Ask Me No Questions (The American Soldier Collection 12)

He looked at his dress shirt and dress pants.

“I have to show a house in an hour. Real estate,” he added.

“Oh, like a broker you mean?”

“Sort of. So are you excited about moving in here?” he asked.

“I am, now that the electrical work is updated and the walls freshly painted. Makes a huge difference.”

“Sure does. But then again, anything would have looked better than that puke green color,” Memphis added, joining them.

“Let’s head over for lunch, and then we can finish up the other outlets,” Orlando said, joining them.

Coast watched Cassidy wipe her hands then stand up and stretch. He motioned for her to lead the way, and she did, giving him a better look at her backside. The woman was gorgeous, and she smelled really good too.

As they headed to Red’s porch, Coast glanced at Memphis and Orlando. Both of them were watching Cassidy too.

“There you are. I bet you’re all pretty hungry. Way past lunch time now,” Red said, greeting them from the porch.

“I wouldn’t have even noticed it was if Coast hadn’t come by to tell us. You didn’t have to do this, Red,” Cassidy told him, and as she went by him, Red winked.

It gave Coast a funny feeling inside. Maybe Cash and Stryker’s dad was interested in Cassidy in a romantic way. Sometimes older men lucked out and snagged the heart of a younger woman. It didn’t sit right with Coast, but ultimately, it made him jealous. He didn’t understand why. He didn’t even know Cassidy. It was so odd. It was as though he wanted to stake a claim along with his team. The thought had him stumbling on the step and realizing where his mind was going. Flashes of their friends and the ménage relationships they were involved in went through his mind. Could this be? Could Cassidy potentially be a woman he and his team could share? Did he want to share her with them? What the hell was he thinking? She wasn’t his.

Yet, he thought as he followed Cassidy inside.

Cassidy walked into the kitchen and washed her hands. He followed, exchanging a smile and getting a shy expression from her. Was she a flirt? Was she after something? His mind wandered, questioned, and his untrusting side dominated his thoughts. He needed to ask questions and find out more about Cassidy. He thought about Stryker. If she were superficial, or out for a good time to use men, he wouldn’t let her near Stryker, never mind the rest of the team.

He joined her by the table outside, and as she passed Orlando and Memphis, both men held her gaze. Memphis brushed by her shoulder. She turned sideways, and Coast could have sworn he saw her nipples harden. The woman had a great set on her. He licked his lower lip. He would get some answers. He was good at interrogating people in a nice, friendly way.

* * * *

Cassidy didn’t want to be here having lunch with these men. They were too intimidating in a group like this. Plus, they seemed to be watching her every move, and it made her feel uneasy. She needed to make a sandwich, eat it, and get back to the house to paint.

“Do you have a lot of stuff to move?” Coast asked her, and she cringed inside. Why did he have to ask questions? Couldn’t he just be the silent type?

She pressed her hair behind her ear and looked away from him. “Not really.”

She hoped the non-engaging response would halt his efforts. She was wrong.

“No furniture or boxes from where you lived before?” he asked, looking surprised.

“I left it there for my roommate. Didn’t really have enough time to reconsider I might need it. A lot of places come fully furnished.”

“Sounds like you left in a hurry or didn’t think ahead,” Memphis said in a challenging tone, joining them on the porch.

It was as if he was saying she wasn’t a planner, a smart soldier, and it aggravated her. What the hell did he know? She released an annoyed sigh and held her ground. They didn’t need to know her business. She wouldn’t falter under their commanding tones and jarhead attitudes.

“Not the case, Memphis. I’ve learned over the years what’s necessary to survive and most important. Those things were just that, things. Besides, none of it would have gone with the nice country cottage my friend Red has hooked me up with. Have I thanked you enough, Red, for finding me a temporary place?” She turned toward Red, completely dismissing Memphis and his demanding attitude.

Red smiled.

“I think I’ll be thanking you, Cass. It will be real nice to have a woman on the ranch, a friend I admire. Hopefully, you love it here so much it won’t be temporary either.”

“So, who wants some iced tea?” Red asked, obviously picking up on the awkward silence, never mind the dark, hard stares Memphis and Coast were giving her.

At least Orlando remained silent. She hoped her response hadn’t made them more curious. She didn’t take getting the third degree from someone lightly. In fact, Blaze had given her the third degree so much they turned into interrogation sessions that had her pressed up against the wall in some Army-military hold she couldn’t get out of.

“Cass?”