Semper Fidelis by Morticia Knight Kendall McKenna Sara York LE Franks Devon Rhodes T.A. Chase S.A. McAuley Page B

impulsive deception had finally been discovered.
    Oh my God, this is really happening.
    “Cary…” Owen’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed nervously.
    Cary wanted to fall to his knees but he couldn’t move—it was like his joints were set in concrete. The harder he tried, the more frustrated he became. Finally able to move one arm, he pulled a hand free from Owen’s to run along his cheek while he encouraged him to continue with his eyes.
    “You’ve been right all along. And you’re right in what you said just now. There’s no reason we can’t make this work. I can’t imagine ever loving anyone the way I love you. And if you’re willing to wait for me…until we can be together for real…” Owen dropped his gaze and stopped talking for a moment as he slid the ring back onto Cary’s finger. “Someday, I’ll do this again, and it’ll be a different ring,” he vowed in a deep voice. He still wouldn’t look up.
    Cary cupped his chin, needing to see. At last Owen lifted his head.
    Cary reeled back in horror. Instead of the warm brown gaze he loved, there were gaping holes where Owen’s eyes should be.
    “Incoming!” The shout came from nowhere, and now they weren’t in the foyer of Cary’s mom’s house, but in the desert.
    A huge explosion rocked the ground and a crater formed just yards away.
    “Owen!” He tugged at his hand. “Come on! Run!”
    Owen shook his head and looked down again.
    “No!” Cary screamed when he saw that Owen wasn’t kneeling, but legless…
    Cary woke up flailing in his uncomfortable desk chair as the telltale Skype tones woke him from the memory turned twisted. His heart was racing as he hurriedly tucked his earbuds into his ears then hit ‘Accept Call’.
    “Owen, hi.” He had to clear his aching throat, and wondered whether he’d actually screamed out loud.
    “Hey, Care Bear.”
    Cary was still a bit shaken from his nightmare, but managed to pull up a grin at the computer screen as Owen’s comforting, deep voice came through the distance like a balm. “Hey, you.”
    It wasn’t very often they could do a face-to-face, between their duty schedules and the time difference of eight and a half hours, but sometimes breaking up a night’s sleep was worth it. Some shifting around on both their parts and he could finally see Owen’s grainy image. “Are you in bed?”
    Owen smirked. “Is this one of those kind of calls?” he teased. They both knew that it wasn’t feasible to do any sort of phone sex—there just wasn’t enough privacy for Owen in the desert base camp.
    “I wish.” The thought was tempting. Cary had the benefit of being alone behind a locked door, and he palmed his semi-hard cock. The nightmare had taken its effect, but Owen’s voice—combined with how long it had been since he’d seen his man—had him hardening as the last vestiges of his dream faded.
    “Are you okay?”
    The video was a bit choppy, but the concern in Owen’s voice was clear.
    “Yeah. Fine.” Owen’s eyebrow rose and Cary confessed, “Just woke up…from a nightmare,” he added reluctantly. “And don’t ask.” He wasn’t going to tell him about it—no way—but he knew Owen wouldn’t leave it alone until he admitted what had him off-center.
    “You sure you don’t want to talk about it?”
    “Definitely. I’d rather hear what you’ve been up to.”
    Owen shrugged and sat back in the chair. “Same old. Really looking forward to heading back stateside end of the month. Everyone is. You can just feel it—short-timer’s. You know.”
    “Yeah.” And that was the crux of it, really. Cary’s worst fear was that so close to being reunited—or at least on the same continent again—that something bad would happen…
    No! Stop it.
    “You seem distracted. You sure you’re okay?”
    “I’m fine.” His voice sounded curt to his own ears and he twisted the Academy ring on his finger while he tried to enjoy the rare chance to talk to Owen face-to-face.