At My General’s Command Read online

  Yet for David, it was a small pleasure to have someone like Christian around. Everyone else he dealt with, save for his sister, treated him as General Winter, a man to be respected and spoken to carefully. There was the occasional unruly soldier who ignored that, but General Winter knew full well how to throw his weight around if it was necessary. With Christian, David knew there was no real disrespect from the younger man when he spoke so flippantly or even when he harassed David. If anything, there was a playful casualness to it that David welcomed in his otherwise stiff and formulaic life.

  But he also wasn’t so foolish as to encourage the man any more than was necessary, either.

  When he returned to the office, Christian was seated behind his desk, as usual, popping something from a small plastic bag into his mouth. When David grew closer, he realized the snacks were, in fact, carrots, and he couldn’t help his smug smile.

  “I see you decided to take my advice,” David said.

  Christian sighed. “Yes, General Winter, after your repeated...reminders, I decided that I could incorporate a few more healthy snacks into the lineup of my daily meals.”

  “Sounds like a really polite way of saying I nagged you,” David pointed out.

  “I would never be so bold as to accuse my superior of being a nag,” Christian said, batting his eyelashes.

  The gesture was affected and not meant to be taken seriously. Yet David couldn’t help noticing the small pull in his gut. Along with finding the man’s personality absolutely endearing, there was something to be said about the entire package as well. David would have been a liar if he tried to tell himself that he wasn’t occasionally drawn to men a decade or two younger than he was.

  “No, you wouldn’t, but you would be willing to insinuate it strongly when there’s no one else around to hear you,” David said.

  Christian winked, popping another carrot into his mouth with a crunch. “I might be guilty of that sort of shady behavior from time to time.”

  David chuckled. “So, what time is my Operations leader supposed to be showing up?”

  “You mean your Operations leader at the moment, right?” Christian asked with a raised brow.

  David frowned. “Have you been reading my outbound messages again?”

  Christian sighed. “I’m sorry, yes. I thought it was General Pollack wanting to get another one of your recipes when I saw the message. Didn’t realize it was work-related. I told you to mark any emails I’m not supposed to see, but you never do.”

  That was true. “You didn’t need to keep reading it once you saw what it contained.”

  Christian wrinkled his nose. “Once I did realize, I stopped reading. But it was a bit too late, cat was out of the bag. You’re trying to get Philip transferred somewhere else.”

  David cleared his throat. “That you’re privy to the information is fine, I suppose. But I’d prefer that you didn’t talk about it openly, thank you.”

  Christian winked. “You got it. Lord knows keeping my mouth shut is a skill I’ve had to master over the years.”

  David cocked his head, wondering why Christian felt the need to say, ‘years’ rather than just ‘year.’ Christian had been placed directly under David about a year or so before, and working the front desk required a great deal of discretion. Not just because Christian was probably the most exposed to David’s life, but because of both the problematic soldiers he dealt with, and for when Command showed up.

  His question was tossed aside, however, as Christian put down his bag of carrots and stretched his arms out behind his head. The motion also required Christian to lean back in his seat, letting out a low groan as he stretched the muscles in his back. It had the unintended side effect of making the front of his uniform ride up, showing a flash of bare skin and the pale blond hair of his stomach. Once again, David felt that pull in the center of his gut, but much harder than before.

  “The water Philip is so fond of is already in your office fridge, and he was nice enough to mention that he just wanted to ‘catch up’ on things. So, I took the notes you gave me from the last meeting, mixed them with what’s changed since then, and created you a little cheat sheet. Maybe it’ll be good enough to get you through the meeting faster than usual,” Christian said as he dropped his feet on the ground and stared at his computer screen again.

  David nodded, thankful, and using the emotion to shove aside both the image of Christian’s momentarily bared skin and the question of what the rest of him looked like. In a strange quirk of his, he tended to like his men younger than him, but his women, older. He knew damn well that if Christian was not firmly off-limits, David would be sorely tempted to try and find out what the rest of Christian’s pale skin looked like. But he was Christian’s superior, and there were a lot of strict rules about fraternization, particularly when it came to generals.

  “I’ll give it a look over, and try not to consider dipping into the case full of liquor I have in there,” David said, rounding the desk once he thought it was safe to expose the front of his uniform.

  Christian chuckled. “I’ll even be a good boy and warn you what kind of mood he’s in. I’m hoping for all business. If he’s jolly, he likes to stand around and chat with me before he comes in to see you.”

  “Oh, the horror,” David said dryly as he pushed his way into his office.

  Predictably, Philip was late for the meeting. A full twenty minutes after the arranged time, David received the notification from Christian that Philip had arrived. It took another ten minutes before the next message told him that Philip was on his way in. David took that to mean that Philip was in a particularly happy mood, and had lingered to chat with Christian. It was the addition at the end of Christian’s message that raised David’s brow.

  Seems a little too happy if you ask me.

