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He ended his reps and got off the machine. When Jace settled on it, Lincoln leaned against the wall to watch. “How’s that pretty little lady of yours?”
Jace flashed a grin. “Great. I can’t wait to get home to her again.”
“Must be hard just stealing some hours when you’re off duty.”
“Nah, well worth it. And she’s very understanding. Especially when I can make her scream until she’s exhausted.”
They shared a laugh.
“Do you have someone special?” Jace asked, doing his own reps. The space was nearly empty with only a few other guys working out. Not all soldiers came to the gym when not forced to, because they were too tired from everything they’d already done that day. Jace and Lincoln were different, though.
Lincoln didn’t answer his question right away. He watched the gears of the equipment move as Jace lifted a could hundred pounds. He was a big motherfucker and didn’t have a problem throwing that weight around when a friend was in need.
Jace gave a short laugh. “I’ll take that silence as a yes.”
“I don’t know how it happened. We’ve hardly talked and when we have, it’s about my injury.” He raised his boot in demonstration.
“But you want her to be someone special.”
Lincoln pushed out a breath. Admitting it to anyone would make it real, but he couldn’t lie to Jace. “I’d like her to be someone special. Trouble is, I can’t get her alone for long and when I do, she’s resistant.”
“Maybe she’s like me and she doesn’t like you.”
Lincoln through is friend a smirk. “Yeah, maybe.”
He thought back on the moments when they’d stared into each other’s eyes and he’d noted so many of the signs of attraction on Allison. Increased pulse, dilated pupils, flushed cheeks. And fuck if her nipples didn’t send out messages of their own.
“Nah, she’s interested. She just feels she can’t act on it.”
“Or she’s been burned.” Jace grunted as he did a chest fly with enough weight to harm most other men.
Lincoln stopped at the words. “I hadn’t thought of that.” The idea of someone hurting Allison made him want to blow shit up.
“Oh no. I know that look on your face.”
“What look?”
“I was in Afghanistan with you, remember? Look, I could be totally off and your lady isn’t burned at all. Maybe she’s just a stickler for the rules and really won’t date soldiers.”
Lincoln pushed a breath out through his nose. Now that the idea was planted in his brain, he knew it was the case with Allison. As much as she had the signs of attraction to Lincoln, she also had those of a gun-shy woman. Nervousness when he was close to her, pulling away from his touch as if he’d scalded her.
Hell, now he really wanted to blow shit up.
“I’m not sure how to find her to even learn if this is the case or not.”
“Where’s she work?”
“Triage.”
“Ah, your foot. Got it. Man, you need to remember. Nurses are paid to care, not to actually care.” Jace ended his reps and stood to stretch out the kinks. Lincoln grabbed a towel and swiped at his face and rubbed it through his hair. Then he tossed a fresh towel at his friend. Jace caught it and did the same.
“Yeah, she’s different. My foot. The stitches come out in two days and I won’t have a reason to go back and see her again.”
Jace arched a brow. “I’m sure you can think of something, Lincoln. I’ve been in battle with you enough to know how resourceful you can be.”
∞∞∞
Ford’s stare could melt her—wasmelting her. She peeked at him from the corner of her eye. He looked amazing today, his T-shirt fitting perfectly along his carved torso and his pants hanging oh, so low. Tattoos stood out against his tanned skin.
