Alpha Bravo Team Ch. 03

Mia's fist slammed down on the alarm clock, cutting off the shrill warbling sound that would wake her no matter what condition she was in every morning. She sat on the edge of her bed, running her hands through her dark hair before forcing herself up. A yawn caught her by surprise and she shook her head. She pulled on skin-tight lycra pants and pulled a jogging bra over her head. Then she gathered her thick locks up into a ponytail and headed out of her room.

Her running shoes were in the front closet and she quickly slipped them on, tying them tightly. She grabbed her cell phone off its charger and shoved it into the zippered pocket in her pants. It was still dark outside when she opened her front door. She waved at the boy on his bike that was delivering the paper, snagging hers and tossing it on the side table by her door. Then she did some warming up, stretching out her shoulders as well as her legs, admiring the bruise she'd gotten last night, before hitting her stride on her third step.

The first of the morning birds sang to her as she jogged through her neighborhood. It was one of her most favorite time of days, this solitary run. The repetitive nature of her stride, the smack of the sole of her shoes striking the concrete was very soothing. It let her think; it gave her time to breathe, to think through things that might be bothering her. And right now something was definitely bothering her.

His name was Aidan Hunter. In some ways, even the thought of his name made her feet slam down even harder and the easy count of her breathing grow rough. Thoughts of his golden eyes, their heat on her legs yesterday when she'd changed into her fatigues; well that was only half of it. The way his hand had felt against her skin was something she'd been fighting to forget all night. Aidan was a playboy. He didn't have a serious bone in his body and he was definitely a little more alpha male than she wanted to deal with.

Sweat was pouring off of her body and she ran in place as a stop light held her up. Two more joggers caught up to her there while she waited for the light to change. One was one of those men that drive women nuts just because they think they are god's sweetest gift to women. He tried to interest her in conversation and didn't take it too well when he didn't get a reply. She took off when the light changed, quickly out-running the jerk. She shrugged off the disruption, running her usual paths.

She finished in record time, sprinting the last quarter mile and running into her house. Feral, her shepherd, met her by the front door, his long, thick tail wagging. "Hey boy," she said quietly, scratching his head and walking through the living room and into the kitchen to let him out the back door, into the fenced in yard. He did his business then raced around the trees, barking at the small brown squirrels that chattered back at him.

"You idiot," she said with a soft laugh. He didn't seem to even notice her words, barking happily up at the racing squirrels. "I'm not waiting for you to catch one, Feral. I've got to go into work." He barked once at her and then continued to race around the yard.

Mia left the back door open knowing that Feral could open the screen door and let himself in when he was finally ready to admit defeat. She headed back toward the bathroom to grab a shower before heading into work.

The hot water felt fantastic as it streamed through her hair and down her slender curves. She grabbed her favorite shampoo, lathering it through her long locks, enjoying the fragrance. Tipping her head back into the water, she let it wash through, the suds sliding off of her hair and running down her body. For a minute, with her eyes closed, her head back, she could imagine someone else's hands moving over her skin, fingers tripping magically over her hardened nipples.

Those hands became more forceful, sliding over her ribs and down her firm abdomen, tangling in the tiny heart-shaped patch of hair that covered her mons. Then they slid into heat, slipping over her clit before strumming it hard enough to have pleasure rising inside of her. "Mmm," she hummed. "Aidan..."

The name on her lips shattered the fantasy and she tore her hand from between her thighs. Her temper showed and she slammed her hand against the wall of the shower. "Damn him!" she growled. "Stay out of my head, asshole." With a huge sigh, she finished her shower, grabbing a towel and quickly drying herself. Then she grabbed her robe, wrapping a towel around her hair and opening the bathroom door.

Feral barked once at her, letting her know he'd had his fill of the squirrels, at least for the moment. Now he wanted food and he wasn't very patient about waiting for her to get it for him. Mia opened the small covered tub where she kept his food and scooped enough to fill his bowl. Feral nudged his nose under her hand, giving her a lick before digging into the food with hungry intent. "You're welcome." She patted him quickly and then rose, turning on her heel to go to her bedroom.

