recruits. She'd been friends with Raf for a long time so he cut her some slack, and she almost accepted when he offered to take her out for coffee and check rank at the door so she could unload whatever had her twisted sideways.
Instead, she'd thanked him and declined, mentioning getting home to cook dinner. Thankfully, Raf didn't bust his gut laughing, since her culinary skills barely passed muster.
She started to get up to clear the table when Marc put the tiny square box in front of her. Her stomach clenched, and she sat back down. Her eyes seeking Marc's, she didn't know what to say.
Marc took care of starting the conversation.
"Don't you want to know what it is?"
Chloe could guess, hell, any woman could, but she inclined her head anyway.
"Open it." His grin spread wide across his face like he'd just put the most awesome thing in the universe on the table.
Chloe sucked in a deep breath and flipped open the box. Every girl's dream gleamed inside.
Every girl's but hers.
Her eyes sought Marc's again, and he grabbed her hand. "Wanna get hitched?"
She didn't expect a huge romantic overture, didn't really need it either, but 'wanna get hitched' barely resided a step up from asking her if she wanted to watch arena ball or shoot billiards. And it kind of clinched things. Marc had no more of an idea what went into a marriage than she did.
She slowly snapped the box closed and sat it in front of him. "I can't."
The shock hit hard. "What?" He blinked and cocked his head. "Why not?"
He'd clearly expected her to say yes.
Chloe looked down at her hands. "I need some time. To think about it."
"Time! What for?" Marc's voice rose a little. "What's to think about?"
Chloe met his gaze. "Gee, Marc, I don't know. We've never talked about marriage and all of a sudden BAM! You think it's time?" She shook her head. "I have no idea what there is to think about." She tried to keep the sarcasm at bay but didn't quite succeed.
Marc sat back. "What are we doing here, Chloe?" He crossed his arms over his chest.
Chloe sighed. "I don't know, Marc. What are we doing?"
He leaned forward, putting his elbows on the table. "Taking the next step."
Chloe sat back, needing some space between them. "Next step? With zero discussion?"
Marc shot her a confused look. "What's to talk about?"
Oh, hell. She had to work to keep her mouth from falling open. "Forever maybe?"
Marc snorted. "Nothing lasts forever, babe. You know that."
Chloe closed her eyes. "Then why get married?" She knew the reasons she'd consider signing on for a lifetime but had a feeling hers wouldn't match Marc's.
Marc considered her question and answered with one of his own. "Why not? We love each other, right?" When she nodded, he warmed up a bit. "We've been together a couple of years, and it's logical to talk marriage at this point."
Oh, Marc. "Except the flaw in your logic is that we've never talked about it. You just handed me a ring and said let's get hitched."
"What's the problem with that?" He snapped his fingers. "Wait. It could have been more romantic, but you don't really go for that kind of thing."
Chloe held back a sigh. "It's not about the presentation, Marc."
He got frustrated. "Then what's it about? I don't get it."
Chloe explained. "What do you see us doing in five years, Marc?"
He frowned. "I don't know. I never think that far ahead."
Chloe pressed her point. "Do you see us raising kids? Are we still in the military? What if I decide to leave and go civilian? What if you do?" She drove her case home. "Don't you think we should talk about these things?"
Marc's eyes narrowed. "What's going on, Chlo? With you?"
I almost had sex with your brother and can't stop thinking about it .
She pressed her lips together. "Nothing."
Marc quirked a brow. "This is not nothing. Maybe we don't talk stuff to death, but we've been together long enough for me to know something's up here."
She wouldn't tell him. She wouldn't tell. She wouldn't.
"I'm fine."
Marc
Instead, she'd thanked him and declined, mentioning getting home to cook dinner. Thankfully, Raf didn't bust his gut laughing, since her culinary skills barely passed muster.
She started to get up to clear the table when Marc put the tiny square box in front of her. Her stomach clenched, and she sat back down. Her eyes seeking Marc's, she didn't know what to say.
Marc took care of starting the conversation.
"Don't you want to know what it is?"
Chloe could guess, hell, any woman could, but she inclined her head anyway.
"Open it." His grin spread wide across his face like he'd just put the most awesome thing in the universe on the table.
Chloe sucked in a deep breath and flipped open the box. Every girl's dream gleamed inside.
Every girl's but hers.
Her eyes sought Marc's again, and he grabbed her hand. "Wanna get hitched?"
She didn't expect a huge romantic overture, didn't really need it either, but 'wanna get hitched' barely resided a step up from asking her if she wanted to watch arena ball or shoot billiards. And it kind of clinched things. Marc had no more of an idea what went into a marriage than she did.
She slowly snapped the box closed and sat it in front of him. "I can't."
The shock hit hard. "What?" He blinked and cocked his head. "Why not?"
He'd clearly expected her to say yes.
Chloe looked down at her hands. "I need some time. To think about it."
"Time! What for?" Marc's voice rose a little. "What's to think about?"
Chloe met his gaze. "Gee, Marc, I don't know. We've never talked about marriage and all of a sudden BAM! You think it's time?" She shook her head. "I have no idea what there is to think about." She tried to keep the sarcasm at bay but didn't quite succeed.
Marc sat back. "What are we doing here, Chloe?" He crossed his arms over his chest.
Chloe sighed. "I don't know, Marc. What are we doing?"
He leaned forward, putting his elbows on the table. "Taking the next step."
Chloe sat back, needing some space between them. "Next step? With zero discussion?"
Marc shot her a confused look. "What's to talk about?"
Oh, hell. She had to work to keep her mouth from falling open. "Forever maybe?"
Marc snorted. "Nothing lasts forever, babe. You know that."
Chloe closed her eyes. "Then why get married?" She knew the reasons she'd consider signing on for a lifetime but had a feeling hers wouldn't match Marc's.
Marc considered her question and answered with one of his own. "Why not? We love each other, right?" When she nodded, he warmed up a bit. "We've been together a couple of years, and it's logical to talk marriage at this point."
Oh, Marc. "Except the flaw in your logic is that we've never talked about it. You just handed me a ring and said let's get hitched."
"What's the problem with that?" He snapped his fingers. "Wait. It could have been more romantic, but you don't really go for that kind of thing."
Chloe held back a sigh. "It's not about the presentation, Marc."
He got frustrated. "Then what's it about? I don't get it."
Chloe explained. "What do you see us doing in five years, Marc?"
He frowned. "I don't know. I never think that far ahead."
Chloe pressed her point. "Do you see us raising kids? Are we still in the military? What if I decide to leave and go civilian? What if you do?" She drove her case home. "Don't you think we should talk about these things?"
Marc's eyes narrowed. "What's going on, Chlo? With you?"
I almost had sex with your brother and can't stop thinking about it .
She pressed her lips together. "Nothing."
Marc quirked a brow. "This is not nothing. Maybe we don't talk stuff to death, but we've been together long enough for me to know something's up here."
She wouldn't tell him. She wouldn't tell. She wouldn't.
"I'm fine."
Marc
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