Classified (The Elite Book 3) Read online

  My heart thudded hard, but instead of responding, I pressed a kiss to his lips and laid my head back down on the pillow.

  For once in my life, I had no smartass response and no quick answers, because he was right. As far as I was concerned, he did hang the sun, the moon, and all the stars in the sky. That’s the way he made me feel when we were together, and unless someone could prove otherwise, I had a feeling I would forever feel that way about Grant “Panther” Hughes.

  15 Panther

  “SO HOW’D YOU two wind up friends?” Whiplash dipped a couple of fries into the community ketchup in the center of the table and shoved them both in her mouth. Somehow, the four of us—Whiplash, Houdini, Solo, and me—had ended up at a local burger joint after working out for two hours and were now stuffing our faces full of greasy food and milkshakes. That probably negated the workout, but it was worth it because damn, this shit was good.

  “He thought I was a handsome bastard, hit on me, and, sadly, I had to turn him down,” Houdini responded, making me choke on my bite of food.

  I reached for my glass and swallowed down some soda as my eyes watered. When I could speak again, I said, “You’re so full of shit. Tell them how it really happened.”

  Houdini’s lip curled, and as he turned to Whiplash, I braced myself for whatever was going to come out of his mouth.

  “Okay, the truth? We were partnered up in officer training and Panther asked if he could use my long, thick pencil…”

  Solo snorted, and I rolled my eyes. With his blond hair grown out a bit on top since our buzz-down, Houdini was able to run his hand through the longer strands. His eyes damn near twinkled, and he gave me the pretty-boy smile he used to win over the ladies.

  “Then he felt my ass up and told me it was the nicest one he’d ever seen.”

  “Never fucking happened. You didn’t even know I was gay then, dipstick,” I said, grabbing a handful of fries and throwing them across the table at Houdini.

  He picked one off his shirt and popped it into his mouth. Around chews, he said, “Oh, right. Must be thinkin’ of someone else. Although I really do have a hot ass.”

  “No offense to you, Whiplash, but really?” Solo shot her an incredulous look. “You find this asshole attractive?”

  Whiplash leaned away from Houdini and trailed her eyes up and down him. “Eh, I just felt bad I’d shot him down so many times.”

  “In the air?” Solo grinned.

  She laughed. “That too.”

  “Excuse me, I’m sittin’ right here,” Houdini said, waving his hands in the air. “And I let your sweet ass take me down.”

  Whiplash reached for his milkshake and toyed with the straw, pinching it between her fingers and then sliding them up and down. Houdini’s eyes grew large as he shifted in his seat. “Sure you did, darlin’. Sure you did.” Then she took the straw into her mouth in an obscene move that made Solo and me avert our eyes.

  Poor Houdini had been asking for trouble going after the likes of Whiplash, and from the looks of it, she was more than he could handle. I had to admit, that was what I liked about her. That and she was a badass in the cockpit.

  Still, even with the hell we all gave each other, it felt good to be sitting in a booth on what I guessed was something of a double date. Not that I’d ever been part of one, but seeing as I was with Solo and Houdini and Whiplash had something of their own going… That counted, right? It felt nice…normal. Something I’d been missing even though I hadn’t realized it.

  I was out in public on a double date, and not one person was looking our way as if there was something wrong with it.

  Damn, that felt amazing.

  “So do I get a real answer or what?” Whiplash asked, cutting into my thoughts. She’d given Houdini back his milkshake and turned her focus on me, probably expecting I’d give her the truth and not some outlandish sexual innuendo.

  “Well,” I said, “we did meet in officer training, so Houdini was right about that. But as I recall, I’d just watched him strike out with one of the visiting instructors and took him out for a beer to lessen the sting.”

  Houdini cocked his head. “I don’t remember that.”

  “You wouldn’t after getting as shit-faced drunk as you did that night, which was entirely the point.”

  “Nah,” Houdini said, resting his arm along the back of the booth behind Whiplash. “I think ya made that up.”

  “I don’t know,” Solo said as he eyed Houdini. “That sounds more legit than any of the stories you’re trying to tell.”

