Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 73794 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 369(@200wpm)___ 295(@250wpm)___ 246(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 73794 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 369(@200wpm)___ 295(@250wpm)___ 246(@300wpm)
However, right as I was about to pull him down for a kiss, I heard feet on the metal stairs. I leaped away from Tony, and we launched ourselves at the med kits. Inventory. Nothing to see here.
Except everything. And it wasn’t the kisses and near-kisses with Tony that were the real threat. No, the greatest threats were these conversations, our growing connection, and the risk to my heart.
Even knowing that, I still looked for him hours later as our shift ended.
“Hey.” I jogged to catch up with Tony on his walk to the parking lot. “Headed out?”
“Yep.” He gave me a hard-to-read look. He’d been a bit stiff since our near discovery, understandably so. “Maybe I’ll actually catch some sleep.”
“If you’re interested in postponing that sleep, Scotty texted me a few minutes ago that he was leaving early to work with John and Cosmo on the landscaping business before the day gets too hot.” I lowered my voice further. “I’ll have the house to myself.”
“Is that so?” He matched my low tone. From the outside, we were simply two coworkers catching up at the end of a shift.
“Interested in stopping by?” I kept my body language loose and casual even as I shot him a heated look.
“I’ll be there.”
Chapter Thirteen
Tony
A pre-planned hookup was a novelty for Caleb and me, not to mention the prospect of an actual bed. I parked at Eric’s as usual after a shift, fighting the temptation to arrange my pillows in the shape of a sleeping form like some teen in case someone came looking for me. It was bad enough Caleb made me feel reckless and wild, a youth I’d never had. I’d spent so much time responsible for my sisters and later for my team as I’d moved up the Ranger ranks that I’d never had the chance to let loose or sneak around beyond the few clandestine high school encounters I’d joked about with Caleb.
I headed straight to Caleb’s after parking because if I went into Eric’s house, the chance of being waylaid by teens or friends was far too great.
I wanted Caleb, professional and personal risks be damned, and I broke into a brisk trot on the early-morning walk to his little pink rental house. I arrived on his doorstep at almost the same instant as him.
“Hey.” He unlocked the door, ushering me inside. His expression was uncertain, gaze shifting, hands moving restlessly, almost as if he’d expected me to ghost him.
“Cute place,” I said for lack of anything better to say to reassure him. While small, the living space had a welcoming feel with a khaki slip-covered couch, an older recliner, and bookcases filled with some sci-fi titles I recognized and a popular action thriller series.
“It was close to the school and cheap.” Caleb shrugged. “Scotty says it’s too tiny.”
“It’s cozy. Way bigger than a lot of barracks quarters I had over the years.” Another time, I could see myself enjoying hanging out here, talking books and movies. I gestured at the framed prints on the wall near the TV. “And you’ve got some actual decor going.”
“Thanks. Garage sale finds and my mom’s basement, but I tried to make it homey for Scotty.”
“I get that.” My chest suffered an unfamiliar pinch. Caleb was trying so damn hard for an uncertain—and likely ungrateful—reward. “But Scotty isn’t the only one who deserves a nice place.”
“How well is taking your own advice working for you?” Caleb shot me a pointed look like he knew exactly how little effort I’d put into making a home for myself over the years.
“Not very,” I admitted. “Right now, I’m staying in what used to be the primary bedroom at Eric’s with a hodgepodge of bedding, gaps where pictures used to hang, and walls an odd shade of avocado. I’ve got no clue what my own taste would even look like.”
“Ha.” Caleb’s blue eyes sparkled. Now that the door was locked and we were making mundane small talk, he’d visibly relaxed. “You need to flex your imagination more.”
“Among other things,” I drawled while putting some heat into my gaze, reminding us of the real reason for my early-morning visit.”
“Dick dying from underuse lately?” Caleb chuckled as he stepped closer to stand directly in front of me.
“Ha.” I laughed at the assumption that my cock ever got around. “You’re the most action I’ve seen in years.”
A slow smile crept across his face. “I like knowing that.”
He draped his arms around my neck, kissing me softly before steering me toward a short hallway off one side of the living area.
“No making out on the couch?” I asked the question in large part to watch his pale skin blush. He was fun to rile up.
“Nope. Better not start anything out in the open in case Scotty changes his mind about working.” He led me to an open door. “My room.”