What Part of Marine Don't You Understand? (The Challenge Series) Read online

  Despite his reservations, he couldn’t help but grin. “No, ma’am. My brothers let me date whomever I choose.”

  “Funny.” She made a face and took another drink. Everything fascinated him, even the movement of her graceful throat when she swallowed. It awakened a whole new level of need inside him. Eyes front, Marine.

  “Of course, I don’t know your brothers.”

  Delight and relief twinkled in her eyes. “I know.”

  “Or your father.” The ledge got closer. She drifted her fingers across his hand where it rested on Jethro and awareness stormed through his system.

  “Are you asking me out, Matt?”

  His gut tightened and he took the plunge “Yes.”

  “Okay.”

  “Yeah?” Surprise and delight surfaced above the anxiety and the fist squeezing his heart eased.

  “Oh, yeah. I love hanging out with you.”

  Love.

  Present tense.

  It took every ounce of restraint not to give a fist bump. He turned his hand over, catching hers and holding it. “Me, too.”

  They talked about all the movies they could watch, but neither turned on the television. Instead, they ate pizza and switched from beer to water, and talked. The conversation wandered over a dozen different topics from music, to Marines, to moms at home, and plans. Matt brought up the possibility of going to school, using his benefits to finish a college degree. His hesitance warned her he might be playing with the idea, but didn’t have a lot of confidence in it.

  It neared midnight when he finally rose. “I should go.”

  “It’s still early,” she protested with a yawn.

  “That’s the fourth time you yawned and you’re tired.” Once he pointed it out, she noticed the shadows under his eyes but she didn’t want him to go. Rising, she grabbed the plates and he helped her clean up. It bought a few more minutes.

  “I had fun tonight.”

  “Me, too.” He stuffed the empty box into the trash and pulled the sack out, sealing it closed.

  He’s going to take it out for me…. “You don’t have to do that.” Putting a hand to his chest, she tipped her head to look at him. Up close, he was so much taller than she.

  “I want to.” He covered her hand with his and her belly quivered. A few days of spending time together and then an evening and she didn’t want it to end.

  “I had fun tonight.”

  “You said that already.” Indulgence softened the tease in his voice and heat warmed her face.

  “I guess I did.” Let him go…. “Tomorrow? Same time in the park?”

  “Yeah, I’d like that.” He squeezed her hand and let her go. She backed away and he circled around her. “Come on, Jethro, let’s let Naomi sleep.”

  The dog stretched his way off the sofa and trotted over. Matt clipped his leash on and glanced at her. “Lock the door, okay?”

  “Yes, sir.” She laughed.

  “Thank you.”

  It closed softly behind him and she leaned against the wood. They shared pizza, but the reluctance to say goodnight didn’t pass even with his exit. Just go to bed, you silly girl. A knock hit the wood before she could turn the deadbolt. Glancing through the peephole, she saw Matt waiting on the other side. She reopened the door with a questioning look.

  “You didn’t lock it.” He frowned.

  “I was just about to. Did you forget something?”

  “Yeah.” He slid a hand around to cup her nape, tugged her forward, and his mouth slanted across hers. Closing her eyes, she sank into the kiss, delight shooing the surprise away. Rising on her tiptoes, she fisted his shirt. His lips were soft and firm, and the kiss started out sweet and quickly turned hard and wet when his tongue demanded access. Opening to it, she sighed at the delicious invasion.

  The rasp of stubble on his cheeks grazed her, but she leaned into the kiss. Shivers raced up and down her spine, and she moaned a little when he broke the kiss. He rested his forehead against hers. His pupils appeared dilated in the low light, and his harsh breathing matching hers.

  “Tomorrow?”

  She swallowed. “I’d really like that.”

  “Okay.”

  Dizzy with the passion in the single kiss, she exhaled and pulled her hands away slowly. He was so warm beneath the cotton shirt. How much warmer would he be if he weren’t wearing it?

  “Lock the door,” he reminded her and she nodded.

