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Regina sht of Janecia’s neeet, sexy boyfriend coaxing her onto his Harley Janecia went on, filling her in on how she met Clay as they finished up and paid their bill They ossip and laughing about old tiood thing Gasla and there were so many restaurants It would takeHaving this to do with her best friend definitely gave her so to feel a little tipsy as they left their fourth or fifth restaurant--she’d lost count--Regina decided at their next stop she’d be having water They walked down the street, trying to decide which restaurant to hit next, and then she saw his was at the bar of the very next restaurant in their route This was the first ti-sleeved shirt and a pair of black jeans He stood by the bar with a couple of other guys and two girls One of the girls was very obviously flirting with him, and then it happened

"Well, I’ll be da at him as her heart did the weirdest flutter She actually felt a tingly sensation "The man does smile"

And by God, did it have to be such a beautiful smile? Even his eyes lit up sweetly, and at this distance, she could still adht white and perfect his teeth were Her heart fluttered in that weird way again, and the tingling spread through her insides

Janecia turned to look in the direction Regina’s eyes were glued to now "Who?"

"Sergeant Billings," she said with no other explanation as they continued walking toward the restaurant Just as they reached the entrance to the outside patio of the restaurant, Sergeant Billings looked up past the blonde he’d been sina’s Not only did his sid, turning into the very expression she was now beginning to think was reserved just for her

"Well, dae in his disposition as well "Do you know hiina was finally able to look away and at the hostess asking them if they’d like a seat inside or out "Outside" She s the seat that would face the bar, Regina sat down She wasn’t sure why she hadn’t just kept walking on to the next restaurant or one even further where she wouldn’t have to deal with his lethal glare What the hell was his proble, but the way he looked at her now said so entirely different Obviously, he couldn’t stand her, and Regina was at a total loss as to what she could’ve possibly done to warrant such severe detestation froer

Janecia sat across froeant as sheto the girl, but that annoyingly beautiful and playful sone "So what’s his deal? He doesn’t like you?"

"Apparently not," Regina said, looking down at theaway

"Why?"

"I have no idea"

Regina filled in her friend about first seeing him at the airport and the first few run-ins she’d had with hio fetch her photo ID, knowing full well she was authorized

"What a jerk!" Janecia frowned, glancing back at hiet a hard-on fro the power card Aren’t most of those drill instructors like that? I o into that field in the first place?"

"My dad was a drill instructor back in the day, Janecia," Regina reminded her "He’s never been that kind of person, and he always said it was one of theduties he ever had I don’t think it’s that at all"

She glanced up at the sergeant but quickly looked ahen she saw his head turn slightly in her direction "I just don’t knohat to make of it From the moment I first saw him at the airport, there was this disdainful way he looked atabout ed "I asked hi"

Janecia’s eyes opened in curiosity as the waitress arrived to take their order They both ordered water, and Janecia agreed to the first appetizer Regina suggested She was obviously s

"What did you ask him?" Janecia asked as soon as the waitress walked away

Frustrated and not even sure why she cared somaybe I did know him from somewhere Maybe I’d blown him off in the past and didn’t even remember, or maybe he’d mistaken me for sos" Feeling as little as he’d et to know her, she repeated his aords to Janecia

Her friend’sher head "For whatever reason, thethe waitress for their waters, Regina sipped hers Regina decided she’d keep to herself the fact that he’d stepped in front of her, forcing her to finish what she’d begun say She also wouldn’t say what being that close to those acutely blue eyes had done to her She knew her best friend too well Janecia would want to overanalyze it, and the truth was she was done thinking about the uptight sergeant She’d already spent the better part of her day, trying to figure it out Even when he was looking at her hat she assunation, he did so with such intensity that it was confusing as hell But even ht she’d seen in his eyes when he asked her to finish what she’d begun to say thatfor her either way Good or bad He still didn’t knowthe ill will he had toward her