He loved Army life. His wife hated it. Sergeant Tim Miller loved starting his day at 5 A.M. with a workout, loved pushing his troops to the edge of their tolerance and beyond. He loved going to the rifle range and firing off thousands of rounds. He loved teaching young Soldiers and watching them become warriors. He loved his job.
He had started as an Infantryman as a young 18 year old kid. Deployed to war six times in ten years he had seen more than his share of combat. On his ninth tour things had gone bad. Riding in a helicopter with his squad on their way to kill a high level terrorist the chopper had been hit by a rocket. Only three out of 12 of them survived the crash. Tim's back was broken and his spine had to be fused. That had ended his time in the Infantry. But rather than leave the Army, Tim became an intelligence analyst. He told himself supporting the fight was almost as good as being in the fight. His wife was angry about him staying in. She was angry he didn't want to go home to Boston. She was really angry when she found out Tim would be working with female Soldiers now.
Tim took it all in stride. The job was different, but he made the best of it. He relished teaching these non-combat troops how to be killers. Some got it, others did not. Tim trained through pain. He believed that pain retained and that a pain consequence was the best teacher. His young troops did well or they suffered.
Tim went out to the range to do combat training every chance he got. Today had been a great exercise with lots of moving, shooting, and moving some more. At 5 P.M. he walked back into his office to close out some open paperwork, and was surprised to see one of his young Soldiers still working.
Private Rachel Hernandez was at her chair studying her computer screen when Tim walked in. She looked up and smiled at him as the door shut behind him.
"The hell are you still here for 'Dez?", he asked.
"Trying to make your deadlines, SGT", she replied with feigned distress. Tim worked his kids hard, but was always fair with them.
"Fuck it. Knock off and go home, young'n", Tim said as he started to undo his body armor.
She watched him. Rachel often watched him. He was the gruff, older, foul mouthed boss. At 28 he was nine years older than her, but she was always drawn to him. He was a man's man. He was tough, blunt, strong, and authoritative. She was smart enough to know it was a daddy complex that made her attracted to him, but she didn't care. She wanted him.
Rachel often fantasized about Tim. She knew he was married and that made her want him more. He was much taller than her 5'3" frame. But she knew he had admired her small frame. The 38C breasts she had drew his glance more than once. And she thought she had seen him looking at her firm ass during morning runs a few times. But Tim was always professional with her. Even when she would try to flirt he either wouldn't notice or didn't care.
She was sitting transfixed on him as he sloughed off his heavy body armor. The 18 pound vest fell to the ground with a thud. It was summer, and the heat had made him sweat through his uniform under the armor. Rachel absent-mindedly licked her lips as Tim started to take off the camouflage top. He pulled it off and revealed his well built and defined arms, as well as several of his tattoos. Her brown eyes were looking at the outline of his pecks through his shirt when he noticed her staring.
"Can I help you?" he asked with a smirk. She was startled and embarrassed but decided to press her luck.
"I doubt it, SGT", she said with a teasing smile. "Not with the kind of help I need".
