Deployed but Mine

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Three tequila shots and a bumpy train ride were a lethal combination.

My vision spun as I stumbled down the aisle, pitching face-first into a solid wall of military-grade muscle.

A whole squad of them.

Before my last functioning brain cell could hit the brakes, I lunged forward. I locked both arms around the thick bicep of the man with the most brass on his chest, burying my flushed face into the rough canvas of his tactical jacket.

"Commander," I slurred, my grip tightening on his sleeve. "When exactly is your base going to issue me a real alpha?"

The commanding officer didn't even flinch. He simply raised a hand and pointed a finger at the towering, broad-shouldered shadow standing in the back.

"Rhett. Step forward."

Chapter 1

They say always a bridesmaid, never a bride. Well, strap in, because I was on my ninth tour of duty holding someone else's bouquet. The older we got, the thinner the herd of single women became.

My college roommate patted my shoulder with this painfully patronizing smile. "Thank god for you, Brooke. You've officially stood as a bridesmaid for all seven of us. When are you finally going to settle down?"

I mean, I would love to. But first, I actually needed a man. My mom constantly nagged me about hitting thirty and refusing to date.

I just felt like those average, spineless guys out there weren't even close to being in my league. I wanted a real alpha. A man who could dominate me.

Watching all my old friends pair off left a bitter taste in my mouth. It wasn't even that I was desperate for a wedding ring. It was just that I was in my absolute prime, and frankly, I was starved for some serious physical contact.

I knocked back a few heavy glasses of wine at the reception. I boarded the train feeling coherent, but a few miles down the track, the alcohol slammed into my bloodstream. Was my craving so bad I was literally hallucinating men now?

I blinked hard. No, they were real. A whole row of guys in military tactical gear sat across the aisle.

All towering heights, endless legs, and ramrod-straight postures. Absolute prime beef.

But the guy in the second row on the left? Holy hell. Chiseled jawline, a perfectly straight nose, and radiating this raw, aggressive masculine energy that practically rewired my DNA on the spot.

So many gorgeous men, and not a single one belonged to me. The injustice actually burned.

I pushed up from my seat. My legs wobbled as I stumbled down the aisle. I crashed into the older guy sitting up front, the one with the most brass on his uniform, and locked both arms around his thick bicep in a death grip.

"Commander," I slurred, burying my face into his sleeve. "When exactly is your base going to issue me a real alpha?"

The commanding officer blinked, then a rough chuckle rumbled in his chest. "Looking for an alpha, sweetheart? How old are you?"

I spilled my entire life storymy age, my job, my clean criminal record.

The commander's eyes softened with amusement. "Not bad. Actually, I've got the perfect candidate right here."

He raised his voice. "Rhett! Step forward."

The god-tier man with the chiseled jaw shoved up from his seat. He marched straight toward me, his boots thudding heavy on the floorboards, and snapped a crisp salute. "Sir."

"Rhett, you're not getting any younger. You need to handle your personal life so you can stay focused in the field."

The commander gave him a stern look, then pointed a thick finger right at my face. "That's a direct order. You're dating her. Understood?"

Rhett narrowed his dark eyes, his gaze dragging over every single inch of my body in a slow, predatory sweep. He took a heavy step forward, closing the distance between us, and I suddenly realized he was so much larger than I originally thought. His massive frame blocked out the harsh fluorescent lights of the train car, casting a thick, suffocating shadow that swallowed me whole. The sheer physical pressure rolling off him made my lungs seize.

The alcohol instantly evaporated from my bloodstream. Oh god, what did I just do? I must look like a stage-five clinger.

The rest of the squad stayed perfectly rigid in their seats, but their eyes cut sideways, fighting back shit-eating grins.

My face burned hot enough to melt plastic. I dug my nails into my palms and forced out a dry, cracked laugh. I took a step back.

"Actually, I was just jok"

"Understood, sir."

I froze.

Wait, what?

It was that easy?

Chapter 2

Turns out, my mom hadn't been lying to me all these years. The universe actually did hand out alphas if you just demanded one loudly enough.

