Champagne Kisses (The Kisses 4)

"I see you were with the one-oh-one unit for another two years after..." my voice cracked slightly as I remembered that vacation we had together, " after your deployment for Desert Storm."

"And?" Dean's eyes grew hard. I didn't know if it was from remembering our time together or what he had seen in the war.

"What happened to you?" Why did you never write? Why didn't call me? You broke my heart!

"I got shot. I watched my friend die in my arms and almost lost another. And the worse part was that we weren't even allowed to tell our families where we were. Frontera died and I didn't even get to tell his mother why," Dean said. His voice stayed quiet, but there was a hidden anger and silent pleading for me to understand. He didn't write me because he couldn't. It didn't take the pain away.

"Tony died? What happened to Matt?" I couldn't help but ask. I wondered if Kimberly knew. She had always said she knew something bad happened to him.

Dean's blue eyes met mine. There was a dark pain in their cerulean depths and I wished I could jump up and hug him, but I knew I couldn't. It had been a long time since we were lovers.

"He's alive and well. He actually lives not too far from here in a little town on the coast." He watched me absorb the information. I waited for a moment to see if he would ask about Kimberly and Jenny, but he stayed silent.

I cleared my throat. This interview was getting away from me. "Why would you like this job?"

He flashed me a dashing smile and leaned back slightly in his chair. "I'm the perfect person to protect Jack Saunders. I'm subtle. I stop things before they happen. Mr. Saunders is the world's most eligible billionaire bachelor, and as a result he has the press's interest. His younger brother catches the media's attention on a regular basis, and thus thrusts Jack Saunders into the spotlight. He needs someone who can react and assess, and thus prevent a situation rather than smashing a reporter's camera."

"And what makes you think that's what I want?" My voice came out far huskier than I intended and I hoped he didn't notice the blush threatening to consume me.

Dean leaned forward, making my heart skip a beat as he came closer to me. "I know you want me because I'm here interviewing. If you didn't think I would be a good fit for this position, I wouldn't be here."

I swallowed hard. I stammered and began to fuss with the documents in front of me. Dean gave me a smile and sat back, enjoying my fluster.

"Would you have any trouble reporting to me as your supervisor?" I asked the question bluntly, trying to find a way to regain control of the heat coursing through my body. With him sitting within arms' reach, every memory of our time together was flooding through me. I hadn't expected it to be like this.

"You are in charge, ma'am. I'll do anything you wish." He shot me a confident smile that made me unsure as to whether or not he intended the double meaning. The emotions of the past were threatening to overwhelm me, and I had to stop this before I lost control of the situation.

"You should know that there is a strict no fraternization between employees policy."

"That's not going to be a problem, Ms. Weber."

The room suddenly dropped ten degrees. I wasn't hot anymore. His face regained a guarded expression, the teasing grin gone. It almost hurt to have the tension between us cut so quickly. I wanted to fix it, but I knew I couldn't. Not if we were going to work together. Our past was very much over, and there was no hope for our future.

"Well, Mr. Sherman, you have all the necessary qualifications. This interview was merely a formality. The Saunders family had already decided to hire you. You start tomorrow morning. I'll have someone bring in the paperwork."

I stood up, my heart alternating between pounding and freezing. I didn't know what to do with the mix of emotions running through my mind. Dean stood as well and shook my hand. I could still feel the current of electricity running through our touch, though it didn't match with his icy demeanor.

Gathering my papers, I scurried out the door, afraid to even glance behind me. I needed to clear my head and hopefully figure out what I was going to do. Working with Dean was not going to be easy, and I only had until tomorrow morning to figure out how to do it. At least this time I wouldn't have the distraction of waking up in his bed, I thought.

Chapter 10

June 7th, 1990

The sky was just beginning to glow with the promise of morning when I felt Dean slip out of bed. He padded quietly on the floor, picking up his clothes and dressing. I peeked one eye open to watch him wriggle into a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, admiring the view. It was worth it to wake up a little to see his body move. His blue eyes caught me peeking and he came over and sat on the edge of the bed.

"Go back to sleep," he whispered, leaning over to kiss my forehead. His lips were warm and soft, so soft that I never wanted them to leave.

"Where are you going?" Sleep made my voice creak like an old door. Dean brushed the hair off my forehead, smiling down at me. He looked like an angel in the morning light.

"Boy things today. Remember?" Dean's blue eyes twinkled with excitement. I nodded slowly, remembering that he had said something about going out with Matt and Tony today.

"Have fun. When will you be back?" I asked, sitting up slightly.

"Late afternoon." He kissed me again softly. "Go back to sleep."

I mumbled an "Okay" and shifted to my side, finding a cool spot on the pillow. Dean made sure the sheet was tucked up around me before he quietly tip-toed out and shut the door.

***