  David wasn’t sure what that was supposed to mean, but he didn’t have time to contemplate it. The door to his office swung open, and Philip strolled in, or more accurately, strutted in. Philip Rogan was a man who enjoyed living big and did everything with as much expression and confidence as he could muster. Where someone else would walk, he would strut, where they would talk, he would proclaim. Most of the time, David simply chose to ignore it and let the man say whatever he had to say, praying he would be able to get through the meeting before the day was supposed to end.

  “Phil, good to see you,” David said, standing up to take the man’s hand.

  Philip grinned wide, shaking David’s hand briskly. “David, a pleasure as always. I hope you’ve been well?”

  “As well as can be expected,” David said, gesturing to the pair of seats.

  Philip dropped down into one before David could even take his. David didn’t exactly require formality from those he worked most closely with, and next to Philip’s desire to seem at ease with everything, there was a casualness between the two of them that went quite far.

  Much of that informal relationship came from the fact that David was responsible for Philip’s continued contract with the military. A handful of years before, there had been a quiet but substantial incident that could have easily cost Philip everything. David, out of a sense of pity for a man who’s entire life depended on staying in the military, had quietly interceded. The situation had been swept under the rug, and Philip not only went unharmed but had even been, against David’s private concerns, placed at the head of operations on Fort Dale.

  A decision David hoped would soon be changed.

  “Well enough I suppose. Seems like there’s always something needing my attention. I’m lucky to get my breath,” David admitted as he sat down.

  Philip let out a loud laugh. “Yes, I’m more than aware of what that feels like.”

  David chuckled, trying his best not to ask what exactly it was that kept Philip so damned busy. It certainly wasn’t his job, since David did half of it. Though he supposed it was hard work, staying on decent terms with some of the other generals and the rest of Command. It was those connections that had made i
t so difficult for David to finally get someone to listen to him about replacing Philip, and hopefully with someone who might actually do the job and be able to do it better than David, who’s attention was constantly divided.

  It just required one more piece of the puzzle, one he would have to follow up with Christian after his meeting with Philip was over.

  “It’s been a little bit since Sergeant Rider settled in. How’s he getting on with the team?” David asked, knowing the answer since he’d seen the reports.

  Philip wrinkled his nose. “Not well. I can’t say I agree with your choice of an intel officer for Team Maelstrom, especially considering they’ve done nothing but argue since they met.”

  Well, two of them were arguing. It seemed the team leader and the new intelligence officer were not seeing eye to eye. Then again, David hadn’t expected the transition to be smooth and wasn’t bothered by the reports. The deep crease in Philip’s brow told him that he was bothered, though.

  “Can’t expect everything to go smoothly, especially with all that’s happened with Maelstrom. Best to let them work things out on their own for a while. Just make sure the team leader knows to keep everyone busy, including himself,” David said.

  “If you say so, David. I don’t think this will end well,” Philip said, continuing to frown.

  Which boiled down to regret on Philip’s part for not having made the choice in the first place, and letting David do it instead. The difference between the two of them, at least with the decision regarding the newest member of Team Maelstrom, was that Philip would have looked at the bottom line, and picked what looked the best. David’s approach had been to comb through the different files of possible candidates, trying to get a good idea of each of the soldiers he was looking at and choose the one that felt right. His instincts, especially when it came to command, had been right far more often than they’d been wrong.

  “Well, if that’s the case, then I owe you an apology, and I have no problem taking the fall for it if this blows up in our faces,” David soothed.

  Philip laughed again. “But if it goes well instead?”

  David snorted. “We both know that Command isn’t going to care one bit if it goes well. They only start paying attention when things go to hell.”

  Philip slapped his knee. “Isn’t that the damn truth? We’ve been up to our necks over here, and they don’t care so long as everything is working out for them. At least you have Christian going for you, right?”

  “He has been a great help, yes,” David admitted.

  “Ah, what I wouldn’t give to have someone cute and nubile working my front desk. It would certainly liven up my day a bit,” Philip said with a wink.

  David shook his head. “That’s hardly what I spend my day thinking about.”

  Most of the time.

  “Still, doesn’t hurt, eh?”

  David decided it was time to change the subject before Philip tried to prod him further. The last thing he needed was to have Philip bringing Christian into a crude discussion. The thought grated on David’s nerves, and he would have preferred Philip thought about Christian as little as possible.

  “Well, it will please you to know that you won’t be floundering for much longer,” David said, opening a file on his computer.

  Philip cocked his head. “Oh?”

  “Well, this isn’t exactly the first time you’ve spoken of needing a bit more help. So I found you someone who’ll be able to help a little.”

  Philip blinked. “How...so?”

  “You’ve said time and time again you could use some help, and what better than someone who knows their stuff? I found a man, Oscar Reyes, who could definitely not only be of great benefit to you but also could use the experience,” David said, turning the computer screen to face Philip.

