by Cat Johnson
She didn’t have long to feel ashamed however, because they were barely inside the room when Jack leapt forward, red faced.
“You rotten son of a bitch.” He pulled back his fist and let the punch fly, clocking Trey with a blow that would have leveled a smaller man.
Carly hopped to the side to avoid Trey who took a step back when the blow threw him off balance. The entire team seemed to hold its collective breath, but no one moved a muscle to either help or stop the fight. Carly too stood frozen in place except for the wild pounding of her heart.
Trey’s head had whipped back from the hit, but he stayed put and didn’t even raise a fist. He stared calmly at Jack as if waiting for the next punch, but it never came. Instead, Jack stepped forward and grabbed Trey in a bear hug, audibly squeezing the breath out of him. “Thanks for saving my brother.”
She saw the expression of shock cross Trey’s face as he accepted the embrace. When they broke apart, he touched his jaw, working it from side to side. “You’re welcome.”
Jack came to her next. He raised a hand to her cheek and smiled. “Hey, darlin’.”
Carly returned his smile hesitantly. How exactly should she act in this situation? This guy had an obvious crush on her and had just seen his best friend screwing her on camera. She’d like to know the standard operating procedure for handling that one. “Hi, Jack.”
He leaned forward and brushed a soft kiss across her cheek. “I’m so glad you’re home safe.”
The commander stood in his office doorway, watching the whole exchange and not looking very happy. “You three, in my office.”
“Three? Me too, sir?” Jack sounded surprised.
“Yes, you.” The man turned and walked to his desk obviously assuming they’d follow, which they did.
Carly walked behind Trey and Jack when Matt grabbed her hand and slipped a pill bottle into it. Managing an embarrassed nod, she clutched the prescription in a tight fist. Could this get any more embarrassing? As she entered the office behind Trey and Jack, she had a feeling it could.
“Close the damn door, McAfee.” The commander delivered his order like a man who was used to being followed without question.
“Yes, sir.” She did as she was told.
He waited until she had before he laid into Jack. “What the hell is going on, Gordon?”
“Nothing, sir.”
“It didn’t look like nothing to me.” When Jack remained silent, the commander addressed Trey. “Williams, would you like to fill me in?”
“No, sir. I mean there’s nothing to be filled in on, sir.”
“So you’re going to tell me you two beat the hell out of each other after every mission?”
Trey kicked at the floor with the toe of his sneaker. “He didn’t exactly beat the hell out of me, sir.”
The commander raised a brow. “No, I suppose he could have hit you harder if he really wanted to. I’m going to assume your little show out there was a one-time event. Am I right or wrong?”
“Right, sir.” Jack and Trey spoke in unison.
“McAfee.”
Carly jumped. She had been eyeing the water cooler and deciding if she could take the pill without anyone noticing when he called her name.
“Yes, sir?”
“Good job. Go home.”
“Sir?”
“Go home. The two heavyweight champions here can take care of the paperwork and the debriefing. If I need you for anything, I know where to find you.”
“Thank you, sir.”
He smiled. “Thank you, McAfee. Oh and remember, not a word to anyone.”
A bitter laugh burst out of her before she could stop it. “They wouldn’t believe me if I told them, sir. But no, not a word.”
She couldn’t wait to be on the other side of the door and away from them all. Being the third side in this little triangle was more than she could deal with right now. Glancing from Jack to Trey, she got out of the office as fast as she could.
It would feel very good to get home. Time to start getting things back to normal, though she had a strong suspicion she’d never feel normal again.
***
Trey gladly handled the mission follow-up without Carly. Having her there would have taken more mental capacity than he had after the night they’d spent together doing everything except sleeping. Of course, Jack was still there right next to him like the living breathing personification of his own conscience. A constant reminder he’d not only stepped across the line with Carly, but had also trampled all over Jack’s toes in the process.
To Jack’s credit, following the initial punch he’d thrown he’d acted pretty much normal as he and Trey waited on line with the rest of the team to turn in all equipment they’d been issued for the op.
Then came the paperwork—the bane of the existence of every man and woman in the US military. Trey sat at his desk with a form in front of him and a pen in his hand, but being prepared with the necessary items didn’t get the papers filled out any easier.
The task was simple enough. He was going to have to write an account for the expenses he’d charged to John Smith’s credit card for things like the rental car and the taxi, but he’d barely filled out his name because he wasn’t really there. Instead, his mind was at Carly’s.
Jack sat at the desk next to him, scribbling away. He looked down at his own nearly blank page. This was going to take a long time at this rate.
He sighed and Jack glanced up at the sound. “That paper’s not going to fill out itself while you stare at the wall.”
Trey laughed. “I guess I didn’t take whatever speed writing course you did.”
It seemed he and Jack were just going to forget about the obvious and go back to being friends even though his jaw still hurt like hell. The bruise was already starting to show but it didn’t matter if getting it out of his system had helped Jack get over what he’d seen. He owed Jack that much.
“You just need the right motivation, that’s all. The sooner I get done, the sooner I can go get a beer.”
