vittanos willow (2 page)

the tension that had increased inside her. It had been a constant compa-

nion of hers for the past week, but CJ reassured herself the disquiet

would pass eventually. After a moment, she went to her answering

machine and clicked it on. Listening to her messages as she moved

through the nice, although quaint, one-bedroom dwelling, a smile

crossed her face as she heard a message from each of her brothers.

Sitting down in a chair, she flipped through her mail as she tried

to figure out what she wanted for dinner. The last message, a hang-up,

got her attention and she shivered from a cold chill.

Taking a shower to make the unease, CJ ran over food options in

her head. Still having reached no decision after she was done, dry, and

dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt, she stood in front of her fridge for a

moment. Nothing jumped out at her.

With a huge sigh, she started when the phone rang. Salvation. It

was a friend who wanted to get together for dinner and shopping.

Eagerly, CJ agreed and grabbed her purse and left immediately after

hanging up with her friend, Polly.

Osten pulled into the lot at the beginning of the school day. He

had several appointments with students and didn’t want to be late.

Flipping open his cell when it rang, he answered, “Petty Officer Scole-

ri.”

“Hey, Baby Boy.”

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Aliyah Burke

“Hey, Harrier,” he responded as he climbed out of his car.

“What’s up?” Harrier, aka Lieutenant Commander Scott Leighton, was

the leader of the Megalodon Team, the SEAL team of which Osten was

a member. “Baby Boy” was his nickname in the group.

“Just checkin’ to see how you were doing? Getting ready to get

back to school?” the deep voice teased.

“Actually, I just pulled into the lot. I have a few appointments

this morning for personal interviews with students. My weeks are

filling up; I think I will be here the whole day for most of them.”

“Well, sounds like you would be a wonderful recruiter.”

Osten growled low in his throat. “That’s not even funny. I am

not
recruiter material.”

“Well, if the students get to be too much for you, don’t hesitate

to call us in for backup.”

Osten knew the man would have a sparkle in his blue eyes and a

cheesy grin on his face. “I’ll do that. Do you think Lex would mind?”

“Leave my wife out of this,” the warning came.

“Well, I’d want her at my back,” he sent back. “Then you and

the rest of the Team.”

“Keep me posted,” the order came.

Osten heard a baby crying in the back and grinned. “Will do.

Later, man.” He hung up.

The roar of a powerful engine captured his attention and he

looked up to see that ’Vette pulling into the lot.
Damn, that is a nice car.

Putting on his cover, what civilians called a hat, Osten grabbed his box,

shut the door, and locked his car.

His sharp gaze picked out Abigail approaching him from the

right, so he headed towards the school, his course taking him past the

car and the teacher he had yet to meet.

The obsidian black door swung open and a pair of legs swung

out. Despite the cold, they were bare from the knee down and a deli-

cious shade of toffee, with low-heeled black shoes on their feet. A skirt,

red this time, entered his vision as the owner of those legs climbed fully

out of her car.

She had on her jacket as opposed to carrying it and she bent

over to reach in after her purse and bag. Osten felt his body jump in

reaction to seeing the tight skirt stretched over her firm butt.

When she stood again, she tossed her head, sending her hair fly-

ing around her. Then she shut and locked her vehicle. She turned to her

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17

left and began to step toward the building, but then stopped and looked

back at him.

A grin crossed her face, making Osten freeze. It lit up her face

like nothing he had ever seen before. Well, perhaps once before. Her

face was heart-shaped and her eyes were a light shade of brown and

slightly slanted at the ends. They drew him in. The button nose and full,

plump lips caught his attention more than once as he looked her over.

“Hello,” her cheerful voice said, even as her eyes hardened for a

brief second. Osten would bet she didn’t think anyone would have

noticed, but he wasn’t just anyone.

“Good morning. I don’t believe we’ve…” he trailed off as a strip

of dyed red hair fluttered into her eyes.

“Met?” she finished for him, tucking the hair back behind her

ear.

“CJ?” Osten wondered.

Those eyes narrowed as she looked at him even closer. Her hand

covered her mouth, showing off her polish-free fingernails to him.

“You…you…you were at the car show, Dez’s wedding, and the party to

celebrate Murdock’s birth, right?”

It was Osten’s turn to grin. He flashed her one known to make

knees tremble. “I was. Osten Scoleri.” He glided closer and held out his

hand. “Nice to see you again.”

Taking the hand, CJ smiled once more. “They called you ‘Baby

Boy’, right?”

He flushed. “Yes, ma’am. That’s right.” Reluctantly he released

her hand.

“Well, I have to go, and it looks like your attention is about to be

taken away from me anyway. So I will say ‘goodbye’ for the moment.

Feel free to stop by if you need anything and also, you are more than

welcome to leave your stuff in my room so you don’t have to carry it

back and forth daily. See ya around, Osten.” She waved and walked off

as Abigail approached.

Once inside her classroom with her students working on their

assignment, CJ allowed her mind to run over the meeting this morning.

The man who had stood before her was proud and strong. He wasn’t

much taller than she, but he carried himself in a way that made him

appear so.

His dark hair was cut short, she supposed in some form of regu-

lation style. His eyes were a very dark brown, yet they shone with

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Aliyah Burke

intelligence and more than a smattering of rogue. His lips were firm

and CJ found herself wondering what it would be like to have them

pressed against hers. He had beautiful olive skin that looked natu-

ral…of course, there was only one way to find that out.

His smile had made her knees go weak and the mere touch of

his hand had sent tremors through her body. Why hadn’t she noticed

him more the past times they had met, she didn’t know. Today, howev-

er, she had never wished so much that she was off school property and

alone with that mouthwatering man.