The entire train car erupted. The squad members started clapping and howling, pounding on the seats.

"What are the odds? Rhett steps onto a train and literally trips over a girlfriend!"

"Sir, requesting a girlfriend over here! When does command plan to issue mine?"

"Shut up, you're barely twenty! You can wait!"

My face felt like it was sitting over an open flame. I ducked my head, utterly mortified, staring at the floorboards.

Then, a large, deeply tanned hand extended into my field of vision. The fingernails were neatly trimmed, the knuckles prominent and calloused. It was raw power wrapped in skin.

"Hello, girlfriend. I'm Rhett."

His voice was a deep, gravelly baritone that vibrated right through my ribcage. My brain short-circuited. I stared up at him for a solid five seconds before my motor functions kicked back in. I scrambled to grab his hand, my fingers wrapping around rough heat.

"H-hi. I'm Brooke."

My hometown was a coastal city down south. Rhett and his unit rotated in every summer for four months of intense maritime combat training. We swapped numbers, added each other on socials, and got off the train together at the station.

He swung himself up into the back of a massive armored transport truck with a fluid, terrifying grace, then leaned over the tailgate. "I've got a twenty-four-hour pass next weekend. I'll come find you."

I stood frozen on the concrete platform, watching the military convoy rumble away. Thick dust choked the air, blurring his chiseled face until the whole thing felt like a fever dream. I was still dazed when I unlocked my apartment door.

I felt like I was losing my mind, but I pulled out my phone anyway. Right at the top of my contacts list, staring back at me, was his name: Rhett.

I clicked on his profile and scrolled through his feed. It was sterile.

Just a few links to global security news and tactical gear reviews. Nothing personal. I clicked out, slightly disappointed.

But ten minutes later, a notification popped up. His feed had updated. I tapped it so fast I almost dropped my phone.

[Off the market. I have a girl.]

Beneath the caption was a photo. It was me, standing on the platform in my white dress, waving at the convoy. The angle was blurred, obscuring my face, definitely taken from the back of the transport truck.

My heart hammered against my ribs like a trapped bird. Heat rushed straight to my cheeks, and I caught myself grinning at the screen like an idiot. Was he actually serious? So the whole thing wasn't just some twisted military joke.

I retreated to my bedroom, practically clutching my phone to my chest, and opened my chat with Rhett. I stared at the blinking cursor for ten solid minutes before typing out a pathetic message.

[Hey, you there?]

I hit send. Nothing. I checked my screen every three minutes like an addict, but hours bled into days with zero response.

By the time the weekend hit, absolute silence. The initial adrenaline spike crashed into a hollow, sickening drop in my stomach.

Forget it. He was probably just screwing with me.

On Saturday night, I dragged myself out to a dive bar with Nina. We were three drinks deep when she suddenly gripped my sleeve, practically vibrating in her seat.

"Holy shit, look at the guy by the bar. Absolute god. Brooke, want me to go get his number for you?"

Chapter 3

I glanced over my shoulder. The guy was wearing a simple white tee and shorts, sporting a sharp buzzcut. He was undeniably hot, and weirdly familiar. I shook my head, Rhett's face suddenly flashing in my mind.

"Pass. Not interested."

"Oh, come on, you can't be serious. You want to die alone?" Nina, a total extrovert with zero shame, rolled up her sleeves and marched straight over to his table.

She started talking a mile a minute, aggressively pointing in my direction. My face burned. I ducked my head, staring a hole into my drink.

A minute later, a shadow fell over our table. The guy stood right in front of me.

"Brooke?"

That gravelly voice. I snapped my head up. I stared at him for a solid five seconds before my brain kicked in.

"Wait. Rhett?"

He frowned, his jaw tightening. "You didn't recognize me?"

"I didn't recognize you with your clothes on."

The second the words left my mouth, gasps erupted from the surrounding tables.

"No! I meanyou're wearing civilian clothes. You look different." I was digging my own grave. My cheeks felt like they were on fire while my friends started hooting and hollering.

