Thursday was mail day. It had been for the last three years. Mail day meant care packages from home, at least for Preach, Amir, and McG. Dalton rarely bothered to wait for the mail truck unless it was the third Thursday of the month, when OPS sent out their usual crate of gear. The shipment of cover items was often hotly anticipated, as there were always a few hidden gems, often nice tech pieces, that the team would fight over.
The key to getting your hands on the best stuff that OPS sent in was to get to the shipment first. Which was why Dalton was currently standing outside the quonset hut, his eyes on the horizon. He'd positioned himself out of sight of the barracks, but stood casually enough that if one of his team members were to spot him they wouldn't suspect anything.
"Hey,"
Dalton jumped guiltily and leveled a look at Jaz, who seemed to have appeared out of thin air.
"Do you have to do that?"
A grin curved her lips.
"Gotta keep my skills sharp".
"They're sharp enough" Dalton muttered dryly.
"What're you up to out here?" She asked, settling back against the sun warmed wall beside him.
"Thinking".
"Thinking about how you're gonna be first to open the OPS crate?"
Dalton gave her a sidelong look, which she returned with a smug grin.
"Maybe."
"You could call Noah, ask him to track the truck."
Dalton raised an eyebrow at her.
"That would be an irresponsible use of resources"
"He turned you down, huh?"
Dalton grinned and leaned back beside her.
"Something like that."
Her hair was still damp from the shower she had probably just stepped out of, and he found himself distracted by the scent warming on her skin. They hung out in companionable silence for a few moments before they saw Amir slinking along the fence.
"Sneaky bastard" Dalton murmured.
"Thinks he can outsmart us" Jaz scoffed.
They set off toward Amir together, and ran into McG, who was slowly moving around a corner.
"Mail truck?" He asked
"Mail truck." They said in unison.
"Where's Preach?" McG asked suspiciously as Amir saw the trio heading towards him and threw his hands up in frustration.
Dalton scanned the area around them, and decided Preach must be on the phone with his family, or otherwise distracted. The sworn loyalty of the battlefield held no weight when it came to the mail truck.
The distant rumble of a diesel engine drew their attention to the road. Charles, the mail courier, lifted a hand in greeting as he pulled the truck up to group.
"Got a big crate coming to you folks today"
"Nice" Jaz said enthusiastically, and followed Amir and McG as they shoved each other playfully on the way to grab the crate. Charles pulled the door of the truck up and McG and Amir stopped mid-shove to gape at Preach crouched beside an already open crate
"Oh you rat bastard! You were gonna mooch all the best shit!" McG exclaimed.
"You snooze you lose, McG," Preach said, sliding a Cartier watch onto his wrist. Charles made a pained sound behind them.
"You're all gonna get me fired. How did you even get in there?" He asked Preach.
"Trade secret" Preach replied simply, helping McG and Amir hoist the crate out of the truck.
The crate was low on tech gear this time, but Dalton was able to snag a nice pair of battery operated ANVIS goggles with a helmet mount. They were left with mostly clothing items, and since Preach and McG were the most similar in size, they were the only ones left squabbling over the box. They fought viciously over a plain black button up, only because the other option was a skin tight salmon shirt with an obscenely low v-neck. Jaz and Amir had their pick of items, although Jaz did snatch up a leather jacket Amir had been eyeing, and when he complained, she claimed that it had a fitted cut and would draw too much attention if he wore it.
Amir muttered darkly and quickly grabbed the rest of his items before Jaz could poach them. Jaz grinned victoriously and pulled out various other items, mostly simple, with a few dresses and common service staff uniforms. Dalton heard her give a low sound of appreciation and watched in amusement as she cradled a long black dress that slipped like water through her fingers.
"I think this is one of those outfits that might just get damaged beyond repair " She murmured, holding the dress up to herself.
Dalton shook his head and pulled the last few items out, making sure to shove the salmon monstrosity to the back corner of the box.
Reflecting back now, he realized he should have pulled that dress out of her hands and tossed it back in the box with the salmon monstrosity, but how the hell was he supposed to know how it would look on her, the way it would cling just so, and how when she walked her thigh would flash smooth tanned skin.
They got a call not even a week later and the dress came with them, tucked gently into Jaz's grab bag and wrapped in paper to protect it from snags. The team teased her mercilessly, but she ignored them, placing a protective hand over her prize.
Lyon, France
They got a room at the Pavillon De La Rotonde, a rare luxury considering they usually slept in a drafty safehouse or in some sort of run-down hotel. Their covers required a certain appearance of wealth however, so they were all squeezed into a junior suite with two queen beds and a pull out couch for whoever lost the rock paper scissors contest. He was fiddling with the bow tie on his tux while Patricia briefed the team, when he heard a low whistle and looked back to see Jaz emerging from the bathroom wearing the dress. His hands stilled on the half formed knot at his neck. The dress was elegant, with long lace sleeves that reached her wrists, yet astonishingly sexy with a low open back that showed off smooth tanned skin. When she walked forward there was a flash of bare thigh thanks to the slit that must have been cut to her hip, and he had to pull slightly on the bow tie to loosen it.
