Free The Colonel's Man by J. William Mitchell Mina Carter Page A

looked from one to the other, noticing their angry stances and clenched fists.
    “I don’t care what it’s about gentlemen, but either take it down to the gym and sort it, or I’ll knock some sense into the both of you.” Her voice cut the tension between them like a whip, the expression on her face saying she didn’t expect an argument from either of them. “Understand?”
    Neither of them said anything, looking away. Since they’d been arguing about her, a fact that thankfully had escaped her attention thanks to the soundproofing of the ship's internal walls on this level, neither of them wanted to clue her in.
    “I thought not. Good. If you’ll excuse me.”
    She swept past them, her slender figure encased for the first time in full dress uniform. Jason couldn’t help it, his gaze riveted to the long length of her legs revealed by the demure skirt and delicate ankles in what were supposed to be sensible heels but to him appeared ridiculously sexy.
    He started for the door but turned to Drew at the last moment. “Don’t quit your day job to be a shrink buddy. Especially not with me. You have no idea what’s in my head right now.”
    With that line he stormed out, stewing in his thoughts as he went after Arita. What galled Jason was the fact that Drew was able to see right through him. Of course he wanted her, that part was simple enough. However, the second Drew referred to her as just another woman that he wanted to fuck, he lost it. She wasn’t and he wouldn’t debase her like that. She was…important.
    And that was what made things complicated.
    “Hey!” He called out as she turned a corner. “We need to talk.”
    She paused to let him catch up with her. He hadn’t seen her since the mission so to see her at the briefing in the full uniform of a Section Three Colonel had taken him by surprise.
    By surprise… Wry amusement filled him. Seeing her in the black on black uniform with its fitted jacket and straight skirt, her hair done up in a no-nonsense pleat instead of the tousled up-do from earlier had knocked him for six. It was like a cross between the sexy secretary and the powerful woman in charge all rolled into one.
    He’d always had a weakness for powerful women.
    “What’s up, Scott?” she asked, as he pulled level, slipping a personal data-pad into her pocket. Abruptly he wondered what was on it. It wasn’t military spec. Letters from home? From a lover perhaps? She’d said she was married before…didn’t Tralaxians subscribe to multiple marriages?
    The thought of her being with other men gnawed at him before, jealousy rearing its ugly green head, but the thought of her being married was worse. Marriage meant feelings and the idea of her sharing the smoldering, promising looks he had seen her give Drew under cover during the mission made him want to hit someone.
    “Why?” He shoved a hand through his hair in frustration. “Why did you let me go that far? Why didn’t you stop me?”
    She tilted her head, and he couldn’t help but notice the delicate arch of her neck. Dammit, she turned him on without trying.
    “During the mission you mean? Whilst we were undercover pretending to be having an illicit affair?”
    “When else would it be, dammit?” He ground out. “When else did I have my hands on you? Around you? You should have never let me get that far.”
    Her eyebrow shot up in an expression he was rapidly coming to realize meant her temper was rising. “ I shouldn’t have let you get that far? Ever heard of this little thing called self control, Gunny?”
    “Self…!” He bit off the exclamation that almost came out. “That thing we were doing earlier? That two step? It wasn’t just all me and you know it. You got inside my head and you were like that annoying song that I couldn’t turn off. I didn’t want to go that far but…it got out of hand and I wasn’t trying to go beyond what was supposed to have been done.”
    “Annoyin… Right, I am not having this