"Absolutely Not."

Chapter 28: Another

I was not met with the desperation that tagged along with desire when we returned to his quarters. He had made it seem like he was going to rip off all of my clothes and ravage me like he'd been some starved man deprived of any sustenance when he carried me away, that uncivilized brute. As if he'd not gotten his fill just a day prior.

Instead, my feet were gently planted on the floor of his private bathroom before he turned on the shower to let it warm up. Turning to face me again, he arched a brow in my direction.

"As much as I find you so alluring with blood all over you, and as much as I'd love to kiss you all over right now, you need a damn shower," he expressed, clearly amused with the fact that I was expecting this to go elsewhere. It must have been showing on my face somehow for him to be able to read my mind so easily.

Or we could just decipher what one another was thinking with one glance. His balaclava made it difficult sometimes, but it was still a skill I prided myself in nonetheless.

With a curious eye, I glared up at him. "You sayin' I stink?" My tiredness was accentuating my southern drawl, the one sure way I knew I needed to sleep.

"Well, you certainly don' smell good, Kelsey. Just get in the shower."

His exasperation only fueled my need to continue to bother him after his little stunt in the gym. I knew he was right, my armpits were probably disgustingly ripe, and my skin had unquestionably seen better days.

"I don't have any clean clothes here."

He shrugged. "Wear one of my shirts. Not like you haven't done it before. I'd actually prefer it, to be honest." His smug grin, still concealed by his mask, traveled up to wrinkle the skin around his eyes.

"Yeah, because I'm definitely going to grab dinner in just your shirt after your stunt of carrying me out of the gym," I bantered with sarcasm dripping in each word.

"I'll grab you food then, and you can eat in here."

I suppressed the urge to sigh. There was no winning against him in sparring or arguments. If he hadn't chosen the military, maybe he could have been a lawyer. For different reasons other than my piqued displeasure, my cheeks burned a soft rosy pink.

Him... in a suit.

Now that was something I could get behind even without the switch of professions. Clearing my thoughts of the irresistible image, I returned to reality.

"And when I need to go back to the barracks?"

His nonchalant tone irked me. "You don't need to go back to the barracks."

"Yes, I do, Simon. It'll look so suspicious-"

"I think it's a little too late to consider what is suspicious anymore. Those two in the gym who saw it all gossip worse than two old ladies at church so-"

I bit back, "Yeah, because of you!"

"Jesus, Kelsey," he breathed out in irritation as he leaned over the bathtub again to slam the shower off. "It was bound to get out eventually."

I folded my arms across my chest, also frustrated. "And why you are not upset as I am that they know? That everyone will know now? Why is this not disturbing your perfectly constructed stoicism knowing that this will get to Price that you're fraternizing with someone who is not ranked?"

"First," He placed his hands on my tensed shoulders, "You need to chill. Second, how do you know this has not already been discussed with him?"

Oh, this was getting messy.