I'm Straight Right Read online

  Private Johnathon Simmons rolled his eyes. “You’re no fun.”

  “It’s a nice ass, what else do you want? Am I supposed to be drooling over it like some middle schooler?” Sloane asked.

  “A man can appreciate a nice ass at any age,” John said, looking like he was trying for dignified while falling short and looking pouty instead.

  “Appreciating isn’t the same thing as drooling. Told you that when you creeped out the last girl who went through here,” Sloane grunted.

  “I was flirting.”

  “You were fucking creepy.”

  “You just don’t get it.”

  The third member of their front gate watch trio, Trisha, snorted. “He gets plenty.”

  Sloane turned his glare on her. “Thanks.”

  Trisha shrugged, barely acknowledging his foul expression. “When it’s true, it’s true.”

  John sniffed indignantly. “Well, not all of us are gifted with stupidly good looks, alright?”

  Sloane rolled his eyes, turning his attention back to the conversation with his sister. He would much rather deal with her drama than listen to Simmons whine about how he couldn’t get lucky. It didn’t matter what anyone tried to tell the private, Simmons would continue bemoaning his fate, never once considering that he might be the problem. If he wanted to moan, groan and carry on, that was his business, but Sloane wasn’t willingly going to feed into it.

  “Sloane looking good is only half the battle. The fact that he doesn’t treat every woman like a starving dog treats a pork chop is the other half,” Trisha shot back.

  “I do not! Plus, how is it fair that just because I show an interest, that’s a bad thing? He just grunts at everything, and they fling themselves at him.”

  “Hey, some people find the grunting sexy.”

  “Only because they don’t have to work with his crabby ass.”

  Sloane looked up, glaring. “Only people who complain about me are jackasses like you. Quit your whining.”

  John jabbed a thumb at him. “See?”

  “I mean, he’s not wrong,” Trisha said.

  “I’m not either.”

  Trisha shrugged. “No, he’s a grump, that’s Sloane, you get used to it. You’ve been stationed here what, a couple of weeks? You’ll learn to love his glares and insults right along with the rest of us.”

  Sloane eyed her. “Quit encouraging him, or he’ll never shut up.”

  “I like hearing him whine, gets me all tingly inside.”

  John flopped back in his seat with an annoyed grunt. “Is that the answer? I just have to let women torture me, and then I’ll have their attention?”

  Trisha winked. “Maybe, you should try it.”

  Sloane finished the rest of his message, desperate to block out the chatter from his companions. Why General Winter thought Sloane needed to be posted at the front gate and stuck with two other people was beyond his understanding. Sloane wouldn’t consider himself a paragon of introspection, but he knew himself well enough to know he wasn’t exactly a people person. People didn’t tend to like him, and most people drove him absolutely crazy.

  John glanced at him. “Who’re you talking to anyway?”

  “Don’t start sticking your nose in my business just because you can’t get laid,” Sloane grunted.

  “Hey!”

  “It’s probably Dean,” Trisha said, turning back to the book in her lap.

  “Dean?”

  “The Doc.”

  John’s eyes lit with realization. “Oh yeah! I forgot you two were friends.”

  Trisha picked the book up with a shake of her head. “You have the attention span of a gnat.”

  “Wait, but isn’t he like...you know,” John began, waving his hand around in a vague fashion.

  Sloane looked up. “Isn’t he what?”

  John gestured emphatically. “You know…”

  Sloane knew exactly what John meant, but he wasn’t going to make the conversation any easier on the private. Sloane wished he could have been paid for every time some smart ass decided to comment on either Dean’s sexuality or their friendship. He would have had a nest egg waiting for him to make a strong start in civilian life once he was done in the military.

  John stopped, cocking his head. “Wait, how does that work?”

  “How does what work?” Sloane asked with a growl.

  John frowned. “How do you get all these girls? That ain’t fair?”

  Trisha sighed. “Oh, boy.”

  “I’m not gay,” Sloane said.