She grabbed clothes, more workout articles and sweats. Then she put on her uniform, shining up her badge and pinning it into the black shirt. Her uniform pants slid on over her hips and she tucked in her shirt, then grabbed her belt and slid her holster on it. Wrapping it around her slender waist, she tossed off the towel and bent at the waist, shaking out her hair. Brushing it took another twenty-minutes, which included French braiding it to keep it out of her face.

Pushing her feet into her work boots, she ran a quick cloth over the shine, buffing it up just a bit more. Then she grabbed her bag and grabbed her set of keys. As she walked out of her bedroom, Tanya was in the kitchen fixing Emilee some eggs and bacon. "Keep the doors locked, I already let Feral out."

Tanya handed Emilee a plate, sliding her hand over the girl's shiny blonde hair. "What time will you be home?"

"Ah, I'm not sure, sis. We've got drills today so it may be an all day thing. You need anything? I can pick it up on my way home."

"Milk?"

"You got it, sis. Remember what I said about Ricky. He shows up, you call, I'll have someone here in five minutes."

"He wouldn't hurt me, Mia."

Mia glanced at the bruises on Tanya's arm. "Those don't look like they felt good."

Tanya's face flushed. "He's the father of my baby, Mia. He loves Emilee."

Mia wrapped her arm around her sister's neck. "Honey, I love you and Emilee and this little one." Her palm rested against Tanya's stomach. "Just do me a favor, if he shows up, call me."

"Don't hurt him, Mia." Tanya's voice was adamant and Mia smiled at her.

"I won't hurt him. Much." She gave Tanya another hug and then hefted her bag over her shoulder. "I'll see you tonight, honey. Lock the door behind me. Emilee? Can I trust you to keep an eye on Feral?"

"Yes, Aunt Mia." She was given a grin with a bacon filled mouth. Mia returned it then walked out the door, waiting until she heard Tanya lock the door and then slip the dead bolt. Then she skipped down the stairs and got into her truck.

It took very little time to drive to the base. Flashing her identification, she drove through the gate and then headed to the Alphas' bunker. She parked close to the back of the lot and hefted her bag again, then walked to the bunker.

"Bout time you got here, sugar britches." A big hand came down on her ass and then squeezed one cheek. She dropped the bag on the ground and grabbed his hand.

"Aidan, are you ever going to learn?" she growled, twisting his hand and pushing it so his wrist bent back. She held it and added pressure until he apologized, to get her to get her to let him go. "Knock off the shit."

"What shit? You do look pretty good in uniform but I think Demon has other ideas for us today." He nodded over where Demon was standing. He was dressed in jogging pants and a tight tank top that showed off every ridge and ripple of muscle on his chest. His arms were impressive even in a room full of Alphas.

Demon saw her looking and then jerked his head toward the locker room. She nodded and walked around Aidan, anxious to get by him and down into the tiny room that they'd given up for her to change in. She'd have been okay changing with the rest of the guys but somehow, even though these men had been brutal physically to her, the thought of her nudity had them panicking. Aidan stepped in front of her again and this time she let him have it. She pushed her bag into his stomach and then grabbed his arm, flipping him onto his back on the mat. "Leave me alone, Aidan. I mean it."

Then she escaped down the stairs. The time she took in the locker room gave her little time to think, but when Demon wanted to work the team, he wasn't patient about the time it took to change clothing. She hung up her uniform, careful to hang it so it wouldn't wrinkle and the creases would be just as sharp as when she'd put them on this morning. Throwing on another training bra, she skipped over the track pants and grabbed a pair of tiny bike shorts that hugged every inch of her ass. She smoothed down her braid, and then headed for the gym.

Demon had the team running laps around the gym and she slipped in amongst them, easily keeping pace with the much taller and longer-legged men. The Alphas was one reason she got up and ran six to eight miles every morning. She had to keep up or get cut. They ran on the small indoor track until Demon blew his whistle. Then he had them pairing up on the mats.

Standing across from each other, he had them run through a tai chi stretching routine of his own making. This was Mia's favorite part of Demon's workouts. The tai chi made her relax, the slow, intimate movements felt like dance to her and it was just as good as her run this morning, a way to rid herself of any evil in her head. But every time her eyes fell on Aidan, she felt the tension rise all over again. She finished the routine with her muscles as tight as they'd been when she started and she walked around the mat for a few minutes, shaking her hands and her arms, trying to loosen up.

Demon called her name and she sighed, turning to look at him.

