Lyons stomped off, leaving his disapproval hanging heavy in the air. She didn’t need any of his shit, nor did she need him to bless an activity that was rightfully none of his business. His reputation as a ladies’ man was legendary. He never came seeking her blessing for the next woman occupying his bed.So, why should she?
How exactly was she supposed to find a bed partner for the night? Did it even have to be night?Ugh. It shouldn’t be difficult, yet she found herself completely at a loss. Never once had she been in a position to do the hunting.
With Lyons’s disappearance, she bent and retrieved the foil condom packet. It hadn’t even occurred to her that she’d need one. Men always provided that necessary piece of the puzzle, and she had a five-year piece of plastic protection nestled inside her womb. No babies for her—at least, not until she decided it was time. In all honesty, the last time she’d used a condom was after having a talk with Scott about monogamy and testing. They were both clean and monogamous.
Correction.
She had been monogamous. Evidently, Scott had been incapable of keeping it in his pants.
A cursory examination of the foil packet revealed no rips, tears, or pinholes. Tucking it into the breast pocket of her fatigues left her with only one last thing to do: find a man.
Had she really become that pathetic?
Maybe Lyons was right, and she was fucked in the head to even consider finding a nameless, faceless, and meaningless fuck. But she couldn’t get Scott’s letter out of her head. The anger coiling in her gut needed an outlet. The pain needed soothing. She needed some way to redirect that energy, and she had less than two days to figure it out. Once her unit returned to their base, her options would narrow down to impossible choices. Then, she would be faced with weeks of rumination and nothing to ease the painful ache.
Okay, where to find a single officer to have angry sex with?
A glance out of the small makeshift alley had her spying a shock of white hair and the Goliath of a man attached to it.
Forest!
An idea grew in her mind. To avoid jeopardizing her career, she would need to be highly selective in her choices, and Forest might just offer a solution. She marched across the burning hot sand and rock, intent on joining Forest and his escort. Colonel Vane was with him.
“Forest!” She picked up her pace, jogging to meet him. “Hey!”
He turned to the sound of her voice and stopped. “Hey, Tia. What’s up?”
“Nothing really. I’ve got downtime until the morning. A little R and R. I was wondering if I could follow along. And get the scoop on the band members.”
Angel Fire was known for two things. They rocked it onstage like there was no tomorrow and what happened backstage was a thing of legend. A USO tour would put the brakes on most of their sexual escapades, but it might just provide her with exactly what she needed to forget Scott.
“We’re headed to the hangar,” Forest said. “That’s where the band will be set up. You’re welcome to join us.”
Any other man would have asked the colonel before offering, but that wasn’t how Forest ruled his world. He was a man who did what he wanted, when he wanted, and however he damn well pleased. He got away with it because he was rich as fuck, but also because he had a heart of pure gold. Forest did what needed to be done and wasn’t afraid to step on those who got in his way, but his end goal always resulted in something honest and true.
Unlike Forest, she lived within the confines of rank and regulations. She turned to Colonel Vane. “Sir, may I accompany you?”
Colonel Vane gave a nod. “That would be wonderful, and maybe you could do me a favor, too?”
“Sir?”
“I’d love to do a PR piece on your connection to the band.”
“I’m sorry, sir, but I don’t know the band.” She jabbed her thumb toward Forest. “Now, this guy I do know.”
“It’s all connected,” Colonel Vane continued. “Personal stories are great human-interest pieces. Anything we can do to promote the troops.”
Forest’s eyes narrowed. Something was going on in that head of his. “Actually, I think we can spin this.”
Uh-oh.
“How?” Colonel Vane asked.
“Well, Ash…um, Blaze, wants to do something special. Playing for the Air Force is an honor, but he’s always thinking about those stuck at smaller outposts. Those like Tia who don’t have the chance to take advantage of the typical USO-sponsored events. If you want to do a piece on her, why don’t we bring the band to her unit?”
She laughed.
“What’s so funny?” Forest said with a rumble of confusion.