  “Yeah, but…”

  Sloane narrowed his eyes. “I’d ask you if it would be any different for you to be friends with a woman, but I don’t think you know how to be around a woman who isn’t Trisha without acting like a fucking idiot.”

  “Only because I’ll break his fingers,” Trisha piped up.

  “Just because I’m friends with Dean doesn’t mean I’m with him,” Sloane continued, ignoring her.

  John wrinkled his nose. “Isn’t it...weird, though?”

  “How the fuck would it be weird? It’s called being friends. You have those, don’t you?” Sloane demanded.

  “Well, yeah, but they’re not, you know…”

  “The word is gay, you can say the word without suddenly wanting to have a dick in your mouth,” Sloane growled.

  Trisha snorted, but John’s frown only deepened. “You don’t worry about him like, trying to hit on you, or get with you, or like...you know.”

  Sloane set his phone down on the desk beside him and leaned forward, dangerously close to the private. “Just because you don’t know how to exist around the gender you’re attracted to without acting like a fucking pervert doesn’t mean everyone else can’t. What he does or doesn’t do isn’t any of your goddamn business, and if you don’t want to end up losing a few teeth before the end of the shift, I advise you to shut the hell up about him.”

  John’s eyes widened, and he visibly leaned away from Sloane. “I...alright, touchy subject.”

  “It isn’t touchy until someone gets stupid enough to run their mouth. Now fuck off and go check the fence or something, I’m tired of looking at you,” Sloane snarled.

  John opened his mouth, glanced at Trisha, who subtly shook her head and thought twice about whatever he was going to say. With wide, wounded eyes, he pushed out of his seat and stomped out of the booth that served as the main entry point to the base. Sloane watched him go, glaring at his retreating back and not letting himself relax back in his seat until John was out of sight.

  “Dumbass,” Sloane grunted, snatching his phone back up to read his sister’s reply.

  “Gotta give him credit, he looked like he was going to finish what he was saying, even with you ready to rip his lungs out,” Trisha said, flipping to the next page.

  “I don’t have to give him credit for shit,” Sloane grunted.

  “And, of course, he’s not going to keep his mouth shut.”

  “Fine, let him tell people. Like I give a shit.”

  “Which is only going to add to the rumors.”

  Sloane looked up, wondered if he wanted to know, and finally gave in. “What rumors?”

  Trisha looked up, thin brow raised. “That you and Dean are more than just friends.”

  “Oh. That,” Sloane said, turning his attention back to his phone.

  From the moment he and Dean had become friends, the rumors about what he and Sloane were actually up to when no one else was looking had started. They seemed to bother Dean more than anything, which Sloane thought was weird as hell. He didn’t give a shit what anyone thought he was up to. He had nothing to prove to any of them.

  “You would make a cute couple,” Trisha added.

  Sloane sighed. “Don’t fucking start.”

  Trisha chuckled. “You would. I mean, you have that big, manly, grumpy thing going for you, and Dean is...well, the doc is Doc.”

  Sloane turned a scowl on her. “You saying he’s not manly?”

  Trish
a didn’t even blink. “There’s manly, and then there’s Sloane, six-plus feet of pure muscle, tattoos and growly barking manly. Truth be told, it’s a little weird thinking of you with a woman or at least a really feminine one.”

  Sloane blinked. “Excuse me?”

  Trisha shrugged. “Putting someone girly with you seems weird in my mind.”

  “This is the weirdest conversation I’ve had with you, and I’m not even sure what the fuck we’re talking about now.”

  “Really? After almost eight months of working with me, this is the weirdest?”

  “It’s close.”

  It was hard to believe that he’d been assigned to Fort Dale for only eight months, and even harder to believe it had been mainly spent on guard duty. How he’d gone from a soldier in the field, leader of his squad, to manning a hut on some far-flung base was a mystery.

  Sloane rubbed his brow. “I don’t really care if people start talking about Dean and me being something, alright? It’s not true, but it’s not going to stop people. Just fucking wish people could mind their own business.”

