Staying on Course (Finding our Way 2)

Bryce chuckles then tugs me into his chest. “He’s waiting downstairs. I need to go. We’re doing a six-mile run and then a full workout. I’ll be back in a few hours. Tonight, we’re doing dinner with my parents.”

“Did you say six-miles?”

“Yeah.” He leans back and looks at me. “Devon, part of my training in Officer Candidate School is physical. I’ve got to catch up. We took a week off, remember?”

“I thought we got pretty physical.” I kiss the underside of his jaw and feel it tighten.

“Jesus, I’m going to need another cold shower.”

“Fine!” I turn away from him and smile sweetly. “I can wait until tomorrow, but I want to give you something to think about.”

Without warning, I run my hand down his stomach and into the waistband of his shorts. Once I hit his erection, I rub my thumb across the tip gently. “Love you, Bryce,” I whisper and pull back, rolling off the bed.

He exhales loudly and stares at the ceiling. “This is my punishment. Falling madly in love with my best friend’s sister means I can’t fuck the shit out of her like I want to for the next four days without threat of an ass-kicking.”

“We’ll figure something out, or we’ll get creative.”

He stands up and pulls me flush against him. “Kiss me.”

I slap my hand over my mouth. “Need to brush my teeth,” I mutter through my fingers.

His eyes darken, and he gently lowers my hand away. His soft lips rub back and forth across mine lightly. I melt into him and squeeze his hips.

“Do me a favor,” he whispers between pecks. “Talk to your mom today and let her know we’re going to stay with my parents when we get back from Knoxville. Mom wants us there some before we both leave. You need to prepare Karen.”

“I’ll take care of it. She’ll understand.”

He kisses me again and steps back, turning to leave. I stare at the perfect form of his ass in the black mesh running shorts and lick my lips, tasting him.

“Devon,” he groans. “Stop looking at me like that.”

I shrug and wink then turn to my bathroom. “Love you. Have fun.”

“Love you too. Let me know what happens.”

I take my time getting ready and set up my computer, testing the link Professor Grant emailed everyone.

“Is it safe to come in?” Quinn yells through my door as she knocks loudly.

“Yes, you idiot.” I swing it open and scowl at her. “Bryce isn’t even here.”

“I know. Just wanted to tease you.” She throws her purse on my dresser and crawls onto my bed, making herself comfortable. “Since we haven’t had one second alone since you got fucking engaged, please tell me we’re doing something fun after we’re done with this.”

“It’s only been a week and a few days. I thought we’d go shopping. We’ll probably need some special gear and digital devices. Not to mention, we’ll need to find a way to get our phones to work overseas.”

“Ooohhhh, who’s the serious, organized one today? I was thinking more along the line of pedicures.”

“Quinn, this is serious.”

“Bitch, remember the research I did? I know more about the history of Israel than probably anyone in our group. It still pisses me off that our parents didn’t even blink an eye. After the shit-fits they gave us, I was prepared for much more than a simple ‘we’re dealing with it’.”

I sit next to her and position the computer so we can both see easily. “No doubt. It surprised the shit out of me, too. I’ve tried to get Bryce to talk to me, but he said it was worthless until I got the details today.”

“What’s the deal with Bryce and Nate? Dean told me their situation with OCS was unusual, especially with their ROTC experience.”

“It is. Apparently, Bryce and Nate were technically classified as Commissioned Officers once they graduated. Since they both studied Engineering, they asked if they could attend Officer Candidate School. It was unnecessary, but they were given special permission. I have a feeling Bryce worked his voodoo magic. According to Nate, it’s highly uncommon. I felt like an idiot when Bryce explained it to me.”

“Wow, so they’re asking to go into intensive training for twelve weeks?”