Deadly Descent (11 page)

“Okay.” Jackson gave him a mysterious smile and dug into his meal.

Cam stood and picked his tray up before Ryan could drag Jackson into his dilemma with Devon.
“See you guys.
I’m going to head back and hit the gym for a while or something—” His words died the instant Devon stepped into the building.

She was with her friend, the tall blonde pilot.
Dev’s low laugh drifted over the noise of the crowded mess hall.
Every muscle in his body tightened.
God, that laugh of hers was raw sex.

“For Christ’s sake, don’t just stand there stripping her with your eyes,” Ryan said in exasperation.
“Go get her.”

Cam tamped down his irritation.
Yeah, he was just going to march over there and fraternize with her in front of everyone.
That’d win her over for
sure
.

“Better yet, take me or the woman whisperer with you,” he said, gesturing to Jackson.
“I’d like to see his self proclaimed mojo put into action.”

“I don’t need help,” Cam said crisply.
“And if anyone’s full of shit, it’s you.
You think I don’t know the real reason you want to go over there?”

“What?” Ryan asked, all innocence.
“Spike’s my friend too.”

Uh-huh.
“If you want to hit on the blonde, then do it without me standing there.”

Ryan gave a lazy smile.
“Okay, fine, I’ll stay put.
Go work your magic without me, then.”

Damn right he would.
Cam strode over to the trolley and set his tray on it, his eyes focused on Devon.
As if she felt it, her head turned, and the moment she saw him she stilled, her beautiful smile freezing.
He gave her a friendly grin, though what he felt was far more possessive, and sauntered over.

The blonde followed Dev’s gaze to him, then looked back at Dev with a worried expression as she bent her head to say something.
Devon glanced up at her for a moment before turning her attention back to Cam, a light flush staining her cheeks.
The subtle tension around her mouth put the match to his temper.
Did she really think he would jeopardize her in any way, let alone strike up a conversation with her in front of this crowd?

Her lips compressed, the muscles around them tightening further.
Her fingers clenched around the edges of her meal tray.
Her gray eyes were wide and guarded.

When was she finally going to trust him?

Cam held her stare, letting her see what he felt for her.
She didn’t look away, didn’t move, just watched him.
The blonde stayed right at her shoulder, disapproval stamped all over her face.
Cam barely spared a glance at her.
His eyes were all for Devon, and he made sure she knew it.

Nearing her, he smiled again, and because it was the only thing he could do to reassure her, he raised a salute.
“Ma’am,” he said, and dropped his hand.

In the blink of an eye her expression went from wary to surprised, and he could have sworn he saw guilt there too.
She gave him a tentative smile and nodded at him as he passed by.

Walking outside, he pulled in a deep breath.
Dammit, he hated this.
Every cell in his body wanted to march back in there and stand right in front of her until she couldn’t ignore him anymore.
Scowling, he stalked off to the Special Ops part of the compound.
Being at Bagram with her was going to be the death of him.

Devon’s heart pounded.
Her fingers curled around the rim of her tray so hard the edges bit into her skin.
She wasn’t sure what she’d expected from him when he’d walked up, but it hadn’t been that.
My God, he’d just
ma’amed
her and walked away.

“Come on,” Candace said, patting her back.
“Let’s grab some food.”

Funny, but she’d just lost her appetite.
Her stomach was clenched up too tight to hold any food.

“Let’s go.
You have to eat.” Candace dragged her toward the chow line-up by the elbow.

Dev glanced over her shoulder, but no one stood outside the mess hall doors.
Cam was gone.

“What was he supposed to do, Dev?” Candace said in her practical way.
“Waltz over and start chatting you up?
Not only was he polite, he showed you respect.
He did you a huge favor by not trying to talk to you.
Personally, I’m impressed.”

Didn’t feel that way to her.
It felt like he’d deserted her.
A hollow sensation lay in the pit of her belly.
“Yeah.”

But ignoring him wasn’t okay with her, her conscience pointed out.
She couldn’t leave things like this between them.
The distance was killing her.
After filling her tray she followed Ace over to a table and sat down.
She pushed some veggies around with her fork.
“I need to talk to him, Ace.”

Candace studied her shrewdly while she chewed a bite of her dinner.

Devon didn’t know how to explain her feelings.
Hell, she didn’t
understand
her feelings, except they were real and getting more intense every day.
“I can’t stop thinking about him.”

Candace’s eyes filled with empathy.
“You’re really into him, aren’t you?”

She nodded, exhaling to dispel the tension in her chest.

“As much as you were with Ty?”

Devon forced out another slow breath before answering.
“More.
Way, way more than that.” She peered up at her friend and let her expression speak for itself.

Candace’s eyes widened.
“Oh crap, really?”

“Does that make me an awful person?”

“Not at all.
But back to your earlier comment, is that what you want?
To have time alone to talk with him?”

“Yes.
I need to…clear some things up with him.”

“Then we’ll find a way to make it happen.”

“Easier said than done around here,” she muttered.

Candace shrugged.
“But not impossible.”

“What’s not impossible?”