  Sloane was comfortable with who he was and with who Dean was. What did it matter to him if Dean happened to be attracted to guys instead of girls? All that meant to Sloane was that it would be useless to talk about women with him, if Sloane even wanted to anyway. It wasn’t like Dean had been doing any dating while they’d been friends, he was too busy either working or he’d been deployed.

  The two months between when Sloane had been taken out of the field and posted to Fort Dale, while Dean had continued to be deployed, had been lonely ones. Sloane had been ecstatic when he learned Dean was not only coming stateside again but that he was being assigned to the same base as well. That was until he’d seen Dean for the first time, and something had been...wrong.

  Trisha shrugged. “I don’t care if you two are an item, banging quietly on the side, or simply cuddle buddies. I’m just telling you what everyone else is going to say.”

  “They’ve been saying that shit since boot camp. I don’t give a fuck. Dean’s a good guy, and my best friend, everyone else can fuck right the hell off,” Sloane snapped.

  Trisha looked up again. “Need an aspirin?”

  Sloane pulled his hand away from his forehead. “I’m fine, it’s just a headache, probably from the stupid conversations I’ve had to endure today.”

  Trisha hummed thoughtfully. “How’s the family?”

  Sloane glanced at her, unsure if he should be relieved that she was changing the subject, or suspicious. He’d been working alongside her long enough to know the woman was far more devious than her casual demeanor let on. Then again, she, more than many people he dealt with save for Dean, knew best how far she could push him before he truly lost his patience.

  “Fine. Maria’s learning what dating is like,” Sloane said, easing back into his seat.

  Trisha chuckled. “Poor thing. I remember dating at that age, don’t recommend it. And how’s big brother dealing with it?”

  “I’m just fine. Thank you very much.”

  “Really?”

  Sloane looked up. “I’m not some asshole who’s going to go barging into her business.”

  “Really?”

  “Shut the hell up.”

  Trisha chuckled. “You and I both know you’re very protective of the few people you let yourself give a shit about.”

  “And I can’t do anything from here, now can I?” Sloane asked.

  “But you can text her,” Trisha noted.

  Sloane shrugged. “Best thing I can do at the moment. I’m gonna call her later, though, make sure she’s alright. She’s a good kid, got a good head on her shoulders when she can remember it’s there. Sucks for her now, but give it a few weeks, and she’ll realize it’s not a big deal.”

  “And probably have found another boy to do the same thing with,” Trisha said.

  Sloane wrinkled his nose. “I hope she learns better than that.”

  “When it comes to matters of the heart, nobody learns well,” Trisha said.

  Sloane sighed, unable to argue with her logic. He’d gone through his own trials when it came to romance when he was younger, and he supposed everyone had to go through it at some point. In many ways, he’d been like a parent as much as a brother to Maria when she was growing up, and to a lesser extent, his other sister as well. Sometimes it was difficult for him to accept that he couldn’t do much for them when it came to some of their issues, except to be a shoulder to cry on and a listening ear.

  “And your mom?” Trisha continued.

  “The same as always. I keep trying to get her to take some time off, but she won’t,” Sloane grumbled.

  “Mmm, stubbornness is a family trait I see.”

  “She doesn’t need to work as much as she does anymore, between me and Lena contributing, she shouldn’t be working herself so hard,” Sloane said.

  It had made sense when Sloane had been too young to do much more than grab the occasional odd job. But with him and his sister old enough to have full-time jobs so they could spare some to contribute, and his youngest sister being the only one left in the house, his mother should be less hard on herself. Yet, she was not a woman to be deterred so easily. Sloane could confidently say his mother should no longer be trying to work sixty-hour weeks as she had when he’d been younger.

  “Maybe she likes being kept busy,” Trisha offered.

  “Or she just likes giving me a headache,” Sloane grumbled.

  “It’s a mother’s prerogative to torment her son, or so my mom likes to tell me,” Trisha said.

