the emotions she knew she should not feel. “We’re adults. We can handle the situation.”
He nodded his agreement. “Well, I’ll just say go od night, then.” Tom backed up a step.
“Good night,” Jane managed.
Both remembered the towel and shampoo on the ground at precisely the same instant and reached for them. Their fingers tangled on the terry cloth. They stood up simultaneously. Whether Tom was aware of it or not , his blue eyes gave away all that was on his mind as he relinquished his hold on the towel. He wanted her, Jane realized, just as much as she wanted him.
He gave her another of those almost-smiles, turned and disappeared into the darkness. Jane closed her eyes and released a long breath. Okay, she told herself, get a grip. She was on assignment here, not personal leave. She had orders—orders straight from the general himself. She could not fail under any circumstances. Nothing was going to get in her way.
Not even Tom.
Summoning her resolve, Jane grabbed her bottle of shampoo and strode purposefully into the shower facility. Tom was a nice guy and she liked him. But he couldn’t add another stripe to her sleeve. He couldn’t influence her future in the military. General Suddath could. No way could she risk screwing up on this assignment.
Slowing as her surroundings once more came to the forefront of her awareness, Jane frowned. The facility had twelve shower stalls, six on each side. All but the one on the right at the far end were marked out of order. How could that be? They were all working last night. Then she remembered Tom saying something about the plumbing being on the fritz. Maybe the women’s showers were affected as well as the men’s.
Sh e placed her towel on the wooden bench outside the stall. Humming to distract herself, she twisted both knobs on the faucet open all the way. Experience had taught her that it took some time to get the hot water going, if there was any left. While the spray blasted against the old, utilitarian tile, she toed off her running shoes, rolled off her socks and tucked them inside her shoes. The Camp Serenity T-shirt went next, then the sweatpants. Jane folded her clothes and stacked them in a neat pile on the bench. She removed her bra and panties next, adding them to the growing pile.
After adjusting the water to a bearable but still plenty-hot temperature, she stepped into the shower. She closed her eyes for a long moment and allowed the heat and steam to relax her tense muscles. Her eyes still closed, with the hot spray aimed directly on her neck and shoulders, she took her time undoing her long braid. Despite her best efforts she found herself imagining how it would feel to burrow her fingers into Tom’s thick blond hair, and have him respond in kind. A smile slid across her lips as she considered how he had tasted. He had obviously drunk flavored coffee just before his little dip and had tasted pleasantly of French Vanilla. And he had tasted hot, very hot. She had felt his eagerness, his need.
Jane threaded her fingers through her hair and massaged her scalp as she tilted her head back beneath the spray. Her breasts tingled when she recalled the memory of how his body had felt against hers. He had been hard for her. Jane’s nipples reacted. He hadn’t touched her breasts. How would it have felt, she wondered, to have his hand close firmly around her breast? To have his fingers roll and pinch her tightly budded nipple? To have his mouth close over that aching part of her and suck…hard.
Tension coiled inside Jane as she conjured his naked image to mind. How would it feel to have that much powerful masculinity pressing down on her? To have him—all of him—inside her?
Jane ’s eyes popped open. She blinked, twice. She couldn’t think like that. She could not have an affair with Tom Caldwell. The kiss was a mistake. These fantasies were a mistake.
She had to stop thinking about him as anything other than her superior. This assignment
He nodded his agreement. “Well, I’ll just say go od night, then.” Tom backed up a step.
“Good night,” Jane managed.
Both remembered the towel and shampoo on the ground at precisely the same instant and reached for them. Their fingers tangled on the terry cloth. They stood up simultaneously. Whether Tom was aware of it or not , his blue eyes gave away all that was on his mind as he relinquished his hold on the towel. He wanted her, Jane realized, just as much as she wanted him.
He gave her another of those almost-smiles, turned and disappeared into the darkness. Jane closed her eyes and released a long breath. Okay, she told herself, get a grip. She was on assignment here, not personal leave. She had orders—orders straight from the general himself. She could not fail under any circumstances. Nothing was going to get in her way.
Not even Tom.
Summoning her resolve, Jane grabbed her bottle of shampoo and strode purposefully into the shower facility. Tom was a nice guy and she liked him. But he couldn’t add another stripe to her sleeve. He couldn’t influence her future in the military. General Suddath could. No way could she risk screwing up on this assignment.
Slowing as her surroundings once more came to the forefront of her awareness, Jane frowned. The facility had twelve shower stalls, six on each side. All but the one on the right at the far end were marked out of order. How could that be? They were all working last night. Then she remembered Tom saying something about the plumbing being on the fritz. Maybe the women’s showers were affected as well as the men’s.
Sh e placed her towel on the wooden bench outside the stall. Humming to distract herself, she twisted both knobs on the faucet open all the way. Experience had taught her that it took some time to get the hot water going, if there was any left. While the spray blasted against the old, utilitarian tile, she toed off her running shoes, rolled off her socks and tucked them inside her shoes. The Camp Serenity T-shirt went next, then the sweatpants. Jane folded her clothes and stacked them in a neat pile on the bench. She removed her bra and panties next, adding them to the growing pile.
After adjusting the water to a bearable but still plenty-hot temperature, she stepped into the shower. She closed her eyes for a long moment and allowed the heat and steam to relax her tense muscles. Her eyes still closed, with the hot spray aimed directly on her neck and shoulders, she took her time undoing her long braid. Despite her best efforts she found herself imagining how it would feel to burrow her fingers into Tom’s thick blond hair, and have him respond in kind. A smile slid across her lips as she considered how he had tasted. He had obviously drunk flavored coffee just before his little dip and had tasted pleasantly of French Vanilla. And he had tasted hot, very hot. She had felt his eagerness, his need.
Jane threaded her fingers through her hair and massaged her scalp as she tilted her head back beneath the spray. Her breasts tingled when she recalled the memory of how his body had felt against hers. He had been hard for her. Jane’s nipples reacted. He hadn’t touched her breasts. How would it have felt, she wondered, to have his hand close firmly around her breast? To have his fingers roll and pinch her tightly budded nipple? To have his mouth close over that aching part of her and suck…hard.
Tension coiled inside Jane as she conjured his naked image to mind. How would it feel to have that much powerful masculinity pressing down on her? To have him—all of him—inside her?
Jane ’s eyes popped open. She blinked, twice. She couldn’t think like that. She could not have an affair with Tom Caldwell. The kiss was a mistake. These fantasies were a mistake.
She had to stop thinking about him as anything other than her superior. This assignment
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