Perfect Soldier: The Complete Story (5-Part BBW Military Romance Novel) by Haley Nix Page B

guess I’d just hoped
maybe you’d be coming over tonight. I wouldn’t mind spending some more time
together before you leave.”
    “You know I feel the same,” I said.
    And it was true, I did feel the same. The Vegas trip
had been planned months ago when I was bored, looking for some kind of
excitement when I got back to the U.S. It seemed like a typical thing to do, go
to Vegas and go crazy for a few days to decompress from the time overseas.
After that, I’d settle back into a normal civilian life for the next few
months.
    I just never anticipated I’d meet someone like Cat
in the few days between landing and heading out to Nevada.
    “I’m not just going there to get buck wild,” I said,
trying to reassure her. I didn’t know how well it worked.
    “Well, what are you going for then?”
    “I promised Tyson and Garrett. Besides, if I’m not
there to keep a watchful eye on things, they’re liable to end up getting into
who knows what.”
    “Valid point,” said Cat.
     
    ***
     
    A few hours later we left the bar. Before I headed
out the door, I pulled Cat to the side. It had slowed down quite a bit, now
that the final game of the day was drawing to a close. Most of the patrons had
left early, seeing as how the Broncos were up by three touchdowns at the start
of the fourth quarter.
    I wanted to talk to Car before I left just to make
sure we were parting on good terms. The trip would only be about a week, but I
didn’t want her to have any uncertainty as to my loyalty to her. Sure, they
called it ‘Sin City’ for a reason. But I knew how to hold my own. My word was
my bond. And by all accounts, I was head over heels for this curvy girl.
    She left her post behind the bar somewhat
reluctantly. I brought her over to one of the empty booths while Tyson and
Garrett were out for another smoke break.
    “How you feeling?” I asked, trying to break the
minor tension between us.
    “Good,” said Cat. “Happy the night is coming to a
close.”
    “We’re leaving early tomorrow. I’m not going to have
another chance to say goodbye.”
    “So this is it?”
    “Yes,” I said. “For the time being.”
    I gave her a deep kiss, then stared into her eyes
across the table. We could have spoken more, but frankly there wasn’t much else
to say. Neither of us were happy to be parting ways so early on after meeting
each other. Were we risking something here? Was there a chance that things
would fizzle out? I think both of us were concerned about that deep down.
    For now, we kept quiet, keeping our mutual worries
to ourselves. I got up from the booth, giving one last squeeze to Cat’s small,
soft hand as I stood. I walked outside to join Tyson and Garrett. No need to
call his kid sister tonight for a ride; I was plenty sober.
    Garrett threw me the keys and I hopped up in the cab
of his old Ford. I had to admit, since the tune-up it wasn’t running half-bad.
If we were lucky, it’d bring us to Vegas after all. I thought about that for a
second.
    “Do you realize that this time tomorrow night we’ll
be sitting around a poker table in Vegas?” I asked, turning the keys in the
ignition.
    The Ford gave a healthy roar, then settled down to a
rumbling idle. I eased down on the gas pedal and pulled out onto the empty
street. Five hours of sleep, then seventeen hours to Vegas. I would miss Cat,
but I was ready to take that city for all it was worth.

 
     
     
    Chapter
Five
     
    Catherine
     
    I collapsed into bed alone that night, exhausted and
grateful for the simple pleasure of its warmth on this terribly cold night. Of
course, it would have been better to have Colt next to me, but it hardly
mattered since I fell asleep within minutes.
    When I woke up after my long slumber, I realized it
was Monday. My only day off of the week. I might have spent my time missing
Colt, wondering where exactly he was in Vegas and what he was doing, but the
truth was I didn’t really have the time or the energy to waste on that. My