Rhett arched a dark brow. "Looks like you need to memorize my body, not my clothes." He roughly clamped his large hand around my wrist, dragging me straight toward the pitch-black, unlit stretch of the beach. "I'm going to make sure you never forget exactly who I am."

The crash of the waves swallowed the noise from the bar. My heart hammered wildly against my ribs.

"Rhett, my shoes are soaked. Let go of my hand."

A low, dangerous chuckle vibrated in his chest before he finally released my wrist. "I called you all day. Why didn't you answer?"

His voice dripped with a dark, possessive edge. He stepped into my space, his massive frame trapping me against the rough bark of a palm tree, cutting off my escape.

"What? My phone died." I smacked my forehead. It was on low battery when I left, and dragging Nina through the mall all afternoon had drained it.

Some of the tension bled out of his broad shoulders. "Good. I thought you were pissed."

"I was out on a maritime training op all week. They confiscate our phones. I wasn't ignoring your texts."

Guilt instantly coiled in my gut. He had a brutal job, and I totally blew off our very first date.

"I'm so sorry, Rhett. It's already so late"

"It's not too late." He cut me off. His voice dropped an octave, rough and gravelly.

His dark eyes glinted in the moonlight. He leaned in close, his hot breath brushing against the shell of my ear, sending a shiver down my spine. "We still have plenty of time to do exactly what I came here to do."

My face ignited. I panicked, taking a messy step back. My heel caught in the sand.

Before I could fall, Rhett's heavy arm snaked around my waist, yanking me flush against his rock-hard chest. Blistering heat radiated through my thin top.

We were pressed so tightly together I could feel a furious heartbeat pounding between usmine or his, I couldn't tell.

"I'm on detail guarding the armored vehicles near the beach this week. No sea ops. No confiscating my phone."

His thumb traced a slow, burning line against my hip. "I'll answer every single text."

He gripped my waist tightly for one agonizing second before stepping back. He immediately grabbed my hand, lacing his thick fingers through mine.

"Come on. It's late. I'm taking you home."

My brain short-circuited. "Wait. The thing you wanted to do that was it?"

Oh my god. Someone put me out of my misery. I actually said that out loud.

Chapter 4

Rhett arched a dark brow, a dangerous spark of amusement lighting up his eyes. "Not satisfied, girlfriend? Want to skip straight to the main event?"

"I didn'tI don'tshut up!" I ripped my hand from his and practically sprinted down the beach.

His unit was guarding a lineup of amphibious armored vehicles parked near the coastline. He could sneak out for a quick drink, but he couldn't leave the perimeter. So his version of "taking me home" was escorting me back to Nina and standing guard until we drove off. I waved at him through the passenger window, my eyes glued to his massive silhouette until he disappeared into the dark.

"Oh my god, the sexual tension is literally suffocating." Nina steered with one hand, leaning over with a wicked grin. "Sounded like a pretty intense operation back there. A little quick, though, don't you think?"

"Shut up! We literally just talked."

"Just talked? Brooke, you are wasting prime military-grade meat!" Nina shrieked, proceeding to fill the entire car ride with graphic, unfiltered suggestions.

I covered my ears and basically threw myself out of the car the second we hit my driveway. Back in my room, I plugged my dead phone into the charger. A massive block of text notifications from Rhett instantly flooded the screen. I was grinning like an idiot reading through them when the phone buzzed with a new one.

[Did you get home safe?]

[Yep. Just got in.]

[Good. Get some sleep. Goodnight.]

That was it? Not even a single emoji? I bit my lip, tracing my thumb over the screen, but then my brain replayed that heavy, suffocating embrace on the beach.

I hadn't had the capacity to fully process it in the moment, but now? I could still feel the sheer, rock-hard muscle under his shirt. The absolute power in his broad shoulders.

Okay, so tonight wasn't a total wash. I buried my burning face into my pillow, gripping the sheets tightly.

Clearly, his definition of "not busy" and mine were on completely different planets. He left me on read for hours.

When he did reply, his texts were brutally short. Typical military alpha male. I tried not to let it get to me, but I definitely spent a few nights aggressively glaring at my screen.