  Houdini narrowed his eyes on Solo, and it was all I could do not to verbally remind them to play nice. From day one there’d been a protective tension from Houdini where Solo was involved. But now that we were together, I was hoping to show him that what we had was a good thing, that Solo was so much more than a loud mouth and an attitude.

  That was the plan—until, of course, Solo had to go and run his mouth.

  “You’re trying to convince us that Panther hit on you? I mean, if you’re going to tell a lie, at least make it a good one.”

  “And why isn’t that a good one?” Houdini asked.

  “For two glaringly obvious reasons. One, it took Whiplash feeling sorry for your sad ass to actually give in and say yes to a date. And two, Panther didn’t hit on me even though I made his cock hard every time he looked my way. So I highly doubt he was grabbing your ass and playing with your—”

  “Okay, I think we all get the point,” I said, and placed a hand on Solo’s thigh.

  “You sure? If you move your hand a little higher, you could use my pencil to write it all down for your friend here.”

  Whiplash let out a laugh so loud it made others look our way. She leaned across the table to give Solo a high five.

  “Good one.”

  “I thought so,” Solo said as he leaned back in the booth and widened his straddle, fucking tease.

  “Yeah, yeah,” Houdini grumbled as he mirrored Solo’s position. “I was just fuckin’ around.”

  “Well, don’t,” Solo said in a tone that was much more serious than the conversation warranted. “I don’t like the idea of people touching what’s mine.”

  Fuck, okay, that was seriously hot. I shifted on the seat beside him.

  “What’s yours, huh?” Whiplash looked my way. “So this thing you two have going is serious? Not just some fun to blow off steam while we’re all stuck here on base?”

  Like a deer caught in headlights, all thought left my mind. I stared across the table and tried to think of an appropriate response. I knew there was more between us than simple fuck buddies. But since neither of us had actually broached the subject at length, it was difficult to know just how deep our feelings ran, and this was the last place I wanted to have that discussion.

  Solo apparently had no problem discussing it at all. His hand found mine under the table and he drew it up between his spread thighs.

  “Oh, it’s fun, all right, and there’s definitely a lot of blowing going on. And other than kicking your asses at every opportunity I can get, I’d say this is the only other thing in my life I’ve ever taken seriously.”

  Silence fell as Solo leaned over and brushed a kiss across my lips. When he pulled back, I felt a French fry hit my cheek as Houdini groaned.

  “Oh, for the love of God, can you two quit? I’m gonna revisit my lunch.”

  16 Solo

  THE SHOCK ON Panther’s handsome face was worth the risk of putting myself out there and opening up in front of our friends about my thoughts on our relationship. As I settled back into my side of the booth and reached for my burger, I was happy to note that he was still staring at me.

  We’d been skirting around this issue for weeks now, the “are we or are we not more than just a hot roll between the sheets.” While it was pretty obvious that the answer was a resounding yes, neither of us had started the conversation that would officially confirm it.

  It was as if talking about it might somehow change the dynamics
between us, might make one of us—or both of us—feel hemmed in. But fuck that shit. There was no way I could hide how I felt about Panther, and no reason I should. This thing we’d found together was real, scary, and totally amazing, and I wanted him to know just what I was thinking.

  “Well, I think it’s great,” Whiplash said as she chomped down on another fry. “Maybe a little sketchy that the two of you are partners up there and down here. But I have to believe your dicks won’t get in the way of your competitive side.”

  That seemed to get Panther’s attention. His head whipped in her direction, a frown between his brows.

  “Of course it won’t. Is that what people think?”

  Houdini shook his head and took another sip of his milkshake. “Nah. Only that tool Utah, but you already knew that.”

  I nodded as I swallowed my bite of burger. “Yeah, but he’s a fucking idiot, so he doesn’t count.”

  “Agreed,” Whiplash said, and then grimaced as she turned Panther’s way. “How’d your dad take all of this? I did not envy you two that night of the ball. I mean, I was so proud of you both, but shit. I would’ve been pissing my pants having to face down with Captain Hugh—I mean, your father.”