They both turned their heads as Ryan swung one long leg over the seat beside her and parked it, leaning a thick forearm on the table.
Candace dismissed him with a slight frown and looked down at her plate to stab a bite of chicken.

“Just…something we’re trying to figure out,” Devon replied, scanning around her surreptitiously for higher ranking officers that might be watching.
As an NCO, technically Ryan shouldn’t be talking to them either, but nobody appeared to be paying attention.

“What, you mean you and Cam?”

“Shhh!” Devon laid her fork down and cast a hurried glance around in case anyone had overheard them.

Ryan rolled his eyes.
“You think they’d arrest you or something if you got caught talking to me or him in public?”

“I—”

“That’s exactly right,” Candace interjected, glaring at him.
“Some of us are concerned about protecting our careers.”

“Oh, come on.
Like non-coms and officers don’t get together all the time in the military?
And medevac is a hell of a lot more relaxed than the Marine Corps or regular Army.”

The muscles in Candace’s jaw flexed.
“Devon’s command isn’t, but maybe you don’t care.
She’s worked her whole life to get where she is.
You think it’s easy for a woman to make it to Captain in the military?
I don’t blame her for not risking it all over a possible misconduct charge.”

Ryan turned incredulous eyes on Devon.
“Is that what’s holding you back?
Because if it is, then I don’t know you as well as I thought I did.”

Dev sighed.
The last thing she needed right now was to have a black mark next to her name.
She’d earned the right to be here, and she would perform her duty to the best of her ability.
“It’s not just that.
It’s complicated.”

“It’s not that complicated.
There’re ways around the rules when you want something bad enough.”

She knew he was right.
She just hadn’t figured out what those “ways” were around her problem.
Popping the last piece of her dinner roll into her mouth, she cleared her place and pushed her chair back.
She really didn’t want to hear any more.
“I’m done.
See you guys.”

“He’s gone back to the compound,” Ryan said.

She paused for a second, then stood.
“That’s okay, I’ve got stuff to do.” Like plan what the hell she was going to do about this thing between her and Cam.
She glanced at Candace, but her friend’s eyes were full of unspoken support.
“You all right if I take off?”

Ace flicked a cool look at Ryan, then back at her.
“Yep.”

Devon held back a grin.
Candace could definitely take care of herself.
Ryan was in for the surprise of his life if he thought he could work his considerable charm on her.

“I’m just gonna say one more thing.”

She threw a hard look at him.
“What?”

“Don’t make him wait too long, Dev.”

She didn’t need Ryan’s soft warning.
That’s what her gut said too.

Like their relationship had an expiry date and the sand was running faster and faster through the neck of the hourglass.
“See you later,” she replied and walked away.

Ryan stared after Devon for a moment, admiring her confident stride as she moved to the exit and disappeared through it.
He’d never met anyone like her.
Talented.
Cute.
Sweet.
Not to mention a huge NFL fan too.
If he didn’t love her like a buddy, he might have made a move on her a long time ago.
Though he had to admit, it’d been damn good entertainment watching her and Cam tap-dancing around each other these past few months.
Lucky for him, he had something else to entertain him at the moment.

Switching his attention back to his reluctant dinner companion, Ryan hid a smile.
Candace’s shoulders were set, and she kept her eyes downcast to avoid looking at him.

He couldn’t say no to a challenge, especially when it was packaged like
that
.
The woman was hot, and built.
She was tall, at least five-ten, with deep curves that made him itch to grab hold of them.
Her body was flat out sexy, yet everything about her spoke of tightly-held control, from her rigid posture and her limited eye contact to the mass of thick, honey-blond hair she kept restrained in a bun at the back of her head.
He’d love nothing more than to have the chance to unravel her, inch by inch, and muss her up a little.
There was fire underneath that cool exterior.
He could feel it.

“Can I help you with something?” The words held a definite edge.

He grinned at the bite in her tone.
“Am I bothering you?”

“Yes, actually.”

“Why’s that?
I’m on my best behavior, here.”

Candace gave him a frosty look.
“
This
is your best?
I’d hate to see your worst.”

“Hey, I’m being a total gentleman.”

“And I’m being a lady by tolerating you.
But I don’t like living dangerously as you so obviously do.”

“Sure you do.
You’re a military pilot, aren’t you?”

She impaled him with her deep brown gaze and stabbed another bite of chicken, hard enough that the tines hit the plate with a sharp crack.
Her message to fuck off wasn’t lost on him, but it was all he could do to keep from grinning.

“Trying to push Devon and Cam together is not a good idea,” she said stiffly.

“I’m not pushing.
Mother Nature is taking care of that all by herself.
But I think they’d be good together.”

“Maybe.
But it can’t happen here.”

“Why not?
As long as they keep their mouths shut, command won’t give them any grief.” God knew he’d never let something as trivial as that get in his way if he wanted a woman.

“Her command will.” Candace scooped up the last of her salad, and Ryan couldn’t help but stare at the way her pink tongue swept across her full lower lip to catch a drop of dressing.
Her lips were full and soft-looking.
The exact opposite of her flinty stare when he raised his eyes to hers.
“Excuse me,
Sergeant
.
I have some repairs to make in my barracks.”