That captured Trey’s wandering attention. No wonder Jack was in such a hurry to finish his paperwork. He was anxious to get to Carly. Trey bit the inside of his cheek to try to stop himself from asking the question, but it came out anyway. “You going to Carly’s?”
“Yup.” Jack’s single spoken word carried far more meaning today than it normally would. He was in fact telling Trey he was still going after Carly, no matter what had happened in Kosovo.
His stomach clenched. “Maybe you should give her a little time. It’s been a tough couple of days.”
Jack narrowed his eyes. “Are you going to ask Carly out?”
Trey frowned. “Me? No, of course not.”
Jack raised a brow. “Why not?”
“I don’t need the distraction of a girlfriend right now.”
Glancing down, he tapped a finger on Trey’s blank report. “You look plenty distracted to me already.”
For a man who talked like some country hick, Jack could be really perceptive sometimes. He was dead-on this time and Trey had a feeling his distraction wasn’t going to get any better either, particularly if Jack ended up dating Carly.
He shook the unpleasant thought off.
“Yeah, well. It’s been a tough couple of days for me too.” Trey sighed and then dropped the pen. “Look, Jack. I have to say this. I’m sorry. I’m sorry it had to happen and I’m really sorry you had to see it.”
Jack shook his head. “I know, Trey. You had to. Matt explained it to me. It was his idea and it saved Jimmy, so how can I hold it against you?”
The first time had been Matt’s idea and necessary, but the second time? That incident was all Trey and the guilt over it nearly overwhelmed him as he took in the sincerity of Jack’s expression.
“I’m fine. We’re fine.” Jack waved a hand to indicate the two of them. “And I’m sorry I punched you. It’s just…no stud likes to share his filly, you know?”
Trey wouldn’t have worded it tha
t way exactly, but… “Yeah, I know.”
“Finish that up. I’ll wait for you.” Arms folded, Jack leaned against his desk.
Trey shook his head. “No, you go ahead. I think I’m going to try to stay out of her face for a while. Things have been a little awkward since we, uh, were, um together.”
Jack laughed. “Yeah, I can imagine. Actually, that’s all I can do is imagine, not having experienced it myself.”
Trey winced. All may be forgiven, but not quite yet forgotten.
“But it’s fine,” Jack continued, “One day when Carly and I are celebrating our wedding anniversary, the three of us will all get together and laugh about this.”
Anniversary? Shit. Trey thought about Jack and Carly married. Nothing about it was remotely amusing. He forced a smile and said goodbye to Jack, even as the iron vise tightened around his chest.
Chapter Ten
Carly wiped down the bar. She was so happy to be home and back to her life again, she didn’t even care she was tired or that her feet radiated pain every time her sneakers rubbed the blisters on her heels.
Nope. Everything was fine. Good. Back to normal. She’d only grabbed a few hours of restless sleep on the plane, but she’d had to take the shift tonight since no one else was scheduled. That was okay, though. She was back in her own bar where she was the boss and didn’t have to follow anyone else’s rules, and she’d already taken the pill Matt had slipped her.
Things were back to normal. Her usual, boring and predictable life looked pretty damn good after the past few days…until she looked up to see Jack walk through the door.
She held her breath and waited, but Trey was not behind him.
Carly tried to deny the fact her heart had just stopped beating as she forced a smile. “Hi, Jack.”
“Hey, darlin’.” Jack’s glance swept the nearly empty bar as he perched his butt on a bar stool directly in front of her. “Slow day?”
Slow didn’t come close to describing it.
“Yeah, but that’s fine. I’m a little jetlagged.” Knowing she couldn’t tell anyone the truth about her absence, Carly kept her voice low.
She’d told her relief bartender she’d packed a bag and gone out of town to help an old college girlfriend who had an emergency. Since she lived in an apartment above the bar, there’d been no way to avoid someone noticing she was gone.
Pursing his lips, Jack nodded. “I’m kind of glad it’s slow. Not for your business of course, but it will give us a chance to talk.”
Talk? Carly didn’t know if she was ready for this discussion right now. Swallowing hard, she steeled her nerves. “Talk about what?”
“About that maybe you gave me the other night. I’m hoping you’ve decided to turn that maybe into a yes.” His slow, sweet smile was enough to melt any woman’s heart. Any woman who wasn’t fighting it as hard as she was.
“I don’t date military guys, Jack. You know that.”
Maybe she should have that credo made into a sign and hang it behind the bar. If nothing else, it would serve to remind her what happened when she gave in to temptation. How she’d seduced Trey in the darkness only to have him act like it was all a job the next day proved she obviously needed reminding.
“I know that, darlin’, but you forgot about your rule with me the other night. I may have been drunk, but I remember our kiss perfectly and it was really nice. Wasn’t it?”
“Yes.” She couldn’t deny it. It had been nice. Just like Jack was nice and sweet, and kind and funny.
He was just the kind of guy Carly should like, and she did like him in spite of her saying no to all his invitations. She held firm on her rule with Jack, who was so obviously interested in her. Meanwhile, she’d let herself get attached to Trey, who had no interest in her at all.
Even so, the thought of Trey took her breath away and made her heart begin to pound. She’d watched the door for him to come in all day. She craved him like an alcoholic craves a drink. Why? Because he didn’t want her back.
