Confusion swept over him as he looked at me with piqued curiosity, but I didn't say anything further. I simply patted him on the shoulder and motioned for him to go on his way. He didn't say another word, instead strolling outside and lighting up his cigarette.

He was right. We did normally pick out an example and go ape shit on them, but where Bennett was concerned, that shit had rubbed me raw and pissed me off.

Staring at my watch, I realized I only had about ten minutes left of the fifteen minute break normally allotted to the students. I stepped into my office and slammed the door shut, throwing my cover on the desk and yelling out my frustrations. Perspiration coated my face as I ran my hands over it, trying to figure out a sensible way to drain the pent up aggression raging inside of me.

Sitting down in my chair, I blew out an exasperated breath while thoughts of Bennett came crashing back into my mind with the force of a wrecking ball. How this girl had mind fucked me with one brief encounter was beyond me. Ever since the day I swore into the Corps, nothing and no one, with the exception of family, had ever come before it. The shit they preached to you in bootcamp about the guy to the right and left of you being your brother was taken to heart. I would gladly take a bullet for any of these motherfuckers, and believed wholeheartedly in everything the Corps laid out before us.

Bennett challenged those beliefs and placed me between a rock and a hard place.  On one end, the rules mattered. They kept order in an often unorganized world, but on the other end, the rules were a roadblock to a very enticing prize at the end of a very winding road. They were the stern warning given to a dog who's just had a bone placed before him and told not to touch. Bennett was the warning that I didn't want to heed.

Looking down at my watch, I sat up, patiently awaiting composure to take hold of my body. There was no way I was going back into that classroom with my cock throbbing and mind wandering. After straightening my uniform, I walked out to the bathroom, leaning over to splash some cold water over my face. A cold shower would have been a much better choice, but the face splash was all I could accomplish at the moment.

I grabbed a few paper towels, wiping and drying off my face and hands, when Jensen walked in, stopping at the urinal. He finished his piss, then made his way over to the sinks, washing his hands while looking at me through the mirror.

"Have you fucked her?" he asked, putting me on guard with the high level of bite in his tone. He didn't look away after asking the question.

"That's none of your fucking business, Brandon."

He grabbed a few paper towels and dried his hands, turning to face me with pure malice in his eyes.

"It's my fucking business when it brings chaos into the schoolhouse. You understand better than most why these rules are put in place. You were the last person I ever thought I’d have to watch over when it came to shit like this."

"You don't need to watch over shit when it comes to me. I'm just fine," I hissed, growing more annoyed with every word he spoke.

"You sure about that? Because I can't remember that last time our lead instructor flirted with one of his students, set up field day failures to get near her, and fell asleep on the job.  You'd have someone's rank for falling asleep on duty. It's not like you, Alex"

"Like I've already said, there is nothing to fucking worry about," I grumbled, glaring at him before walking towards to the exit door.

"I'm just letting you know I won't stand by and lie about this shit."

I stopped just as my hand was grasping the knob.

"What did you say?"

"I won't lie about it. If a senior asks about this shit, I will not dishonor myself or my service. The Corps is bigger than one man."

My eyes dimmed as I walked back in his direction, stopping just before him.

"There won't be shit to tell because nothing has happened," I coldly responded, glaring my icy stare at him.

 In body size, Jensen was my equal, so he showed no signs of being intimidated. We stood for what felt like a lifetime, staring at one another, willing the other to back down. With two alpha males in the same room, standing on opposite sides of the issue, the air was beginning to go stale.

"Let's just keep it that way," Jensen said, finally breaking the showdown before striding out.

All of my earlier attempts at putting my jumbled nerves on ice were completely thwarted. If it was this obvious for Jensen, then others must have noticed as well. It shocked me when that thought sprung to mind, but I couldn't find a fuck to give. Getting a taste of Bennett felt like a mission that I had to complete, and unfortunately for me, missions required a certain level of precision to attain, and I never abandoned one.

Ever.

On my way back to the classroom, Castillo stopped me, worry clouding her eyes as she stood before me.

"You alright, Cruz?"

"Just fine," I answered, not wanting to get into this with anyone else.

"Well hey, I know you've got duty tonight, I was thinking about skipping Coyotes. I can drop off dinner or something." A smile touched her lips, making me relax the rigidly held muscles in my face that had formed into a tight scowl.

"You really don't have to do that. I can manage."

She smiled again, this time larger.

"I know you can manage. Call it returning the favor. I owe you dinner, from our last date."

She smiled again, patting my shoulder as she walked by. We hadn't been on any dates, so I wasn't quite sure where that shit had come from.

My eyes followed her out of the courtyard, landing on Bennett not too far away—she had heard our conversation. The look on her face punched me in the gut, turning my stomach and making me weak. She looked at me with contempt in her eyes, and for the girl who I was ready to risk it all for, that was the last way I wanted her to see me. I wasn't about to let her slip through my fingers before I‘d even gotten the chance to have them explore her.

 "Stay in tonight," I told her after casually making my way over to her. I didn't know what was going through her mind, but I was sick of fucking around with mine.

She looked at me, albeit briefly, then turned for the walkway as if nothing had ever even happened. I knew every time I got too close to her it was a reckless move, but I felt like I was losing ground. I needed her to know that I wasn't just having lewd thoughts about her; I wanted her. Even with the rules and consequences laid out before us, I was willing if it meant both of us getting to fulfill the ache that lay inside. I didn't want her giving that Dalton kid, or Castillo for that matter, another fucking thought, and by brazenly taking her and showing her that I meant business, I was pretty confident that I would accomplish my goal. 

Chapter 8

Cassie

Sgt. Cruz must have thought I was a fucking idiot.

As much as Angelica infuriated me, she hadn’t been lying when she said she'd seen them together having dinner. Why would I have thought any differently? The way he’d come on to me at Coyotes could only mean he was aggressive in his confidence, and while he was intoxicatingly good looking, that confidence led me to believe that he had bedded plenty of women, so why would I be any different? He wanted in my pants from the moment he saw me. That wasn't the characteristic of a guy who wants to have a relationship.

The best part of all of this was that we hadn't gone too far, so my disgust with him would make it easier to avoid any more compromising situations. My focus should have been on passing this course and getting out and into a unit, not worrying about my instructor trying to fuck me, then turning around and fucking his co-worker. I don't know where I’d let my mind go, but it was time to reign it back in. Thinking about Cruz nonstop was taking its toll on me. My studies were being neglected, and it had showed in today's test. I couldn't think straight. My mind was all over the place, except for where it needed to be.