Special Forces: Operation Alpha: Awakening Aubrey (Kindle Worlds Novella) (Jack 'Em Up Book 7) (2 page)

Jude

Fletch’s buddy, Coach, came by early the next morning with his truck to help us get the Charger towed over to my garage. Quiet and reserved, I caught him assessing me with a penetrating stare. He didn’t flinch when I met his gaze, just continued to measure me.

I tilted my head in acknowledgement, but got back to work. I had no idea what he saw when he looked at me—just some Hispanic dude who loved his mama’s tamales, a fellow soldier, or some nebulous combination of both—or if he found me lacking in some way, but his expression gave nothing away.

“I’m starving,” Fletch said as the three of us somehow managed to get the stubborn car off the tow chain and settled on the lift. Obviously, there were issues with the brakes and steering, and we were lucky as fuck we got it the few feet we did.

“Me, too.” That was the most I’d heard from his friend all morning.

I checked my watch. “When will your friend be here?”

Fletch chugged from his water bottle then offered me and Coach one. “Not sure. Lunchtime, maybe?”

“We getting started on the car right away?”

“I hope so.”

I nodded. “I’ll order pizza.”

“Cool.”

After I ordered lunch, we leaned against the Charger’s bumper and stared out into the sunny street as he told me about his buddy, Micah. I held back a half-hearted grumble when he said he was a Marine.

“Nah. He’s cool,” Fletch said with a laugh. “Met him in Kandahar.” He and Coach exchanged a brief, knowing glance, telling me there was a story there that they couldn’t share. “He was a tank gunner. He also played a mean game of cards and worked out like a fiend with our other friend, Creed—” He looked to Coach. “Remember Asher Creed? Infantry Senior Sergeant? Big guy, almost as big as Truck?”

Coach sipped his water bottle thoughtfully. “That the one Ghost kept trying to recruit?”

Fletch shot me a quick look. “Yeah. That’s the one.”

I said nothing. Don’t ask, don’t tell or whatever. Why they wanted to recruit this Asher Creed guy was not my business.

“Now that you mention it, I think I saw him at the gym. Is he here for some training on base?”

Wow, Coach was getting downright chatty. Maybe I’d passed inspection.

Fletch turned to him. “That stealthy fucker’s in town and didn’t call?”

Coach shrugged. “I’m pretty sure it was him.”

Before Fletch could respond, a huge white diesel truck pulled up to the curb and a guy nearly as dark-skinned as me slid out.

Fletch immediately headed over and they shook hands with a slap on the back. “Good to see you, dude.”

“You, too, bro. It’s been too long.”

Another guy ambled out and joined them and they headed toward the garage with Fletch. “Coach, Cortez, this is Micah Christian and his friend . . .”

“Blake Travers,” Micah supplied as we all shook hands.

Blake offered his hand as well. “Good to meet you.”

Fletch’s grin was ear-to-ear. “Thanks for coming up. I really appreciate it.”

“I told you in Afghanistan. Anything you need.”

Fletch and Coach acknowledged him with silence, but it still spoke a thousand words of brotherhood.

“So, let me show you the car,” Fletch finally said, turning for the garage.

“Sure. One sec.” Micah loped over to the truck and poked his head in the open window. “Hey, Red. You awake in there?”

A long moment later, the door opened slowly. One long, ivory leg slid out, then another, followed by a petite little body and a mane of the curliest, reddest hair I’d ever laid eyes on. The sunshine hit her head like a match to a wick, lighting her in a halo of fire. She was the most breathtaking thing I’d ever seen. I swallowed as my groin tightened and my heart began to thud like a kid getting his first look at a Playboy.

Sleepy, dark brown eyes met mine as they came our way. A shy smile lit her face.

“Guys, this is Aubrey. She’s our buddy’s sister-in-law and she works at the shop. She came along to help. Aubrey, these are the guys.”

I know my jaw must’ve hit the ground, but I was floored. By the shock on Coach and Fletch’s faces, I wasn’t the only one stunned.

