She ladled a helping of Sue’s outrageously tasty gumbo over a scoop of dirty rice, poured herself a glass of an electrolyte drink, and carried both over to the table where Griffin sat. One advantage of this intensive training was she could eat whatever she wanted, and as much of it as she wanted, without gaining an ounce.

Griffin shocked her by standing up and pulling out her chair for her as she approached the table. The poor man looked like he wasn’t quite sure which end was up. Dang. If she’d known glamming up would have this dramatic an effect on him, she would’ve done it a lot sooner.

She sat down cautiously, watching him. He had yet to give her any indication of why he’d asked her to this private meal. He’d obviously told the other guys to stay away tonight, which meant they’d ribbed him about a date the same way the girls had ribbed her. What was so important that he would take that kind of heat to eat alone with her?

The last weeks had taught her to be wary of head games, which she’d learned came in many forms. What was his angle tonight? Lure her into relaxing, maybe into revealing something personal about herself that he could use to torture her with later?

“Is tonight special, or are you demonstrating that SEALs are going to hold my chair for me in the field all the time?” she tossed out in an effort to loosen the tension suddenly coiling in her belly.

He snorted. “Not bloody likely.”

“Then why would you do it here and now?”

“Because my mama taught me to act like a gentleman around ladies?”

A lady, huh? She chose to take that as a compliment. “Where are you from originally?” she asked curiously. She associated old-school manners with the South, but she could be wrong.

“All over. My old man was a Marine.”

She leaned back, studying him. Good Lord, he looked amazing, freshly showered and shaved. He’d always been deeply tanned, but his skin had lost that parched quality of having been out in a harsh desert climate for long months that it had had when she first met him. His eyes were deep, deep blue tonight. Ocean blue. Be still my beating heart.

Aloud, she commented, “Ahh. So you come by it honestly, then.”

“Come by what?”

“Being an asshole, of course.”

Griffin grinned and merely shook his head at her.

“You know what your problem is?” she responded. “You keep thinking of me as a woman. The thing is, I’m both a woman and a soldier. Although on second thought, maybe you’d do better just thinking of me as a soldier.”

“Honey, I ain’t never seen another soldier who looks like you.”