After getting ignored for an entire afternoon, I snapped. I hit the FaceTime button on his contact. It rang twice before someone actually picked up. Two completely unfamiliar, baby-faced recruits, maybe nineteen at best, stared back at me.

"Whoa, it's a girl!"

"Shut up, idiot. It's Rhett's girl. Hey there!"

"Uh, hi. Is Rhett around?" I gave an awkward little wave.

The two guys practically vibrated with excitement before violently swinging the camera around. The screen blurred, then focused.

Through the screen, his back was turned to me. His broad shoulders flexed with raw, explosive power, displaying the perfect waist-to-hip ratio.

Then he turned around, revealing his deeply tanned, eight-pack abs and a sharp V-line dripping with sweat. He looked like a brutal predator ready to snap. My throat instantly went tight and dry.

"You two little shits are doing it wrong. Watch closely."

Rhett marched straight toward the camera, his massive, sculpted chest filling the entire screen. "What the hell are you looking at? Touching my phone? I swear toshit!"

The camera fumbled. A second later, Rhett's intensely handsome face filled the screen. A dark flush crept up his neck, his jaw tight. "Brooke."

Chapter 5

My face burned even hotter. I nodded. "I, uh, you didn't answer my texts, so I FaceTimed you."

I tried to play it cool, but my eyes immediately dropped, desperately trying to get a better look at his bare torso through the screen. Without realizing it, I leaned in closer, my lips pressed into a tight line.

"Like the view?"

"Yes."

A deep, gravelly laugh rumbled from his chest. My face practically caught fire. I stammered, unable to form a single coherent sentence.

"Next time you come down, I'll let you see the real thing."

Before I could even formulate a response, the call abruptly disconnected. I tossed my phone onto the mattress and buried my burning face in my hands, letting out a muffled scream.

Oh my god. His body was flawless. All his ignored texts were instantly forgiven.

Saturday marked the start of the annual coastal summer festival. My mom had been buzzing around the living room since six in the morning.

"Brooke, get dressed! We're heading over to my cousin's place in Cape Point for the festival kick-off barbecue."

I groaned, shaking my head. "Pass."

The absolute last thing I wanted to do was make awkward small talk with distant relatives. Wait. Cape Point? That was the town right next to the military base.

I bolted upright. "Actually, Mom, I'm in!"

I jumped out of bed and practically tore my closet apart looking for the perfect sundress. When I walked out fully glammed up, my mom raised an eyebrow.

"Anyone would think you're heading out to meet a boyfriend."

I mentally smirked. That was exactly what I was doing. We drove down to Cape Point. The whole neighborhood was throwing massive block parties to celebrate the festival.

My aunt's house was absolute chaos. She grabbed my mom the second we walked in. "I swear, I almost had a heart attack!"

"The old community pavilion's roof just completely caved in this morning. Freaked half the town out."

"Are you kidding? Was anyone hurt?"

"No, thank god. They called in the guys from the military base next door to help clear the wreckage."

My eyes lit up. The military base next door? That was Rhett's unit. I immediately grabbed a massive cooler bag from the counter.

"I'm going to drop off some snacks for the troops."

My mom beamed. "That's my girl. Here, take these sports drinks too."

I hauled the heavy cooler down to the town square. I spotted Rhett instantly. He stood in front of the collapsed pavilion, barking out orders.

He looked completely in his elementcalm, authoritative, and ridiculously handsome with the midday sun hitting his sharp jawline. Half the local girls were already gathered around the perimeter, openly staring at him.

I walked right up to him, lifting a cold drink with a smile. "Brought you a drink."

Rhett's eyes widened in genuine surprise. "Brooke?"

"Brooke, stop embarrassing yourself. A top-tier alpha like him isn't going to give you a second look." A shrill, incredibly bitchy voice cut through the air. Fallon strutted over in her heels, raking a highly provocative, judgmental glare up and down my body.

We used to hang out during summers when we were kids, but she drifted away once we hit high school. Her dad was the town mayor, and she had always played the part of the rich, entitled local princess perfectly. She stepped right next to us, batting her eyelashes at Rhett. "Command already said they don't accept civilian handouts"

Before she could even finish her sentence, Rhett reached out, effortlessly swiping the sports drink from my hand and cracking the seal.

