***
“Will Lt. Tyler Tyron Wesley please stand?” Tanesha watched as the officer who she thought looked eerily familiar stood up. “It is with great honour that I promote you, Lt. Tyler Tyron Wesley of the Arrowheads, from the rank of Lieutenant to Lieutenant Commander. This makes you the youngest Lieutenant Commander in the history of this country.”
The applause was deafening. Everyone was on their feet at that point. The lieutenant’s fellow Arrowheads were ecstatic. Tanesha couldn’t help but notice how the Blue Room suddenly looked charged. What shocked her even more was the joy her new friends portrayed at the president’s words. Dean, Matt, Cole, and Tristan were making piercing whistling sounds. They were actually cheering as if they knew the guy receiving the award, Tanesha thought confused. She turned to look at Lt. Wesley as he went to stand before the beaming president. She still couldn’t see his face but she kept her eyes on the back of his head.
The president raised high an insignia of a gold oak leaf collar device for all to see, which attracted another round of applause. Then with a happy grin, he pinned it to the collar of Ty. Then the president attached to Ty’s shoulder, shoulder boards bearing a single gold quarter-inch stripe between two gold half-inch strips. Finally, the president pinned a specialty insignia, which was also a star, above the stripes.
Then after taking a step back to admire his handiwork with a brilliant grin, he gave Ty a handshake and then a hug. The president seemed to be telling the obviously emotional officer something. Whatever it was, it took a while but the applause didn’t subside even for a second. The Arrowheads, made up of Ty’s colleagues and the squad, made up of his friend, clapped and cheered nonstop. It was so touching Tanesha felt goosebumps spread across her skin.
Finally, the two men separated, freeing LtCdr. Wesley to give his mandatory salute. Then the president gestured for the newly decorated lieutenant commander to take his place behind the lectern. When a still shocked LtCdr. Wesley took his place behind the stand and finally looked up at the loudly cheering audience, Tanesha gasped.
“Skull.” She breathed, feeling herself begin to shake.
There was no tattoo of a skull on his forehead but Tanesha would know her Skull any day. To say Tanesha was shocked would be an understatement. She didn’t even notice when everyone sat down to listen to Ty. Her mother had to prompt her to sit.
Ty cleared his throat, and then the applause and cheers started again. He stood still, waiting for the raucous from his team and his squad to end so that he could speak. The look of shock on his face was clear for everyone to see. He’d definitely not been expecting to be promoted. It all felt so surreal. He turned his head in Tanesha’s direction and locked eyes with her. She looked stunned, angry, and…hurt. Fuck.
Ty saw her lower lip begin to quiver and knew she was going to lose it right there. There was nothing he could do from where he stood. Ty gave a slight shake of his head as he stared into her brimming eyes. She blinked, obviously surprised at his gesture. Unfortunately, blinking only caused a tear to slide down her cheek. Ty suppressed the groan that almost erupted from his throat when he saw that tear.
He wished he could lick the trail of the droplet off her cheek. Ty saw a beautiful lady who looked like an older version of Tanesha…her mother obviously…push a tissue into her daughter’s palm. The applause had finally stopped but Ty waited till Tanesha cleaned her eyes before he started addressing the audience. Besides the fact that he needed to compose himself too after seeing Tanesha tear up, Ty had to gather his thoughts as he had to say more than what he’d planned to read…thanks to the rather shocking matter of his promotion.
“Mr. President, the Secretary of Defense…” Ty began.
When Tanesha heard that amazingly sexy voice…that raw, deep, and sensual masculine tone that only Skull had, the impact on her senses was as hard-hitting as it had been the first time she’d heard it. It called to something hungry and primitive inside her that instantly left her short of breath. She would probably have climaxed there and then had it not been for the fact that she still felt so shaken.
Despite the feeling of heartrending betrayal that she felt for what Ty had done…not coming to her despite the fact that he was very much alive, and also hiding his real identity from her, Tanesha couldn’t help but admire the man. She’d always found him sexy as all fuck in jeans and a T-shirt. But in the white Navy ceremonial attire, the man looked mind-blowingly hot. His confident and more than a little arrogant posture made him look dark and dangerous…seemingly unattainable. And that strikingly beautiful face…the sexy chiseled mouth… Christ!
But then, even with that obviously fake tattoo, Tanesha knew that the man was gorgeous so she wasn’t surprised at all. She suddenly wanted Ty so desperately she began to panic. Surely, it was against the military rule or something for a soldier to be that hot, she thought trying to control her breathing. Just watching Ty speak made Tanesha squirm in her seat with arousal, her body craving what it had been denied for three months. She was a fucking mess.
Tanesha was so much focused on Ty that she didn’t notice her mother’s curious gaze on her. Neither did she hear a word Ty said during his speech. After the short ceremony, people went around congratulating Ty and the Arrowheads but Tanesha stayed in her seat. At a point, she felt eyes on her and looked up to catch Ty’s penetrating gaze on her. His eyes stared into hers with such scorching hunger and possessiveness Tanesha’s breath hitched in her throat.
“Angel, the president is asking of you.” Her father said at her side. Her brothers had already left to probably look around the white house.
Without a word, Tanesha followed her father to where the president stood, talking to the Secretary of Defense, two elderly military men, and Ty. Tanesha choked up when the president took her into his arms and gave her a tight hug. She however composed herself and politely answered the president’s questions. She thanked the military men for their help and finally turned her smiling face on Ty, who actually looked slightly wary.
“Thank you very much for your help LtCdr. Tyler Tyron Wesley.” She mentioned Ty’s new title and full name, drawing amused laughter from the people around. “And congratulations.”
“Thank you, Ma’am,” Ty responded politely, not missing Admiral Mathias’ knowing smirk.
“May I have a quick word with you please?” Tanesha asked sweetly.
“Of course, Ms. Ashton,” Ty responded. “After you.” He gestured to one of the doors leading out of the Blue Room.