drink. I also need your opinion on something.
Life-changing stuff, you know. In between, well…great sex, you were always so
easy to talk to. I could use that right now.”
“Uh,
sure. I mean let’s grab lunch or something next week. To
talk,” he added hurriedly.
“Tomorrow?” she asked
with a sweet plead attached.
“That
important?”
“Kinda is.”
“I’ll be finished my
physio around noon. Tinman and I can meet you at Breakers.”
“I don’t really want
an audience, Mace. I get that you an d Nina have
something going on. I just want to talk.”
He cranked a look over
his shoulder. Nina hadn’t surfaced. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Bye,
sweetie.” Sheila hung up.
He hoped that was just
a friendly goodbye. When he stopped in the doorway of his bedro om, Nina was fully dressed and furiously straightening up
the room. She’d taken it over while he threw a sheet on the couch at night.
He’d hoped after today that would change. Nina swept through the space like a
tornado, straightening, tucking and re-strai ghtening.
“Look at me.” Stubborn Nina was full speed ahead. Did she really think that he
would meet up with a woman with her in his life? “She’s a friend, Nina.”
“Sure.” The tight
response was tossed over her shoulder as she attacked the small closet.
“Fri ends, Nina. That’s it.”
“You don’t need to
explain.”
“If I don’t, you’re
going to be painting the place next.” He couldn’t keep the grin from sprouting.
It quickly vanished when she whirled around and glared at him. “Baby, I don’t
deserve that look.”
“I need to go grocery shopping,” she said trying to whistle
past him, but he grabbed her around the waist halting her progress.
“Nina, she wants a
shoulder. That’s all she’ll get from me. I trust you. Do you trust me?”
Nina searched his
eyes, biting down on w ords she wanted to spill. “She
drilled me to find out when you were coming home from Germany. I’ve been
fielding lots of calls since you’ve been gone, Mace.” Nina illustrated with her
fingers. “Jacie, Connie, two
Susans, Tammy, a Karen and a Sadie.” Her ex pression
went stone cold. “You’re a busy guy with lots of ready and waiting nursemaids.
I didn’t write their numbers down; I trust you have them all.”
His redhead’s temper
torqued. “I do, but I don’t need them anymore, and I’ve never asked any of them
to c ome home with me. Nina, we both have a past, but
it’s you I want in my future. Are we going to make one?” He took a chance
leaning closer and brushing her lips with a gentle kiss. “I don’t want to sleep
on the couch anymore. It’s going to drive me nuts, bu t
I want you in my arms at night.”
She looked uneasily at
him. “I’m a mother, Mace. Gabbs is my one and only mission. With everything
going on here and her so far away—” She put a little distance between them. “As
soon as the Shark is caught I’m a full-tim e mom
again, and I’ll be bringing Gabbs to San Diego. School, sports, sleepovers,
trying to find someone to care for her when I’m at work, and juggle a single
mom’s life, it’s a handful.”
He nodded
understanding. When they were together they lost sight of their priorities. His was getting back on combat duty. Hers
was creating a home for Gabbs. He hadn’t even thought of the ramifications when
life returned to normal. Maybe they should slow things down. “We’ll work it out,
Nina, but one thing won’t change.” Twisting a curl of
red hair around his finger, he watched it unravel, waiting for her to let go of
the breath she’d taken, but hadn’t released. “No matter how you fit me in your
life, it’s only you, not Sadie or Karen. Nina has my full attention.” She didn ’t move. “Do you copy, over?”
“Good copy,” she
breathed.
Pinning her against
the wall, he kissed the pulse beating in her neck. With small nips he made his
way to her ear. “You’re so beautiful when you’re tense with
Life-changing stuff, you know. In between, well…great sex, you were always so
easy to talk to. I could use that right now.”
“Uh,
sure. I mean let’s grab lunch or something next week. To
talk,” he added hurriedly.
“Tomorrow?” she asked
with a sweet plead attached.
“That
important?”
“Kinda is.”
“I’ll be finished my
physio around noon. Tinman and I can meet you at Breakers.”
“I don’t really want
an audience, Mace. I get that you an d Nina have
something going on. I just want to talk.”
He cranked a look over
his shoulder. Nina hadn’t surfaced. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Bye,
sweetie.” Sheila hung up.
He hoped that was just
a friendly goodbye. When he stopped in the doorway of his bedro om, Nina was fully dressed and furiously straightening up
the room. She’d taken it over while he threw a sheet on the couch at night.
He’d hoped after today that would change. Nina swept through the space like a
tornado, straightening, tucking and re-strai ghtening.
“Look at me.” Stubborn Nina was full speed ahead. Did she really think that he
would meet up with a woman with her in his life? “She’s a friend, Nina.”
“Sure.” The tight
response was tossed over her shoulder as she attacked the small closet.
“Fri ends, Nina. That’s it.”
“You don’t need to
explain.”
“If I don’t, you’re
going to be painting the place next.” He couldn’t keep the grin from sprouting.
It quickly vanished when she whirled around and glared at him. “Baby, I don’t
deserve that look.”
“I need to go grocery shopping,” she said trying to whistle
past him, but he grabbed her around the waist halting her progress.
“Nina, she wants a
shoulder. That’s all she’ll get from me. I trust you. Do you trust me?”
Nina searched his
eyes, biting down on w ords she wanted to spill. “She
drilled me to find out when you were coming home from Germany. I’ve been
fielding lots of calls since you’ve been gone, Mace.” Nina illustrated with her
fingers. “Jacie, Connie, two
Susans, Tammy, a Karen and a Sadie.” Her ex pression
went stone cold. “You’re a busy guy with lots of ready and waiting nursemaids.
I didn’t write their numbers down; I trust you have them all.”
His redhead’s temper
torqued. “I do, but I don’t need them anymore, and I’ve never asked any of them
to c ome home with me. Nina, we both have a past, but
it’s you I want in my future. Are we going to make one?” He took a chance
leaning closer and brushing her lips with a gentle kiss. “I don’t want to sleep
on the couch anymore. It’s going to drive me nuts, bu t
I want you in my arms at night.”
She looked uneasily at
him. “I’m a mother, Mace. Gabbs is my one and only mission. With everything
going on here and her so far away—” She put a little distance between them. “As
soon as the Shark is caught I’m a full-tim e mom
again, and I’ll be bringing Gabbs to San Diego. School, sports, sleepovers,
trying to find someone to care for her when I’m at work, and juggle a single
mom’s life, it’s a handful.”
He nodded
understanding. When they were together they lost sight of their priorities. His was getting back on combat duty. Hers
was creating a home for Gabbs. He hadn’t even thought of the ramifications when
life returned to normal. Maybe they should slow things down. “We’ll work it out,
Nina, but one thing won’t change.” Twisting a curl of
red hair around his finger, he watched it unravel, waiting for her to let go of
the breath she’d taken, but hadn’t released. “No matter how you fit me in your
life, it’s only you, not Sadie or Karen. Nina has my full attention.” She didn ’t move. “Do you copy, over?”
“Good copy,” she
breathed.
Pinning her against
the wall, he kissed the pulse beating in her neck. With small nips he made his
way to her ear. “You’re so beautiful when you’re tense with
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