slept through my alarm, that’s all.”
Houdini scoffed. “That’s all? What, you have a late night or somethin’?”
“Just couldn’t sleep. Drop it.”
From over my shoulder, I felt a breeze ruffle the back of my neck, and then Gucci chimed in, “Scared to go up against the commander, huh?”
I glanced back at Solo’s sidekick and arched an eyebrow. “Do I look scared to you?”
My droll tone made Gucci sit back in his seat, and when he did, my eyes caught on Solo, who was watching me closely while twirling a pen through his fingers. Fingers that had been inside me just last night.
Shit. Don’t think about that.
“I don’t think he’s scared, Gooch. But maybe something else kept him up last night.”
I wasn’t sure if it was just me, but I could’ve sworn Solo added extra emphasis to the wordup.
