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Excerpt:
Jared pushed the heavy door to his hotel room open. He should have let the
bellhop help him. His stubborn denial of his new physical limits wouldn’t let
him. His duffel bag bounced off his thigh, nailing the tender flesh beneath his
scars. Pain swept through his leg on a dizzying wave. Off balanced by his
luggage, he stumbled into the doorframe. He looked around at the typical hotel
decoration. In spite of the ornate lobby, the room was simple, a calming pale
cream color with brown accents.
Hobbling across the small room, he tossed his duffel on the neatly made bed.
He opened the flap then pulled out his shaving kit. A Vicodin would numb the
searing pain but the drugs made him sleepy. The digital readout on the clock
showed two.
He dry-swallowed the pill. Grabbing his cell phone, he hit redial and waited
through the ring.
A deep bass voice answered. “Hello.”
“Steve, it’s Jared. I’m at the hotel.”
“Great! You made good time.” Traffic noises cluttered the line. “I’m on the
way to pick up Lydia’s grandmother from the airport. Probably be back in about
an hour or so. Dalton’s around there somewhere.”
“I haven’t seen him yet.” The idea of seeing Dalton made his heart beat
faster. Grabbing a plastic-wrapped glass from the desk, Jared went into the
bathroom. “My leg is acting up. I just took a pain pill and I think I’ll lie
down for a while.” He ran some water into the glass and washed down the bitter
aftertaste of the pill. If only it were as easy to wash away the bitter memories
of his and Dalton’s parting.
“What did the doctor say yesterday?” Steve’s gravelly voice grew soft.
Jared sighed as he walked back into the bedroom area. “The same thing he said
last week and last month. My leg won’t ever be the same. I’ll always have at
least a ten to fifteen percent loss of mobility.” He toed his sneakers off.
Sitting on the edge of the bed, he stripped off his socks. The carpet was soft
and cool against his feet.
“Are they putting you out?”
“No, not yet.” Jared ran his hand through his hair. That would be too easy.
“I have a choice. I can stay in but I’ll be deskbound and out of combat
permanently.”
“Not a bad deal. You could still see your pension.”
“Yeah. A pencil pusher for the next ten years.” Jared wished the military
would just throw him out. Make the decision for him.
His lawyer friend chuckled on the other end of the line. “There are worse
things, you know. And I have a place for you. We need good investigators with
the firm. With your military police background, you’d be perfect.”
“I know. And don’t think I’m not grateful for the offer but…” The idea was
tempting. If Jared left the Army, the city he grew up in would be as good a
place as any to start his life over. Staying with his mother while he healed had
been convenient but she tended to smother him. Not only would he have a good
job, Dalton wouldn’t be able to avoid him all the time if he lived here and
worked with his brother.
“Okay. Know the offer is there if you need it.”
A yawn overcame Jared’s response. “Sorry. Must be the Vicodin kicking in.” Or
the sleepless night thinking of facing Dalton again.
“Go. Rest. I’ll talk to you later at the rehearsal dinner.”
“Later.” Jared flipped the phone shut and tossed it on the nightstand. A
slight wooziness accompanied the sweet numbness caressing his thigh. The hum of
the air conditioner serenaded him like a lullaby. At least the drugs would take
the edge off for a little while. Enforced sleep helped Jared forget his dilemma.
A knock caught him pulling his T-shirt over his head. Holding the sweat-damp
material against his chest, he limped to the door.
He opened it and found himself face-to-face with the features he’d searched
for in the lobby. “Dalton…” Jared stepped back as the man crowded him into the
room.
“At your service.”
Blue eyes shone in a face leaner than Jared remembered. Gone was the baby fat
of the nineteen-year-old that haunted his dreams. The man in front of him was
muscled, compact without being bulky. His closeness took Jared’s breath away. A
heated flush seared his skin.
“You seem surprised to see me. Didn’t you think I’d show up for my brother’s
wedding?” The door swung shut behind him.
“No, I knew you’d be here.” He stopped his backward retreat into the room and
struggled for a control he didn’t feel.
Dalton kept coming until his body was mere inches away from Jared. His tall
frame matched Jared’s six-foot height. Almost nose to nose with Jared, he
whispered, “Aren’t you glad to see me?” A predatory gleam shone in the dark blue
depths.
The tantalizing scent of sweat and something distinctly male overwhelmed him.
Arousal shot through Jared’s body. “Of course. You startled me.” He pushed his
crumpled T-shirt in front of his hips to hide the rising bulge in his jeans. He
prayed Dalton wouldn’t look down. Although he’d thought of nothing else in the
last two months, he wasn’t looking for a quick fuck. He wanted to know if more
were possible before he made a decision about the rest of his life.
As if the man could read his thoughts, Dalton’s gaze crawled down Jared’s
body. A smile quirked his lips when his eyes paused at Jared’s obvious
camouflage. “I guess you are glad to see me.”
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