Cocky Corporal - April Canavan Page 0,2

is partly why I found myself in traffic court. There was no way I could afford everything I was currently paying for and a two-thousand dollar fine. Yeah, the piece of paper attached to my car window had just about given me a heart attack. Which would have worked in my favor since I was double parked in an area reserved for ambulances alone, and they’d be able to get me emergency care.

A beleaguered sigh coming from Judge Carter caught me off guard. "I won't tell him. But your fine is tripled. I assume you'll be taking care of it today."

"Definitely." Soraya was nodding fervently and not complaining at all. "Thank you so much Judge Carter." When she stopped, the judge kept talking.

"Let your driver take you next time, Mrs. Morgan. You're dismissed." His gavel striking the wooden surface of the bench echoed through the room.

Soraya was sitting next to me again in a matter of seconds, looking far more relieved than before she'd gone up there.

"Judge Carter's really nice," she explained. "But I can't have Graham finding out about this ticket. Seriously. You'd be surprised how many times he gives me shit about my driving."

She was utterly adorable. Like one of my students when they knew they had done something wrong. They were doing their absolute best to make up for it, because they didn’t want me to call their parents.

Names were called, and people went up to speak with Judge Carter one after another. He was fair, but stern, from what I could tell. Still that didn't make it any easier to think about contesting my ticket. I knew I had screwed up, I really did. That wasn't the problem. I just hoped that he'd let me explain what was happening and why I'd done it. Even as I sat there thinking about it though, I couldn't stop the panic and my need to run from filtering in.

I was so caught up in my thoughts that I didn't even notice Soraya start to panic next to me. She reached out and grabbed my hand.

"Please don't tell him that I got a ticket."

Confused, I looked around, expecting to see the mysterious husband that she'd mentioned. However, there was no one that fit the bill. The only newcomer looked like he had just stepped out of a magazine. He looked bored out of his mind, until his eyes fell on Soraya. Then, I watched as a switch practically flipped and his grimace turned into a mischievous smile. One that if I saw it in my class, I'd immediately get suspicious.

When he got closer, I had to make sure that my mouth wasn't hanging open, because he was freaking gorgeous. Green eyes so bright they practically melted my panties right there on the spot, and just a hint of a five o'clock shadow. Oh, I was a massive sucker for green eyes. Though his hair is what gave him away. My brother and his friends all had the same look, every time they came home. Knowing he was in the military just made my current situation worse. When he sat down on the other side of Soraya, I practically sighed. And just like that, I knew I was in trouble.

"What are you doing in traffic court, Soraya?" His voice was perfect, too. Which just made it worse, because he hadn't once looked in her direction.

"Go away Cole," Soraya bit out through the corner of her mouth. "I'm here for my friend, Casper."

Right as she said my name, the bailiff did the same thing from the front of the room. "Casper Townsend."

"Good luck." Soraya squeezed my hand again, and then let go as I stood up on wooden legs. I'd completely forgotten that she was even holding my hand.

Having everyone's attention completely on me now was unnerving. Especially when the man who'd sat next to Soraya, Cole, shot one glance in my direction and then dismissed me completely. My mortification was complete, and I licked my lips as I walked stiffly up to the designated area. I was trying to remember to breathe, and managing it pretty well, I thought. Until I looked up at Judge Carter and everything went fuzzy for a second.

The table in front of me offered a little reprieve when I leaned against it to take a few deep breaths.

"Breathe," Soraya called out quietly. How I heard her across the room, I didn't freaking know. Somehow her words made it through my head, over the sound of my