"Damn, I thought the point was not to attract attention." McG said, not bothering to hide his appreciation.
"Sometimes attracting attention to one thing hides something else" Patricia said sagely, before smiling slightly and eyeing McG. "Why do you think I got you that salmon shirt?"
McG looked pained while the rest of his team snorted with laughter.
Dalton heard his name, and when he glanced guiltily back at Patricia he could sense it wasn't the first time she'd said it. He could have sworn he saw her eyes flick to Jaz and back to him before the smallest of smiles flashed across her lips and was gone. She continued briefing the team as though nothing had happened, and he pulled his focus back to the task at hand.
The mission was flawless, and they were in and out in less than thirty minutes. Jaz had easily captured the attention of one of the men watching the doors leading to the interior of the house, and had engaged him in rapid French while Amir was able to slip in behind them to plant the bug. The slipped out as quickly as they came, while McG grumbled that he hadn't even had the chance to try any of the appetizers.
As was their tradition, they celebrated mission success with a few drinks. The upscale hotel bar served as the perfect place to fit in with their formal wear.
He purposely kept his gaze averted from Jaz and the dress. The alcohol began to warm through his blood, and despite his preference to avoid more than a slight buzz, he ordered another. The bar was busy enough that he had to wait for his drink, but he welcomed the moment to clear his thoughts. The moment didn't last long however, because Jaz slipped in beside him to order a gin and tonic, heavy on the lime. She was close enough that he could smell the perfume she had donned tonight. He didn't know what it was about the scent that left a tight knot in his gut.
The man beside Jaz put a hand on her back and opened his mouth to say something. As if possessed, Dalton moved forward to move the offending hand away, and stopped himself just before Jaz turned with a slow smile to look at the man. Her free hand moved lighting fast and bent the man's hand back towards his wrist. The man yelped in pain while Jaz looked on nonchalantly, releasing him an instant later. Jaz shot Dalton a cocky grin and he felt his own lips curve.
"That was pretty bad-ass" a clean cut guy with blonde hair said, moving in beside Jaz, but carefully keeping a respectful distance.
"I know," she said smoothly, humor playing at her lips.
"I've been wanting to learn some self defense moves, want to teach me some?" He asked casually.
Jaz laughed at the corny line and turned towards the guy
"Doesn't look like you need help defending yourself"
"I'm a total wimp," Clean cut blonde said, moving in closer as Jaz laughed again.
Again, Dalton felt an almost irresistible urge move the guy away, so he turned around, gripping his glass harder than he needed to. The possessiveness he felt annoyed him, and he walked to the doors that lead to an outdoor patio in an attempt to clear his head. Even if he had any right to feel jealous over her flirtatious interactions with other men, she wasn't a piece of property he needed to guard. He was her commanding officer, and he was out of line.
Dalton took a slow sip of the whiskey and scanned the line of trees dark against the setting sun. There was a storm of emotions broiling in his chest, and he stood quietly, willing the calmness to return. He had gained a shaky tether of control when he heard the click of heels on stone. He knew it was her by the tempo of her steps.
"Bored already?" Jaz asked as she stepped up beside him.
"Fresh air"
He could feel her gaze on him and he stared deliberately ahead. The loose tether on his emotions strained.
"Something wrong?" She asked, and he glanced down to find her looking up at him in concern.
His control slipped further as his gaze snapped to her painted mouth and back up quickly.
"Nah, just came out to think."
"Good spot for it"
"Tired of your new friend?" He asked, and was appalled at the edge to his tone. Jesus, he was out of control.
A small flicker of annoyance crossed her face.
"You know, you wouldn't feel so annoyed by everyone else's flirting if you did some of your own. I'm sure McG could give you a few pointers if you need them."
She knew how to get his back up.
"I don't need pointers " He said testily
Jaz's disbelieving snort snapped the last tether of control and he turned to her, stepping in close. Her eyes widened and he leaned in closer, aware he was testing himself, but unable to resist.
"Your drink's getting low, need another one?"
Jaz glanced down at her full glass and back up at him with an amused grin.
"It's full, so..."
He wrapped gentle fingers around her wrist and brought the drink to his mouth, taking a long sip, his bottom lip pressing to the side of her index finger where she held the glass.
"You sure about that?" He asked softly. Her lips parted slightly and she stared up at him for a moment before challenge lit her eyes
"Still good," she said slowly.
He took another sip, caressing the inside of her wrist with his thumb as he did so. Her eyes darkened. Half the glass was empty now.
"You look like you could use a top off"
"Nope, I'm fine"
He took another long drink, leaving a small taste of liquor behind in the ice before releasing her wrist.
Jaz's eyes were glued to his and he stepped in close enough that their thighs brushed.
"I think you're gonna need a refill" He whispered, and though he'd only meant to prove a point he found himself teetering dangerously close to a line he wasn't supposed to cross. He tipped his head forward, aching to capture her lips with his, when her grip on the glass loosened. He caught it out of instinct and though it cost him, he leaned back with a cocky grin.
"Don't need pointers" he said smugly before turning to head inside. He missed the way she leaned heavily back against the railing as she watched him leave.