  Philip’s eyes turned cautious, though his smile remained. “You’re...replacing the assistant I already have?”

  “Your receptionist will be fine, Reyes is going to be someone who works directly under you and aids you with decision making. He has a lot of field experience and has commanded more than his fair share of soldiers in his time. His injuries prevent him from doing anything active, so I figured, take his field experience, combine it with your administrative talent, and we have a match made in heaven,” David explained.

  “I wasn’t looking for a replacement,” Philip said carefully.

  David snorted. “Replacement? This is a man who will help you.”

  And hopefully, replace him. David hated this particular aspect of his job, preferring to run the base instead of being neck-deep in politics. Yet it was an inevitable aspect of his life, and he couldn’t avoid it forever. He had a feeling that Reyes would be ten times better than Philip at the job, and a hundred times more dedicated to it. All the man needed was to learn the ropes.

  “Well, I’ll certainly give it some thought,” Philip said, the happiness surrounding him having disappeared.

  “He’ll be arriving soon, so you’ll have some time to figure out how to integrate him. I’m sure we can find him something to do around here in the meantime,” David said.

  Not that Philip would have a whole lot of choice in the matter. If David truly wanted Philip to have someone working as what would essentially be a protégé, then that was what was going to happen. Philip didn’t have to like it, and he could drag his heels and draw out Oscar’s placement, but it would happen. And hopefully, once it did, with enough time, David might be able to present Reyes as a better choice, and see if there wasn’t something, somewhere else that would suit Philip better.

  Philip’s attitude shifted almost immediately back to his previous mood, speaking loudly as he moved on to another subject. David nodded, adding only enough to keep Philip happy as the man began to regale him with a tale about a few unruly new soldiers, and ideas for how to improve the clinic’s efficiency. There was no need for David to engage much in the conversation, however, as Philip was perfectly happy to hear himself talk, allowing David to zone out peacefully.

  That was until a message popped up on his screen, bearing Christian’s name.

  Good Lord, he’s so loud. You’re going to need a hearing aid if he keeps this up.

  David kept his rapt expression, nodding to Philip as he replied.

  Are you calling me old?

  It took a moment, and David almost smirked at how long Christian took to answer.

  There’s no answer to that question that wouldn’t get me in some form of hot water, so I admit defeat.

  David’s lips twitched, and he closed the message thread on his screen, feeling better than he had moments before.

  Christian

  Another day, another lunch at his desk. Christian wasn’t going to complain, though, as it’d been a rather quiet day for both he and General Winter. Most days, the two of them had to work through their lunch, taking bites when they could afford to. Christian had no doubt it was worse for General Winter, as work for him generally involved meeting other people. You couldn’t exactly stuff your face while you were supposed to be having a serious conversation with someone.

  Then again, Christian couldn’t exactly say he did any better. Even with his workload lower than usual, he was still finding himself tapping away at his computer while he munched on his taco salad. Despite there not being anything on his to-do list that demanded immediate attention, he liked to keep on top of anything that might come up. There was always someone looking to make an appointment to see the general or following up on a message sent by him. The tasks tended to build up quickly, and Christian liked to keep them arranged and prepared to be set into an appropriate schedule as quickly as possible.

  And that wasn’t including all the sudden changes, the cancellations, and the impromptu visits. Each one had to be juggled around to make it work best for everyone. Christian had learned that he was never going to make everyone happy, but he could certainly try his best to minimize the amount of pissed off people.

  His thoughts were interrupte
d when he heard the office door open, and General Winter poked his head out. Christian glanced over, watching the general look around the waiting room before disappearing back into his office. Staring at the door, he considered messaging the man to find out if there was something he needed but was spared when General Winter appeared in the door again, this time with his lunch in tow.

  Christian stared at the plastic bowl. “Something wrong with it?”

  General Winter shook his head, setting it on the top of Christian’s desk. “Not at all. You always get good food.”

  “Well, except for that one time when the Chinese hit us both wrong,” Christian reminded him.

  “Yes, and they still haven’t stopped sending apology letters with coupons,” General Winter said dryly.

  “I know, I’ve used some of them for my own lunch,” Christian said as he popped another forkful into his mouth.

  “I can’t believe you’ve gone back to them,” General Winter said.

  Christian shrugged. “Everyone makes mistakes. Plus, their crab Rangoon is too good to pass up. It’s the best I’ve ever tasted.”

  General Winter raised a brow. “I don’t know if I’ve said it before, but why am I not surprised that someone as little as you is a food person?”

  Christian looked down at his midsection with a frown. “Little? I’m not little.”

  Maybe he looked little to someone who rose over six feet as the general did and probably had at least thirty, if not forty pounds on him, but Christian thought he did pretty well for himself. He’d settled at a perfectly reasonable 5’9” and with a bit of work on his part, managed to get close to almost 170 pounds.

  Christian snorted. “I bet you also refer to me as a kid when I’m not around.”