Rising Tomorrow (Roc de Chere Book 1) by Mariana Morgan (essential reading txt) 📕

and he looked at her askance, but the Elite woman didn’t volunteer any further information. As if nothing had happened between them, she extricated herself from his embrace and left the room.

Rivas sighed when the door closed and put his hands in the pockets of his trousers to arrange himself. It had been a while since he’d had the opportunity to be so close to a woman.

CHAPTER 42

Roc de Chere

Lac d’Annecy

Afro-European Alliance

Tuesday 28 April 2725

DAY 9

Straight from the medical room, Ingram walked into the kitchenette, hoping to catch Captain Palmeiro before he headed out into VR. As soon as Palmeiro looked at her, she tilted her head, indicating the door. She wasn’t really trying to be subtle, and nor was she trying to hide her mood with her facial expression or attitude. She was pissed. And determined to see some heads roll.

Palmeiro stood without a word and obeyed her silent instruction to follow her. He didn’t turn to look at the two sergeants, who were also finishing their hasty meals, but he knew they exchanged a look behind his back. It was impossible to hide any quarrels, however small, in such a confined space.

There was a part of him that hated his childishness. It was hard to resist acting on it, but he knew he hadn’t even tried during the briefing. He winced internally, regretting his lack of self-control as Ingram led him into the VR lab. His spoilt Elite birth virtually guaranteed that his career wouldn’t take a step back if he occasionally acted like an irresponsible little prick, but that didn’t mean he enjoyed being reminded he was acting like an irresponsible little prick.

Especially not by a fucking Leech sergeant.

His feeling of unease both intensified and eased off when Ingram closed the door behind them. On the one hand, she was prepared to be discreet about the tongue-lashing she was about to administer. On the other, he had just disrespected her repeatedly in public and her restraint at chewing him out in front of others only underscored that she wasn’t suffering from his bitter, childish urges. Fuck her.

‘Do you want to be out of the MIS with a review so bad that only some forsaken outpost in Scandinavia will have you?’ she asked bluntly, as usual going straight to the point.

‘You know I don’t!’ he blurted out, annoyed that she would even consider such an empty threat. ‘And you know it would never happen,’ he added defiantly. No way anyone would risk pissing off his family. He wouldn’t even have to ask for a favour. Someone would volunteer.

‘Try me,’ she replied. Her fiery, cold eyes pinned him until he shifted uneasily under her stern gaze.

She looked magnificent with that fire in those dark green eyes, slightly out breath, her dark hair in stylish disarray.

Damn, why do I find this intimidating woman so freaking hot? The fact that Ingram bore not even a passing physical resemblance to Toscano didn’t make any difference. No matter the colour of her eyes, that fire was always there. Part of me wants to strangle her for her sheer, unstoppable success; another part hates her for what an unforgiving bitch she can be, but really she’s just so damn hot I can’t keep it down when I think about her.

‘Thank you, ma’am. I’ll pass,’ he replied obediently, almost against his will.

He had no doubt that both she and Gonzalez would try to do just that if he fucked up for real. And fucking up in the field was definitely not on his agenda. Even dicking around when not out on a mission no longer seemed fun.

‘Then pull your shit together.’ She carefully emphasised every word. ‘The colonel is not going to tolerate such an attitude, and next time he grills me to find out what your problem is I might just make sure you’re in for a long fall.’

‘Did you spread your legs for the colonel?’ he asked, recovering some of his cocky attitude. It was amazing how quickly he could bounce back from meek obedience to his usual feistiness when he felt he could gain the upper hand.

He had enjoyed months of warm friendship with the then Captain Toscano before he made a move to push their relationship to a new level. He didn’t know any sensitive information about her, didn’t know about Molina Ortega and her Leech past, but he was a clever bastard who knew her too well for her comfort. And he certainly knew how to piss her off.

‘Do you still spread your legs for him?’ he persisted.

A mean punch twisted his head to one side, and his eyes watered. He swore. A distant part of his mind noticed with surprise that he hadn’t heard anything crack. But then again, the bitch is too skilled to bust my nose properly unless she means to. Which doesn’t make the pain any less annoying.

Again, just what the hell do I find so hot about her?

‘Neither I nor the colonel sleeps around with fellow Elite officers. Suggest as much to him and you’ll be lucky if you’re still standing afterwards.’

‘What about Leeches, do you sleep with those?’ he asked, the words slightly distorted by his rapidly swelling nose. Instinctively he tensed his muscles, ready to block her next punch, but nothing came. Ingram only stared at him.

Something in her wished he would be foolish enough to take a swing at her. She would at least have the perfect excuse to finally find an outlet for the frustration and anger she had been feeling, but Palmeiro wasn’t an idiot. They used to spar often, and regardless of how much he trained, he usually ended up being the one dragging his ass off the mat, his body covered in bruises. Somehow, he doubted she would be more charitable when pissed off.

‘This topic is closed,’ she announced coldly. ‘You want to dick around when this mission is over, you know where to find me, and I will be happy to kick your ass