"We're about to start here, do you plan on joining us or should I use Aidan as a demonstration dummy."

For a second, she put her finger against the corner of her mouth and looked up at the ceiling. "I'm not sure Demon. I don't think he has the smarts for the job."

Everyone laughed, including Aidan. "Maybe we should see who the dummy is." He walked toward her, stalking her like a panther does its prey.

For the first time, Mia felt a small spurt of panic. "Hey, you wouldn't hit a girl, would you?"

He held his hands out. "Depends on the girl."

"Me, dummy, who did you think I meant."

"Mia, aren't you the one who always tells us that you are twice as tough as any one of us and can kick our asses nine ways to Sunday?"

Mia unconsciously began nibbling at her lower lip and she was thinking very hard about how she was going to get out of this. She knew if he touched her, if his hands touched her body, she wasn't going to be able to be held responsible for what she might do. Last night, she'd relived his kiss, playing it through her mind over and over. It had gotten so bad that she'd had to break out her vibrator. She'd broken it out six times last night. Now that he'd done that, she was finding it difficult to just see him as another member of her team. Now he was more and she couldn't help but hate him for it.

"Maybe I'm just trying to save you from losing face, Aidan. Did you ever think of that?"

"Or maybe you aren't able to keep your hands off of me?" He leaned in closer, keeping his words intimately between the two of them. "Maybe you want me to kiss you again? Maybe you're wondering what I might be capable of doing to you, Mia. Maybe you're afraid because you know that you'd enjoy every second of it."

She cleared her throat, heat rushing to her face and she cursed silently as she realized that he was probably right. But she wasn't able to back down. Not while every member of her squad stood around the mat, watching as Aidan moved even closer to her, his hand coming out to grab her shoulder.

She moved with no conscious thought, grabbing his hand and twisting it up behind his back. When she suddenly found herself on her back, staring up at him, she didn't know how he'd put her there. She accepted his hand to pull herself back up, using her body weight and the fact that he was off balance against him to put him where she'd been just seconds ago.

"One to one!" Demon called out. He reached into a drawer at the desk and pulled out a small notebook of paper. He wet the end of the pencil with his tongue and marked the notebook. "Who's in?"

"Put me down for twenty," Aidan called. He rose on his own power and then wiggled his fingers at her. "What you waiting for, Mia? Christmas?"

Mia shook her head. "I was just wondering how long it would take for you to quit loafing on your ass and finally do something. I'm surprise you don't ask Horse to fight for you. He might actually be able to get in a shot or two before I'd put him down." She winked at Horse to take the sting out of her words.

"Hell no, Mia. I'm ascared of you." Horse grabbed Digger and use him as a shield.

Aidan shook his head a sad expression on his face. He sighed. "I worried over wrecking your standing with the team if I showed them how you really felt about me." He grabbed her arms, yanking her toward him, letting her bounce off the heavy muscles of his chest and abdomen. His arms held her tightly, keeping her from causing any more bruises. He ducked his head, brushing his lips over hers.

Mia didn't stay complacent for long. When she realized what he was planning, she fought against him, her fists pushing at his chest. "Let me go, Aidan. Now!"

"That's not what you want, Mia. Admit it and maybe I'll let you go." Aidan's eyes danced with a golden glow, staring down at the woman that haunted his dreams since the first day of Alpha training. He hadn't expected her to make it as far as she had or to have her deal with a bunch of Alpha minded assholes. But Mama bear was more than happy to take care of the crew, to put in that ten percent extra that made her so well liked and so good at her job.

* * * *

A memory caught his attention and his mind swam back to one night, not so incredibly long ago. They'd had a night drop deep into enemy territory. The rest of the crew had landed right where they were supposed to, but not Aidan, no, he couldn't do things the easy way. Instead, his harness got tangled, his chute pulling him across the field and straight into a drainage ditch.

It had been incredibly cold, and he fought the shivering and the shaking of his hands as he tried to untangle himself and rid himself of his chute. If it hadn't been for Mia, he might have been caught or drowned. She'd waded in right after him, slitting the harness of his chute with her Ka-bar tactical knife. Then she'd pulled him out of the water, dragging him up the steep incline. The cold had been excruciating and it had taken hours before his shaking had stopped.