  Sloane eyed her. “Please tell me you’re not the one working the double with me tonight. I’m not sure I can handle any more of this heart to heart.”

  Trisha looked up from her book. “Nope, going out tonight, but you and John are going to be best buddies all night long.”

  Sloane stared for a moment before leaning forward to check the roster. Sure enough, Simmons’ name was right there next to his, all the way through to morning.

  Sloane groaned. “Damn it.”

  3

  Dean

  Spinning the pen on the desktop, Dean shifted his phone between his face and shoulder. Grabbing the computer mouse, he clicked until he opened up the schedule for the day, looking it over.

  Marco chuckled in his ear. “Gotta say, I was a little impressed that you managed to beat me.”

  Dean grinned. “I told you, nothing gets between me and good food, not even a whole lot of spice.”

  “Not even my family can eat more curry than me,” Marco said.

  Dean smirked. “Well, now you have someone who can outdo you.”

  “Well, in one way anyway.”

  Dean glanced over his shoulder, making sure Troy wasn’t within eyesight. “If I recall correctly, I was keeping up with you just fine in that too.”

  “True. For someone who hasn’t been with anyone in a while, you certainly didn’t seem to have too much difficulty.”

  That wasn’t strictly true, though Dean wasn’t going to correct him. In the six months Dean had been back on American soil, he’d certainly taken a few opportunities to have a bit of fun. No one said that being madly in love with your best friend meant you couldn’t get laid, and in fact, Dean had found it helped. He wasn’t going to tell Marco about his liaisons, however, any more than he would tell the man about the complicated emotional relationship he had with Sloane.

  Dean leaned back in his seat, grinning. “I guess I managed to make a good impression then.”

  “That’s one way of putting it.”

  “Hey, you’re not alone, I found myself a little impressed too.”

  “Well, that’s always good to hear. A guy likes to hear when he’s doing things right.”

  Dean wasn’t going to argue. He and Marco had only been seeing one another for a few weeks, and last night had been the first time Marco had made a real move. Sure, the man hadn’t wasted the chance to get in a good kiss on their first date, and the
re had been a few instances of kissing and heavy petting that reminded Dean of high school. Yet Marco had waited until the night before to try anything further, which Dean considered a mark in his favor.

  And despite the worries and doubts in the back of his mind, he’d enjoyed himself.

  Marco chuckled. “I think the real question I have to ask is, when do I get to see you again? Unless you were planning on loving and leaving me.”

  Dean laughed. “You’re right, the past three weeks have just been me waiting to get into your pants, I’m just using you for your body.”

  “I’m going to take a leap of faith here and say you’re full of shit.”

  Dean grinned. “You’re right because I’m actually using you for your knowledge of excellent food places. Seriously, that’s four dates now, and not once has the food been anything short of amazing.”

  Marco let out a laugh. “My mom always told me the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.”

  “And his pants it seems,” Dean said.

  “Eh, truth be told, I’ve found that’s not the hardest part of a man to get into.”

  Dean snorted. “Well, something’s hard.”

  “And what fun when it is.”

  Troy’s voice quipped from behind Dean. “Oy, which one of your boyfriends are you chatting with now?”

  “Boyfriends?” Marco asked, sounding amused.

  Dean rolled his eyes, glad he’d warned Marco about some of the people in his life ahead of time. It was hard enough for Dean to put himself out there and try and date someone else. The last thing he needed was for someone’s big mouth, say Troy’s for instance, to come along and ruin the whole thing with some stupid comment.

  Dean turned to Troy. “Don’t you have a job to do?”

  “Yeah, but I figured I’d warn you that your other boyfriend is heading this way. Just spotted tall, dark and grumpy out the window.”

  “I’m guessing he means Sloane,” Marco guessed.

  “The one and only. He’s got an appointment today,” Dean explained, logging out of the computer and pushing up from the desk.

  “Dare I ask when I get to meet him?” Marco asked.

  Dean winced. “I would really prefer you and I deal with...you and I, before I bring anyone else into the mix.”