Coach got it together first and nodded in acknowledgment as Fletch said hello and introduced them both.

That left me.

She faced me head-on, her full lips fighting a smile. “And who are you?”

“Jude,” I managed. “Cortez.”

“This is his place,” Fletch provided, steering everyone deeper into the garage. “He’s doing me a favor and letting us use his space.”

Blake whistled. “Nice digs, man.”

I ripped my eyes away from Aubrey’s ass in her little white shorts. “Thanks. The rest of the house isn’t much, but the old guy I bought it from was a mechanic and he built this garage so he could work from home.”

Micah took it all in while Aubrey went straight for the car. “A ’68, right?” She glanced up from admiring the lines like a true car lover.

“Yup.” Fletch joined her as the others milled around, and they began talking shop.

I swear, if there were such a thing as love at first sight, I’d fallen headlong and irrevocably into it right then. Not only was this girl smokin’, but she apparently knew the ins and outs of big block engines and torque ratios. Un-fucking-believable.

She glanced my way once or twice, but I couldn’t be sure if she was being polite and trying to include me in the conversation, or if she sensed my growing obsession.

A couple hours later, after pizza and making a game plan for the car, the guys wandered over to Fletch’s place to meet the family, leaving me and Aubrey alone. I hesitated to approach her, she looked so quiet and thoughtful, as she leaned against the garage door, staring out at the setting sun. The lighting turned her hair into sexy licks of flame and my fingers itched to touch, to find out if it was as silky soft as it looked.

She must’ve felt my stare and glanced my way. “This is a great setup you have here.”

I stepped closer. “Thanks.”

“So, you’re in the Army with those other guys?”

I moved even closer, tucking my hands into my pockets. “Yes, I’m in the Army, but I don’t work with them. I’m an MP. They’re . . . I’m not exactly sure what they are.” Though I had a pretty good idea.

“MP?”

“Military police.”

“Oh.” She raked me up and down with heat in her gaze, a flush riding her cheeks.

“And you? You work in their auto shop?”

“Yes. Part-time while I’m in school. My sister is married to one of their partners. He’ll be up in a couple of days.”

The way she lit up when talking about her family warmed my heart and made me think of my own. I acknowledged her words with a nod then faced the sun with her to get myself together. I barely knew this woman, but I’d never had such an automatic, visceral reaction to someone before. It was like my heart was trying to rip free of my chest and crash into hers, as if it just found its home. Stupid, yes, but also very fucking true.

“Are you planning on staying with the guys the entire time?” I hated how desperate that sounded, but I was dying to know and to spend more time with her.

She peered at me in the softening light and I caught a hint in her dark eyes that maybe, just maybe, she felt some of this connection that was eating me alive. “Yes. I’m on summer break from school right now, so I’m here to help however I can.” She smiled. “Plus, how could I turn down a hotel room all to myself, a Jacuzzi tub, and room service?”

I swallowed at the thought of all that ivory skin in a Jacuzzi tub. What the hell was wrong with me? But the soft lilt of her voice sucked me in and I loved how it belied her obvious tomboy tendencies. I just wanted to keep her talking so I could bathe in it. “What are you studying?”

“Business.”

“Where are you going to college?”

“I’m doing an online program so I can work and go to school.”

Smart, determined, and independent. I wondered if she liked
carne guisada
.

She looked at me like I was crazy when I asked. “I don’t know,” she finally said. “I’ve never had it. Why?”

“You’ve never had it?”

Her laugh was rich and smoky and rode my veins like fine tequila. “No. Am I missing out?”

“You are, especially if you haven’t had my mom’s. It’s melt-in-your-mouth perfection.” Much like I imagined she’d be.

“Wow . . .”

“Cortez!” Fletch shouted from across the yard.

I glanced over. “Yeah?”

“We were thinking we’d grab a case of beer and get crackin’ on the car tonight. You mind?”

“Sounds good.” I faced Aubrey again, noticing the sprinkling of freckles across her nose and cheeks. “You staying?”

