Page 96 of Oblivion

“Youweren’tinvited, jailbait.” I gripped her hip a little harder, only for my hand to be slapped away.

“Hands off, man meat. It can’t bethatbad.”

I glanced up to see Mark studiously watching our exchange with a smirk.

“It is,” I replied to Penny, while glaring at Mark.

He raised an eyebrow, but otherwise said nothing until his gaze cut to Penny.

“Aren’t you two quite the pair?” He chuckled. “Ready for showtime? C’mon, little lady, follow me. You too, Manbait.”

I snagged Penny’s forearm and issued another warning. “I’m serious. This is a side of me I don’t want you to see.”

“Why not?”

I expelled an impatient breath. “You haven’t experienced the military way, so you won’t understand. We, uh…” I cut my eyes to Mark, then back to Penny. “We’re different.”

She shrugged out of my hold. “So, you got a little drunk. Whoop-de-shit. We’ve all been there and done that.”

I shook my head adamantly. “Not military style, you haven’t.”

I needed to make her understand without having to tell her explicitly what I meant. Pissing out of a van window was nothing. Pissing into another guy’s mouth while he took a knee in the middle of the bar? Now that was something to write home about, and it wasthatside of military life civilians didn’t see for a reason. Deep down, some part of us—big or small—was straight-up mongrel. Even the women.

Penny held my unwavering stare. “I don’t see what the big deal is.”

“Of course you fucking don’t. You don’tgetit,” I hissed angrily.

“Yet, you won’t even give me a chance toget it.”

“No.”

Mark’s chuckle broke our stand-off before tempers ignited further.

“Ooooh, there’s some serious sexual tension cracklin’ in the air right now,” he crowed. “It’s givin’ megoosebumps!”

“What’s giving you goosebumps?” Jackson hollered from his office.

Twilight thumbed over his shoulder as the three of us entered, and I barely resisted the urge to grab the appendage and wrench it out of joint.

“These two and all their sexual tension. Can you seriously not feel it?”

Jackson’s eyes narrowed on me, then cut to Penny. We simultaneously took a step away from each other.

I ignored the questioning look and rounded his desk. “Can we just get to why we’re here?”

Jackson clicked on an email file, but paused when Penny stepped close. “Not for your eyes, Miss Prescott.”

Mark flicked his shoulder. “Oh, go on, Muff. It’s harmless.”

“No. Penny, you and Twilight can go grab something from the break room. Dante will meet you there soon.”

Mark and Jackson exchanged a silent conversation, then Mark nodded.

“Let’s go, little lady. Leave the big boys to their chat.”

He guided her from the room, then gave me a look before closing the door. It almost seemed apologetic. My attention dropped to the laptop, only to cut to Jackson when he swung his office chair in my direction.

“What’s Twilight picking up on?”

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