Soft Place to Fall (Navy Book 4)

Chapter 32

"It's amazing that she's all mine. That she chose to let me break through her walls," Davis said softly to Will. "I have to be the luckiest man." He looked at the photo he had just taken of Laura and Carmen before showing it to Will. "Carmen is just as tough, maybe tougher, but she'll be worth it too."

He clapped Will on the back and walked back towards Kelly and Bulldog, who were laughing about something. Will let his eyes travel back towards Carmen who was swinging her leg while looking at Rabbit, who's eyes had wandered down to her legs and then back up the rest of her as he talked.

There was no doubt about it. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, and Davis was right, he was lucky and honored to have seen the real her. She was a complex woman and there were so many different parts of her that she would take a lifetime to learn.

His hand tightened as Rabbit sat in the chair next to her and leaned in to whisper something in her ear. She didn't pull away but she didn't look particularly interested in what he had to say.

Eventually, Davis pulled Laura and then Carmen to take photos with Bulldog, and Will couldn't help but smile. He had looked comfortable with Kelly, but with Laura and Carmen he looked out of his comfort zone.

Rabbit was called next and he was immediately partnered with Laura. Kelly bounced over to Will and tried to engage him in conversation but he wasn't holding up his end as his eyes kept straying towards Carmen.

She gave a long-winded sigh. "Such a waste. Carmen is so beautiful, but she doesn't have an ounce of feeling in her."

Will kept his face blank as he let himself think back on all that they had been through. Carmen's problem wasn't that she didn't feel, it was that she felt too much.

Kelly wandered back over to Bulldog, and they talked while they watched Laura give just enough to get the shot, but not enough to encourage Rabbit. Kelly was next and she had no problem encouraging him, and she was as into the kiss as he was. When Carmen was called Will kept his face calm, but felt his hands tighten into fists as Rabbit wrapped his arms around her.

Carmen wasn't as stiff as Laura had been, and Rabbit took it as an encouraging sign as he started to run his hands up her bare back, obviously enjoying himself.

"My money, and half the Team's money, is on you," Bulldog said as he joined Will. "You are, after all, the master. Rabbit insists that you've lost your touch, now that you're in love and all, but I think you've still got it."

Will looked at him stunned, he had been included in the betting? Carmen wasn't something to bet over, she was too important. She had to know, he had to warn her.

"What are the odds?" Will said, trying his hardest to sound amused.

"Rabbit is ten to one and you're fifty to one."

Will almost choked at the insult. Did they think he had lost it? He looked at Carmen who was starting to look fed-up with Rabbit's grabby hands. Who was he kidding? He had lost it. No woman, other than Carmen, would ever interest him again.

When Davis realized Carmen was done, he ended their session and asked everyone to take a little break while they changed the lighting.  Will's phone buzzed and he took it out of his pocket.

It was a message from Kitty, and he couldn't help himself when she asked how Carmen was, she looked so beautiful, and he wanted to share it so he snapped her photo and sent it to her. It was a photo of Laura and Carmen sitting together with Kelly standing behind them. He then turned the camera on himself in uniform and took a quick snap writing 'hard at work' under the photo.

Kitty sent back a bunch of emojis that meant absolutely nothing to him, and he smiled before pocketing his phone, looking up in time to catch Carmen watching him. As soon as he caught her eyes she looked away.

The light was changing quickly to dusk and Davis looked giddy as he worked quickly, first he had Kelly partner with Will, and they were friendly as he did his best to charm Kelly, who seemed to forgive him for his earlier lack of interest. Even Laura was friendly, as she smiled at him while moving like a robot in his arms. He didn't doubt that she would look great, but she didn't feel like a woman should.

When Davis called Carmen over, she joined him, looking up at him in the fading light.

"Are you enjoying being a model for a day?" She asked as Davis took a few preliminary shots.

"No." He reached out placing his hands low on her back, on her bare skin. He wasn't rubbing her like James had, he was simply holding her close. "I promised to always tell you the truth."

Carmen nodded, her eyes growing dark as she watched his lips.

"The guys in my squad made a bet." He felt her tense in his arms. Whatever she had been expecting, that wasn't it. "They bet that James could...win you." He watched her eyes spark and then narrow, but to her credit she didn't look at Rabbit. She kept her eyes trained on him. "Some of them also bet that I would be the one to win you instead."

To his surprise she didn't get angry and it disappointed him a little. "So, what are the odds on this bet? I assume there are odds?"

"James is ten to one and I'm fifty to one."

She started laughing, an honest to goodness laugh, and Will couldn't help the grin that covered his face at the sound of it.

"Why such bad odds?" she asked, once she had caught her breath.

He wanted to make her breathless but for a totally different reason, he thought as he let his eyes fall to her lips.

"Lee told everyone I was in love."

He felt her stop breathing.

"Are you?"

Davis instructed them to turn and they did without thinking.

He didn't answer, he couldn't.

Carmen went back to their original topic. "What do you have to do to win this bet?"

"A kiss, please?" Davis asked, and Will was only too happy to comply.

The moment his lips touched hers he was gone. There was suddenly no one else around them, and he felt himself sinking fast. He buried his hands in her hair, and she stretched against him, wrapping her arms around his neck as he lifted her off of the ground. He hadn't won, Carmen had. She had his heart and his soul, but he couldn't let her know that. He had to protect her.

"Thank you, I have all that I need." Davis said, but no one moved. Everyone was too enthralled by the scene in front of them. Davis shrugged and kept taking photos.

"They should have bet on you," He said before he thought about what he was saying, and it was as if he had thrown ice water on her, and he watched the flame in her die.

"No, I'm definitely on the losing end of the deal, one of you I don't want and the other one," she tilted her head to the side as she considered him. "doesn't want me."

He pulled her so tight against him that he pushed the air right out of her lungs. "As I've already told you once Honey, I want you. I will always want you, but you deserve better."

"I've heard it all before Will, and all I hear is you saying is that I'm not worth the effort." She turned to leave and he reached for her, stopping her.

"I should fall on my knees and beg you to forgive me, to stay, to love me." It burst from him before he could stop it. He wanted to take back the hurt he had just caused her. Make her understand.

She turned towards him, letting her eyes rake over him, but what she was thinking was a mystery. He was caught by surprise when she walked quickly towards him and grabbed his face, pulling him down to her. "I love you, so I'll wait for you to do that very thing." She kissed him hard, stopping his heart. "There that should win you your bet." Then she turned around and marched off in the direction of the trailer.

The others stared at him for a moment before dispersing. All except Bulldog, who rushed towards him with a grin. "I knew you would win."

Will shook his head. Watching her walk away felt like he was losing. He had hurt her, and she had said that she loved him, and when he was ready, she would forgive him. It was more than he deserved.