“Wouldn’t miss it.” She focused on the guys as they crossed back our way. “I just need one of them to run me back to the hotel so I can change.”

I took in her white shorts and peach tank top. Not exactly mechanic clothing, but seriously perfect. “I’ll take you.”

Aubrey

My stomach took a nosedive when Jude offered to drive me to the hotel. Sure, I’d been around hot guys before, but there was just something about him. It was more than his dark, good looks (though he was delicious) or the idea of him in a uniform. No. Something in the depths of his eerily light amber eyes drew me in like a moth to the flame and I wasn’t sure how to handle that. He made me nervous and giddy and exhilarated all at once, and I’d just met him. It was a new and overwhelming feeling.

I met Micah’s gaze as he approached. “Everything good over here?”

I smiled to answer his unspoken question. Jude had my body firing on all circuits, but he’d been nothing but a gentleman. “All good. Just ready to get started on this baby.” I hiked my thumb over my shoulder toward the Charger.

Micah studied me a beat longer, then Jude. I saw the clear appraisal and warning in his glare, and while I appreciated the guys being protective of me, it was frustrating. I was a grown woman and they’d managed to scare off my last two boyfriends with their stony glares and third degrees. Well-meaning or not, that needed to stop. Now.

I purposely stepped into Jude’s personal space and touched his forearm. “Jude’s gonna drive me over to the hotel to change into my work clothes.” I smiled up into Jude’s stunned face. “Ready?”

I didn’t give anyone a chance to say one protective word as I drug him out of the garage, toward the Trans Am I assumed to be his. “You have your keys?” I asked quietly once we were out of earshot.

He patted his pockets. “Uh, yeah.”

“Great.”

I opened the passenger-side door and slid in, the warm leather melting around my body as even warmer air filled my lungs.

He rounded the hood and got in to start the engine and crank the AC. The powerful thrum under the hood was music to my ears as he gunned the accelerator and pulled away from the curb.

“Where to?” he asked once we left his neighborhood.

I gave him the name of our hotel that was only a couple of miles away and leaned my head back on the headrest. “Thank you.”

“For what?”

I rolled my head to face him. “For getting me out of there. I love those guys, but sometimes they’re so overprotective.”

His mouth tipped up in a lopsided smile. “Who can blame them?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

He shot me an
are you serious
look. “You’re a beautiful young woman whose part of their family. Of course they want to protect you. I feel the same way about my little sister.”

“You have a little sister?”

“I do. Bianca. She’s sixteen going on thirty and way too pretty for her own good.” He glanced my way. “I get why they worry about you.”

I digested his words. He’d called me beautiful like it was common knowledge. I didn’t have a self-image problem, but no man had ever told me I was pretty who wasn’t related or trying to get in my pants.

I blushed.

Maybe he was trying to get in my pants. I peeked at his muscled forearms. That wouldn’t be so bad.

We pulled into the hotel parking lot and I slid my key out of my back pocket. “Wanna come up?”

Wary eyes shot my way.

I laughed. “Don’t worry. I’m not going to take advantage of you or anything.”

He shook his head but killed the engine. “That’s not what I was worried about.”

“What?”

“Nothing.” He stepped out and followed me into the lobby, the cool air greeting us with a rush at the front door.

I felt him watching me as we waited for the elevator and I wondered if he liked what he saw or if this intense reaction was mine alone. I chanced a peek his way. His eyes drifted up from my lips to meet my gaze. Heat flooded my cheeks when he banked a knowing half-smile.

The elevator doors slid open and we moved inside, where I pressed the button for my floor. The doors closed and it suddenly hit me that I was totally alone and shooting flirty glances at a total stranger who was big enough to overpower me. Yet, somehow, I knew he wouldn’t do that. Strong as he was, he’d already shown me his soft side, talking about his little sister and his mother’s cooking. Jude Cortez was a family man and a sweetie. A sexy sweetie.

Our hands brushed as he took the key card silently from my hand and opened the door for me, holding it open while I stepped inside. I waited to see if he would follow, but he stood hesitantly at the threshold.

