Chapter 5: His Guard Drops—Just for Her

The moment I touched Marcus, his whole body stiffened, like he’d just been zapped. His eyes flickered, and for a split second, he looked almost… scared. He didn’t move, didn’t breathe. The world seemed to pause, waiting to see what would happen next.

He didn’t speak, didn’t look at me—just stood there in a daze.

I peeked up at him through my lashes, searching his face for any sign of emotion. For a second, I thought I saw something flicker—something soft, almost afraid.

Suddenly, my confidence faltered.

Where was the deep affection for me the comments talked about?

My shoulders slumped. Maybe I’d made a fool of myself. Maybe Tanya was right all along.

Meanwhile, Tanya’s face twisted with anger.

She looked ready to explode, fists clenched at her sides. I almost pitied her, but not enough to step back.

"This is a restricted area, you can’t just come as you please. Didn’t you see the captain is angry? Ma’am, don’t bother him—come back with me."

Her voice was loud enough for the whole training field to hear. A few soldiers snickered, others looked away.

Ah, so Marcus is angry?

I glanced up at him, searching for clues. His jaw was set, but his grip on my hand never loosened.

So the comments were lying to me. I shouldn’t have hoped for anything from him.

My chest tightened. I let go of his hand, bracing myself for disappointment.

But just as I let go of Marcus’s hand, ready to accept my fate, he suddenly gripped me back, hard.

His fingers interlaced with mine, possessive and warm. I blinked, startled, as he pulled me closer.

After saying, "No need," he dragged and half-carried me away.

The crowd parted around us, whispers following in our wake. My cheeks burned, but I held my head high. For once, I didn’t care what anyone thought.

Tanya stood in place, so angry she nearly cracked her teeth.

Her jaw worked back and forth, and she shot daggers at my retreating back. For a moment, I almost felt bad for her—but then I remembered the slap, the threats, and decided she deserved it.

But the other soldiers laughed and teased:

They nudged each other, making jokes only half under their breath. The camaraderie was thick, tinged with the unique blend of respect and fear reserved for men like Marcus.

"This is Miss Carter, right? Looks like an angel. No wonder when the Carter family had trouble, the captain drove all night back to D.C., blew out three tires in his hurry."

"Yeah, the captain was like he didn’t care about his own life. Geez, when a stone blooms, it’s something fierce."

Their laughter echoed across the field, mingling with the fading sun. It stung, but not as much as it used to. Now, it almost felt like a backhanded compliment.

"Heh, at this rate, the captain’s gonna have his own little squad running around in diapers."

Tanya glared at the two walking away together, furiously clenching her fists.

She snorted. "What do you know? The captain always keeps work and personal life separate. He hates delicate women the most—why would he keep her here? She broke in on her own. He’s probably just dragging her off to chew her out. She’ll be back with her tail between her legs."

Her words were sharp, but no one seemed to buy it. The soldiers just grinned, their eyes following Marcus and me.

However, as soon as she finished, Marcus suddenly bent down and picked up his delicate wife in his arms.

One second I was on my own two feet, and the next I was airborne, cradled against his chest. I yelped, clutching his shoulders like a damsel in one of those old rom-coms my mom used to love, heat rushing to my face.

The crowd immediately gasped.

Even the toughest soldiers looked surprised. Someone let out a low whistle, and a few clapped, making the moment feel even more unreal.

"Sergeant Tanya, that doesn’t seem to match what you said."

A ripple of laughter spread through the group, and Tanya’s glare could have melted steel.