  I couldn’t have said it better myself. That night had been tense. Coming out to not only our fellow trainees but also Panther’s father had been a huge deal. Although that seemed forever ago now, and luckily there’d been no repercussions as far as I was aware.

  “He’s fine,” Panther finally said. “He was shocked, but he just wants what’s best for me.”

  God, I hoped that was true. But since neither of us had seen his father since that night, I was just going to have to take Panther’s word for it. He’d know if his father was on the warpath…right?

  “That’s cool. I mean, what’s he gonna do?” Houdini said, with a raised eyebrow. “Forbid you two to see each other?”

  Panther shook his head, but I could sense he was starting to get uncomfortable with all the personal questions.

  “What about you two?” I said. “Talk about an unlikely hookup. I get there’s limited choices, Whiplash, but even my boy Gooch would’ve been a better option than this guy, don’t you think?”

  Houdini scoffed. “What? Muscle man? I’m surprised he can fit in a cockpit.”

  “Yeah? Well, I’m surprised they let you in one, period.”

  Whiplash eyed the man beside her, a smile on her glossed-up lips, and it was clear from the dopey expression on Houdini’s face who the boss was between these two. “You feeling a little bit ganged up on, lover?” she asked.

  Oh God. Houdini was gonna lose his lunch over Panther and me, but I wasn’t far behind thinking of him in that role.

  A sentiment Panther clearly shared. “If you don’t mind, Whiplash, the last thing I need you to do is get him wound up.”

  She flashed us an unrepentant grin. “Okay,” she said, then turned back to Houdini. “I’ll make it up to you later.”

  I rolled my eyes and looked to Panther as I feigned gagging, and when he grinned, I returned the smile. This felt good, being out with him like this. It felt natural to joke around with Whiplash and Houdini. When I turned back to face them, Whiplash had slipped her hand around her man’s arm.

  “As for your question of why I ended up with Houdini, I find it odd that you, of all people, have to ask.”

  The fuck? Why would I know anything more than anybody else? It wasn’t like I was tallying up Houdini’s good points. Did the guy even have any?

  My expression must have relayed my confusion, because Whiplash started to laugh, a relaxed, easygoing chuckle that made me arch an eyebrow.

  “He’s persistent. I figured if anyone could understand how that could break someone’s walls down, it would be you.” She turned her attention to the man beside me. “It’s also insanely sexy to be so ruthlessly pursued, right, Panther?”

  Panther’s grin was slow and sensual, and holy hell it did insane things to my insides. My heart raced, my stomach flipped, and when he answered, “Oh yeah, totally sexy,” I looked at Whiplash, who was kissing her way along Houdini’s jaw.

  “You two mind taking the rest of this food to go?” Panther squeezed his hand on my thigh, and I added, “Fuck it,” pulled out two twenty-dollar bills, and tossed them on the table. “I don’t need the extra calories.”

  We all slipped out of the booth and headed for the door, getting somewhere in private the only thing on all of our minds now.

  Houdini looked over the hood of his Jeep to where I stood by Panther and his bike. “You two gonna be at the pool party tomorrow night?”

  Panther nodded, and that was all he managed before my mouth was on his and I heard Houdini and Whiplash pulling the doors shut on the car. As they backed out and sped off, I whispered, “Meet you back at base?”

  Panther reached for his helmet. “You bet. Oh, and Solo?”

  “Yeah,” I said as I backed away toward my bike. “Make sure to bring that long, thick pencil of yours. We might need it to make a list of things to buy for that pool party tomorrow.”

  17 Solo

  “I’M GONNA RUN to the store and grab some Heineken for the pool later,” I called out, loud enough that Panther could hear me over the running shower. “Want anything?”

  “Yeah,” he yelled back. “Lube.”

  I smirked as I wrapped my leather band around my wrist and then stuck my head inside the bathroom. “Are we out already? It’s only been two days.”

  Panther pulled open the curtain, and a billow of steam escaped, briefly obscuring the satisfied grin on his face. “Someone’s insatiable.”

