AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Want to climb between the sheets?” I ask. Everything we’ve done has been above the covers.
“Not yet. Lie here beside me. In a bit, we’ll order room service.”
I climb up next to him, resuming my position draped over him. It feels oddly natural, as if we’ve been doing this for a while. This obviously wasn’t part of our cover. But no, it was us acting on escalating attraction. Just sex. At our age, in our professions, it doesn’t need to mean anything.
My gaze travels up the valley of his well-defined chest to the faint scar. “Tell me about your injury.”
“I already told you. I tried to do a three sixty—”
“Not that.” I dip my head and nip his salty skin. The friendly teasing eases some of the discomfort in my chest.
“Hey,” he halfheartedly protests.
“How’d you injure it the first time?”
He brushes his hand over his forehead and rubs his eyes. “It was a long time ago.”
“You clearly had surgery.”
“Have you heard of BUD/s?”
“Well, yeah. I grew up in San Diego.” He was in the Navy, like my dad. “Were you a SEAL?”
“Didn’t make it through. Two days to go. Tore my rotator cuff. Couldn’t move my arm. Worst pain of my life.”
His eyes are closed. The hard set of his jowl says it’s a painful memory.
“An injury like that isn’t your fault.”
“I still could’ve made it.” Leaning over him, I press a tender kiss over his heart. “I also got pneumonia. High fever. Chills. Medics might’ve let me continue, but someone died the round before us, from pneumonia complications, of all things, and it had gotten some bad press. They weren’t taking chances. They pulled me.”
“You say that like you don’t think they did the right thing?”
“I could’ve made it.” He lets out a heavy sigh. “I was so close.”
I rest my ear against his chest. His heartbeat thuds, slow and rhythmic now. “I’m glad they pulled you.”
“That’s a shitty thing to say.”
“No, it’s not. You might not be here otherwise.”
“Hmmm.” His answer vibrates through his chest cavity.
“How’d you end up working for my dad?”
“Ryan heard about me. I was a mess. Needed surgery, physical therapy. Was in the hospital for over a week with pneumonia. Emotionally, I was in a bad place. Didn’t re-up when my time came due. Ryan actually showed up at my apartment door. Told me he had something else he wanted me to consider. Trevor finished out my physical therapy, got me back on my feet, so to speak. I’d been working for them for a while when your dad hired Arrow to handle his security.”
“That’s right. That’s when he became a partner.”
“I don’t know where I’d be if it weren’t for Ryan.”
“You would’ve landed on your feet.”
“You think?” He sounds amused, but I wasn’t aiming for humor.
“I know.” I lift my head and push myself forward until my lips press against the corner of his. He shifts away from my kiss, and his gaze shoots off to the wall.
“What they did for me, though. Makes what’s going on here doubly despicable.”
