Haugland had been at the pub for exactly twenty-three minutes when Kaj finally walked through the door.
“Fucking hell,”
Tage muttered beside him.
“Poster actually brought her.”
“Behave,”
he said, taking a pull from his beer.
“No.”
He wasn't expecting anything particularly interesting from the night. A few beers, meet Kaj's new girlfriend, give him enough shit to ensure he regretted introducing her to them, then home.
Simple.
Until he looked toward the door again.
Kaj had his hand at the lower back of a pretty brunette he assumed was Venla.
But Venla wasn't alone.
The woman beside her was shorter, laughing at something Venla had whispered as they crossed the crowded pub—and his beer stopped halfway to his mouth.
Well.
Fuck.
Tight blue jeans hugged her from waist to ankle, paired with a plain black scoop-neck shirt that should've been completely fucking innocent.
It wasn't.
Not on her.
Her hair was down in loose, soft curls, and when she lifted a hand to push some behind her ear, he caught himself watching the movement for several seconds too long.
“Close your mouth, boss,”
Tage murmured.
He lowered his beer.
“My mouth isn't open.”
“Metaphorically.”
“Fuck off.”
Kaj reached the table wearing the smug expression of a man about to introduce his girlfriend to four men he'd apparently forgotten were arseholes.
“Right. Dickheads, this is Venla.”
Venla laughed.
“I've heard so much about all of you.”
“None of it admissible in court, I hope,”
Tage said.
“And this”
—Venla reached for her friend's hand, pulling her slightly closer—
“is my best friend.”
He looked at her properly.
Big mistake.
Because she smiled.
Not the careful, polite smile people usually gave a table full of large, tattooed men.
A real one.
Bright enough to make something in his chest shift uncomfortably.
Introductions went around the table. Tage immediately turned on the charm. Ox—Folke Hagen—gave her a warm nod. The youngest offered his usual two-word greeting.
Then Kaj gestured toward him.
“And that's Major Haugland. He's our commanding officer.”
Her eyes flicked to him.
He watched the brief surprise cross her face as she looked him over, and one corner of his mouth lifted.
“Don't make me sound like such a prick, Poster.”
“You are a prick.”
“Still outrank you.”
Kaj flipped him off.
Her gaze bounced between them, amusement already appearing in her expression.
He leaned back in his chair, beer loose between his fingers as he studied the sharp-eyed woman Kaj's girlfriend had apparently decided to bring into his Friday night.
Then he nodded toward the empty chair beside him, his shoulder stiff.
“Sit down, sweetheart.”
His eyes held hers, that lazy half-smile deepening.
“Let's find out exactly how much Venla neglected to warn you about us.”