Yes, Mama bear had been in fine shape that night, rescuing him and then demanding that he tell her what stupid shit he'd done wrong. She hadn't let him forget it either. For that and that alone, she deserved what he was more than willing to give out.

* * * *

God, it should be illegal for one man to have the body and attitude that Aidan did. She growled deep into her chest, unwilling to let him know what she wanted so badly to do to him. She wanted to take his tight tank top off of him with her teeth, then to rub her face over the hard bulge she could feel against her in his pants. She hated herself for those feelings, hated that she had them for Aidan and she hated Aidan for being the man who fueled so many of the wet dreams she had. "Let me go."

"Now why would I want to do that? You seem to like having my arms around you, Mia. You feel the way that I do. Give in to those feelings, let your fantasy take hold. I know you want more out of me and I am more than willing to rock your world."

Mia slammed her fist into his hard stomach. It didn't do much good; he just tugged her a little closer so she didn't have the space to do so again. He whispered in her ear, words she'd never heard before, lustful things, lewd and lascivious words. She tried to ignore them, but he wouldn't allow that either. She felt desire twisted in with the anger and she didn't know how to fight it. She had to get free, to get away from the supple texture of his mouth. Drawing her head back, she smashed her forehead into his jaw line. It worked and he let her go, his hand going up to his mouth.

"Enough."

Aidan glanced at Demon. "I'm fine." The words were growled and he tugged his tank top over his head, using it to stem the flow of blood that poured from his mouth and jaw. "She has a soft head."

Mia didn't answer him; instead she turned her back from the men, unwilling for any of them to see the concern on her face. If he hadn't made her so crazy...so hot, she wouldn't have had to resort to a move like that. She could feel her own welt swelling on her forehead and she didn't want any of the men to see that either.

She walked toward the locker room, ignoring Demon's lofty order to be in his office when they'd finished changing. Now she had a bit more guilt to rest upon her shoulders.

She closed her locker room door, locking it behind her. Walking over to the short bench that sat in front of her locker, she tugged off her shoes and dumped them inside her gym bag. Sliding her clothes off, she dropped her head in her hands. "Why?" she whispered.

But no answer was forthcoming. She was left staring off into space. Then she growled again and grabbed the small toiletry bag that held her shampoo and her body wash. There was a single shower stall at the far end of the tiny room and she flipped her towel onto the hook next to the stall. Pulling the band that had held her braid in place; she pushed her fingers through it to free her hair. Then she stepped into the single stall and turned on the water. She leaned against the side of the stall, letting the hot water beat into her, wanting to just shake her head and forget the words that Aidan had said.

But fuck. She still felt the needy ache between her thighs, the racing of her heart, the sweat that covered her brow. She wanted to know if he could actually do everything he'd promised her. Fuck!

Romeo had been an excellent name for the man. He certainly knew how to charm the ladies. He was eye candy to look at; a hard body that only grew sexier every time he dragged her into contact with it. His words made her body ache and long to give in, to try some of those things he'd been so sure to say. Even now, her clit throbbed and her breasts felt fuller, wanting the things that he'd spoke of.

"Damn him," she moaned, reaching for her bottle of body wash. She let the water rush over her and opened the bottle. The scent of gardenias wafted in the air around her. The scent was one of the few things that Mia allowed herself that was simply feminine. She poured a goodly amount on her shower sponge and then used her hand to create the thick lather she loved. Mia tried everything in her power to ignore what Aidan had done to her but it was hard. As the sponge moved down her body, sliding across her already erect nipples and then over her waist, she got lost in the daydream again.

It was almost like he was here, inside this tiny shower stall, his body so close, his hands moving to her breasts and driving her mad with need. He was so incredibly good with his hands. Her body arched, her fingers digging even harder into the sponge. "Oh Aidan," she moaned.

His hands wouldn't stop. It didn't matter how weak her knees became or how hard her nipples felt and the extreme pleasure he gave her, he wouldn't stop. Her eyes were closed when her hands dropped the sponge to the floor of the shower and she leaned against the wall, angling herself so that the water wasn't in her face. Her fingers dipped into soft woman's flesh, feeling how wet her folds were. She carefully used one finger to flick over her clitoris, gasping at the pleasure that seemed to suffuse her entire body. It was so much more than she'd expected, as if hearing those words he'd spoken to her had whipped her into a frenzy of lust.