The Soldier's Roommate

Chapter 15: Well, damn...

Alice

God, why does he have to look so goddamn good?!

I can't even breathe properly when he drives us to our destination, the tension in his Mustang already reaching its peak.

"So, where are we going?" I ask, trying to break the silence that only magnifies the heat between us.

"It's a surprise." He glances over to me with a smirk.

I can't help but groan, looking out the window as I mumble, "I hate surprises..."

"You've been surprised by the wrong things then." His words make me turn again, and I shoot him a smile when I the sincerity in his eyes. He's not wrong, surprises in my life usually ended with either me having to raise a teenager with no help at all, or having to move in with a certain handsome soldier.

"Maybe..."

We arrive at a very rusty looking bar in the old town, and Elijah instantly jumps out of the car, opening my door with a smile. He looks a bit nervous, even, and that fact alone makes me smile back at him - it's such a weird look on someone as dark and rough as him.

"You ready?" He asks, holding out his hand to me, and that gesture alone makes me giggle, and I nod my head when I intertwine our fingers, letting him pull me up. He doesn't just pull me up though, he practically jerks me out of the car and I crash into his chest, needing him to steady me with his hand on my lower back. He presses me against him, that sly smirk on his lips doing all sorts of things to me when he whispers into my ear. "Good..."

My heart is thundering in my chest when he leans back, his lips only inches from mine, begging me to kiss him. And I'm about to, I'm about to let myself drown in the feeling of his lips on mine, when he suddenly spins me around, his arm snaking around my waist where he tugs me closer to him, having a firm grip on me as he nods to the front door. "Let's go inside then..."

And I know that he sees the effect he has on me, the blush on my cheek burns through my skin, while my legs are already shaky as he pulls me with him and into the bar.

The chatter of different people fills the room the second the door closes behind us, and in a matter of seconds I feel about half a dozen pairs of male eyes on me, their rough attire somehow making me feel overdressed all of a sudden. At least Elijah wears a buttoned-up shirt, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, but still he looks a bit more dressed up than usual.

He pulls me closer to him, his arm around my waist tightening its grip as he sighs, walking toward an older man by the bar with purpose.

"I'll be damned!" the older guy calls out, "The one and only Legend honors us with his presence!" He pulls Elijah into a hug and I move to give them space, but Elijah just grabs my hand as he embraces the older man with a grin on his face.

"Good to see you, too, Rusty."

"Ah come on, I hate that name!" The man exclaims when they break the hug, and in a matter of seconds Elijah jerks me toward him again, his arm instantly coming back around my waist.

"And I hate mine, so stop calling me that," Elijah says with a wink, eliciting a laugh from the man called Rusty, who now stretches his hand out to me.

"Well, and who do we have here?"

I smile at his demeanor, shaking his hand with confidence. "I'm Alice. Nice to meet you."

Rusty grins, giving my hand a proper shake before pointing at me, obviously noticing Elijah's protective posture. "Ha, I like her. Firm handshake and beautiful at the same time. You better hold on tight, brother."