Radclyffe - Firestorm

“Why?”

“Your eyes are beautiful.”

Sarah blushed. “Thank you.”

“That wasn’t a line, you know.”

“I don’t care if it was, it was very nice.” Sarah moved a little closer. “Want to try going a little faster?”

“Oh man, you like to live dangerously.”

Laughing, Sarah leaned back in Jac’s arms and shook her head. “Not usually, but tonight, I’m feeling adventurous.”

Jac raised her eyebrows. “Oh?”

“Don’t worry, your virtue is safe. I’m not planning on seducing you.”

“Well damn, now my night is ruined.” Jac grinned and Sarah did something complicated that had her ducking and twirling under Sarah’s raised arm before she could think about it and trip herself. “Hey!”

“See? Told you.”

Sarah raised Jac’s arm, made a mirror-image twist underneath, and then Sarah was in her arms again and Jac didn’t think. She just felt Sarah and the rise and fall of Reba’s lament about love gone bad. Holding Sarah felt good, comfortable. “Thanks for this.”

Sarah rested her cheek lightly on Jac’s shoulder. “You’re welcome. I needed it too. It’s been a crappy spring.”

“Want to tell me about it?” Jac asked.

“Nah. He’s not worth wasting a good dance on. But thanks for the offer.”

Jac dipped her head. “Any time.”

Sarah laughed. “Now that sounded like a line.”

“Busted.”

“Oh look,” Sarah pointed their joined hands to the far side of the wide dance floor that took up half the rustic bar, “there’s some of our crowd over there. I figured they’d end up here sooner or later. Want to join them?”

Steeling herself, Jac looked in the direction Sarah had pointed, and her stomach fell. Anderson, Ray, and Cooper sat at a table against the railing at the edge of the dance floor. Mallory wasn’t there. “Sure.”

When the song ended, she and Sarah threaded their way through the crowd toward the guys. By the time they reached the table, already crowded with beer bottles and shot glasses, Ray and Cooper had dragged over chairs for them.

“You look pretty good out there,” Anderson said to Jac.

“Sarah makes me look good,” Jac said.

Ray snorted and handed her a Heineken. “Good thing somebody does.”

“Ha ha.” Jac pulled up a chair for Sarah and then one for herself. Another song started, and Ray leaned over to Sarah and asked if she’d like to dance.

“Sure,” Sarah said, and they went off to the dance floor.

“You’ll forgive me if I don’t ask you to dance,” Anderson said. “Two left feet.”

“Me too, usually,” Jac said. “Sarah really is good.”

“My wife probably wouldn’t be overjoyed to know I was out on the town with a couple of gorgeous women, either.”

Jac laughed. “You’re pretty safe with me, Anderson.”

He grinned. “Likewise.”

“And just for the record, Sarah isn’t my date.”

“Not keeping score.” He stared across the dance floor, then waved. “Looks like we’re in for a real party tonight.”

Jac spun in her chair and told herself to breathe. The initial swell of excitement quickly turned to a hard lump of disappointment. Mallory had finally appeared, but she wasn’t alone. A very pretty woman had her arm looped through Mallory’s as they navigated the crowd, greeting people as they passed. They looked like they’d been here before. They looked like a couple.

“Yeah,” Jac said quietly. “I guess we’re all here now.”

Chapter Seventeen

“Hey,” Emily said, giving Mallory’s arm a tug. “Isn’t that Cooper over there?”

Mallory followed Emily’s direction and took in the group at the table. Cooper’s distinctive gold-blond hair and massive shoulders flashed like beacons even in the hazy glow of the cobweb-coated light fixtures tucked under the heavy pine ceiling beams. But she wasn’t looking at Cooper when she muttered, “Uh-huh.”

Jac sat at the table next to Cooper, with Sarah beside her. Mallory hadn’t expected to see Jac tonight, definitely not here. Jac’s head was tilted toward Sarah, who seemed to be whispering something in her ear that was making Jac laugh. Mallory slowed her meandering course around the room, trying to give herself time to figure out what bothered her the most—that Jac had appeared somewhere Mallory thought she’d be free of the confusing and annoying reactions she had every time Jac was around, or that Jac seemed to be having a really good time while she was having a really off night. Jac looked great in a casual white button-down collar shirt with the sleeves rolled halfway up. Mallory was glad she’d chosen her favorite sweater, a black cashmere pullover that she’d bought on a whim because it felt so good against her skin and did nice things for her breasts too.

Instantly she wanted to shake herself for the ridiculous thought. Ridiculous not to have anticipated Jac would show up here. Where else would she go on the one night off before a ten-day stint in the wilderness? Bear Creek was the only town within reasonable driving distance, and Tommy’s was the only nightlife.

“Sarah’s here too,” Emily said, delight infusing her tone. She grasped Mallory’s hand and pulled her along the sinuous path created by the haphazard placement of tables around the dance floor. “I haven’t seen her since last fall. What a treat.”

“Yes, she showed up early for training camp.”

“I should say hello, but we don’t have to hang with them if you don’t want to.” Emily half turned, walking backward and studying Mallory with a tiny frown between her brows. “I know you like to get away from work when you’re here, so if—”

“No,” Mallory said quickly. She wasn’t going to be derailed by Jac’s presence. She had control of herself, after all. “It’s fine. If you don’t mind.”

Emily pressed close against Mallory’s side to make way for a couple headed for the dance floor. “I like your crew. I don’t recognize some of them, though.”

“Three of the new guys.” Mallory made a conscious effort to sound upbeat. She was going to be seeing Jac on and off the base every day for the next six months, and she might as well get used to it. The conflicting blend of anticipation and wariness that stirred her insides whenever Jac was around had to burn off eventually. Sooner or later she’d be able to look at her without her heart jumping into her throat and every cell in her body starting to tingle. Hopefully sooner rather than later, because the on-again off-again, totally unwanted sexual charge that went along with everything else was making her damn irritable.

“Um, Mallory sweetheart,” Emily said laughing, “one of those guys is definitely not . If you haven’t noticed, I am going to start worrying about you.”

“I noticed.”

“She is one of yours, right?”

“One of the rookies.” Mallory was having trouble putting more than a few words together, and feeling more and more disoriented with every second. Especially when Sarah rose and Jac followed her to the dance floor. Mallory watched them find space on the crowded floor, watched Jac open her arms and Sarah step into them as if she’d done it a million times before. Sarah was beaming. She looked radiant, and Jac, sultry and sexy in the plain shirt and faded jeans, had a gentle amused smile on her face. Damn it, they looked like they were really hitting it off.

“You sure about this?” Emily asked. “Because you’ve got about two seconds to change your mind.”

“I’m sure.” Mallory jerked her gaze away from her best friend and the rookie she shouldn’t even be thinking about and drew Emily up to the table. “Guys, this is Emily.” She pointed to each of the men at the table in turn. “Ray Kingston, Ron Anderson, and you know Cooper.”