  “Okay.” But neither moved. Would it be so bad to invite him inside?

  He preempted her invitation. “I want to stay. But that’s not a good idea.”

  “No?” Disappointment deflated her.

  “Not yet.” He caressed her cheek. “You are so beautiful.”

  Her heart flip-flopped. “Maybe tomorrow?”

  “Maybe.” He grinned. “Go to bed.”

  Biting back a groan, she retreated a step before she did something foolish and threw herself at him. “Tomorrow.”

  “Tomorrow.”

  She knew a promise when she heard one. Hating herself, she let him go and sagged against the closed door. Holy hell on a biscuit….

  “Lock it,” he ordered from the other side and she laughed.

  “You’re pushy.”

  “Uh huh. Lock it.”

  Flipping the deadbolt, she peeked through the peephole. He winked at her and left.

  Blood still pounding, she grabbed her guitar rather than go to bed. She wanted to write about that kiss…. The Long Kiss Goodbye….

  No. Not goodbye.

  The Long Kiss Till We Meet Again….

  “It needs work.” She licked her tingling lips, giddiness swirling through her. “I kiss you hello, you kiss me goodbye, our bliss denied…okay…yeah….”

  Chapter Six

  “You’re pretty calm today, Matt.”

  They sat in James’ office for their daily session. Thirty minutes in and he hadn’t started pacing. But he didn’t feel the need, amazingly enough. Only managing about six hours of sleep the night before—but they were the best six hours he’d slept in months.

  “I’m good today. Really good. Actually finished my application for courses at UTD. They have quite a few that I can do through the distance program.” He glanced at his watch. “I have a call with the admissions counselor later to go over any questions they have.”

  “What courses are you planning to take?”

  “Engineering. I used to have a knack for it and I like building. They just need to go over my grades from high school. I’ll probably have to take some refresher English classes. Papers were never my strong suit, but I have the math cold.”

  Engineering as a career path came from a long conversation with his mother in the recent weeks. They talked by phone every other day or so. While the chats had begun as stilted, they’d relaxed into them faster with each opportunity.

  His mom had some pretty good ideas about what used to interest Matt and they compared notes. Engineering fascinated him in high school, but putting it aside, he’d enlisted. It was definitely time to dust off the old ideas and explore them.

  “I don’t imagine you can take a full course load through distance learning for engineering.” James’ tone asked for caution, but Matt waved it away. He’d thought about that.

  “I know, but most of the core courses for the basic part of the degree—English, history, math—those I can do. I can also brush up on language skills. It’s amazing what they have in the course catalog. That also gives me time to work on my issues and be ready for on-site instruction in a few months.” He was leagues ahead in his progress. By next semester, he’d be ready to go on campus.

  “We can’t put a time table on this….”

  “Doc, it’s good. I know. We have to take each day one step at a time, we have to talk this through, and I have to remember without reliving. I’m doing great. These daily sessions, my workouts, Nao—” He coughed. He hadn’t planned to shake the cat out of the bag. The chances of diverting Doc’s attention were pretty sli
m.

  “I heard you were spending time with Naomi Sparks.” No censure seasoned the statement, just an observation.

  “I didn’t know you were a fan of gossip.” Other than Logan, he hadn’t mentioned Naomi to anyone. He paused to consider that. Well, Damon asked when he called him about the lunch and Jazz gave him a high five at physical therapy. They were the only people he’d told and of the three, only Logan knew of his actual interest.

  “I’m not, but women talk.” At his blank look, James continued. “Jazz and Lauren are friends.”

  “Oh.” He shifted forward and rested his elbows on his knees. Jethro lay sprawled on the carpet between them. The dog glanced up, but when Matt stayed seated, he set his head down again. Matt wasn’t certain how to respond to the Lauren comment. He liked James’ lady. Their quiet engagement the previous month had to be the worst kept secret on the campus, but everyone held the line because they didn’t want to spoil whatever surprise the couple planned.