Typical. All of her quoting her rules to any man who asked her out was obviously just crap because she’d gone and let herself get attached to the wrong man yet again.
Damn it. She was going to have to get over Trey because she had meant nothing to him but a part of a mission.
“Darlin’?” Jack touched her hand lightly and brought her attention to the present.
“Sorry. I’m a bit distracted.”
Jack raised his brow. “I see that. You’re not the only one.”
Assuming he was talking about himself being worried about his brother, she lowered her voice. “How is your brother?”
He smiled. “He’s pretty banged up, but he’s alive. You can’t ask for more than that. He’s still in the hospital in Germany, but they should be transporting him home before too long. Thanks for asking.”
She grabbed two beers out of the cooler and popped the tops. She slid one to Jack and kept the other for herself. She needed it after what she’d been through lately. “On me. Here’s to his complete recovery.”
Jack raised his bottle in a toast and then sipped the beer. He played a bit with a bead of sweat running down the glass as he raised his gaze to her. “What’s with the military-men rule, darlin’? Who hurt you?”
Carly looked at him with surprise. This guy was either really perceptive or she was an open book. She had a feeling it was the latter. “Just some asshole.”
He tilted his head. “Some asshole ruined it for all the rest of us? Where is he? I’d like to show him what I think about that.”
She smiled. She hadn’t had someone want to beat anyone up for her in a long time. “Sorry. He’s clear across the country now with his wife and kid.” Maybe kids plural by now for all she knew.
“Well, if you ask me, it’s a damn shame to throw out the whole pie just because the crust got a little burnt.”
Carly laughed. It had been a long time since anyone had made her laugh either.
Jack smiled. “You should laugh more. I like it.”
Contemplating her current situation, Carly took another sip of her beer and let the cold foam slide down her tightened throat. She didn’t date military men, yet here she was, pining over one anyway. Maybe it was a stupid rule. A doctor or a lawyer or a garbage man could hurt her too. Maybe if she hadn’t been living like a nun the last few years, she wouldn’t have been so affected by Trey after just one night in bed with him.
“Okay.”
Jack raised one sandy brow. “Okay what, darlin’?”
“I’ll go out with you.” She had to laugh again because Jack couldn’t have looked more surprised if she had gotten up on the bar and done a striptease. She quickly pushed the thought of her recent striptease out of her mind.
He’d stopped with the beer halfway to his mouth and just gaped at her. She pushed the hand holding the beer down to the bar. “Close your mouth before a bug flies in.”
A smile spread wide across Jack’s face. “When?”
If she was going to do this, then why not make it right away? “I have to work tonight. Is tomorrow night good for you?”
“Hell yeah, tomorrow’s good and even if it wasn’t I’d make it work.” He cocked his head to the side and sobered for a second. “Not that I’m one to look a gift horse in the mouth, but what made you change your mind?”
She laughed. “Believe it or not, I think it was the burnt-pie analogy.”
He smiled and raised his beer again. “I’ll remember to thank Mama for that one next time I call.”
A man who loved his mama. Jack couldn’t be more perfect…unless he were Trey.
Trey was experiencing the restlessness he always had after one op ended and another had yet to begin. Only this time it seemed worse. He’d decided to try to sweat the feeling out of him. He and Jack were currently in the middle of a long run. The only problem was it wasn’t working. Now he was both sweaty and restless.
“Hey, Jack. You want to come over to my place tonight and watch the game? Or we c
an go to the bar if you want.” He’d given Carly her space for a day. That should be enough. Besides, he missed the bar. That’s what he was telling himself anyway.
“Um, actually, I’m busy.”
“Busy? Doing what?” Trey frowned. Jack never gave up an opportunity to go to Carly’s.
Jack stopped running, so Trey stopped too. “She said yes.”
Feeling his eyes pop open wide, he hoped he’d jumped to the wrong conclusion. “She said yes? Carly? To your date?”
Wiping the sweat from his face with the hem of his T-shirt, Jack nodded. “Yup. I almost died myself. We’re going out tonight.”
Suddenly sick to his stomach, Trey pressed a hand to his side. He must have run too hard.
Trey was having trouble wrapping his head around this. He had thought he was safe since she’d been saying no to Jack for about two years now. Trey couldn’t date her, but that didn’t mean he wanted to see her dating anyone else either. He supposed that sounded selfish but really, she’d been with him only two days ago. How could she say yes to a date with Jack only two days after she’d been in his bed?
What was that Jack had said about sharing his filly?
He wiped the sweat from his face, still speechless. He should be congratulating his best friend. This was exactly what Jack had wanted for a long time now. Instead, he paced in a small circle, trying to walk off the sick feeling in his stomach.
“You feeling all right?” Jack watched him with concern, while he was having trouble looking at Jack at all.
“Fine, just a cramp or something. I think I’m done for the day. I better head in.”
“I’ll walk with you. I want to get home anyhow. I’ve got to shower and pick up some flowers before I go get Carly. And I’ve got to get my bed sheets out of the dryer.”
His bed sheets. Trey bent over, braced his hands on his knees and tried his best not to vomit right there on Jack’s running shoes.