point of never being alone with him, and now she had to pretend to be his wife. “It’s just another job,” she said, because she didn’t know what else to say to him.
“It should definitely be more fun than usual.” He ran one finger up and down the outside of her thigh.
The skin beneath her slacks crawled and she had to tamp down a burst of nausea.
Show no fear
had been the rule when dealing with men like him in Gehenna. She gripped his wrist with two fingers and dropped his hand into his lap. “Act like a professional or I will report you.” With calm, deliberate steps, she stood and made her way to the door.
Channing laughed. “You really think Gibson will believe you over me?”
Tuyet knew it was best to ignore him but she didn’t like the dismissive way he said the warrant officer’s name, even though she knew he was also right. Gibson wouldn’t listen to her. “Probably not.” She paused in the doorway and turned to meet that cold, flat gaze. “But Hayes would.” She let that be the last word on the matter and left.
The briefing was even more tense and uncomfortable, but she got through it. For the most part she focused on Hayes, taking notes as he gave the details of the mission. He spoke without his usual flair, as if heavily distracted. Losing his place, forgetting things. Several minutes were lost as he searched files on his tablet for information he would normally have committed to memory. At one point their eyes met and he seemed to forget what he was doing entirely. Tuyet looked away, warmth climbing her cheeks.
At that point he went from distracted to angry. Tuyet kept her eyes on her tablet and waited for the briefing to end.
Tension drained from her body as soon as she crossed the threshold into her quarters. She slumped against the door and rubbed her eyes. The briefing had run over so long she had just enough free time before physical training to change clothes and make it to the gym. She always looked forward to the workouts but this time she needed it more than usual. The desire to hit something,
hard
, made her palms itch and her feet restless. Energy ping-ponged through her body and she had to ground to keep the excess from wreaking havoc with the electronics in the room. She changed quickly, pulling her hair into a ponytail. The bracelet was left on her dresser, still cold. She had no desire to know what Mrs. Jones looked like.
“Hey!” Halif jogged to catch up with her in the long hallway that led to the gym. “What was that all about with Hayes back in the briefing room?”
Tuyet shrugged. “How should I know?”
He gave her a skeptical look. “Come on, it’s me. Don’t play like that.”
“I’m not playing like anything. I don’t know what his problem is.” She boosted into a fast walk and reached the gym door first. “You guys are friends—you ask him.”
“I did,” he said as he followed her into the gym. “He told me to mind my own business.”
“So maybe you should.”
The other three team members were already there. Gibson was running laps around the perimeter with another warrant officer. Channing stood at the far end, talking to Rangers from other teams currently between assignments. Hayes was off by himself, beating the hell out of a heavy bag. Tuyet watched him as casually as possible, glad his back was to her. He put everything he had into those hits, plus a large helping of rage that didn’t suit him.
Halif touched her elbow, pointing at one of the small rings with his other hand. “You up for sparring?”
She nodded. “Just be warned, I’m in the mood to put some hurt on.”
They strode to the ring together. “Maybe you need to be in the ring with Channing. Let him know what’ll happen when he crosses the line.”
“When?” Probably accurate, but it surprised her that Halif would admit it.
“I may be a guy but I’m still a witch. Let’s just say he doesn’t feel the need to be on his best behavior in front of me like he does
“It should definitely be more fun than usual.” He ran one finger up and down the outside of her thigh.
The skin beneath her slacks crawled and she had to tamp down a burst of nausea.
Show no fear
had been the rule when dealing with men like him in Gehenna. She gripped his wrist with two fingers and dropped his hand into his lap. “Act like a professional or I will report you.” With calm, deliberate steps, she stood and made her way to the door.
Channing laughed. “You really think Gibson will believe you over me?”
Tuyet knew it was best to ignore him but she didn’t like the dismissive way he said the warrant officer’s name, even though she knew he was also right. Gibson wouldn’t listen to her. “Probably not.” She paused in the doorway and turned to meet that cold, flat gaze. “But Hayes would.” She let that be the last word on the matter and left.
The briefing was even more tense and uncomfortable, but she got through it. For the most part she focused on Hayes, taking notes as he gave the details of the mission. He spoke without his usual flair, as if heavily distracted. Losing his place, forgetting things. Several minutes were lost as he searched files on his tablet for information he would normally have committed to memory. At one point their eyes met and he seemed to forget what he was doing entirely. Tuyet looked away, warmth climbing her cheeks.
At that point he went from distracted to angry. Tuyet kept her eyes on her tablet and waited for the briefing to end.
Tension drained from her body as soon as she crossed the threshold into her quarters. She slumped against the door and rubbed her eyes. The briefing had run over so long she had just enough free time before physical training to change clothes and make it to the gym. She always looked forward to the workouts but this time she needed it more than usual. The desire to hit something,
hard
, made her palms itch and her feet restless. Energy ping-ponged through her body and she had to ground to keep the excess from wreaking havoc with the electronics in the room. She changed quickly, pulling her hair into a ponytail. The bracelet was left on her dresser, still cold. She had no desire to know what Mrs. Jones looked like.
“Hey!” Halif jogged to catch up with her in the long hallway that led to the gym. “What was that all about with Hayes back in the briefing room?”
Tuyet shrugged. “How should I know?”
He gave her a skeptical look. “Come on, it’s me. Don’t play like that.”
“I’m not playing like anything. I don’t know what his problem is.” She boosted into a fast walk and reached the gym door first. “You guys are friends—you ask him.”
“I did,” he said as he followed her into the gym. “He told me to mind my own business.”
“So maybe you should.”
The other three team members were already there. Gibson was running laps around the perimeter with another warrant officer. Channing stood at the far end, talking to Rangers from other teams currently between assignments. Hayes was off by himself, beating the hell out of a heavy bag. Tuyet watched him as casually as possible, glad his back was to her. He put everything he had into those hits, plus a large helping of rage that didn’t suit him.
Halif touched her elbow, pointing at one of the small rings with his other hand. “You up for sparring?”
She nodded. “Just be warned, I’m in the mood to put some hurt on.”
They strode to the ring together. “Maybe you need to be in the ring with Channing. Let him know what’ll happen when he crosses the line.”
“When?” Probably accurate, but it surprised her that Halif would admit it.
“I may be a guy but I’m still a witch. Let’s just say he doesn’t feel the need to be on his best behavior in front of me like he does
Similar Books