  “Mmm,” I said, following the streams of water trailing down his neck. I wanted to lick them. Get him dirty all over again. “Make that two someones.”

  As I stepped into the bathroom, Panther laughed. “You sure you’re going out and not joining me instead?”

  “It’s your fault. You shouldn’t be so fucking tempting.” I brushed my lips against his, the spray behind him misting my hair, but I didn’t give two shits. I’d already showered, but fuck it; I could use another one if that meant rubbing down Panther.

  My phone, of course, chose that moment to ring at top volume, making me groan.

  “Get it,” he murmured, then gave me one last kiss. “Then hurry back.”

  I sighed and reached for the phone in my pocket as I backed away. “I’ll be back in ten minutes.”

  “Sure you will.”

  “Ten. Time me.” I grabbed my sunglasses on the way out as I assured Gucci over the phone that I’d make sure to grab some extra limes for the pool party—something that was beginning to be a weekly occurrence with the other trainees.

  It was a two-minute walk to the store, and it didn’t take much longer for me to scrounge up the few items I needed. Beer, limes, lube. If that didn’t scream I’d be having a good time later, I didn’t know what would.

  As I finished tying off the bag of limes so they wouldn’t go flying everywhere, I heard a throat clear behind me. “Lieutenant Morgan.”

  My spine stiffened. You’ve got to be kidding me. I set the limes in the cart and slowly turned around to see Panther’s father standing there, immaculately dressed, as always, even on a day off, his gaze on the items in my cart.

  Great. Under any other circumstances, I wouldn’t be ashamed in the slightest, but I was more than aware of my delinquent status in Captain Hughes’s eyes, so adding alcohol and five bottles of lube to corrupt his son with? Definitely winning him over.

  But I gave him an easy smile anyway, because he hadn’t made a scene at the Navy Ball, and Panther hadn’t been disowned. Both of those things were progress in my book. “Captain Hughes. Good to see you. Out shopping for you and the missus?” See, we could have a casual chat. Maybe the old man was coming around to the idea of our relationship.

  Or, I thought as his eyes narrowed, maybe not.

  “Is Grant here?”

  “He’s back at base in my room. His room,” I cor
rected myself quickly, though I wasn’t fooling anyone.

  “Fine. It’s you I’d like to talk to.” Captain Hughes folded his arms across his chest, and I prepared myself for whatever would be launched my way. From the tight set of his mouth, I guessed it wasn’t anything good. “Do you think you’re right for my son?”

  “It doesn’t matter what I think. It’s what he thinks.”

  “So you’d agree with me, then, that you’re not an ideal partner?”

  No fucking shit. “I don’t think I’d be your first choice, no.”

  “And why is that?”

  Suddenly feeling defensive, I crossed my arms, mimicking his pose. “Why don’t you tell me?”

  “Grant has been at the top of every class he’s ever been in. He may think differently, but it’s not my name that’s gotten him to this point. He’s got the talent and work ethic to take him wherever he wants to go.”

  “You don’t have to tell me that. I see it every day.” Where the hell was he going with this?

  “Then why would you let him risk it all?”

  The comment should’ve offended me, but I couldn’t help but laugh. “Let him? I love that you assume I have the power to let Panther do anything. You should know your son better than to think he’d need anyone’s permission to do what he wants.”

  Captain Hughes broke eye contact, looking away. “I thought I did.”

  “But you don’t trust his judgment now? Because of me?”

  His jaw twitched, and I realized I’d hit the nail on the head. It wasn’t a surprise to know he didn’t approve—hell, he hadn’t wanted us to even be flight partners—but it still stung.

  “Look, I get it. You don’t like my reputation. You think I’m reckless and that I don’t care about anyone but myself. And yeah, maybe you would’ve been right a couple of months ago. But I care about Pan—Grant. I wouldn’t do anything to hurt him.”

  “Maybe not intentionally.” His eyes met mine again, and I saw it. Behind the seemingly uncaring facade, there was a flicker of worry. “What do you suppose will happen after graduation?”