  “You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to. You’re still allowed a private life, Matt.” James gave him a graceful out, but he didn’t really deserve it.

  “No, it’s cool. I just—I kept it quiet because I didn’t really know where it was leading and I….” He sighed, wincing. “I didn’t want you to tell me I’m not ready.”

  “Do you think you might not be ready?”

  Yeah, and hadn’t he walked right into that question. Tension knotted between his shoulder blades, but he didn’t shy away from it. “I don’t know.”

  “Okay. What do you know?”

  “I like her. She’s funny, she’s sweet as hell and she’s pretty. I like how I feel when I’m with her.” The corner of his mouth curved. “I like how I feel when I think about her.”

  “How does she feel about you?”

  “She hasn’t kicked me to the curb yet.” And she hadn’t wanted him to leave the night before, either. He might be rusty on the whole dating idea, but when he kissed her—she responded. God, she went up in flames in his arms, and he’d wanted to go right back into that apartment. But they weren’t there yet, and he hesitated to push faster than the kiss.

  Hell—the kiss had been pushing it, but he was ready to test that envelope again later that day.

  “Where did you meet?”

  “Jethro.” Matt grinned down at him. Best damn dog in the world. He hoped the owners didn’t return any time soon, he didn’t want to turn him over. “Took him out for a walk and she sat there, playing her guitar in the park.”

  “So you met a girl in the park?” The doc’s patient façade cracked and allowed some good humor to shine through.

  “Yeah. She’s—she’s special. I don’t know if I can do her justice. She’s great.”

  “I’d love to meet her sometime.”

  “Duly noted.” No, definitely not ready for that introduction. But not impossible either. Chances were Doc had already met her.

  “So let’s talk about how you’re sleeping….”

  “Okay.” He held onto his good mood. “Some bad dreams, some not. More in the not category over the last few days.”

  “Excellent. How’s the balance?”

  “Spotty. If I push it, mostly good. Logan gave me the go ahead to add a second mile to the running regimen. We’re going to see if I can push without the puke.” He glanced at his watch again. As soon as they wrapped up there, he’d call the counselor and then grab some lunch. The weather seemed to be holding off the weather forecaster’s predicted storm. If the sun stayed out from behind the clouds, he and Naomi could eat in the park again.

  “What happened in Iraq?”

  “What?” The question pulled him back to the room.

  “What happened in Iraq?”

  His good mood diminished, but it didn’t disappear. “I got hurt during an attack.”

  “What happened during the attack?”

  Matt sighed. He didn’t want to talk about that. “Insurgents hit the base in the middle of the night. Suicide bombers. They took out the guard post. Came through the gates. I was asleep and….” The joy in him faded. Boots hit the ground, shouts echoed, and beyond them screams. He grabbed his gun and raced out the door….

  ***

  “They want to move up your recording time, Naomi.” Phil Donovan called while she packed up her guitar to head to the park.

  “How soon?” She still had another couple of weeks.

  “Thursday.”

  She grimaced. “That’s a couple of days.”

  “I know, but if you want to fly out early, you can stay with me. We’ve got a band lined up. I just need you to get some of the music here so I can get them ready to go.”

  Gut tightening, she blew out a hard breath. “I don’t really have a choice, do I?”

  “No, not really. Look, you’re in Massachusetts….”

  “Actually, I’m in Dallas. It’s a two-hour flight.” She checked her watch. “Let me book some tickets and I’ll text you the flight numbers. How long are we in the studio?”

  “We have twelve hours. I’ve listened to what you have so far—I like it. But I’ve only got seven, what are you doing with the last three?”

  That was the rub. Pinching the bridge of her nose, she wrestled a few ideas mentally. “I can write two more before then. Just get the studio time. I’ll get the tickets. I like the theme I have and I want to stay in that wheelhouse.”

  “Military themes are strong and you’ve got the right jacket story for it.” Phil agreed swiftly enough to tell her she was on the right track. “You need anything?”

