they’d captured. Same as she had to know he’d be out
there somewhere on the ground. Maybe for days.
The sharp edge to her posture softened at his words. “Yes.
Looks like a late one for both of us.” Did he imagine that flicker of worry in
her expression? She ran so hot and cold he couldn’t be sure. He’d had
enough.
Screw this . He was done tormenting himself, seesawing back
and forth between hope and frustration, trying to figure out where he actually
stood with her. Message received loud and fucking clear.
He gave a curt nod. “Be safe up there.” Before she could say
something dismissive in that superior tone that made him want to shake her until
her perfect teeth rattled, he brushed past her and Erin into the hallway.
Candace might be a couple of rungs above him on the Air Force ladder, but he was
sick and tired of her treating him like a peon in front of everyone else.
Especially after the way she’d just kissed him.
“Sergeant Wentworth.”
He clenched his jaw but stopped and looked at her over his
shoulder. Erin was walking down the hall away from them, and Candace stood by
the closed door. Her deep brown eyes were full of concern and a hint of regret
he’d never seen in her before. She stared at him for a moment, a troubled frown
creasing her brow. Then she wrapped her arms around her waist in a gesture of
self-comfort as she faced him, and he had to stop himself from striding back
over there and taking her into his arms again.
“Wait.” She took a few steps toward him.
Though he probably should have walked away, he couldn’t make
himself do it. That unguarded expression on her face made him want to tell her
everything would be fine, that he understood and wasn’t angry, then kiss her
until she couldn’t see straight. Instead, he stayed put and raised a questioning
brow.
She paused a few feet from him and licked her lips. “I...How
long do you think you’ll be gone this time?”
The way she looked at him made him believe she truly liked,
maybe even cared about him, despite her repeated brush-offs. And not just
because of the kiss. Something in her eyes told him she was concerned for his
welfare, that part of her was afraid he might not come back. That she might even
miss him if he didn’t.
Or maybe he needed his head examined.
He shrugged. “All night for sure. Could be a couple of days,
though.” Or more. It just depended on what happened when they were out there.
New intel was trickling in every hour.
“Yeah.” She chewed on her bottom lip and kept staring at him,
as though she didn’t want him to leave but was uncertain how much to reveal out
here in the hallway. And now there was something more than simple regret in her
eyes, something so raw and vulnerable it felt like an invisible hand punched
through his ribcage and squashed his heart.
Yearning, he realized with a start. Like she wanted so much
more than the kisses they’d shared and needed him more than she’d ever say.
Held in thrall of that stare, he couldn’t make himself look
away. She made him ache in ways he didn’t understand and sure as hell had never
experienced before. What the hell was he supposed to do?
When he didn’t say anything to fill the pause, however, the
corners of her lips tilted up in a polite smile. It was stiff, forced. “Well.
Take care of yourself out there.”
No Sergeant tag, and the concern
behind the words was real. But she wasn’t going to approach him again. Not with
potential spectators around. He could understand that.
Seeing that she cared and knowing she wanted him despite the
obstacle of rank went a long way toward soothing his bruised pride. “Thanks. I
will.” There was so much more he wanted to say. He wished they were still locked
behind the safety of the waiting room door so he could. Since they weren’t, he
settled for politely inclining his head. “Bye, ma’am.”
Her eyes flinched, but she nodded back.
Ryan forced himself to turn around and walk away without
there somewhere on the ground. Maybe for days.
The sharp edge to her posture softened at his words. “Yes.
Looks like a late one for both of us.” Did he imagine that flicker of worry in
her expression? She ran so hot and cold he couldn’t be sure. He’d had
enough.
Screw this . He was done tormenting himself, seesawing back
and forth between hope and frustration, trying to figure out where he actually
stood with her. Message received loud and fucking clear.
He gave a curt nod. “Be safe up there.” Before she could say
something dismissive in that superior tone that made him want to shake her until
her perfect teeth rattled, he brushed past her and Erin into the hallway.
Candace might be a couple of rungs above him on the Air Force ladder, but he was
sick and tired of her treating him like a peon in front of everyone else.
Especially after the way she’d just kissed him.
“Sergeant Wentworth.”
He clenched his jaw but stopped and looked at her over his
shoulder. Erin was walking down the hall away from them, and Candace stood by
the closed door. Her deep brown eyes were full of concern and a hint of regret
he’d never seen in her before. She stared at him for a moment, a troubled frown
creasing her brow. Then she wrapped her arms around her waist in a gesture of
self-comfort as she faced him, and he had to stop himself from striding back
over there and taking her into his arms again.
“Wait.” She took a few steps toward him.
Though he probably should have walked away, he couldn’t make
himself do it. That unguarded expression on her face made him want to tell her
everything would be fine, that he understood and wasn’t angry, then kiss her
until she couldn’t see straight. Instead, he stayed put and raised a questioning
brow.
She paused a few feet from him and licked her lips. “I...How
long do you think you’ll be gone this time?”
The way she looked at him made him believe she truly liked,
maybe even cared about him, despite her repeated brush-offs. And not just
because of the kiss. Something in her eyes told him she was concerned for his
welfare, that part of her was afraid he might not come back. That she might even
miss him if he didn’t.
Or maybe he needed his head examined.
He shrugged. “All night for sure. Could be a couple of days,
though.” Or more. It just depended on what happened when they were out there.
New intel was trickling in every hour.
“Yeah.” She chewed on her bottom lip and kept staring at him,
as though she didn’t want him to leave but was uncertain how much to reveal out
here in the hallway. And now there was something more than simple regret in her
eyes, something so raw and vulnerable it felt like an invisible hand punched
through his ribcage and squashed his heart.
Yearning, he realized with a start. Like she wanted so much
more than the kisses they’d shared and needed him more than she’d ever say.
Held in thrall of that stare, he couldn’t make himself look
away. She made him ache in ways he didn’t understand and sure as hell had never
experienced before. What the hell was he supposed to do?
When he didn’t say anything to fill the pause, however, the
corners of her lips tilted up in a polite smile. It was stiff, forced. “Well.
Take care of yourself out there.”
No Sergeant tag, and the concern
behind the words was real. But she wasn’t going to approach him again. Not with
potential spectators around. He could understand that.
Seeing that she cared and knowing she wanted him despite the
obstacle of rank went a long way toward soothing his bruised pride. “Thanks. I
will.” There was so much more he wanted to say. He wished they were still locked
behind the safety of the waiting room door so he could. Since they weren’t, he
settled for politely inclining his head. “Bye, ma’am.”
Her eyes flinched, but she nodded back.
Ryan forced himself to turn around and walk away without
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