“And when is that?” I was afraid to hear his answer.

“I don’t know. I don’t have my orders yet. I won’t be here more than three weeks. It could be closer to one.” He tilted my chin upward, locking his eyes on me. “I think we need to talk, doc.”

He reached across me and turned off the shower. I stood as he wrapped a towel around me and stepped from the shower. Something was different. His tone. His mood. The sexy banter had vanished.

I followed him to the bedroom and sat on the bed, clutching the towel to my chest. The water droplets rolled along my skin.

“Clothes.” He pointed. “Get dressed and we can talk over lunch.”

Before I had a chance to ask what it was about, he pulled the bedroom door behind him and was gone.

I stared at the closed door. I tried to remind myself I didn’t know Brett. There was no telling what he was dealing with from his acclimation back into U.S. culture, but there was something nagging at me, telling me this had nothing to do with his Delta status and everything to do with us. With me.

I got dressed, toweled my hair dry, and walked to the kitchen.

Seventeen

Brett

I worked on lunch while Gretchen got dressed. I shuffled around the small kitchen, searing steaks and sautéing vegetables. I put two plates on the table and waited for her to emerge from the bedroom.

I knew I was jumping from hot to cold, but that’s how everything felt. Holding her, making her come undone was the hottest sensation I had ever felt. Knowing I had to leave again, made things come back into a chilly focus.

Gretchen appeared in the doorway.

“Sit.” I pulled a chair for her.

“Looks good. I’m starving.” She smiled.

I sat across from her. Time had slipped away. Lunch had run into dinner. There wasn’t going to be much more time before I had to meet with the two warring families. I needed to get this over with.

We ate quietly while I tried to think about how to explain to her what I was about to tell her. There were no good words. No good excuses. No good stories.

“Doc?”

“Mmmhmm?” She looked up from her steak.

“I need to talk to you. It’s important. And confusing,” I added. “I want to try to say this right.”

“Ok. What is it?”

“You know I have to go back with my Delta team?” Better to phrase things in a concrete way if I could.

She nodded. “You’ve mentioned it several times. You said your mission wasn’t over yet.” She pushed back from the table. “I wish you didn’t have to go back.”

“That’s right. It’s not.” I paused. “Let’s go sit by the fire.” I led her to the living room, where the flames had kicked up.

I pulled her against me on the sofa, loving how her body fit against mine. I kissed the top of her head.

“I need your help, doc.”

She pulled her legs behind her as we stared into the crackling logs. I wished like hell we could talk about anything else.

“What is it?” Her hand pressed against my chest, resting where my heart beat rapidly.

“I haven’t been exactly honest with you.”

“What are you talking about?” She sat forward, her eyes meeting mine.

Tags: Violet Paige Special Forces Elite Romance
Source: readsnovelonline.net