  “No, but I don’t want to stay over. You mind if I just fly out that night?”

  “If I need to pick up tracks, we’re going to have to have you back.”

  “No problem.” Frankly, she had more than a few problems. But she could make it work. “I’ll see you in a couple of days.”

  “Great. Get me the rest of the songs by tomorrow. And scan in that sheet music….” He listed off a few more items before ringing off. Naomi chewed the idea around and glanced at the clock. She was usually in the park by noon at the latest. She didn’t have a lot of time to get the sheet music scanned in. Gathering her things, she called Luke Dexter’s office.

  Hopefully they didn’t mind doing her a favor.

  It was almost one by the time she found her way to her favorite spot. Her heart did a little skip—Matt waited for her. Relief spread through his smile when he saw her.

  “I’m so sorry I’m late.”

  He rose and caught the guitar case, and she gave him a quick, fierce hug. The gesture seemed to startle him, but he slid one arm around her and gave her a firm squeeze. “Is everything okay?”

  “It’s great. My producer called and they moved up my recording time.” Stepping away, she dropped down to give Jethro a greeting. The dog held up his stick to her, and she threw it across the common area where he streaked after it.

  “You have to leave?” His expression grew troubled.

  “Thursday.” She settled on the blanket he’d spread out. She didn’t usually bother with a blanket when the grass was so soft, but he’d brought lunch again. Pleasure fluttered through her at the thoughtfulness. “But just for the day.” She hated the disappointment creasing his face. “I’ll fly out first thing in the morning. I have a four-thirty flight to Nashville. I’ll be in the studio by seven-thirty, we have twelve hours, so I should be able to make the last flight out at nine-fifteen and get to Dallas before midnight.”

  It took some arm-twisting and pleading with the booking agent—not to mention cashing in more than a few of her points to get the same-day return at a price that didn’t rival the deficit.

  “Thursday…wow.” Matt set the guitar next to her. “Are you going to be ready?”

  “Just need to write two more songs and I’m golden.” Her words carried a lot more confidence than she felt. “Do you want to go with me?” Instantly regretting the impulsive invitation, she held her breath.

  His expre
ssion shuttered. “I’d like to.” He joined her on the blanket, took the stick from Jethro, and tossed it again. “But I don’t think it’s a good idea.”

  Of course it’s not a good idea. Time to throttle back the desire to blitz through his defenses. “Okay, how about I bring a copy for you? I’m sure I can bribe the technicians to give me a sample….”

  A smile eased through the stress tightening his jaw and he nodded. “I’d like that.” He went silent while she unpacked the guitar and settled it in her lap. Watching him from beneath her lashes, she tried not to stare. For the most part, Matt was an upfront guy, but the quieter side of him held a certain appeal. She wished that he didn’t look like someone had just taken away his dog.

  Jethro returned with his stick, but instead of offering it, he curled up next to Matt and shoved his head on his lap. The Marine began to pet him automatically, the hard line of his mouth softening with a faint curve of a smile.

  “We should probably let you compose—without distraction.” He didn’t sound like he wanted to go.

  “No, you’re exactly the kind of distraction I need.” Did she dare tell him? Oh, what the hell. He deserved to know. “You inspire me.”

  Surprise rippled across his face. “I do?”

  “Oh yeah. I even wrote a song about you last night….”

  Wariness creased his brow. “Oh?”

  Grinning, she started playing. If only performing in front of the world was as easy as singing for Matt. By the second refrain, he relaxed and by the last he laughed. The song detailed their kiss and exposed her vulnerability, her growing affection for him laid bare in every note. When the song ended, she held her breath and waited.

  Matt leaned forward, rested a hand atop hers and brushed her mouth with the lightest, sweetest, and most heart-wrenching kiss. “Thank you.”

  Her pulse jackrabbited. “You’re welcome.”

  The bubble of tension wrapped around them burst with his slow grin. “No, I mean it. Thank you.”

  “I didn’t do anything—I completely blame you for the song. You knocked on the door.”