Fallon's eyes went wide. She stood there, completely stunned, her perfectly manicured hands balling into fists.

Chapter 6

"Commander~ That's so unfair. Why did you take Brooke's drink and not mine?" Fallon whined, her voice dripping with artificial sweetness.

Rhett stood right in front of me. His dark eyes locked onto my face, the corner of his mouth twitching upward in a rough, unrestrained smirk. "She's not a civilian. She's mine."

Rhett suddenly wrapped a heavy arm around my waist, yanking me flush against his rock-hard chest. He shot Fallon a dark, warning glare, a silent and absolute threat to anyone who dared step near what belonged to him.

Heat exploded across my cheeks. I stared up at his sharp jawline, my stomach doing violent backflips.

I stepped back and watched him work. His squad cleared the pavilion wreckage in record time. The mayor eagerly tried shaking Rhett's hand, practically begging him to stay for the block party barbecue, but Rhett shut him down completely.

"Brooke, I have to haul the guys back to base. I've got a pass the day after tomorrow. I'll come find you then."

Wait, he was leaving already? We had barely exchanged two words. I stared at him, my pulse racing as an impulsive thought hijacked my brain.

"I'm going with you."

Rhett paused, his muscles going rigid. I suddenly felt self-conscious. "Wait, am I not allowed to?"

"You can." Rhett's gaze darkened, his eyes burning into mine. "You're sure you want to?"

Under the harsh sunlight, his dark amber eyes glinted with something dangerous. He looked exactly like a starving wolf locking onto its prey.

I climbed into the passenger seat of Rhett's massive tactical truck. The rest of the squad immediately started howling and pounding on the metal siding.

"Welcome to the base, ma'am! Ready for the inspection?"

"Hey, remember me? I'm Mason! We FaceTimed!" A deeply tanned, grinning guy waved frantically before another soldier put him in a chokehold and dragged him away.

"Read the room, idiot!"

The entire squad vaulted into the truck bed, leaving just Rhett and me alone in the spacious front cab. I shifted in my seat, my face burning.

"There's room for three more back here. The sun is brutal today, Rhett. Let some of them in."

A muffled shout came from the truck bed. "Don't worry about us, ma'am! I can ride under the chassis!"

"I'll strap myself to the roof!"

"I'll just sprint behind the truck!"

Laughter erupted from the back. My cheeks caught fire, and I quickly hit the button to roll up the tinted windows, sealing us inside.

When we hit the base, Rhett gave me a quick tour. It wasn't the main compound, just a heavily secured forward operating post for the amphibious armored units. The main base was still miles down the coast.

I stood in the center of Rhett's private quarters, stunned by how bare it was. A rigid military cot sat shoved into the corner. The coastal humidity peeled the paint off the cinderblock walls. A single desk pushed up against the headboard, a metal locker in the cornereverything was squared away with psychotic, ruler-straight precision.

"You actually sleep here?" I stood by the desk, a sudden knot tightening in my chest.

Rhett caught the look in my eye. A low rumble of amusement vibrated in his throat as he stepped toward me. "Only officers get single rooms. This is luxury compared to the barracks."

"This is luxury? There isn't an upgrade?"

Rhett closed the distance between us. He planted both hands firmly on the edge of the desk, trapping me perfectly between his massive, corded arms. "There is. Once I'm married, I qualify for a standard two-bedroom suite."

My breath hitched. I was forced to lean back against the desk, tilting my head up to meet his gaze. The small room suddenly felt completely stripped of oxygen.

Blistering heat radiated off his large body. His heavy, masculine scent swallowed mea mix of clean laundry detergent, hot sun, and pure, intoxicating testosterone.

I watched the thick cord of his throat work as he swallowed. His dark eyes dragged down my face, his pupils blown wide. "Thinking about upgrading my living quarters, hm?"

His voice dropped to a dangerous, gravelly whisper. The dark vibration of his tone hooked straight into my spine, shattering the last shred of my sanity