"But my agreement has some conditions," Dennis said.

Lawrence's face slowly broke into a faint smile. The gleam in his eyes wasn't crude at all. "Go on..." he replied, "I'm listening."

Through mind link, I could feel a suppressed anger and unwillingness radiating from Dennis.

"After the war ends, that's when I'll get married. Right now, I need to focus on our national defense. I can't let marriage and other women's business distract me." Dennis' tone was ...