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“It’s just to Raunchy Ride tomorrow, for God’s sake. You need to get your ass out of here occasionally.” He closed the door, crouching down and taking Apollo’s paw.
“Fuck that. Why bother?”
“You’re in a shitty mood again. What’s going on?” He finally stood, watching as the pup trotted to his bed in front of the fire, shaking his head as he smiled.
I headed for the refrigerator, grabbing two beers, tossing him one. “Just had a visit from a physical therapist today.”The most beautiful creature on this God-given earth. And I’d treated her like trash at the end.What the hell was wrong with me? I popped off the top, taking a long pull.
“Here?”
“Yeah. She had the nerve to come here. To my house. Can you believe it?”
“I didn’t think that kind of thing was allowed.”
“Oh, trust me. Ms. Ballbuster doesn’t follow any traditional rules.” I shook my head.
He took a deep breath. “Well, she certainly got to you, buddy. I haven’t seen you this animated in a long time.”
“Do not go downthatroad. What was it she said to me?” I thought about her brash words and had to smile. She certainly knew how to push my buttons.
As well as the rest of me.
My cock ached all over again just thinking about her. “Oh, yeah. If the mountain wouldn’t come to Mohammed, then Mohammed must come to the mountain. Her statement pissed me off.”
“Did you tell her so?”
“Oh, I told her. Little Miss Nurse Garrington refused to listen. Oh, no. Now, every muscle aches like a son of a bitch.” I wasn’t going to tell him the reason I ached was because I’d turned into a beast of a man.
“You’re whining.”
“I am not whining!” But of course I was. “I just need my privacy. That’s all I ask.”
“Yeah, I hear you. That wasn’t cool, man. Not cool at all. Doesn’t she understand what you went through?”
“She said she does. She even served overseas herself.” What she’d told me remained in the back of my mind. I’d assumed she had no freaking clue about the horrors and tragedies, but like everything else about her, she surprised me.
“Maybe you should talk to her supervisor.”
“I ain’t gonna do that. I can handle her all by myself.”
He chuckled and thumped down on the leather sofa, his gaze shifting to the other side of the room. “Yeah, I know you can. I also know you’re a messy housekeeper and your taste in art is unusual but I’m curious. Why is your lamp broken?”
Exhaling, I glanced at the debris I’d left in the corner. “I wasn’t very happy about something she said.”
“That means she crossed a line.”
“It don’t mean shit. Just let it go.” Why had I allowed my rage to get the better of me?Because she refused to take your crap.
“Sure. Now, about tomorrow night. You need to at least stop by and grab a beer. I think Vader has some big news he needs to tell us about.” He grinned as he stared at me, challenging me with those eyes of his.
The five men who’d returned home before me had all built lives for themselves. They had girlfriends and wives, houses, and real jobs. What did I have to show for myself? There I went again, feeling sorry for myself.
“I don’t know.” I did miss getting together with them. We’d been a tight group, relying on each other while overseas. Yet we hadn’t gotten together, talking about the incident that haunted each one of us since my return. I understood why. They all felt guilty, as if they were to blame for the fact I’d gone against orders, determined to get the girl to safety. Shit. The dream had put me right back into it. That was part of the reason for my extreme mood. Who was I kidding? I was surly all the time since I’d returned.
I took another long swallow, hating the tension between us. We used to talk about anything and everything, including hopes and dreams. Then they’d been dashed by one stupid decision.
“Do you ever think about it?” he asked quietly.
“Not if I can help it.”