“I won’t bite,” I coaxed.

“I know.” His voice was gravelly and uncertain.

“Come on in. It’ll only take me a minute to change.”

Still, he didn’t move.

“Jude.”

Nearly translucent eyes flashed to mine.

“It’s fine.”

He slowly entered, his body language uncomfortable as he closed the door behind us. “I don’t want your friends to kick my ass.”

I stifled my laugh as I scrounged through my duffel for my grungy coveralls. “They won’t kick your ass. They’re more bark than bite, trust me.”

He shoved his fists into his pockets. “I’d rather not test that theory if they think I’ve done anything inappropriate here.”

I frowned at him. Was he saying he wasn’t interested in anything inappropriate? Stupid thought, but I really, really wanted him to want me. Even if nothing could come of it. I brushed past him to lock myself in the bathroom, but he grabbed my arm, stopping me in my tracks.

I glared up into his dark face and found myself lost in the obvious heat of his gaze. He licked his lips. “I don’t want you to be uncomfortable either.”

My gaze tracked down to his mouth. “I’m not.”

Slowly, he released me. “Good.”

I slipped away and closed the bathroom door. I stared at myself in the mirror and took in my pink cheeks, my wide, glistening eyes. On a shaky breath, I stripped out of my traveling clothes and pulled on an old white T-shirt and my coveralls. I brushed my unruly curls into a tight ponytail, then on a whim, spritzed myself with a quick squirt of body spray.

I found Jude at the wide window, staring down at the parking lot. He spun when he heard me, his eyes tracking over my body. I brushed a hand down my thighs. “What? Never seen a girl in work clothes before?”

“No.”

“Really?”

A dimple showed when he grinned. “Never. I like it.”

“Huh.” I tossed my clothes on the bed. “Well, I think that’s a first. Most people just think I’m one of the guys.”

His eyes lit with a feral gleam. “You’re definitely not one of the guys.”

I said nothing as we made our way back down to the car, but my heart was threatening to beat itself right out of my chest. Jude Cortez was unlike any man I’d ever met before, and he was stoking a wildfire deep in my body. God. I was in lust.

~ ~

All lust and hormones and wayward thoughts were quickly forgotten once we got to work on the Charger. Micah, Blake, and I worked in our usual tandem, while Fletch and Jude helped out, pitching in wherever they could.

Blake swiped his forearm along his brow. “Fuck, man. You towed her from next door?”

“Yeah,” Fletch answered. “Was a little rough. Why?”

Blake’s eyes got round as eggs. “Well, looks like your brakes are seized and the steering’s shot to shit. You’re one lucky son-of-a-bitch that it got this far.” He rubbed a hand through his short hair, studying the car. “You’re leaving in a month for your next mission?”

Fletch offered him a drink. “Yeah.” He glanced at the engine. “That bad, huh?”

“Well, yes and no. We can have Jesse bring the flatbed out with him to tow it down to the shop, but I’d feel better if we got some of the safety stuff worked out first.” His gaze was thoughtful as he studied the car. “The body looks good at first glance, but we need to give the frame a thorough once-over to make sure it’s sound, then we’ve got to fix the brakes and steering. Minimum.”

I silently agreed as I caressed the straight body with my fingertips. We’d learned the hard way that sometimes looks can be deceiving. A straight, beautiful body could hide a dilapidated, twisted frame that would be nothing but a money pit. Better safe than sorry.

Fletch eyed his car with affection. “Do what you gotta do, man. I’ll cover your hotel and expenses for however long it takes.”

“You’re sure, man?” Micah asked. “Those things may eat up the entire month before you leave, even working our asses off.”

Fletch nodded. “I’m sure. I’ve got some cash saved up for this project and I want her done right the first time.”

Blake nodded then he, Fletch, and Micah huddled around a notepad to work out the game plan. I knew enough to know we had our work cut out for us, but I wasn’t sure exactly how long it would take.

I caught a glimpse of Jude bent over, studying the underside of the frame and I silently prayed it would take every bit of the next month.