The man was handsome beyond belief. Strong, masculine fea-

tures filled out his face, and the way he filled out that uniform was

sinful. Barely containing a groan, CJ turned her attention back to her

class from the good-looking man she now knew to be a member of an

elite military team, the SEALs.

The woman screamed and screamed until her throat was raw.

The cuffs shackling her chaffed her sensitive ankles raw. Above her a

lone light shone, doing nothing but depressing her further. Shivers

overtook her and she pulled up the musty smelling wool blanket,

grateful at least for its protection against the cold. A dripping sound

from somewhere unknown never ended. There was no hope.

Eyes red from crying looked around the room. A heavy chain ri-

veted into the wall was attached to her. There was an old mattress on

the floor and she had a bucket to use as her bathroom.

At least she was alone for the time being. The horrible man who

had done this to her was brutal when he was there. He would smack

her around a bit and then take her and call out another woman’s name.

T w o

Osten’s stomach rumbled long and low. It was after one in the

afternoon and he had yet to eat anything all day. He groaned with

dismay.

“Hate school that much?” a teasing voice asked from beside

him.

Looking up, Osten was met with the most gorgeous brown eyes

he had ever seen. CJ stood there watching him, wearing a light-green

shirt that offset the color of her skin wonderfully. His body reacted

immediately to her beauty and her scent. It was one he couldn’t identi-

fy; but on her…it was amazing.

Shaking his head he responded, “No, well, I never did like

school, but I am just hungry.” She grinned, showing him a mouth of

straight, white teeth. What a beautiful smile.

“Well, you can join me in my room for lunch. I have extra, un-

less…you had other plans.” She tipped her head to the side and as he

followed her gesture, he saw Abigail approaching.

“I would love to join you.” Standing immediately, Osten moved

to her side. His eyes took in how nice she would fit against him. Chan-

toya Jackson was the perfect height for him.

“Great. Let’s go.” Together they walked into her room. His eyes

took in her space that was full of lab tables. One in the back had some

dishes on it and they sat there.

“What do you teach?” he asked.

“Biology. AP Biology if you want to be technical.” CJ pointed to

a stool. “Grab a seat; just let me get you a plate and some silverware.”

He was impressed. “Wow.” He pulled out a stool and sat on it.

“Thanks,” he said as she set dinnerware in front of him.

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Aliyah Burke

Taking a seat across from him, CJ dished up the food. Fried rice,

egg rolls, and some fresh fruit. “You’re welcome.”

Osten put a bite in his mouth and saw CJ’s eyes narrow briefly.

“Hey, Abigail,” she said.

“CJ. I was just coming to see if Mr. Scoleri wanted to grab a bite

to eat with me.” She pouted. “I guess you beat me to it.”

“Guess so,” CJ mumbled. She and Abigail were merely polite to

one another on a good day.

Refusing to take the hint, Abigail moved further into the room,

her high heels clicking across the floor. “I feel like I am going to slip in

your room. I’m so glad mine has carpet.”

“It’s kind of pointless to have carpet in a lab.” CJ ate a bite of

food and prayed for the patience to deal with her. Her right hand kept

clenching and unclenching in the attempt to control her temper.

“I didn’t know you had met CJ yet,” Abigail said to Osten in a

falsely sweet voice.

“Actually,” he told her, “I have known her for a while now. Two

of our friends just celebrated the birth of their child, and we were both

there.” He placed a pointed look at the woman who had just sat beside

him. “So this is like a ‘getting reacquainted’ type of lunch you are

interrupting.”

CJ choked before she could cover it with a cough. She loved the

dejected look on Abigail’s face. Osten sent her a quick wink before

staring down the blue eyes of Abigail.

“Oh, I see.” She sighed dramatically before placing a hand on

Osten’s uniformed arm. “Well, I want a lunch with you while you are

here.” Her voice was seductive and blatantly offering.

“I’m not sure I can guarantee that. I take things a day at a time,”

his answer fell.

Abigail looked at the woman across from her newest interest.

Her brown skin shone with good health; all-in-all, she would agree that

CJ was very pretty, but no one took a man from her. Especially a black

woman. “I’m sure I will find a way to get you to agree.”

She rose from the stool and sashayed out of the room, not aware

that her exaggerated walk was ignored by the man it was supposed to

entice.

CJ laughed the second she was gone from the room. “Wow! Ab-

igail doesn’t get turned down often. She isn’t pleased.”

He shrugged. “She isn’t my type.” His dark eyes roamed over

her as if seeing what lay beneath her clothes.

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21

Squirming on the stool, CJ was amazed by her body’s reaction to

him. By no means chaste, there really hadn’t been a man to get her body

this wet without doing anything other than talking to her. “Her loss,”

she managed to get out.

“If you say so.” He took a bite of the egg roll. “I prefer my wom-

en a bit more ‘natural,’ as opposed to grossly over advertising them-

selves.” He seemed to understand her mood. “So, have you known Dez

long?”

A genuine smile graced her face as she nodded. “We have

known each other for over twenty years.”

“That’s great.” Osten really liked Dezarae Connelly, the wife of

one of his teammates.

The light chime of a cell phone broke into their lunch. “Excuse

me,” CJ said and went to answer her phone. “CJ,” she spoke.

Osten watched the gamut of emotions that crossed her face. Eve-

rything about her was so expressive. He saw the way she sucked on her

full lower lip while she listened to the person on the other end. Her eye

corners crinkled when she smiled, along with the bridge of her cute

nose.

Sitting in the back of a high school lab room, Osten found him-

self aroused by the natural grace and beauty of the woman with him.

Closing his eyes, he looked away from her. He had to get himself back