warm
cheek.
Energy seeped from her body and left her lim p. She floated.
Her m ind becam e a blank slate. No color. No pictures. No pain. She
slept, free of the earlier m ental hold. Content.
And then, a sudden peacefulness surged through her v eins and
caused blue splotches to dance behind her ey elids. A sm ile pulled
the corners of her lips.
“Holly .”
Holly balked at the deep v oice at the other end of the dense fog
in her brain. Leave me alone .
A warm hand lifted her shoulder. “Holly , wake up.”
She stirred and opened her ey es to see Brett squatted beside
her.
“What happened?”
She raised her hand to shield her ey es from his bluish-green
ray s and forced her m ind back to her research. Pure compassion .
Thankful the colors were present, she sighed and sat up. “Nothing.
I had a headache so I sat to rest for a m inute.”
He paused for a brief m om ent, as if he processed her
explanation. God, she hoped she could conv ince him to believ e her
half-baked excuse. She attem pted to enter his m ind, hoping his
curiosity distracted him . No such luck. The doors were locked and
a do not disturb sign hung in plain sight.
He raised an ey ebrow. “Must’v e been a hell of a headache.”
She m anaged a half sm ile in response and waited for his
dem and that she elaborate. Instead, his ey es softened and reflected
his concern.
“Do y ou feel better?”
She regarded him for a m om ent and watched his blue and
green com bination fade to a lighter shade of solitary blue. Calm.
Acceptance . Reliev ed by his change of m ood, she searched for the
pain she felt earlier. Not a trace. Odd .
She sent him a full genuine sm ile. “Much.”
He extended a hand and nodded at the sign on the door. “Do
y ou alway s hang out in the m en’s locker room ?”
Holly rolled her ey es. “I wanted to m ake one last check before I
closed.” She slipped her hand in his and he pulled her from the
floor to stand. She allowed herself to wallow in the heat of his touch
for a m om ent before releasing his hold. “I guess ev ery one’s out.
Why did y ou com e?”
“Cam eron insisted. Sterling sent m e.”
“How did y ou get inside?”
“I picked the lock.”
A surge of satisfaction quickened her pulse. “My drill sergeant
insists I close at eight.”
She watched in am usem ent as sev eral em otions play ed on his
face. Surprise. Contentm ent. Arousal. Holly frowned. Why did she
see them now? And why , all of a sudden, did he allow her to
observ e his m ood?
Lost in thought, she jum ped when Brett finally broke the
silence. “Are y ou sure y ou’re okay ?”
Still baffled, she pushed her curiosity aside. “Yes, thanks.”
“Are y ou ready to call it a night?”
Her heart warm ed at the soft, pink blob that form ed a circle
around him . “Yes.” She turned toward the doorway and glanced at
the towel on the floor. “Could y ou do m e a fav or?”
“Sure.”
“Grab that towel and toss it in the laundry chute.”
Brett balled the towel in one hand, threw it into the air, and
m ade a perfect two-point basket. “Hav e y ou eaten?”
Extrem ely reliev ed the towel didn’t float back out of the chute
or throw lightning bolts at either of them , Holly exhaled a long
breath. She was being ridiculous. “No.”
Brett offered his hand again. “C’m on, I know a place.”
She lifted her hand to accept and then paused. She glanced at
his offering and then back into his ey es. “Wait, is this a date?”
“Do y ou want it to be?”
Did she? Truth be told, she wanted it to be m ore than a date.
Her wet panties prov ed it. But that would allow him m ore tim e to
question her. To attem pt to get closer. “No.”
Another disarm ing sm ile. “Then it’s not.”
Holly waited to see if a darker shade of pink, alm ost m agenta,
m ight surround him . Not that she thought him deceitful, just
m ischiev ous. And, he m ade no secret of his interest in her. One
m ore m
cheek.
Energy seeped from her body and left her lim p. She floated.
Her m ind becam e a blank slate. No color. No pictures. No pain. She
slept, free of the earlier m ental hold. Content.
And then, a sudden peacefulness surged through her v eins and
caused blue splotches to dance behind her ey elids. A sm ile pulled
the corners of her lips.
“Holly .”
Holly balked at the deep v oice at the other end of the dense fog
in her brain. Leave me alone .
A warm hand lifted her shoulder. “Holly , wake up.”
She stirred and opened her ey es to see Brett squatted beside
her.
“What happened?”
She raised her hand to shield her ey es from his bluish-green
ray s and forced her m ind back to her research. Pure compassion .
Thankful the colors were present, she sighed and sat up. “Nothing.
I had a headache so I sat to rest for a m inute.”
He paused for a brief m om ent, as if he processed her
explanation. God, she hoped she could conv ince him to believ e her
half-baked excuse. She attem pted to enter his m ind, hoping his
curiosity distracted him . No such luck. The doors were locked and
a do not disturb sign hung in plain sight.
He raised an ey ebrow. “Must’v e been a hell of a headache.”
She m anaged a half sm ile in response and waited for his
dem and that she elaborate. Instead, his ey es softened and reflected
his concern.
“Do y ou feel better?”
She regarded him for a m om ent and watched his blue and
green com bination fade to a lighter shade of solitary blue. Calm.
Acceptance . Reliev ed by his change of m ood, she searched for the
pain she felt earlier. Not a trace. Odd .
She sent him a full genuine sm ile. “Much.”
He extended a hand and nodded at the sign on the door. “Do
y ou alway s hang out in the m en’s locker room ?”
Holly rolled her ey es. “I wanted to m ake one last check before I
closed.” She slipped her hand in his and he pulled her from the
floor to stand. She allowed herself to wallow in the heat of his touch
for a m om ent before releasing his hold. “I guess ev ery one’s out.
Why did y ou com e?”
“Cam eron insisted. Sterling sent m e.”
“How did y ou get inside?”
“I picked the lock.”
A surge of satisfaction quickened her pulse. “My drill sergeant
insists I close at eight.”
She watched in am usem ent as sev eral em otions play ed on his
face. Surprise. Contentm ent. Arousal. Holly frowned. Why did she
see them now? And why , all of a sudden, did he allow her to
observ e his m ood?
Lost in thought, she jum ped when Brett finally broke the
silence. “Are y ou sure y ou’re okay ?”
Still baffled, she pushed her curiosity aside. “Yes, thanks.”
“Are y ou ready to call it a night?”
Her heart warm ed at the soft, pink blob that form ed a circle
around him . “Yes.” She turned toward the doorway and glanced at
the towel on the floor. “Could y ou do m e a fav or?”
“Sure.”
“Grab that towel and toss it in the laundry chute.”
Brett balled the towel in one hand, threw it into the air, and
m ade a perfect two-point basket. “Hav e y ou eaten?”
Extrem ely reliev ed the towel didn’t float back out of the chute
or throw lightning bolts at either of them , Holly exhaled a long
breath. She was being ridiculous. “No.”
Brett offered his hand again. “C’m on, I know a place.”
She lifted her hand to accept and then paused. She glanced at
his offering and then back into his ey es. “Wait, is this a date?”
“Do y ou want it to be?”
Did she? Truth be told, she wanted it to be m ore than a date.
Her wet panties prov ed it. But that would allow him m ore tim e to
question her. To attem pt to get closer. “No.”
Another disarm ing sm ile. “Then it’s not.”
Holly waited to see if a darker shade of pink, alm ost m agenta,
m ight surround him . Not that she thought him deceitful, just
m ischiev ous. And, he m ade no secret of his interest in her. One
m ore m
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