pals in the army, Blade had his share of struggles trying to find his way after leaving active duty. He knew all about PTSD and all that came with it. There was the survivor guilt – yes, he definitely had a large bout of that. Also, there was all the constant reliving of the trauma in his dreams. That too, didn’t look like it would go away soon.
“Maybe you don’t want to talk about it,” Makayla put in wryly when the silence stretched too long. “I mean, most of what you did must be top secret anyway. I know enough about covert military operations to tell that it’s not something you can simply chat about to just anybody.”
“No; it’s okay,” Blade said quickly, his hand shooting out to cover hers. Makayla stiffened and looked down in surprise at his hand, but didn’t pull away.
Only when he felt her relax did Blade retrieve his hand. “You’re right; most of what I did isn’t exactly a fun conversation piece, certainly not at dinner. Suffice to say that being a soldier was the greatest experience I’ve had. It was my life for ten years. I loved every minute of it. It was all I wanted to do since I was fifteen years old. Take down the bad guys. Win battles for my homeland. I’m glad I was able to do all I set out to do, even though it came at a price.”
Makayla frowned with concern. “Were you injured?”
“Only here…and here,” he said, pointing to his heart and head, with a rueful smile. When she smiled back, though tentatively, Blade felt his chest swell. What was she doing to him? She had him ready to open up to her, because she looked like a woman who could handle the truth, and would understand.
But he had no inclination to burden Makayla Stiles with his issues. He had a therapist for that.
“I’m almost afraid to ask if you mean that figuratively or not,” she murmured, though her eyes were dancing as she tried to make light of the somewhat gloomy topic. “Maybe you’d like to know what I do? I can assure you it’s no way as exciting as your former job.”
He chuckled, glad that she’d switched gears. It turned out his assumptions about her occupation weren’t too much off the mark. She was very much the corporate princess with her MBA from Columbia and her job in management consulting. She worked as an analyst for one of the top global professional service firms, and Blade couldn’t help but be impressed.
“Beauty and brains,” he noted admiringly, as he lifted his glass of wine to her in salute. “A very fetching combination in a woman.”
She smiled, though wryly. “You would think so, right? However, half of the single dudes out there are intimidated by my drive, while the other half believe that because I’m a black female, I’d do anything to get ahead in my career. Not that I’ve ever needed to.”
“I think the sensible men out there know a good woman when they see one. I for one cannot believe you haven’t been snapped up by some lucky guy.”
Makayla’s eyes were dancing over the rim of the wineglass at her lips. “Maybe I’m picky,” she said at last. “I’m not about to fall for just anyone.”
Blade nodded sagely, his own gaze equally teasing as it pinned to hers. “And with that right person, the idea of falling won’t be a bad prospect at all, will it?”
“So true,” she murmured, placing the glass down as she imperceptibly leaned closer. It took Blade a second to realize she was simply mirroring his own gesture, his body already slanted in her direction, his face inches from hers.
Collecting himself, he snapped back, blinking. Somewhere along the line, he’d been just about primed to close in for a kiss with Makayla. It had felt natural, seamless, to simply move his head a certain way and bring her lips in position to be claimed.
Was he crazy? Or was he just plain reckless? His step-sister Gina trusted him or she wouldn’t have suggested he stay a few days in her home while he looked around for a place of his own. The very last
John Steinbeck, Susan Shillinglaw